10 Best Game Remakes of the 2020s (So Far)

We’re only halfway through the decade, but the 2020s have already seen a number of amazing remakes being released. That trend is showing no signs of slowing down either, as we have the Ocarina of Time remake coming in fall 2026 and the final part of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy to look forward to.

In the meantime, horror players like me have been experiencing a golden age with the number of fan-favorite horrors being remade, and those remakes staying faithful to the original content while improving on it. With so many to choose from, it can be hard to decide on the next remake you want to play through.

10 Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

It's Made of Paper, but This Game Doesn't Fall Flat

Originally released in 2004, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door received a remake that was released in 2024. This game combines the platforming that's familiar from classic Mario games with more RPG elements and turn-based combat, which usually leads to it being considered a JRPG.

The remake took an already great game, kept what players loved, and remade it to be more beautiful. While the update in graphics is the most obvious improvement, if you listen, you'll find that the soundtrack has also been remade. This remake is clearly a passion project made by developers who understood what the game needed to change and what needed to stay the same.

9 Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter

A Cozy JRPG Remake to Introduce the Series

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter isn't always considered the best in the series, but this remake is an exciting experience in a cozy world that's perfect for somebody who wants to get into JRPGs as a genre, or just get into the Trails series. Plus, the second chapter is set to release next year, so there's more content to look forward to.

Depending on what you like in a narrative, the Trails games tend to be lighter when informing you about the story, as in you aren't receiving a lot of pure exposition about the plot throughout, which can be boring to go through.

8 Dead Space

A Refreshed Beginning to Isaac's Horrible Adventure

It seems that Dead Space took cues from Resident Evil when remaking the first game in its trilogy, as the remake keeps the core of the original Dead Space intact while rebuilding the entire game to resemble what it would have been like had it been created in the 2020s in the first place. I think this is the most reliable way to approach remakes, because remasters tend to retain clunkiness.

One change that seems small until you experience it in-game is the loading screens between areas of the Ishimura are gone and replaced with a quick stutter when you go between areas that once had them, depending on your system and settings. These small changes help make Dead Space feel like a new experience even if you played the original.

A Solid (Snake) Remake

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is a remake of the third MGS game. While the original holds up fairly well, the remake lets you experience the game with better graphics and controls, which often don't age well in gaming. The general feeling about this remake is that the developers played it safe, especially without Kojima involved in the creation this time.

However, MGS3 is a classic game that was a memorable experience for many players when it was released, so playing it safe helped make this remake great because you still have that feeling of nostalgia. I would've liked fewer loading screens, though.

6 Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake

Get Your Cameras Ready

One of my personal favorite games, the remake of Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly, came as a pleasant surprise this decade. Every part of this game has been improved in the remake, and there are even new endings that you can get through New Game Plus, which adds a fresh feeling to the experience.

Fatal Frame is a series that hasn't gotten a lot of new content in recent years that brought as much excitement as the Crimson Butterfly remake. As such, I hope that the success of this remake is the start of a revival for the series overall.

5 Persona 3 Reload

Where Persona Found Itself

By the third game, Persona 3 had found its place in the JRPG genre, which meant that it blended those elements with social simulation features and a coming-of-age story. The blend of these genres makes Persona into a series of games that you can play for hundreds of hours each.

Persona 3 Reload is a great remake in every aspect except one, and that's the decision to leave out the female protagonist option. This is the only Persona that even offers a female option, and the remake not including that feels like a disservice to the original.

4 Resident Evil 4

Leon's Had a Good Decade

Resident Evil 4 is the game when Capcom shifted the series to include more action, which would be part of the reason that the following games received criticism. Still, RE4 did well balancing action with horror, and the remake refined that combination while keeping Leon's somewhat lame sense of humor.

The remake kept what players loved about the original and improved what was not as beloved, such as Ashley being more useful and less difficult to keep alive. While it's a great experience for players who went through the original, the RE4 remake is also ideal for anybody who might want to try an RE title for the first time.

3 Super Mario RPG

The Perfect Starter JRPG

For decades, Super Mario RPG felt forgotten. Nintendo would make other JRPGs in the Mario universe with the Paper Mario games, but Super Mario RPG was different, which is likely due to Square Enix's involvement in developing the original game. It's a shorter JRPG, but that makes it perfect for a quick playthrough when you might not want to commit to a longer game.

Super Mario RPG is perfect for new JRPG players, as it has the main features that define the genre, such as turn-based combat, but it takes place in one of the most well-known game universes, which gives it a sense of familiarity. This joyful, lighthearted game remake is a perfect choice for any player.

2 Silent Hill 2

Konami Piles Up Successes This Decade

Silent Hill 2 is a fan-favorite game, and Bloober Team delivered with the remake of it that was entrusted to them. Like the Fatal Frame remake, SH2 also received new endings that you get in the remake that weren't part of the original. The heart of SH2 is still there, but the characters have been rounded out and improved to have more depth in ways that make an already emotional story hit harder.

Not only is SH2 one of the best remakes this decade, it's also an important success. Silent Hill had been basically dead since the cancellation of Silent Hills and Kojima leaving Konami, and SH2's remake gave the company an important win that was then compounded with the success of Silent Hill f.

1 Final Fantasy 7

Turning One Game into Three

Final Fantasy 7 Remake has gone beyond the normal expectations for a remake. Instead of polishing up graphics and all that, Square Enix decided to rebuild FF7 from the ground up in a way that makes the remake feel somewhere between a reimagining and a sequel to the original game.

The scale of the FF7 remake is staggering, and it feels like a new experience while making you question if you actually know what's going to happen next given the changes that have been made to the story. Even if you don't like the remake, you have to admit that FF7R is bringing an entirely new standard to what remakes can be.

We're in an age where remakes are popular and done well enough to satisfy both new players and the players who loved the original game. While I understand that there could be fatigue over so many remakes being released and announced, I hope the trend continues so that more games are available to play with modern polish.