Old Games Are New Again: Pleading A Case For Video Game Remasters
Sony officially announced the Nathan Drake Collection late last week, which collects all three entries in the Uncharted franchise and also has all three running at 60 fps. Likewise, Resident Evil 0 got its first official trailer, showing the survival horror prequel in action. Both these bits of news were received with equal amounts enthusiasm and protest from the gaming community. Some say it's a matter of laziness or cash grabbing, while others believe it's an innate fear of developing original IP that struggles to sell. Truthfully, it's a little from both columns, but it also owes much to the simple fact that remastered games sell really well, which is not too hard a concept to grasp.
You can chastise a company for not innovating and investing in original ideas, and you no doubt raise a fine point, but that viewpoint — while valid — need not overrun another point: a vast majority of people don’t view remasters as the gaming equivalent of the boogeyman. Remasters of titles I either always wanted to play but never got around to, or games I played but would love to play again, seem to hold a substantial place in my gaming library. As Jaz Rignal points out here (heavily recommend reading by the way — great discussion with a variety of well thought-out views), we buy remakes of movies and enhanced/reshot/directors cut versions of TV shows constantly. With gold, platinum, diamond, and Vibranium (you know it's coming for Marvel's movies at some point) versions coming out every few years, we seem to hardly bat an eye. Games, however, no no, that’s a different story. All of a sudden it's a litany of Chicken Littles, decrying the failing of the industry and what it places importance on. I don’t necessarily see the difference.
Now, one point I will make is I’m not the biggest fan of straight up ports. While there are a few I would be interested in just because of the scarcity of the games themselves (Suikoden II and Skies of Arcadia being the primary ones), on the whole I’m not one for just replaying games for the sake of replaying them. That’s why backwards compatibility was really inconsequential to me. I had it with my PS2, and I used it once to see if it worked, then promptly never used it again. It's something I feel we perceive we want more than something we actually use when we have it.
You can really see a difference between these two versions. Photo Credit: Radik2
A true remaster is when a company takes a beloved or popular game and then proceeds to touch up, enhance, rework, polish, etc., all so that the effects of time are lessened and the technology appears more suitable to current generation standards. It's never a whole new game, and the core of what you played before is almost entirely intact, but the developers were cognizant of the fact that tech has surpassed what was possible then, as has the art of game design overall. Some companies take that a step further, to the point where the remaster actually surpasses the original in more than just looks. Some, however, do neither, merely cashing in on the original's popularity, and companies that go that route tend to pay for their mistakes with lackluster profits and PR nightmares.
Here is the blueprint for how not to do it.
I realize that a remake of Skies of Arcadia is not going to have the graphic fidelity of say an Arkham Knight, but that’s okay. I still want the company to take the time to trim the edges, tweak the controls, give the textures a nice sprucing, and throw in a few refinements along the way. The idea is sound, and it's something I want to stick around.
I also need to question my constant gardening references. Another time, I guess.
There are generations of gamers out there who never experienced these games, even relatively recent ones. Someone buys their first console, and they don’t always buy the cheaper last gen model. Some go all in. I can’t tell you the amount of people I have come in contact with that a PS4, XBox One, or Wii U was their first gaming platform. That person, regardless of age, has never played Metal Gear Solid. They’ve never played Grandia, or Final Fantasy Tactics, or Soul Reaver, or Klonoa. That also means they haven’t played recent classics like the aforementioned Uncharted games, or the Arkham series. Plus, there are people like me that have built up a decent back catalog, and might have missed the opportunity to play series like Borderlands, or Devil May Cry (Ninja Theory's version). Having an option to play these highly-regarded series with some added bells and whistles is a good thing.
Me personally, I’ve bought quite a few remasters, from Beyond Good & Evil to pretty much every Resident Evil. I don’t view this practice as robbing myself of original experiences. I have those if I want them, and to me there is plenty of room for both. With a little polish and TLC, these games can be great for an entirely new group of gamers.
Here's a small aside, but it is related: as a community, I feel we tend to be pretty inclusive about things, and quite apprehensive and standoffish about any program or experience that might entice new people into our industry. We act as if being late to gaming is a terrible thing. Not everyone had an Atari, not everyone knows what a 3DO is, and everyone can’t point to their top 10 status on a leaderboard. Regardless of those factors, there shouldn’t be any glances of shame thrown their way because they haven’t lived their entire lives under the umbrella of video games. We are always looking for some other reason to grab the pitchforks in this industry, but there have to be other things to direct your vitriol towards. Things like grits, or tofurky hot dogs. Seriously, those things do not in any way shape or form taste like hot dogs.
A Valkyria chronicles remaster would be towards the top of my list
People clearly want to play these games, and just like any other genre, there is no reason why people shouldn't have the option to. As for fiscal sense, last time I checked, publishers were not into making things that don’t turn a profit, which these clearly do. I’m not saying every single one is a winner, but that doesn’t just hold to remasters. All original games aren’t winners either, and we tear those down to their stumpy core when those don’t live up to our lofty expectations.
I won’t buy every remaster that comes out, but I have a pretty substantial list of games I would love to see given new life someday. If you don’t want to mess with your pristine sense of nostalgia, and keep remembering them the way they were, no worries, that’s fine. You won’t get any argument from me, but just do me a favor and keep your little rain cloud a good 10 or 20 miles from my parade, please. We’ve got cake, vodka, and a watermelon in the shape of a minion, and you will not ruin my good time. I had to special order that thing.
So, that’s my piece, and while I definitely have my own point of view on the subject, as always I’m keenly interested to hear what you think.