Old PC Games That Need A Remake (Pretty Please & Thank You)

While I wasn’t the biggest PC gamer as a kid, I still had a fair few experience that I still hold near and dear. A lot of what I played was deliberately different than what was offered on the consoles I played at the time. But going back to these games in 2021 has left a lot to be desired. Some of these games now look or handle (unfortunately sometimes both) like pure dog poop. Luckily, video games are a medium that grants us the ability to recreate. Thus I have a few ‘dream’ games from my childhood that I think would greatly benefit from a modern facelift. So, here’s a list of old PC games that need a remake ASAP!

Blood

If you remember Blood, you’re a real one. Released at the height of the late 90s FPS craze alongside the likes of Duke Nukem 3D, Shadow Warrior and Quake 2, Blood held its own amongst the best of them. It was an occult/horror themed shooter fest that had a really fun story. Which was something you just did not find in the genre at the time.

I ended up remembering it a bit more fondly compared to its brethren, due to how memorable its level design was. The first level sees your character rising from the grave, working your way through a morgue, slaying cultists and zombies. While the next, sees you visit a train station. The third takes place in the train of course, before it crashes off the rails at the conclusion of the level into a backwater amusement carnival. Its levels are simply iconic, with goofs galore and a plethora of secrets, gags and movie references to find.

As for a remake, I’d just love to see it recreated in proper 3D. Especially as right now we;re in a bit of a PC FPS renaissance. The game play is still as tight as ever, but by today’s standards, Blood’s graphics look kind of disgusting. (No seriously, look at the cut scenes!) However, it still has so much personality! Just imagine what a fresh coat of paint could do for it!

Deus Ex

The original Deus Ex (2000) remains such a pure RPG despite looking like a stealth FPS on the surface. What I loved about this game was just how open ended it was. No two people will tackle a mission the exact same way, as you become entangled in a dystopian conspiracy involving the Triads, UFO theorists and the Illuminati. Yeah, it gets pretty bananas. Also, it was doing the whole cyberpunk thing way before it was cool.

If it were to be remade, I’d love to see its AI get an overhaul. While it worked fine, it’d be cool to modernize the enemy behavior. Having the guards now work harder and smarter to try and stop you from sneaking around in their building’s vents, like the dirty rat you are.

We’ve also come a long way in fleshing out what a cyberpunk world looks, sounds and feels like. So, it’d be great to see it through a new lens. Especially because there seems to be a bit of a gap in the market now for a truly great cyberpunk experience *cough, cough*. Oh and uh, real life is also doing a great job of making the whole ‘dystopian’ thing a reality too. So, while the series did continue well into the 2010’s, I think the first remains the best and my go to pick of the bunch that could use a swanky upgrade.

No One Lives Forever 2

It’s damn near a crime that more people don’t discuss this series. I’ve picked the second here as it was PC exclusive but screw it, I’m lumping the first one in with this too. Just try and stop me.

For the uninitiated, No One Lives Forever was another FPS series (what can I say, lil Michael loved his murder simulators) but had a heavy spy flavor, parodying the likes of spy films a la James Bond, but perhaps with a few less pee pee jokes than what was offered in Austin Powers. Its protagonist, fledgling spy Cate Archer, was also one of my favourite video game icons from way back when. Travelling the world, taking down bad guys in gorgeous locales, and uncovering political conspiracies all while proving her dismissive male colleagues wrong was immensely entertaining.

A remake would introduce a new generation to the brilliance that was NOLF, as I’m sure it’d get its proper due a second time around. Updated graphics and music are literally all that are lacking from these games. They were just so different than what was offered at the time and from what came after it. And it would still stand out as wildly different, even in today’s climate.

Unfortunately, it seems to be stuck in a bit of a copyright limbo as both games are impossible to find and buy, especially digitally. So, if only to let people finally experience the magic that is this game series, a remake please and thank you.

The Secret of Monkey Island

Yeah yeah. I know this one already has a remake, sassy commenter. I just think it could’ve been so much more than shiner graphics. The world of Monkey Island has so much potential for hilarious hi-jinks that I demand it get remade a second time in a way that completely reinvigorates the adventure, while remaining honest to the original. Make it a 3D open world game or something. I don’t know. Just more Monkey Island 1 please.

See I’m just a sucker for pirates, and all things pirate media. Plus, the old school ‘point and click’ genre has kind of faded now. And for good reason. Games have just evolved so much since then. Why settle for confusingly clicking things on what feels like a static image, waiting for something to happen when we can be in first person, completely immersed in a tropical, jungle atmosphere?

Perhaps some people will argue changing its genre will change the soul of the experience. But eh! Perhaps some sprucing up for a new slew of wannabe pirates to enjoy for the very first time is just what this brilliant game needs. Who am I kidding, it’s what I need! A man can dream.

Putt-Putt and Fatty Bear’s Activity Pack

Uh, what can I say? I was a massive Fatty Bear fan as a kid. Could take or leave Putt-Putt though (Sorry bro). I spent hours as a wee boy (literally some of my earliest memories) playing this mini game compilation, getting increasingly frustrated as I would repeatedly lose in games of go fish against a virtual obese mammal.In fact I have a fondness for all of those children’s ‘early development learning/educational’ games and remember plonking myself down in front of mum’s beige CRT to play them.

So, while I probably won’t be clamouring to own a remake of this now as a fully grown big boy, I’d just like to see this kind of game return in some form. If there are educational games out there these days, I haven’t heard of them. So why not usher in a new era of children’s games spearheaded by everyone’s favourite video game mascot, Fatty Bear. Just remember, he’s totally not Winnie the Pooh guys.

Anyway, that just about wraps up my list of old PC games that need a remake! I know you’re reading this, big video game executive. Get cracking on my 9000 IQ ideas, quick smart!

So, were there any PC Games that need a remake I missed? Let me know in the comments below! Otherwise, feel free to check out some of our other gaming blog posts here, or check out some of our other content over on our YouTube Channel.