There’s a trend of remaking games right now. Not just in the horror scene but across the board, as we see Final Fantasy 7 being remade alongside games like Resident Evil 2 and Silent Hill 2. While this trend is in full force, here are 10 horror games that desperately need a remake.
These 10 Horror Games Need to be Next in Line for a Remake
10. Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Amnesia: The Dark Descent holds up today in terms of graphics and gameplay despite being over a decade old, which is why it’s last on this list. However, a remake provides the opportunity to add features for more accessibility. Specifically, a Motion Sickness setting that changes the effects of low sanity. As it stands, I’d love to play Amnesia. But the sanity camera effects make me sick. I imagine this could be done with a mod or patch, but I’d also love to see what Frictional Games could do with a remake of Dark Descent after seeing The Bunker and Rebirth. I’m sure it’d be stunning, recapturing the awe of exploring the castle for the first time.
9. Clock Tower
Clock Tower, from Human Entertainment and Capcom, is a series of four games that feature point-and-click survival horror gameplay. Each one has a different story, with the largest overlap being the use of Scissorman as the villain in the first two entries. The games featured unique mechanics for that time period, with the first releasing in 1995 and the last in 2002. One such mechanic was panic mode, which made the character harder to control. A remake could bring these classics to a new generation of gamers and fix the clunky gameplay. Luckily, a remaster is in the works with WayForward games.
8. Penumbra
Released in 2007, Penumbra is often considered a spiritual predecessor to Amnesia. And that shouldn’t be surprising since it’s also made by Frictional Games. As you might expect, a lot of the mechanics overlap with Amnesia. However, Penumbra gives you the option to fight back to an extent with melee weapons. Aside from that, you focus on solving puzzles and using physics to help block enemies. Given the developer’s experience creating the Amnesia series, returning to Penumbra for a remake could result in some true gems.
7. Parasite Eve
Parasite Eve is technically a role-playing game, but GameSpot and PlayStation Magazine described it as a hybrid between Final Fantasy and Resident Evil. You have an Active Time Bar style of combat and gain experience to level and earn points that you use to upgrade aspects of your character. At the same time, horror elements are interwoven in the storyline as Aya faces Eve, a creature that uses hosts in an attempt to create the ultimate being through evolution. This game is actually a sequel to a novel by the same name written by Hideaki Sena. Plus, a mixture of horror and fantasy RPG sounds amazing to me.
6. Eternal Darkness
Eternal Darkness set itself apart with sanity effects and breaking the fourth wall, but it wasn’t considered a success. However, it’s since become known as one of the best horror games of all time. The game features three story paths, and completing one locks it off until you complete all three. The story starts with an investigation of Alex’s grandfather’s murder, and it turns into a fight against ancient powers. As a game that didn’t receive the praise it deserved at release, Eternal Darkness should be remade to give it a second chance to prove why it later became listed among the greatest horror games.
5. Deadly Premonition
Want to play Twin Peaks as a video game? Well, that’s Deadly Premonition. You take the role of an FBI agent who’s searching for the identity of a killer. But that’s not easy when the town where the murder took place is filled with strange characters. Part of the game revolves around York being human. This means you have to take care of his human needs, watching his hunger meter and letting him sleep when he’s too tired. There’s even a mechanic where York needs to shower to avoid becoming visibly dirty. As a result, Deadly Premonition feels like a blend between horror and life simulation, and it earned itself a cult following that would love to see it remade.
4. Dino Crisis
We’ve been begging Capcom for a Dino Crisis remake for years, and here we are with another plea. With Dino Crisis, you have the perfect blend of Jurassic Park and Resident Evil. A team is sent to arrest a scientist who started a secret weapons project. And naturally, everything goes wrong. The team tries to conduct their mission but ends up facing dinosaurs as they try to escape the island alive. Like Resident Evil, it doesn’t take itself too seriously. But the series still has a stronghold in many of our hearts, so seeing it remade and updated with graphics and gameplay would be a dream come true.
3. FEAR
An action horror game with an emphasis on the action part, FEAR gets forgotten among other franchises. It doesn’t help that the graphics are outdated, alongside clunky gameplay that feels choppy when you play on modern hardware. When playing it on PC, I even glitched out NPCs, making it difficult to progress. However, the idea and story of FEAR feels like a mix of Outlast and Resident Evil. You learn most information through reading files you find scattered around the stages. But you’re also followed by a girl who’s like Eveline in RE7, but with psychic powers instead of an infection.
A remake would do a lot for FEAR, especially since a lot of the content still feels unnerving and creepy as it is. Or it could go the route of games like FF7 and reimagine how FEAR could’ve played out instead. FEAR 3 was lackluster, but the franchise had more potential that was left untapped. And a remake of the first game could fix this.
2. Silent Hill 3
Silent Hill 2 gets the spotlight since a remake is in progress for it. And the first Silent Hill gets mentioned for remakes since it would’ve made sense to remake the series in chronological order. However, since we’re starting with a remake of 2, then Silent Hill 3 should be next in line. The series found its vibe by this point, and it combines a lot of the best features of Silent Hill 1 and 2.
Heather Mason is more interesting as a protagonist than Harry. And her connections to Silent Hill are more in-depth and complicated than Harry’s. She also has more snark in her lines, making her reactions to the horrors of the town feel realistic. If Silent Hill stayed as a trilogy, then SH3 made a satisfactory ending to the series.
1. Resident Evil: Code Veronica
While so many Resident Evil games are being remade, Code Veronica ends up being forgotten. However, Code Veronica features one of the most interesting villains in the franchise. Alexia didn’t care about infecting the world or using the infection to enrich herself like other villains. Instead, she wanted to turn herself into a superior being with the t-Veronica virus. Additionally, Claire Redfield takes the role of protagonist in Code Veronica. Overall, it’s a refreshingly different Resident Evil game that deserves so much more attention than it receives.
And those are 10 horror games that desperately need a remake. While I expect some games like SH4 and Code Veronica will eventually be remade, the possibility feels unlikely for other titles listed here. But for now, check out more horror content for games like Poppy Playtime or find out why Silent Hill 2’s latest trailer stoked debates.
