Summary
- Remakes of legendary games breathe new life into beloved titles, attracting existing and new players alike.
- Impressive open-world remakes like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth deliver nostalgia with vast new upgrades.
- Remasters like Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition and Oblivion Remastered improve both visuals and gameplay, blurring the line between remasters and remakes more than ever before.
Remakes and remasters have started dominating mainstream gaming, given how expensive video game development has become. It's more feasible for developers to breathe new life into a title that everyone already loves, and this isn't necessarily a bad thing.
9 Best Open-World Games With Cryptic Storytelling, Ranked
For players who like to decipher a story themselves, these open-world games keep their narratives ambiguous, offering only cryptic clues as a guide.
Some of the best open-world video game remakes players can get their hands on are quite impressive. Players will love exploring these sandboxes with a fresh coat of paint, letting existing fans channel their nostalgia while a new batch of players falls in love with titles that needed an uplift.
The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time 3D (Special Mention)
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
- Released
- June 19, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
Ocarina of Time is one of the most legendary video games ever made. The open-world genre may technically not have existed at that point, but this revolutionary title had such a major impact that it single-handedly helped establish the sandbox genre in the eyes of many. It may not be an open-world game based on the genre's modern definition, but the fact that legendary open-world titles like Grand Theft Auto 3, Shadow of the Colossus, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt were inspired by its open-ended design makes Ocarina of Time's importance to the genre clear as day.
The 3D remake of this title on the 3DS is hailed as one of the greatest video game remakes of all time. The core gameplay was solid and barely needed a touch-up, but the remake focused on other problem areas. Inventory management became a thing of the past, and the Water Temple was significantly less frustrating, allowing players to enjoy the best version of this title for themselves.
6 Mafia: Definitive Edition
A Remake Of A Classic Crime-Fueled Open-World Game
Mafia: Definitive Edition
- Released
- September 25, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
The Mafia games are known for boasting incredible stories set in an open world, and the first game is no exception. Players control Tommy Angelo, a taxi driver roped into a life of crime that was lucrative until it wasn't, forcing him to testify and live a new life under witness protection.
The Definitive Edition makes the game look miles better than the original title. The story is as top-notch as always, and the open world is fun to explore, even if it may not have too many things to do.
5 Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Takes An Open-World Approach After Players Leave Midgar
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
- Released
- February 29, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
While the original Final Fantasy 7 wasn't an open-world game, the second title in the Remake trilogy decided to opt for this approach. This was understandable, given how the heroes were finally moving out of Midgar.
9 Best Sci-Fi Open-World Games
Open-world sci-fi games can be difficult to get right due to just how vast they can be, but these games manage to nail it.
The game needed to convey the sense of wonder and adventure that fans experienced in the original after stepping into the World Map, and many people agree that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth achieved this in spades. It's a labor of love that does justice to the original game's classic moments while adding new content to help flesh out the world.
4 Shadow Of The Colossus (2018)
The Remake Makes The Game Look More Beautiful Than Ever
Shadow of the Colossus
- Released
- February 6, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Bluepoint Games, JapanStudio, Team Ico
- Publisher(s)
- Sony
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Shadow of the Colossus is one of the best PS2 video games of all time, and more fans deserve to enjoy this classic. So, they were glad to see that Bluepoint Games knocked it out of the park with a remake that makes the title look better than ever before.
The serene exploration as players control Wander and take down massive, beautiful colossi makes it clear that what they're doing may not be the right thing. Wander is willing to give up everything for the sake of love, and new fans will love getting into this amazing open-world title without having to find a PS2 and a dated copy of this game.
3 Yakuza Kiwami
Modernizes The First Game In The Series For New Fans
Yakuza Kiwami
- Released
- August 29, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
- Publisher(s)
- Sega, Deep Silver
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
The Yakuza series blew up after Yakuza 0 served as the perfect entry point for new fans. This mandated the need for RGG Studio to remake the first two games in their new engine, and the results were splendid.
Yakuza Kiwami is an excellent remake that modernizes the title without losing out on the story that made the first game so enjoyable. Some additions may irk fans, but the overall package is excellent and a must-play for fans who want to get into the Yakuza series, bit by bit.
2 Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
A Remaster That Went Above And Beyond
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
- Released
- May 29, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Monolith Soft
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- Platform(s)
- Switch
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
While this may qualify as a remaster, there are many changes in Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition that help it live up to this moniker. The art style was improved to match later entries, QoL features were implemented, and the stellar music was remastered.
8 Best Open-World Games Where You Level Up Spells And Attacks
Open-world games offer all kinds of freedom. These titles take it to the next level, letting players power up and customize their combat skills.
The best addition to this Definitive Edition is Future Connected, an epilogue that focuses on Melia. All of these changes are so notable that this game encroaches on remake territory in the eyes of many, which is justified given how many other titles label themselves as remakes while putting in way less effort than Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition.
1 The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
Feels Like A Remake With Its Improved Visuals And QoL Improvements
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
- Released
- April 22, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Publisher(s)
- Bethesda
- Genre(s)
- Action, RPG, Open-World, Adventure
- Platform(s)
- Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PlayStation 5, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Despite its name, The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion's remaster is yet another title that many fans feel is closer to a remake than a traditional remaster. The sheer amount of work put into modernizing the visual assets should make this abundantly clear.
Leveling is also rebalanced to make it significantly less broken than the original game, and many quality of life (QoL) features are added to make gameplay smoother than ever. The fact that this title feels so modern while retaining a lot of the special Oblivion jank makes this an honorary remake that is a blast to play for Elder Scrolls fans.
7 Best Open-World Games With No Leveling Up, Ranked
These open-world games incorporated more unique ways to make players stronger without the need to level up.