An unfortunate reality of the video game industry is that a lot of games only ever get one release. If you miss out on a game when it first comes out, you often won’t get a second chance to play it. For that reason, we’ve seen a lot of remakes and remasters pop up in recent years, but there are lots of great games in desperate need of this treatment, including several in the horror genre. Shockingly enough, many of these games are owned by major publishers, making their lack of wider availability all the more puzzling. To give these companies a push in the right direction, ComicBook has assembled five horror games in desperate need of a second chance on modern platforms.
5. The House of the Dead: Overkill– Some of the older House of the Dead games have been getting remasters recently, but the one most deserving of this treatment is The House of the Dead: Overkill. Released on Wii in 2009, the rail shooter leaned into the franchise’s cheesy acting and stories with a style inspired by grindhouse cinema. The new direction was a perfect fit for the series, with language and gore that felt fittingly over-the-top. The overall absurdity added to the game’s charm, resulting in one of the funniest and most enjoyable games in the series. While Overkill was later ported to PS3, the game is unfortunately unavailable on modern platforms; Sega desperately needs to rectify that.
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4. Resident Evil – Code: Veronica– Over the last few years, Capcom has remade several classic Resident Evil games. Favorites like Resident Evil 2 have gotten a huge glow up as a result, with gorgeous visuals and improved gameplay. Unfortunately, the publisher has exclusively focused on the numbered entries in the series, leaving Resident Evil – Code: Veronica fans out of luck. Originally released on Dreamcast in 2000, the game offered a compelling story centered around Claire Redfield. Unlike many of the games on this list, the original version of Code: Veronica is thankfully available on modern platforms, so even if it never gets the remake treatment, at least series newcomers can see what all the fuss is about.
3. Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem– One of the most unique video games ever published by Nintendo, Eternal Darkness was released on Nintendo GameCube back in 2002. The game was a commercial flop, but it has built a passionate following in recent years. This unique game took players on a journey spanning human history, in which the games protagonists were tasked with stopping a Lovecraftian menace from conquering the world. As the heroes encountered increasingly dark and frightening things, a meter would build, and the game would produce “Sanity Effects” that would actually mess with the player. These Sanity Effects made it look like the volume on the TV was being lowered, or that the memory card was being deleted.
Sadly, Nintendo has never made a sequel, and the original game has never been made available on another platform. Given the large user base Switch has, there’s never been a better time to bring this game back.
2. Dino Crisis– In 1999, Resident Evil director Shinji Mikami delivered Dino Crisis on the original PlayStation. The elevator pitch is simple: Resident Evil meets Jurassic Park. With faster, more intimidating enemies than the Resident Evil games had provided, Dino Crisis seems like the kind of series that should have about 10 sequels right now. Unfortunately, the franchise has been dormant since 2003. Fans have spent years begging for a Resident Evil style remake, and Dino Crisis even topped a worldwide poll asking which Capcom series is in need of a new entry. Modern consoles could make the game’s enemies far scarier than they were back in the day, and it’s exciting to think how great a remake of the first game could look on PS5 or Xbox Series X. It remains to be seen whether that will ever happen, but those who would like to play the first game can now find it on PlayStation Plus.
1. Parasite Eve– In the original PlayStation era, Square’s offerings largely centered on turn-based RPGs. 1998’s Parasite Eve was a rare exception; while the game did feature RPG elements, it also added survival horror in the mix. The game centers on police officer Aya Brea, one of the few survivors of a horrific event at an opera where the audience spontaneously combusts. Aya begins to investigate, in an adventure that takes place in New York City around Christmas. The game’s theme and setting would make it a perfect candidate for a remake on current platforms. With Square Enix in the process of remaking games like Dragon Quest III and Final Fantasy VII, Parasite Eve should be next classic to get that treatment.
What horror games do you want to see get a remake or remaster? Do you agree with any of our picks? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!