Remasters, remakes, and re-releases will always flood the market, whether that means freeing Metal Gear Solid 4 from PS3 prison, bundling five versions of Rayman into one package, or confirming that the worst-kept secret in gaming really is happening. This week’s haul spans PlayStation’s entire back catalog, some surprise Nintendo moves, and a few deep cuts that prove publishers are scraping every corner of their archives.
The State Of Play Reveals
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 launches August 27, finally breaking Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots free from its PS3-exclusive prison. The collection also includes Peace Walker and Ghost Babel, rounding out Konami’s effort to make the entire series playable on modern hardware. For years, MGS4 remained stranded on PS3 due to its notoriously complex Cell architecture optimization, making it one of the most requested ports in the community. Now it’s happening, packaged with the usual quality-of-life features like save states and screen filters.
Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered hits March 3 on PS5, PS4, Switch, and Switch 2, bringing visual upgrades, modernized controls, and archival content to the 2003 action-adventure. The real draw is the Deluxe Edition, which includes a playable demo of Dark Prophecy, the cancelled sequel that never saw release. Getting a glimpse at what could have been makes this more than just another upscaled remaster.
God of War‘s Greek trilogy is getting the full remake treatment, currently in early development at Sony Santa Monica. No release window was announced, but the confirmation ends years of speculation about whether Sony would return to Kratos’s brutal origins. The Norse games proved the franchise still has legs, so revisiting the PS2 era with modern production values makes commercial sense even if it’s retreading old ground. (Over/under on if the XP-farming minigames survive the transition?)
Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition shadow-dropped on PS5 February 13, developed by the always incredible Digital Eclipse. The package includes five versions of the 1995 original, 120 additional levels from bonus packs, a reimagined soundtrack by Christophe Héral, enhanced gameplay features, an interactive documentary, and a never-before-playable prototype. It’s the full Digital Eclipse treatment, complete with behind-the-scenes footage and developer commentary. If you’ve been waiting for the definitive version of Ubisoft’s limbless mascot’s debut, this is it.
Dino Crisis 1 and 2 landed on Steam, though Linux and SteamOS users need community patches to get them running properly. Capcom’s survival horror dinosaur games have been stuck in licensing and rights limbo for years, so seeing them finally arrive on PC counts as a minor miracle even if the ports aren’t flawless out of the box.
Nintendo’s Moves
Pokemon classics are reportedly coming to Nintendo Switch without requiring an online subscription, breaking from Nintendo’s usual practice of locking retro games behind Switch Online. Details remain sparse, but the move suggests Nintendo is experimenting with standalone classic releases rather than funneling everything into the subscription service. Whether this extends beyond Pokemon or becomes a broader strategy remains unclear.
Arcade Archives and Deep Cuts
Mega Zone, Hamster’s latest Arcade Archives release, is a 1984 Konami vertically scrolling tank shooter developed by the creators of Contra and Ghosts ‘n Goblins. The game features branching pathways and tank combination mechanics, and aside from a brief appearance in Xbox 360’s Game Room, this marks its first proper modern re-release.
The Dark Eye resurfaced on Steam after years of obscurity, now hilariously titled Edgar Allan Poe’s Interactive Horror: 1995 Edition. The 1995 point-and-click adventure used claymation and surreal visuals to adapt Poe stories like “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “Berenice,” creating one of the strangest games of the CD-ROM era. Its cult status comes from its oppressive atmosphere and unsettling art direction, making the Steam re-release a rare chance to experience something genuinely weird from the ’90s PC gaming scene.
The Worst-Kept Secret
An art book for the Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag remake popped up for pre-order, adding yet another piece of evidence to the pile confirming what everyone already knew. At this point, Ubisoft might as well announce it officially since the leaks, retailer listings, and now physical merchandise have made the project an open secret. It’s joining the remake wave alongside Dead Space, Resident Evil, and countless others, betting that players will pay full price to revisit a game that’s only a decade old.
PlayStation Plus Updates
PlayStation Plus Premium members are getting Tekken: Dark Resurrection in March and Time Crisis in May, continuing Sony’s effort to flesh out the Classics catalog with PSP and arcade titles. The additions won’t move the needle for subscribers, but they’re solid picks for anyone chasing nostalgia or filling gaps in their play history.
Publishers are mining their back catalogs harder than ever, whether that means full remakes, budget remasters, or barebones ports. Some of these deserve the attention. Others feel like obligation releases to keep IP active or test market interest before committing to sequels. Either way, the retro revival shows no signs of slowing, and at this point it’s easier to list what hasn’t been re-released than what has.
