XIII Remake
When the original XIII debuted, it took the gaming world by storm. This smartly-designed cel-shaded shooter, released in 2003, transplanted players into a gritty comic book world rife with secrets, twists, and fun cameos from David Duchovny and Adam West. It was a visually stunning adventure that players couldn't get enough of. Fast forward 17 years later, and the XIII remake released to disastrous reviews. Developer PlayMagic took so many liberties with the game that it became near, it became unrecognizable as part of the XIII series. There was no comic book nuance, the shooting elements were admittedly awful, and it was buggy beyond belief. It was such a bad game that developer PlayMagic and publisher Microids issued an apology to XIII fans for the state it was released in. It would have been nice to see the series flourish again nearly two decades later, but it appears XIII is destined to remain a relic of the past.
Destroy All Humans!
Pandemic Studios' open world action-adventure game Destroy All Humans! first debuted in 2005. It introduced the nefarious alien Crypto to the world, who's tasked with harvesting human DNA in 50s America after being beamed down to Earth. It was admittedly hilarious when it debuted due to Crypto's quips and prowess with psychokinetic powers. The series saw several sequels, but it ended up largely fading away for some time. Black Forest Games brought Destroy All Humans! back to life in 2020, with a slick remake that went all out bringing the game to life once more. It was a lighthearted, fun return to form for the series, and a good example of how to breathe new life into a lesser-known franchise so that a modern audience can appreciate it.
Mafia: Definitive Edition
The original Mafia first hit PC in 2002. It was an exciting riff on the Grand Theft Auto-style open world formula that transported players back to the 1930s as Sicilian-American Tommy Angelo. It was an excellent game when it first hit shelves, but time had not been kind to it. It did not age well, and gamers who went back to play in modern times were disappointed. Luckily, developer Hangar 13 gave it a second chance at life, with 2K Games publishing. It was a top-down remake with newly-remastered visuals, completely re-recorded cutscenes and voice-acting, and tweaks to gameplay that made it feel much more like a modern game than one from the early 2000s. While some would argue it's the lesser game of the two since it didn't include new content, it's very much one of the best attempts at modernizing parts of the Mafia series and very well worth exploring.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Remastered Edition
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles was a GameCube exclusive that attracted players looking for a multiplayer option that featured recognizable elements from the Final Fantasy series. It offered just that, but for years it has languished as a GameCube-exclusive title that seemed destined to remain in the past. When it came to the Switch, fans were beside themselves due to it being a decidedly low-quality effort. While it does allow for multiplayer, that's about all it delivers on that fans were excited for. Matchmaking is online-only and region-locked, and multiplayer is limited only to playing dungeons. In many ways, it feels like a step backward from the original game, despite its visual and auditory improvements.
El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron
One of the most interesting games of the past decade is no doubt El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron. UTV Ignition Games created something truly special with this bizarre third-person action game that combines platforming elements at seemingly random intervals. Inspired by the apocryphal Book of Enoch, it follows a young man tasked with finding seven fallen angels to ask for their help in preventing a disaster from destroying all of mankind. There's a PC port on its way that isn't here just yet, but this is by far one of the most surprising games to have a chance at reaching a new audience this year. It remains to be seen what or how it might change when it debuts on PC for new players, but the fact that it’s been confirmed to be receiving a port that makes it newly-accessible is exciting all its own.
Photo courtesy of Black Forest Games