Third-Person Remakes That Surpassed The Original Games

It’s now common to see updated versions of older games – remasters and remakes – as publishers try to boost sales and let new players experience beloved classics.

Remakes often reimagine popular first-person shooter games. Recent examples include Nightdive Studios’ updated version of System Shock and the upcoming remake of Halo: Combat Evolved by Halo Studios.

I’ve noticed that most game remakes these days seem to focus on games that used to be played from above or with static cameras. They’re updating those older styles to the much more common ‘over-the-shoulder’ perspective we see in a lot of modern games – it’s like they’re giving these classics a fresh, new look and feel that appeals to today’s players.

Some third-person remakes aim to recreate the original game as faithfully as possible, while others try to enhance it with improvements to things like gameplay, story, and added content.

10. Destroy All Humans!

The Grand Return of Crypto

The 2005 game Destroy All Humans! is a hidden gem from the PlayStation 2/Xbox era. It lets you happily wreak havoc on stereotypical 1950s towns and military installations as an alien, using classic tools like flying saucers, jetpacks, mind control, and, yes, even anal probes.

The original Destroy All Humans! was a wonderfully funny and open-world game. While later games refined the gameplay, the 2020 remake by Black Forest Games aimed to significantly build on the first game’s features, all while preserving its story and humor.

Beyond just making the game look better, Black Forest Games introduced several new ways to play DAH. These include fresh upgrades and abilities for both Crypto and the UFO, hoverboots for faster movement, unlockable character and ship skins, and extra side missions and optional goals.

In addition to everything else, the remake includes a previously cut mission from the original game, titled “The Wrong Stuff.” In this mission, players control Crypto as he infiltrates Area 42 to sabotage a human-built flying saucer prototype.

9. Shadow of the Colossus

Bluepoint Games’ First Remake

Remakes often include small but significant improvements that make revisiting a classic game’s story a better experience than ever before.

I remember playing the Shadow of the Colossus remake from Bluepoint Games back in 2018, and honestly, they mostly stuck with how the original game from 2005 played. They didn’t really change the core gameplay or mechanics, which was a bit surprising, but it still felt fantastic.

While not a radical overhaul, the 2018 remake includes several small enhancements that ultimately make it the most compelling way to experience Wander’s story.

The game features several small but impactful enhancements, like more precise controls, improved lighting effects, and adjustable performance options. Players can also enjoy new game modes, including Reminiscence mode, a hidden nod to The Last Guardian, and collectible items called enlightenments.

8. Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster

A New Side to Willamette

When it first came out on the Xbox 360, Dead Rising was a truly unique game. It stood out for its massive groups of zombies, the freedom to use almost any object as a weapon, and a tense, time-based gameplay system.

Although the Dead Rising games weren’t as popular as Capcom’s Resident Evil series, Capcom still wanted to honor Frank West’s zombie investigation at the Willamette Parkview Mall in 2024 with the Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster.

Though called a remaster, DRDR is actually a complete remake of the 2006 game, rebuilt with the RE Engine. It significantly improves almost everything about the original, including adding spoken dialogue for all characters, letting players use the radio while moving, and providing a new rooftop access point for survivors.

We added checkpoints and the ability to speed up time, making it much easier to save survivors and revisit cases. This also made notoriously difficult achievements, like the 7 Day Survivor, significantly fairer.

7. Kirby Super Star Ultra

The Definitive Kirby Game

Before the 2000s, Nintendo didn’t often remake their older games, except for the Pokémon series. However, they surprised everyone in 2008 with Kirby Super Star Ultra, which is now considered one of the best third-person remakes of all time.

Released on the Nintendo DS, Kirby Super Star Ultra is a remake of the 1996 game Kirby Super Star. It was created to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the original Kirby’s Dream Land.

Ultra is largely a faithful remake of Super Star. It keeps the core gameplay and storylines of the original game modes, but adds four new, enjoyable modes: Revenge of the King, Helper to Hero, Meta Knightmare Ultra, and The True Arena.

A fantastic feature in Ultra is the ability to play as a Helper with just one copy of the game, thanks to DS Download Play. This is a great way to introduce new players to Kirby and have fun with friends, especially when traveling.

6. Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy

Crash’s Much-Needed Revival

Since first appearing on PlayStation in the 1990s, Crash Bandicoot’s popularity has fluctuated. After a successful start, later games weren’t as well-received, and the character became less well-known until the release of Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy in 2017, which helped revive the series.

The Crash Bandicoot Trilogy is a remastered collection of the original three Crash Bandicoot games – released in 1996, 1997, and 1998 – and it successfully brought the beloved character back into the spotlight for gamers.

As a huge fan of the original Naughty Dog games, I was amazed to learn that the original source code was actually lost! That meant the team at Vicarious Visions basically had to rebuild everything – especially that awesome third-person perspective we all love. They didn’t just copy it though, they really upgraded it with things like dynamic lighting, super detailed graphics and textures, and even a completely re-done soundtrack. It’s incredible what they accomplished!

Beyond the standard updates, Trilogy added exciting new features. Players can now control Crash’s sister, Coco, in all three games, and there are time trials for both Crash 1 and Crash 2. Plus, two extra, difficult levels – Stormy Ascent and Future Tense – have been included.

5. Dead Space

A Horrifying Return to the USG Ishimura

Like Crash Bandicoot, the Dead Space series had trouble finding success in the 2010s, mainly because of Electronic Arts’ poor management and high profit expectations. However, the sci-fi horror franchise recently made a well-received comeback with the 2023 remake developed by Motive Studio.

The 2023 game is a fantastic reimagining of the 2008 original, preserving the core gameplay inspired by Resident Evil while dramatically improving the graphics and atmosphere of the USG Ishimura and Aegis VII. It also features a welcome return performance by Gunner Wright as Isaac Clarke.

The original Dead Space was fantastic, and this remake is even better. Motive has made several smart improvements, including bringing back the zero-gravity gameplay from Dead Space 2 and 3, adding more in-depth side missions, and redesigning the Ishimura to make its different areas flow together more seamlessly.

The game included side quests and audio logs that helped tie the story of the original Dead Space to the events in Dead Space 2, 3, and Extraction. Additionally, finding new Marker Fragments during a New Game+ playthrough changed certain story elements and unlocked a different ending, hinting at what would happen in Dead Space 2.

4. Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver

The Best Pokémon Remakes To Date

Beginning with the 2004 releases of Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, Game Freak established a pattern of revisiting and updating their core Pokémon games for newer consoles. Many fans consider 2009’s Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver to be their most successful remakes to date.

Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, remakes of the original Gold and Silver versions (with features from Pokémon Crystal), successfully combined the Johto and Kanto regions from those games with the updated gameplay and graphics of the Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum titles on the Nintendo DS.

Even though Gold and Silver were already incredibly popular Pokémon games, Game Freak found ways to make the experience even better. They introduced features like your first Pokémon walking alongside you in the game world and significantly expanded the number of Pokémon available to catch, including all those from previous games.

Unlike later Pokémon remakes such as Omega Ruby or Shining Pearl, the HeartGold and SoulSilver versions didn’t remove anything from the original Gold and Silver games. Instead, they added a lot of features from the sequels to enhance the experience for players following Ethan and Lyra’s story.

3. Resident Evil

The Potential of Resident Evil Remakes

The original Resident Evil from 1996 is a landmark video game, largely responsible for creating the survival horror genre. However, its creator, Shinji Mikami, recognized that the game hadn’t held up well over time, which led to the development of the improved Resident Evil remake in 2002.

Since it was released early in the PlayStation 1’s lifespan, the original Resident Evil‘s graphics look quite dated today. Also, the English translation sometimes made the game unintentionally funny instead of scary.

To fix these problems, Mikami and Capcom used motion capture technology to make the characters – Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield, and the zombies – move more realistically. They also added new, frightening enemies like the Crimson Heads and Lisa Trevor to increase the game’s horror.

The Resident Evil remake kept the classic fixed camera views and pre-rendered environments of the original, but it redesigned many of the puzzles, enemy fights, and how you manage items. This all worked together to make exploring the Spencer Mansion feel incredibly suspenseful and exciting.

2. Silent Hill 2

James Sunderland’s New Nightmare

Like so many of us, I grew up loving Silent Hill – it was a huge deal back in the PlayStation 1 era and really helped define survival horror. But honestly, the series seemed to fade away for a long time. I was so excited when Konami finally announced they were remaking Silent Hill 2 in 2022 – it felt like a dream come true after years of waiting!

The 2001 game Silent Hill 2 is often considered the best in the series, making it a great choice to remake in 2024 to bring the franchise back to life. The remake was a success, earning award nominations and selling over 10 million copies by October 2025.

Similar to the recent remakes of Resident Evil, the new Silent Hill 2 remake has moved away from the original game’s fixed camera angles. It now uses a modern, over-the-shoulder camera view, but still keeps the unsettling, foggy atmosphere that fans remember.

The game was expanded with new puzzles, enemies, and story parts to deepen the terrifying experience of playing as James Sunderland. They also improved the combat system, making fights smoother by letting players quickly switch weapons and dodge attacks.

1. Resident Evil 2

The Best Third-Person Remake of All Time

While the 2002 remake of Resident Evil was a faithful adaptation of the original PlayStation game, I believe Capcom’s 2019 remake of Resident Evil 2 remains the best RE remake, and one of the best third-person remakes ever made.

Originally released in 1998, Resident Evil 2 was a fan favorite, introducing characters like Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield, and featuring more action during the zombie outbreak in Raccoon City. Because of its popularity, a remake—often called RE2—was expected.

The Resident Evil 2 remake uses the same RE Engine as Resident Evil 7 to deliver the most terrifying and realistic depiction of the Raccoon City outbreak yet, making the zombies and mutants more horrifying than ever before.

Beyond just updated graphics, the Resident Evil 2 remake made several improvements over the original game. These included a new over-the-shoulder camera angle, the terrifying Mr. X who relentlessly pursues players throughout the police station, and the ability to play as different characters in the bonus ‘Ghost Survivors’ missions.

2025-12-09 18:42