Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue
Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue is an HD remaster of Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, which was exclusively developed for the Nintendo 3DS. The 3DS game serves as a setup for the upcoming Kingdom Hearts III.
The obtusely named package also includes Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover, a one-hour cinematic of scenes not shown in Kingdom Hearts χ, and Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage, a short episode that takes place after the events of Birth By Sleep. That is a lot of story to get through before Kingdom Hearts III supposedly comes out next year.
Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue releases Jan. 24 for PlayStation 4.
Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition
The remastered version of 2011’s Bulletstorm features the same “kill with skill” gameplay using your hook, weapons, and the environment to chain kills in gruesomely satisfying ways. The new package offers upgraded visuals with 4K support, a better framerate, and includes all add-ons from the original game.
Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition releases April 7 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Pre-ordering the game adds Duke Nukem as a playable character, since Gearbox Studios is publishing the game and not the original publisher Electronic Arts, and features a fully re-recorded script with the original voice actor of Duke Nukem.
Resident Evil 2 Remake
While the HD remasters of Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil Zero, and the original Resident Evil were released last year, it was only a matter of time before Capcom made its way to the second entry in the franchise. The 1998 PlayStation game featured two protagonists, Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield, each with unique storyline points and different obstacles to overcome.
Little is known about the project, but it has been confirmed after producer Yoshiaki Hirabyashi made a special YouTube video message in 2015 saying the project was approved. Capcom reaffirmed the project was still in development last May. As past re-releases of the franchise have sold more than 1 million copies, a remake of Resident Evil 2 seems like a sure bet.
The Resident Evil 2 Remake is scheduled to release sometime in 2017.
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age
Final Fantasy XII, released back in 2006, was a divisive title among fans when it ditched the series’ turn-based combat and random encounters for a more fluid real-time battle system. An international version of the game, subtitled International Zodiac Job System, was released in 2007, but only for Japan.
The Zodiac Age is an HD remaster of the international version, and includes an overhauled gameplay balance, a Trial mode containing 100 battles with increasing difficulty, faster movement speed, and a job system to assign a different role for each character.
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age is scheduled to release sometime in 2017 for PlayStation 4.
Crash Bandicoot: The N. Sane Trilogy
The Crash Bandicoot series is a staple of any original PlayStation owner’s library. The love for Crash had not been forgotten, after Sony President Shawn Layden wore a Crash Bandicoot t-shirt on the PlayStation Experience 2015 stage and fans took the hint that he could be coming back. Naughty Dog also paid homage to its old titles with an amazing easter egg in last year’s Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End.
Crash Bandicoot: The N. Sane Trilogy includes HD remasters of the first Crash Bandicoot, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, and third entry Crash Bandicoot: Warped with new features like time trials and unified checkpoints, pause menus, and save systems.
The game is scheduled to release sometime in 2017 for PlayStation 4.
Full Throttle Remastered
Another LucasArts classic adventure game gets a new makeover. Following Grim Fandango Remastered in 2015 and Day of the Tentacle Remastered in 2016, Full Throttle gets an HD remaster this year with improved visuals, controller-friendly controls, and a director commentary for the game.
The game follows Ben, a biker gang leader, who sets out to clear his and his gang’s names after being framed for the murder of a motorcycle manufacturing CEO.
Full Throttle Remastered is scheduled to release sometime in 2017 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and PC.
PaRappa the Rapper Remastered
PaRappa the Rapper, another PlayStation classic, will be receiving an HD remaster this year after celebrating the franchise’s 20th anniversary last December. The new version features improved visuals with 4K support, enhanced audio, and additional alternative audio tracks.
New features in the remaster are “feel the beat,” where the controller acts like a metronome and vibrates to the beat, and “see the beat,” which enlarges the icons so players know when they hit the beat.
PaRappa the Rapper Remastered is scheduled to release sometime in 2017 for PlayStation 4. A demo is available now on the PlayStation Store.
LocoRoco Remastered
LocoRoco released on the PlayStation Portable in 2006 and has since spawned two sequels for the handheld. The cutesy platform title was notable for its controls, where the player does not control a single character.
Instead, the player used the shoulder buttons to tilt the world back and forth to move the little, gelatinous blobs forward through the level. The HD remaster will take advantage of the DualShock 4 controller’s motion sensors to tilt the world.
LocoRoco Remastered is scheduled to release sometime in 2017 for PlayStation 4.
Patapon Remastered
Patapon, which also spawned three games for the PSP, is a combination of a rhythm game and a god game. Players control a tribe of Patapons through armies and monsters by using drumbeats to attack, defend, and march. Issuing commands out of rhythm causes the Patapons to become confused and unresponsive.
The HD remaster of the original game offers 1080p and 4K support for a series that has never left the PSP screen.
Patapon Remastered is scheduled to release sometime in 2017 for PlayStation 4.
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