While console and PC gaming have evolved side by side for decades, some big franchises have not made the transition to the other platform. That's especially true for the early years of the console wars, and while you could emulate those classic consoles and play the games in their original state, I'm all for these classics getting the remaster or reboot treatment so they can come to the PC with the benefits of new graphics technology.

There has been no end of awesome console exclusives over the generations, and I remember playing some of the games on this list constantly. Some were awesome storylines that deserve to be retold, while others were limited by the power of the consoles of the time and would benefit from longer draw distances and other modern conveniences. Here's a smattering of my favorite console exclusives that deserve to be redone for powerful PC hardware. Except for one of my favorites, because Dino Crisis already got an official PC release thanks to Good Old Games.

12 Phantasy Star IV

The best game out of the franchise would be awesome with a modern reboot

The Sega Genesis had some fantastic RPGs, with the Phantasy Star franchise having some of the best storytelling. It touches on mature themes like the destruction of ecology, and the fourth installment has a classic "stop the cult leader from destroying the solar system" plot. Plus, you got a female protagonist at a time when many RPGs used teenage males, plenty of NPC chatter, and an enduring fan base that still considers this one of the finest JRPGs of all time.

The turn-based combat and simplistic overworld map might be dated, but the runaway success of reimagined versions of classic Final Fantasy titles shows that there's a market for bringing these RPGs to the PC, with upgraded game mechanics, graphics, and other modern conveniences.

11 Xenogears

Space opera at its finest with this blend of high fantasy and sci-fi

Another JRPG gem that really deserves the PC remaster treatment is Xenogears. Blessed with high production value, it was one of the darkest and most compelling standouts of the PlayStation 1 era. Squaresoft was at the top of its craft at this time, bringing in the production team that animated Neon Genesis Evangelion for the cutscenes in Xenogears, giving it a masterful weight to the storytelling. Except, the storytelling was cut short, with the planned second half of the game turned into a visual novel, as Squaresoft shifted development resources to finishing Final Fantasy VIII​​​​​​.

Imagine the weight of Evangelion and the second half of the storyline turned into a playable PC game with the latest graphical technologies. Sure, the game already lives on in some form with the popular Nintendo series Xenoblade Chronicles, but the original game is ripe for a remaster.

10 Parasite Eve

Horror games always make for great remasters, especially when the fate of the world is at stake

There's nothing quite as scary as turning our own bodies against us, and Parasite Eve runs with this as a major plot point, with the future of humanity at stake. You're a New York cop looking into what seem to be spontaneous human combustion events, except what you find is weirder still. It's got fantastic pacing to build up tension, an awesome villain, and some amazing set pieces that all combine into a masterpiece of horror. It'd be even better with modern, realistic graphics and ray tracing, and I hope it gets a modernized version in the near future.

9 The Legend of Dragoon

While PS5 players can enjoy this gem, Sony should think about adding it to the list for PC remakes

If you can't tell, I spent untold hours playing on the PS1, and many of the games I feel deserve a PC remaster are from that era. It was an exciting time, with the shifting from 2D to 3D graphics, CD-based games offering more space for assets, and a mix of pre-rendered backgrounds, sprites, and new technologies. It was also a fantastic time for RPGs, and The Legend of Dragoon is a classic example. Long before the Dragonborn stomped through Skyrim, legendary characters like Dart channeled dragon strength to save the lands from great evil. The mix of turn-based and precise timing for combat will make it feel at home for a modern audience, and the tale is timeless.

8 Demon's Souls

The only FromSoftware Souls game not to get a PC release is one of its best

FromSoftware has every other Souls title on PC, except for the game that started the genre. Demon's Souls is an amazing game, so much so that Sony remastered it as a launch title to sell PlayStation 5 consoles but neglected to add a PC port to the list. That's a shame because every other FromSoftware game that makes it to PC goes on to sell tons of copies, and Sony could easily cash in. After all, the PS5 isn't far off a PC, and there were indications a PC port was in progress, as the game's name turned up in a huge leak of Nvidia GeForce Now future titles. Please Sony, add this genre-defining title to your PC port list.

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7 Perfect Dark

Okay, this one is already in development but I can't contain my excitement

👁 perfect dark promo image

It's a quarter of a century since Joanna Dark first graced our TV screens on the Nintendo 64 in Perfect Dark, and the blend of spycraft and aliens is perfect for revival. So much so that Microsoft is working on a reboot rather than a straight-up remaster of the classic. And you know what, that's fine, as long as it doesn't remove the essence of the tight FPS action that made the game a spiritual successor to Goldeneye.

It's been in development for years, and Microsoft hasn't shown a release date for the title yet. That hasn't stopped it from showing footage off at recent Xbox showcases though, so it's far enough through the development cycle that we should be excited. Plus, Crystal Dynamics is on board, making it more polished, so expect a fantastic experience when it's finally ready.

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6 Infamous

Superhero games don't have to come from the big comic franchises

Superhero games are huge right now, with remasters and ports making their way over to the PC from previously Sony-only consoles. But there's one franchise that is sorely in need of a PC glow-up, and that's the Infamous series. Seriously, it's got everything an action-packed power fantasy deserves, starting with an origin story that could have leaped off the pages of any comic book. The last game in the series came out in 2014, which means it's not only a classic now, it's ripe for reintroducing to a new generation of gamers.

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5 God of War

No, not the boring reboots of the series, the original action-packed ones

Sometimes, I like to mindlessly button-mash, and there's no better franchise for that than the early God of War titles. Unlike the modern third-person view games, the originals were an aRPG on a godlike scale, with huge maps to climb, jump, and throw chains around on, and even bigger boss fights. Now that the modern duo has shown Sony that PC players love Kratos, give them a remastered version of the older games as well. I have a fresh controller waiting for some abuse.

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4 Uncharted

The earlier titles still haven't made it to the PC

The sprawling storylines and gloriously over-the-top set pieces of the Uncharted series are perfect for remastering in ray traced glory for the PC. While we've been treated to some of the later games, the first trilogy has still remained PlayStation exclusive, which is a shame because it's the best part of the franchise. From huge moments climbing up wrecked trains to tense shoot-outs and quippy wisecracks, the Uncharted series is Indiana Jones for a younger audience, without the supernatural and fascist elements. And with almost everything else Naughty Dog has created being remastered for the PC, why are the best games from this series left behind?

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3 Shadow of the Colossus

The sprawling vistas and huge bosses deserve all the pixels they can get

The immersive world of Shadow of the Colossus is an unforgettable experience, but PC players will have to dream about it because it never received a port. What it did receive was a remaster of sorts for the PlayStation 4's higher computing power, but we all know that's nothing compared to the power of the latest graphics cards and CPUs. Team ICO's seminal work deserves more eyes on it, and where better than the PC platform, now that Sony has committed to porting more of its exclusives.

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