When Pure Xbox relaunched back in early 2020, one of the things we used to do as part of these weekly "Pick One" features was to ask the PX community which classic Xbox games they'd like to see remastered.
We did a bunch of these over a number of weeks, and the first three games that came out as winners were The Simpsons Hit & Run, Project Gotham Racing and Left 4 Dead. Unfortunately we're no closer to getting a remaster for any of these, so we thought we'd take this chance to revisit the old concept and pit these titles against each other.
Remember, you can only pick one!
Let's take a look at what we're working with:
Project Gotham Racing (2001)
"Xbox's super-slick Project Gotham Racing lets players strap into more than 20 licensed cars and compete on more than 300 circuits in cities around the world. In addition, the game boasts 100-plus individual and wheel-to-wheel challenges, an arcade mode, and a four-person multiplayer option. You may want to put your seat back--this could be a long drive."
Left 4 Dead (2008)
"From Valve (the creators of Counter-Strike, Half-Life and more) comes Left 4 Dead, a co-op action horror game for the PC and Xbox 360 that casts up to four players in an epic struggle for survival against swarming zombie hordes and terrifying mutant monsters."
The Simpsons: Hit & Run (2003)
"Springfield's biggest driving hazards are let loose! Drive yourself crazy in lawless fender-benders and chaotic head-on collisions as your favourite Simpsons character. Unbuckle your seatbelt and set out on foot to investigate creepy crop circles and a diabolical conspiracy threatening to obliterate Springfield. Drop that donut and grab the wheel!"
Let us know which of these Xbox classics you'd like to see remastered down in the poll below.
Which Of These Games Deserves A Remaster? (1,311 votes)
- Project Gotham Racing (any of 1-4)
- Left 4 Dead (1 or 2 - or both!)
- The Simpsons Hit & Run
Comments 44
The Simpsons without a doubt. After that probably Left 4 Dead.
Voted Hit and Run because of the old Microsoft racers I want to see revived, the sandbox driving game of Midtown Madness takes it. And because Hit and Run is just a great classic Simpsons game.
Simpsons hans down, then pgr
I've long hoped for a Simpsons collection like the Turtles one. Simpsons Cartoon Studio, Krusty's Super Fun House and the arcade game were awesome!
Project Gotham Racing series for me
Easy pick, PGR by a country mile. Preferably PGR2.
Oo that is a hard one. Project Gotham should be covered when new Forza rolls up. But there still nothing that touches left 4 dead.
Loved the PGR games. Easy pick for me.
PGR, without a second thought. I would have to select PGR 3, that was one of the 360 launch titles and easily one of the most impressive games I played in the early part of that era, and my favorite back then as well. Haven't played it forever, and it had a wonderful presentation that would probably look great remastered.
I just replayed the Simpsons hit and run but I would rather have left 4 dead remastered.
Left 4 Dead everyday. The others would be great too. But Left 4 Dead 2 was the first game I installed on my Series X day 1 and hasn’t left my hard drive since.
I suppose PGR of those 3 lol
Hit and Run without a second thought.
no hate for those other games, but come on.
The Simpsons is way past it's prime as a TV show I think the franchise could really shine with more video game adaptations though aslong as they use classic episodes as inspiration
@DarkRula oh god Midtown Madness I forgot about that game!!!
Both Left 4 Dead games are still available for cheap, and they run at 4K 120fps (and beyond) on PC, so a remaster doesn't seem all that meaningful.
I've always been interested in Simpsons: Hit & Run- and @Clyde_Radcliffe's suggestion above sounds great: a collection could bring back the '90s arcade game, both '00s driving games, Krusty's Fun House, the movie one, etc.
PGR 1 was gorgeous (if a little frustrating at times), but the sequels are all capped at 30fps, which is a big turnoff. I voted Simpsons, but I think PGR is objectively the series that needs a remaster the most.
Everyone was pretty tired of remasters till Metroid Prime got remastered.
The simpsons all the way.
That is a classic game where the gameplay would need very few changes for a modern audience.
Left 4 dead for me. Those were great games and the support just died for them. Left 4 dead 3 was an online rumor right up there with Switch Pro at this point. I would day one Left 4 Dead if they brought it back and make it exclusive to PC and Xbox. Be a good GP game to play with friends.
I voted for PGR because it’s my favourite racing series. I like Hit and Run but it needs a full remake whereas PGR still holds up perfectly.
None. I'd prefer Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Xbox exclusive) or any of the 007 games.
PGR (loved PGR1 on my OG Xbox and PGR4 on my 360).
@MaseSco Those will likely never happen due to licensing issues.
I would love to see both the Buffy games remastered though.
Series X is my first xbox, and I always wanted to play left for dead. Second would be Hit and Run, never played it back in the day but I've heard souch about it in the years since. PGR always looked fun, but apart from Burnout I've never got into an arcade racer.
@evan23 I know, but GoldenEye gives me hope haha
@Clyde_Radcliffe A Collection like that would sell just for the arcade game alone. I'd be shocked if that & multiple Marvel ones don't happen.
Def PGR series, had some awesome tracks in combo with stellar gameplay imo but with FM coming ... but I wish I could play them on my XSX! (never missed one)
The Simpson H&R was surprisingly fun I remember so a collection would be nice indeed.
