Gargoyles Remastered is an exciting new revamp from the publisher Walt Disney Games and developer Empty Clip Studios for fans of the original 1995 version of the game. It features refined graphics that are faithful to the beloved animation series, as well as new gameplay features and soundtracks that are aimed to enhance the player experience.

For those who missed out on the original SEGA Genesis classic back in the 90s, the plot allows players to take on the role of Goliath, leader of the Gargoyles, as he works to protect the world from the evil Eye of Odin by destroying it. While this revival features a few new gameplay features and improved graphics, the overall content is mostly identical to that of the original game while utilizing the same general mechanics.

New Graphics Fall Short

In its original form, Gargoyles (1995) was released as a 16-bit side-scrolling adventure, but Gargoyles Remastered now offers players the option of enjoying the game through updated graphics that are more in line with the animation style of the series. While this new design is great and does add a level of nostalgia for fans of the franchise since it is such a familiar look, it doesn’t appear to have as much love placed into it as the original design, which was vibrant and detailed even by today's standards.

While playing through Gargoyles Remastered, the option of switching between the classic graphics and new graphics is as simple as the press of a button, allowing players to enjoy both as they please. Though more refined and obviously less pixelated, the new design just doesn’t hold up to the classic 16-bit look. While the old style was outdated, it still managed to convey a greater amount of detail and impressiveness as compared to the new look. Additionally, the new graphics fail to solve a problem that is apparent in the 16-bit style, which is the inability to differentiate between background and foreground.

During the earlier levels especially, it can often be difficult to distinguish which items are interactable and which are part of the background design. This is not only still an issue in the new graphics, but it’s almost arguably worse. Unfortunately, since this change is one of the main selling points of this remaster, other than just the accessibility of being on a modern platform, it seems that this may have done better as a simple port rather than a full-on remaster. Especially since that is primarily what it feels like anyway.

Gameplay Needed More Work

One of the primary new features of Gargoyles Remastered is the ability to perform an instant rewind, something commonly found in ported games. While this feature may not seem like much, it’s possibly one of the best things that could’ve been done for this game. It's excruciatingly frustrating due to extensive and difficult segments requiring pinpoint platforming, where minor errors can mean massive setbacks.

Without the addition of the rewind feature, the play time for Gargoyles Remastered would likely be tripled due to pointless difficulty. The smallest errors result in fatal consequences on almost every turn, so the rewind feature becomes almost necessary just to finish the game with any level of enjoyment. While this is a great feature to implement, perhaps a remaster should've seen more improvements to the overall gameplay while remaining faithful to the original.

While many of the major selling points for Gargoyles Remastered fall a bit flat, there are a handful of smaller touches that do show improvement from the original 1995 release. The biggest improvement is the soundtrack. Though it is faithfully similar to the original, it is still overall a pleasant experience and does create an air of nostalgia for players as they work their way through the different levels of the game.

Final Thoughts & Rating

All in all, while nostalgia will likely be a driving influence for purchasers of Gargoyles Remastered, this game feels like proof that nostalgia doesn't always guarantee greatness. The game feels closer to being a port than a true remaster and several issues that originate from the 1995 version were simply overlooked here as well. Unfortunately, even at its lower price point, the only players who may find value in acquiring this title are those who would just like a copy of Gargoyles on modern consoles.

Even those who enjoyed the show, but never played the original game, may have trouble immersing themselves in Gargoyles Remastered. Many of the changes made in Gargoyles Remastered are simply that - changes - and not necessarily improvements, leading to an overall disappointment for the potential this could have had.

Source: Nintendo of America/YouTube

Gargoyles Remastered releases today, October 19th, 2023 for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. ScreenRant was provided with a Switch code for the purpose of this review.