You’re probably not alone if you felt as though you had somehow entered a never-ending time loop the last time you turned on your TV or went to the cinema. One could be excused for assuming that the entertainment industry has merely returned to a previous era; everything seems to be a reboot, remake, reimagination or sequel to something that came before.
People seem to be tired of the reboot trend and wondering if Hollywood has run out of ideas, judging by their reactions to trailers. The remake genre is so common because it’s a sure thing for the production companies, brands and performers associated with the movies. There is an audience waiting to be won over, so you don’t need to create interest in a novel idea, plot, or character.
You may profit from the bonds that individuals already have with their favourite characters while also capitalising on the nostalgia that each of us finds so irresistible. The production studios are not idle in this situation. It’s merely smart, sound business sense to use content with already-existing fan bases.
Reboots in movies and television are nothing new, but remakes of video games have become very common in the gaming business. Not only are there many styles of remakes that may be created, but there are also different levels of success in terms of the game’s quality. So, is it a good thing or a detrimental practice that needs to end right now and what distinguishes a decent remake?
To remake or not to remake?
It should be pointed out that remaking and remastering is a trend that extends across all forms of gaming and media. The iGaming industry has revisited popular titles such as the slot Gonzo’s Quest to ensure the graphics are at a level that punters expect these days. Anyone looking to visit the best live casino sites can expect to see franchise games and remakes galore, as casino game suppliers continuously develop fan favourites.
Some people believe that remakes provide developers more freedom to be creative with future projects. Remakes typically have a higher level of security than more dangerous or adventurous initiatives, so they can typically be relied upon to make up for any shortfall. This gives developers the chance to take a chance on making something that might not otherwise see the light of day.
Although they are not the same, we’re using the terms remake and remaster interchangeably for the sake of clarity. A video game remake typically includes new gameplay elements, new graphics that are substantially different from the original it is based on, and a reworked storyline. A video game that has been remastered uses the same gameplay and storyline but is ported to a new or updated platform.
The good
You don’t need to delve too deep into the history of video game remakes to find some gold. Neversoft‘s Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater (1999) and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 (2000) were remastered and rereleased by Vicarious Visions and published by Activision as Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 & 2. There was certainly a market for this game as nostalgic gamers jumped at the chance to relive their PS1 days. The games benefited from not being the 2015 catastrophe Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 and this is a great example of how the process of making remakes can prevent a game from being forgotten and possibly breathe new life into a series.
We saw the same thing with Tomb Raider as the franchise was becoming stale and releases gradually seemed to get worse each time. Until, Square Enix announced the remade and revived Tomb Raider, signifying a major tone shift in the franchise as a whole as well as a complete rewrite of Lara Croft as a character. The most current instalment in the Tomb Raider series, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, which was released in 2018, and Rise of the Tomb Raider were both released as direct sequels to the 2013 version. Suddenly, Lara Croft was relevant again because of a remake.
In this way, video game preservation is achieved through remakes and remasters and great games don’t fall through the cracks of time. We mentioned a couple of examples, but there are many more, with the standouts being Capcom’s Resident Evil 2 Remake and Square Enix at it again with Final Fantasy 7 split up and remade to the delight of many.
It would be a brave person to declare that these remakes were errors and shouldn’t exist, but let’s take a look at the case against the video game remake.
Just one month until #CrisisCore –Final Fantasy VII– Reunion comes to PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Steam.
Have you pre-ordered yet? pic.twitter.com/traIql9Hh0
— FINAL FANTASY VII (@finalfantasyvii) November 13, 2022
The not so good
To highlight that remakes don’t always go to plan there are plenty of examples, but we need to look no further than GTA: Definitive Edition. Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas were all remastered, with visual enhancements and alleged gameplay upgrades by Rockstar Games and the result was a tragedy.
The games failed to strike that delicate balance between incorporating new features and maintaining the original’s key principles. GTA: Definitive Edition is a worthless remake because the games feel far too similar to the originals and instead of bringing about the essential modernization to bring the games into the present, gamers were presented with numerous errors and glitches that plagued the experience and no justifiable enhancements to speak of.
When this happens, the games feel to be cash grabs and gamers can have a lingering sense of betrayal that muddies their appreciation of the original material and makes them wary of ever purchasing new titles from the studio. GTA: Definitive Edition quite rightly received a massive backlash and others have felt the heat from dishing out blatant money-grabbing remakes.
More remakes coming
At their best, remakes smooth out rough edges while reimagining old experiences in fascinating new ways, all while managing to keep the surreptitious stardust that made fans fall in love with these games in the first place. Remakes, also provide a fantastic method to play outmoded or less accessible experiences on cutting-edge hardware.
Yet, developers can’t begin with a vague vision or afford any misalignment about the direction they’re heading in or it will seem like they’re just trying to cash in on nostalgia. With Dead Space, Resident Evil 4, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Splinter Cell and others all hitting the remake button, we just need to hope developers learn from the mistakes of the past and know how much to change.
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