Best Remaster of 2025 - Article
by Evan Norris , posted on 16 January 2026 / 3,618 Views
A lot of video game enthusiasts complain about remasters, but I think they're missing the forest for the trees. The video game industry sees thousands upon thousands of games released each and every year; who cares if a handful are remasters of old games? If anything, they're a net positive. They shine a spotlight on underplayed games of yesteryear or bring old classics to the attention of a brand new generation. That's certainly the case with this year's shortlist, which includes a graphical overhaul of the legendary action-RPG The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion; an expanded remaster of fan-favorite Final Fantasy Tactics; a return visit to 1930s Tokyo in Raidou Remastered; and a second chance at stardom for one of the very finest WiiU games, Xenoblade Chronicles X.
The Shortlist:
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles
Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition
The Runner-Up:
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
Oblivion is one of those rare games that convincingly transports you to another world and allows you to live there for as long as you see fit. Luckily, the 2025 remaster retains that special feeling of place, along with everything else that made the original RPG so enticing: open-ended exploration; a fascinating mythology; hundreds of interesting, consequential quests; and seemingly endless character customization. And it enhances many of those things thanks to a major visual overhaul, a refreshed UI, and multiple new quality-of-life features.
The Winner:
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles
If you haven't already experienced the brilliance of Final Fantasy Tactics, now is your chance. The Ivalice Chronicles preserves everything that makes the 1997 game so legendary — an impossibly deep job system, a thematically rich narrative full of heroism and villainy, and a challenging turn-based combat framework — and makes it fuller, more lavish, and more approachable than ever before. Thanks to reworked HD graphics, new voice acting, and several important modern amenities, it's ideal for those who've worn their PlayStation discs to dust and for those who've yet to set foot in Ivalice.
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tbh oblivion still runs far too poorly to be considered.
Low key appropriate though at the same time.
Raidou and Xenoblade X are so fucking good. Both improved on the original games in mechanics as well. X added new story content at the end.
Still Can't believe how Wii U could run Xenoblade Chronicles X
all great choices! i still cant believe this is a category
Whilst I enjoyed Oblivion Remastered... It's a technically flawed remaster... Full of frame pacing and framerate issues, compilation stutter and more.
I would rather play the version of Oblivion on Xbox 360 than the Remaster on Xbox Series X/Playstation 5 just for consistency of performance.
System Shock 2 was an amazing remaster too!
I was gonna say Person 3 reloaded..... but wtf... that was actually end of 2024. Time flies.
