GODS Remastered – Into The Wonderful?

Gods Remastered quietly launched late last year with barely any coverage or hype — and honestly, I didn’t mention it either at the time. Why? Simple: it was only released on Steam and Xbox, two platforms I care very little about (okay, throw Atari in there, too, for good measure).

But now that the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch versions have finally landed — just last week, in fact — I figured it was about time to give it a proper look. A review, of sorts… right?

ATCHOOOO THE WATERFALL?

I’ll admit it — I was one of those who loved GODS for all the wrong reasons. What hooked me wasn’t the gameplay, but the stellar presentation and, above all, that absolutely brilliant intro soundtrack. The gameplay itself? Honestly, I found it slow and frustrating at times. But I kept pushing through, convinced there had to be more waiting at the end…

Sadly, there wasn’t. (This was decades ago, mind you.)

Sure, there was that cool “Game Cleared” outro image and a bit of text about eternal life or something like that, but no epic cutscene, no unforgettable soundtrack finale. Was I expecting too much? Yeah, probably.

Still, nearly 30 years later, I can vividly recall the game’s switch puzzles, boss battles, and those well-hidden secret locations and extra lives. It stuck with me — flaws and all — and that says something about the game’s impact, even if it didn’t quite deliver the payoff I’d hoped for.

REMASTERED OR ORIGINAL?

I suppose that says a lot about the kind of impact GODS had on me, despite my love/hate relationship with it. I must have poured over 100 hours into the game, most of which involved me swearing at the brutal difficulty or wrestling with the controls. And yet… I kept coming back.

Now we have this remastered version of GODS — and it’s a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, it’s great to see it return, and it even includes two versions: the original classic and a new, updated look.

But I’ll try to be gentle here — that new visual style? It really doesn’t do the game any favors. It may look “modern” on the surface, but much of the charm and atmosphere from the original has been stripped away in the process.

AMAZING GRAPHICS…

Let’s start with what’s actually improved over the original 1991 Amiga version.

The highlight of this remaster is definitely the ability to play the entire game in Classic Mode — complete with the original graphics, sound, and overall feel. It looks just as good as you remember it from back in the day… with one big difference: it now runs smooth as butter, and the controls feel far more responsive because of it.

Even better, with a simple press of the R3 button, you can instantly switch to the updated visual style — giving you the option to experience the game in a modern look at any time.

Which brings me to that next-gen version of the game…

FAR FROM AMAZING GRAPHICS…

First off, it’s worth noting that both the Classic and Next Generation versions play identically — the gameplay mechanics are the same, but the visuals are completely different.

Now, my first reaction to the new look? I honestly wanted to switch it off. The soul of the original game feels lost. With this visual overhaul, the very reason I loved playing GODS in the first place is just… gone. The main character’s movement feels odd and unnatural — and, I’ll say it… he looks like something between a man and a horse, which isn’t exactly a glowing compliment.

That said, not everything about the updated visuals is a miss. The enemy designs are actually pretty solid — they’re nicely animated and feel like a natural (and respectful) evolution of the original art style.

MAGIC GONE…

The remastered version does come with some visual upgrades — there’s parallax scrolling, flashy explosions, and dynamic lighting effects that definitely add some flair.

But even with all that, I still find it visually dull compared to the original. Maybe it’s just my rose-tinted Amiga love-glasses, or maybe… It’s simply not a great-looking game. Hard to say for sure, but the charm of the original visuals just isn’t there for me.

SOME GOOD IS HERE TO BE FOUND…

Back in the day, this part of the game was where many players hit a wall — it’s where GODS really started to crank up the difficulty. And make no mistake, the game is still bloody hard today, just not quite as punishing as I remember from the original.

The main reason it feels more manageable now is thanks to the smoother framerate and tighter, more responsive controls. There’s a noticeable difference. That said, it doesn’t feel like they’ve nerfed the difficulty — the challenge is still there. It just feels a bit fairer this time around.

PART HORSE PART MAN…

To be fair, the new visual style does improve slightly as you progress through the game — and yes, it runs at a buttery smooth 60fps the entire time. But even with the slick performance, everything still feels a bit off. There’s something unnatural about it all, especially due to the odd main character design, which just doesn’t sit right and throws off the whole vibe.

When people think of The Bitmap Brothers, one of the first things that comes to mind is their iconic intro music. And for many of us, GODS holds a special place thanks to the unforgettable track “Into the Wonderful” by Nation 12.

But guess what? It’s not included in the remaster. Yup, due to licensing issues, one of the most defining elements of the game has been left out.

I’ve included an old remake of the original intro below — one that many fans (myself included) had hoped would be part of this remastered release…

THE VERDICT?

So, what do I really think of this remastered version? Well, as you’ve probably gathered by now, I’m feeling pretty disappointed with it. Yes, I’m tempted to smack the developers (Robot Riot) with a large trout (just for fun), but at the same time, I don’t really want to go that far.

The Classic Mode plays beautifully — in fact, it’s even better than the original. The only major downside here is the missing intro and soundtrack. For most people, it’s probably not a dealbreaker, but for longtime fans, it will definitely be noticed.

As for the Next-Gen version, I feel it’s pretty unnecessary. Its graphical flaws make it feel like a misstep, and honestly, it ends up being more of a disappointment than an improvement. It’s a real shame because, with a few tweaks, it could have been absolutely fantastic.

If you loved the original, you’ll still enjoy this version — especially in Classic Mode. But honestly, maybe it’s just easier to fire up the Amiga version instead.