20 Remakes and Remasters That Are Worse Than The Original

The cover of XIII is one of those indelible images of the noughties. Despite not gaining the same popularity, sales or traction as its most comparable contemporaries, Grand Theft Autos Vice City and San Andreas, the game nonetheless permeated the culture, and it seemed there was a copy of it – and its red and yellow imagery – wherever you went.

Adapted from the graphic novels of the same name, the game puts us on the ground as an amnesiac known only as XIII, who must contend with assassins, special forces groups and the law in order to find out who he is and what the hell is going on. It’s a compelling conspiracy story, marred only by the often over-simplistic combat and flawed level design – ripe pickings for an overhaul. Right?

PlayMagic’s 2020 remake manages to take an imperfect game and amplify the issues rather than correct them – and nowhere is this more apparent than the visuals. Now, there’s no denying the graphics, textures, lighting, models and scenes are a step into the future when held up against the original game. But it doesn’t manage to retain the heavy-outline, comic book style, replacing it with something more realistic and considerably less aesthetically accomplished, robbing XIII of what makes it unique.

Two years on, Tower Five developed a remake of the remake, which is probably the best version to play if you have the choice. But if it’s between PlayMagic’s and the original, we go original all the way.