5 Worst Remakes & Remastered Video Games of All Time

Remastered video games are, quite frankly, the bread and butter of the digital afterlife. Combined, the duet provide a second wind, offering all of the countless hours we once spent when they were infants, only with rendered, rehashed, and revitalized bells and whistles to boot.

These days, it's more the case of quantity over quality, with developers looking to breathe life into a second vessel when the first has yet to pass over. Time and time again, we've clocked the endless waves of mechanical faults, glitches, and game-breaking bugs, and yet many games continue to receive the same second-hand treatment. With these five, in specific, it was more the case of less wax on, wax off, and more sand on, scrape off.

5. Mafia 2: Definitive Edition

When remastering the Mafia collection, 2K knew to prioritize the original over the second and third. And honestly, that's exactly what they did. Mafia: Definitive Edition was a masterpiece in motion, and a real marvel to behold. But as for its remastered successors, on the other hand, well — we try not to talk about those that much, to be fair.

Admittedly, Mafia 2 was one of the best gang-themed video games of all time, and a major shove in the right direction for the franchise. And so, when 2K promoted a remastered version of such a key piece in the genre, fans were head over heels in love with the concept. But as it turned out, the game was rifled with endless bugs and hard crashes. Sure, the visuals were uplifting compared to its first layer, but that didn't redeem it of all its flaws. Mafia 3: Definitive Edition, well, that was just unplayable, period.

4. Warcraft III: Reforged

Blizzard knew all too well that Warcraft would churn out record-breaking figures if it was to remaster any of the games in its portfolio. Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, being one of the most-played real-time strategy games of all time, was destined to break banks and empty wallets. And, you know, it did. But what a mistake that was.

From the moment the millions of followers sank into the Reforged edition of the beloved game, harsh critiques engulfed the domain and put the celebrated developer to shame. Flaws and glitches galore, Warcraft III: Reforged bombed incredibly hard. Luckily for the gaming kingpin, however, its legacy protected them and earned them a pretty penny in the long run, despite its blatant and unforgivable errors.

3. Grand Theft Auto: Definitive Trilogy

After over a decade of begging Rockstar to breathe a second life into its universally acclaimed Grand Theft Auto trilogy, the money-hungry creators finally listened and put pen to paper. However, instead of putting the project in the hands of seasoned professionals, the developer instead syphoned out the assets to a new handle, Grove Street Games, essentially handing over the keys to one of the best video game series of all time.

Despite their best efforts, the remastered trilogy tanked incredibly hard. From the choppy dialogue to the laughable visuals, the notorious rain effects to the sloppy mechanics — the whole thing broke at the touch of a button, proving that revenue was far more important than nostalgia when weaving it together. Poor effort, GSG.

2. Grand Theft Auto V

It's not that Grand Theft Auto V is a bad game or anything, because it isn't. It's the fact that Rockstar has turned it into a running joke, exploiting it to the brink of exhaustion on every available platform. For nearly a decade, the father of controversy has poured life into Grand Theft Auto V, using its online counterpart as an excuse to keep the flagship afloat. But, like most, I can confidently say that enough is enough, and Rockstar should know when and where to draw the line.

When the game first launched on Xbox 360 and PS3 back in 2013, fans were beside themselves, overjoyed to finally have another chapter in the book after a lengthy hiatus. But then, it came out as an enhanced edition on Xbox One and PS4. And then it came out with added extras as a sort of rehashed bundle. And then it came out on Xbox Series and PS5. Yawn. It would've been good, providing each version had actual improvements, rather than a new lick of paint and a couple of new loading screens.

1. Silent Hill HD Collection

One thing Silent Hill is known for is its fog. It has been the brunt of a joke for decades, as well as the franchise's primary focus ever since the series began. So, what better way to keep the flame alive, so to speak, than to just completely remove the smoke altogether? For Konami, that was the best way forward when crafting the Silent Hill HD Collection. Just banish everything. Who even cares, right?

The problem stared with Konami losing the original Silent Hill source code, meaning most assets had to be rebuilt from the ground up. The result of this, however, was an absolute shambles, and a stain on the series' reputation. As ambitious as it was, Konami really missed the nail when striking down for an overpowering blow. Shame, because quite a lot of people were hungry for such a collection.

So, what's your take? Do you agree with our top five? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.

Looking for more content? You could always take a look at one of these lists:

5 Best Xbox Alternatives to Ghostwire: Tokyo

5 Best Spin-Off Series Like Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires