Image via Complex Original
Everyone's getting a facelift nowadays. Kratos. Solid Snake. Big Boss. Jehuty. Guybrush. That said, there's still a long waiting list at the plastic surgeon's office - or at least there should be. Some of the best games in recent history are all getting the HD treatment, and we're thrilled that Silent Hill is now in that queue. Sam Fisher's HD legacy from his Xbox days will be here next month, as well.
Of course, gamers are going to want more. Throw us a bone and we'll want the whole herd. So, keeping in line with our intrinsic nature, we've compiled a list of other games that should go under the knife. Some of these games only need botox and a facelift; others are probably going to need a Lap Band and facial reconstruction - i.e., a complete rebuild. That more than likely ventures into "remake" territory, but whatever. We're not asking that the core mechanics be changed - just the veneer and rendering engine (ok, that part is kind of a big deal). We're sticking mostly with last gen releases, since PS1 and pre-PS1 games would likely need that kind of hefty reconstruction.
By no means is this list a definitive one - hell, we could go on for years if we were to list every game we'd want to see in HD. Got any others you want to see?
11. Final Fantasy VIII
Complex Says: Wait, did we accidentally add an extra "I" to that title up there? Or is it that we're tired of all the FFVII remake whining? Or it could be that we've grown weary of the FFVII-whoring on the part of Squeenix, with Dirge of Cerebus being the last straw (ok, Crisis Core wasn't so bad). Honestly, though, we'd really like to see Squall and crew take on Ultimecia again, rendered in the Crystal Tools engine. Seeing Eden summoned in HD would be nuts. And since we're already stumbling thorough a completely bat-shit fantasy land, we'd also like to see VI remade as well. But, ok, we'd still take a FFVII remake if it ever surfaced.
10. Devil May Cry Series
Complex Says: No disrespect towards the current gen DMC games (ok, just a little), but 1 and 3 were still the best. Playable Trish was really the only good thing about 2, so we'll still take that in HD, too. We have a feeling that Capcom is putting some serious thought into making HD releases for Dante, and rumors had festered after a Spanish retailer supposedly outed its existence. Capcom still hasn't made an official announcement, which angers us greatly.
9. Knights of the Old Republic
Complex Says: Even if this RPG wasn't a Star Wars title, it would still be a beast. Imagine how much greater it'd be weaved with a plot arguably superior to that of the movies, along with deep customization. Well, that's KotOR. We'd be more than happy with a simple HD upgrade, but if BioWare remade this game using the Unreal 3 engine they crafted for Mass Effect 3...*SQUUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE*
8. Okami
Complex Says: A no brainer. Although we'd be copacetic with an HD rendition of the game, we're tempted to lean more towards a complete graphical re-haul. The original game felt like it was made for an HDTV. The paintbrushing, the animation, just about everything was ahead of its time, and putting it on the Wii was at least a step in the right direction. Time to take that crucial leap, Capcom.
7. Star Wars: Tie Fighter
Complex Says: This one falls into the "graphics engine rebuild" category, but…it's TIE FIGHTER. Imagine taking those Microsoft flight simulators and removing EVERYTHING boring, and replacing the left over void with lasers and the Galactic Empire. It's one of the ultimate villain games, and we'd choke out Lando with Leia's slave-costume butt-floss a thousand times over if that's what it would take to get this game on our big screen HDTVs.
6. Otogi: Myth of Demons
Complex Says: Onimusha was great and all, but if we're going to compare Japanese warrior/mythology games, then Otogi was simply more fun and original. The battles were faster-paced. The story was more interesting. You could destroy just about everything in the environment. Visually, the game was a stunner back in '03. It would still look beautiful even today, but especially so with the HD make-over.
5. Kingdom Hearts Series
Complex Says: Ursula's transition from 2D to 3D was flawless. We'd imagine the shift to HD would be just as seamless. Wait - is it wrong that we'd want to marry Ursula over Ariel? At the very least, Squeenix needs to make an HD release of the original Kingdom Hearts. It would have been ALMOST everything we wished Epic Mickey could have been visually.
4. Grand Theft Auto Series
Complex Says: If we can't get all of the PS2 GTAs in HD, we'd at least want to see Vice City on the LED screen. Seeing all that pink and aqua color would be a glorious eyesore. Really, the gameplay for all of the titles generally still holds up well, and making CJ obese in 1080p is a gleeful wish of ours.
3. Persona 3
Complex Says: One of the best JRPG's of the PS2 generation was also one of the most vibrant in terms of its art direction, which would look even better in HD. We didn't even mind the typical J-Pop-ish high school romance stuff, because we got to shoot ourselves in the head almost every battle, which is our emo catharsis.
2. Full Throttle
Complex Says: If Tales of Monkey Island looked this good, then imagine what FT would look like. Personally, we felt this Schafer adventure game always had more flavor anyway. It would be the perfect dish to complement the Sons of Anarchy popularity.
1. Onimusha Series
Complex Says: This was one of Capcom's biggest franchises during the golden PS2 era, so we're not sure why this hasn't been HD'd yet. The gameplay is classic - like a less crappy Resident Evil in terms of controls. Unfortunately, the plot might need an HD upgrade as well, especially in Onimusha 3. Demons invading Paris? Time traveling samurai? We've since realized those plot lines are just bad anime tropes, right around the same time that Pocky stopped tasting good to us.
