Remakes and remasters: when the industry makes new things out of old
, by Quentin
This is something that's been here for a while now. There's a craze around remakes and remasters lately, and it seems to have taken hold of development studios, publishers and fans alike. Despite this, there are many who complain, whether true or false, that they take up far too many resources.
Admittedly, some are a tough sell, whether because of the quality of the original material or how it ends up looking. However, if we take a closer look, there are a number of positive points that make them worthwhile.
Remakes and remasters, a practice that has (almost) always existed
If we read or listen to certain voices, we could end up believing that this practice is something new, that it has only been around for a few years now. But this is not the case. Let's take a look at the first Resident Evil.
After its release on PlayStation in 1996, Capcom remade it a few years later, in 2002, for Nintendo's brand-new console, the GameCube. The graphics were remade from the ground up, and it was an astounding success.
Another great example is Hideo Kojima's magnum opus, Metal Gear Solid, which also got a remake in 2004, for the GameCube again. It was called Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, and took the new gameplay and graphics engine of the second game, Sons of Liberty, to make the first entry more appealing.
Far be it from us to give a complete recital of the games that have got a remake or remaster, as we could go on forever, but you see, this practice has been around for over two decades now.
Let's discuss the pros and cons of this approach
This column is intented to generate interaction and debate, though it goes without saying that we expect it to remain calm. We're talking about entertaiment here, and it's to be taken lightly. But in any case, we need to outline both the pros and cons.
Let's start with the negatives. Yes, there are often missteps and, in many cases, we end up asking why this was made.
If we're being totally honest, these criticisms tend to be directed mainly against remasters. One example is The Last of Us: Part II, which got a PS5 native version back in January. Many didn't see any purpose to this re-release, as the original launched in 2020.
And even if we all would have preferred it to be a free upgrade, taking advantage of the technical specs of the PS5, it's necessary to take a step back.
The Last of Us: Part II was expensive. Really expensive. It's only logical that Naughty Dog would seek to maximize its profits. This is also being done with the hugely successful HBO TV series, which is getting a second season soon. In this case, we have to agree. It maybe wasn't needed.
So for a remake or remaster to have any appeal, it seems necessary to offer quite a departure from the original. Once again, this is totally understandable. Video games don't always age well, especially those from the start of the 3D era. So it's only logical that the remakes of Resident Evil 2, 3 or 4 weren't that hard to understand, as they needed not only a facelift, but also improved gameplay and controls.
In addition to being justified, some are almost given a new lease of life and an ultimate version through their remake. The the case of Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth. Square Enix revisits its classic and makes some changes that make it closer to what they hoped the game to be at first without any technical limitations.
Even if the choice to make it three separate games released years apart is a tough pill to swallow, the game got quality in spades. In this kind of case, the original becomes but a rough draft from which only the most important elements are drawn. The rest is reworked as they hoped it to be, and that's what appeals to the public.
We must mention some interesting remasters. We're talking about LucasArts' Point & Click games Day of the Tentacle, Full Throttle and Grim Fandango. These cult titles from the 90s get a little polish, with better graphics and music, and the nostalgic get the option of switching between the two versions at will.
Let's take stock
Now that we've drawn the picture and all the arguments have fallen in place, it's easy to establish the perfect recipe for a good remaster or remake, taking into account the fans' expectations. As you know by now, the practice has been around long enough to provide the necessary hindsight.
First of all, we need a decent price. Given that the title reuses a lot from the original game, some may feel that the end result doesn't deserve full price. This is not always the case, of course, and that's why we've mentioned Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth.
Their existence must be justified. One of the main feedback points is about the meaning of its existence. The game must have been released a long while ago, so that there's a real difference between the original and the remaster.
Removing any content is a no-go, which was the case of Resident Evil 3 Remake, to name but one. It removed the Clock Tower from the original game, much to the fans' dismay.
Just by following these guidelines, we feel that the existence of remakes and remasters would bother no one. In any case, they do exist, and for the most part, they have in store some nice surprises for us.
So, which remaster or remake has left a lasting impression on you?