Lol, Midtown Madness, the OG Xbox Live days, such good memories. On that note, I want a new Top Spin title too.
@scarecrowknife Not really, Forza and PGR are poles apart in what they offer. Race track sim vs city street arcade racer. Not even the Forza Horizon games come close to replicating PGR.
Left4Dead1&2 was updated for XboxOne and PS4. But was delisted on current gen consoles bc of Back4Blahd. The dev team recently announced they were done with Back4Blah and is moving to a new project. It makes no sense at this point not to update and re-release L4D1&2.
Simpsons, loved PGR but I really dont need a remaster because Forza Horizon is everything PGR was and a million times more. Never enjoyed L4D, even though I love coop shooters, the controls are too floaty.
@Kaloudz I think you're on to something and its probably part of the reason none of the modern Left4Dead type games have really hit. Getting to get together with 3 friends and s ashing some AI isn't novel anymore. Some styles of games just don't play as well since tech ology has advanced.
PGR, the best arcade game ever.
Hit 'n Run Remake. I'd rather just see a new L4D, even if it's not specifically 3 since Valve hates that number.
Impossible to choose between PGR and Hit and run. Both stone cold classics.
Xbox should 100% get on a new or remake of PGR.
They won’t… but they should and Rallisport.
PGR of course (I don't care for open world racing games and don't play Forza Horizon, NFS or others). Other racing or Xbox OG games would fit here (Voodoo Vince did get remastered but why no Blinx 2 or certain others). I never owned them for the longest time until 2020 I played all 4 and loved them and the OG Xbox BC on 360 works well enough (2 has menu graphics issues but still playable).
Going around cities, different layouts Bizarre Creations designed well, many challenges. That was the fun of it. I don't enjoy most modern racing games and most of the variety or interesting mechanics of the past are still in the past there is nothing else like car builders (Sega GT Dreamcast/Apex/Supercar Street Challenge are the only ones so far I know that have that feature all in different ways and scale), touge, cone challenges, story modes, walk around garages (a PGR thing), RPG mechanics and more of the past I prefer than the modern ones.
Sure modern racing games have such elements of RPG level systems and certain areas but not in the same way or all of them. More variation more competition before. Not all were profitable or series but still.
OSTs eh pass could go on about this for a bit. Listened to so many racing game soundtracks outside the games of the 2000s, or niche games not modern OSTs orchestra or otherwise just pass menu or core moments I mostly go for menu music, not licensed or original outside the menus. Listening to Cosmic Smash a Dreamcast game soundtrack right now (that I discovered today never played, heard or anything before happens sometimes for me) even. Wasn't into PGR's music menu or licensed radio but it fit the vibe of the game so it's fine.
Grid 2008 or TOCA games (besides Project Cars I guess) had more varied content than Grid 2019 that's for sure (Legends improved somewhat but still it being my favourite in years to tolerate isn't much a bar when it is still a safe game just less annoying then others).
Milestone or some Japanese devs impress me with their games of the past and Milestone somewhat is the only one I still get impressed by Gravel was interesting, Ride is fine enough as Bike Forza Motorsport. But their RPG Alfa Romeo, Evolution GT and more I have yet to experience are interesting.
Many one offs aren't the best but still I enjoy them. PGR and GT games (of old like 2-4 not Sport and up, 5&6 are fine) but PGR I enjoy more than Forza Motorsport even if I stick with Forza Motorsport as something else with Xbox and a racing game I can tolerate as it doesn't annoy me like GT's awful direction.
Driveclub and some other games were close enough to PGR but PGR was good and still is.
I would like to throw Simpsons Road Rage’s hat in the ring for a future vote please
I say Left for Dead or The Simpsons game cuz there's already a million racing games, even though that a really good one. I don't think remastering a racing game has the same impact as other types of games.
Hit & Run hands down. I'm a big Simpsons fan mostly, but also I feel Left 4 Dead is a game with still a lot of support on PC (though the sequel has supplanted it basically).
There's also so many other racing games that are very similar to Project Gotham, and are far more modern so a remake wouldn't really give new players anything special. So a remake there would end up with an outdated racing game, or something totally different.
With Hit & Run there's room there for something more special as a throwback open world, and there's plenty that can be remastered like the cutscenes and models. There's even some great work being done by fans already in that regard.
PGR without a second thought. I have long w8shed for a way to play on the series x.
Totally agree with @PhileasFragg, Hit & Run is a totally unique game. PGR has been done various ways in other newer games already, and L4D, while good, already had its own sequel, and there's plenty of zombie shooters around, many even coop.
Left 4 Dead by itself with just a resolution/frames/graphics boost would be meh. If they did a Hitman type reboxing with both games and new features (console mods, rogue-like elements etc) then I would be down.
None is needs to stop.
A new PGR with vehicle damage. I just started playing Wreckfest and man, does it remind me of a combination of racing games from back in the day. Destruction Derby, Nascar, Dirt and Protect Gotham (minus the kudos). I would pay dearly for a racing game with licensed car manufacturers, upgrades, customization, realistic vehicle damage, dirt and paved tracks, drifting, kudo / style point system, etc.
While I was a fan of the Project Gotham games I would still have to go for Simpsons Hit and Run as it was the best Simpsons game ever made and could arguable be improved with a modern remaster the other two maybe not as much.
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