Remakes - How should they be?

[Segata Sanshiro]

Let this get out of the way: let's assume the perfect world doesn't exist, one that is free of remakes and rehashes. Assume we live in hell, and hell is full of remakes, similar to our reality. Given that remakes are going to be released no matter what and consumers won't stop buying them, how does an ideal remake look like, supposing a good remake can exist?

[jcd]

You're unhealthily obsessed.

[Segata Sanshiro]

You're unhealthily obsessed.

Do you have a single fact to back that up?

[jcd]

Lets try some word association. First word: remakes.

[wndrbr]

I really hate it when someone says that "the game didn't age well" or "became obsolete". If the game was good, then it's still good. And if you think the game "didn't age well", then it was likely always bad, and the bad parts were disguised under pretty graphics and high production values, which is the only thing that can age in a videogame.

Faithful remakes are pointless - the game already exists, there's no reason to make the same thing again but with better graphics. "Improved" remakes are even worse, since most of the time the so called "improvements" only compromise the original vision of the game. In addition to that, both "faithful" and "improved" remakes are usually treated as the definite versions of the game, so the publishers simply delist the originals.

I support reimaginings, though. Since they are essentially new games, there's always a chance of the devs making something interesting. For example, Resident Evil Remake from Gamecube is one of the best entries in the RE series, it's a great game on its own and it also doesn't make the original entirely obsolete due to the differences in game design.

Stuff like "Demon's Souls" from Bluepoint, or the recent "The Last of Us Part I" remake can go to the trash bin.

[Atlantico]

I really hate it when someone says that "the game didn't age well" or "became obsolete". If the game was good, then it's still good.

This is true. A good game from 1984 is still a good game today.

[Gregz]

The best remake I've ever seen is The Bard's Tale 1 by Krome Studios.



They added modern interface design and qol without altering the original gameplay or behavior. I prefer the original 1985 pixel art, but other than that it's a masterpiece.

[Gregz]

btw, there should be a 2nd poll option that reads:

"Remakes should be almost identical to the original, with modern QoL touches, controls and NO level design changes."

[Ranselknulf]

Some games really could use modern remakes.

HOT COCKLES (c.1300-1800s)

One player is blindfolded and made to kneel on the floor with his head in another player’s lap and his hands held, palms outwards, behind his back. The other players then take it in turns to strike his hands, one at a time, and the kneeler has to guess which of the other players has hit him.

[MadPreacher]

btw, there should be a 2nd poll option that reads:

"Remakes should be almost identical to the original, with modern QoL touches, controls and NO level design changes."

I second this, but I chose 1 because it was the closest to this option.

Games like System Shock and Dark Forces used control schemes that were very unintuitive and introduced a level of complexity that is unnecessary today. Keep in mind that these games were made before controls were standardized. A remake with better visuals and the current control scheme is a good idea especially when the original game is near impossible to run on modern hardware. Also, early 3d models look worse than vomit and really didn't age well.

[Segata Sanshiro]

"Remakes should be almost identical to the original, with modern QoL touches, controls and NO level design changes."

Not gonna give you the all around obvious best option. Hard choices 4 you.

[WhiteShark]

I was on the fence between 1 and 3 but wndrbr convinced me. The original graphics and sounds are often part of the charm of old games, so even "updating" those is often a downgrade. If remakes must be, let them at least be almost entirely different games so we don't have to argue about which is the definitive experience. 4 is tempting, but since the game industry already produces new woke trash without crashing, I don't see woke remakes pushing it over the edge; ESG money is too powerful.

[rusty_shackleford]

The best remake I've ever seen is The Bard's Tale 1 by Krome Studios.



They added modern interface design and qol without altering the original gameplay or behavior. I prefer the original 1985 pixel art, but other than that it's a masterpiece.

Too bad they didn't also do Dragon Wars, it was the superior game.

[Klerik]

After surgery they had to remake alex's penis

[jcd]

If the game was good, then it's still good.

Years ago you didn't have a choice. The understanding of videogame interfaces, player expectations, psychology, what works and what doesn't in videogames has made a lot of progress over the last decades. Now you can either use this power for evil, and turn your game into an inescapable online casino, or you can use it for good and make Factorio and other games whose goal isn't to squeeze money out of you but to provide something enjoyable. It's a lie that old games are still good, when you can compare them to what they could be.

[Acrux]

The Wasteland remake was not as well done as the Bard's Tale Trilogy, but I would like Dragon Wars updated as well - even if the only thing they did was to make the paragraphs appear onscreen. The books were fun at the time (especially including the fake subplots), but they were a workaound to save disk space that's not necessary anymore.

[Klerik]

All of the selections above are gay

Remakes should mean 10xs the pixel art, 10xs amount of death animations, sound blaster pro 5.1 stereo surround support, and works on Windows 22, and an onverly aggressive and psychotic sounding narrator advertising the product in the middle of a factory with lots of sparks flying all over the place and explosions with a 16 year old skater kid going RADICAL

[KnightoftheWind]

In my eyes, a remake is only artistically valid if it strives to replace the original. If it attempts to "reimagine" large swaths of the game, then it becomes a pointless affair and might as well have been an entirely new product.

Resident Evil's remake is the posterchild for a 'faithful' remake, it mostly updates the visual style of the original while 'adding' content. This is a good thing, because all of the characters, cutscenes and gameplay scenarios remain consistent, but there is additional new content that improves the experience. This is the first and only time Capcom has produced such an effort.

You can also bring up Ocarina of Time 3D, Majora's Mask 3D, Star Fox 64 3D, and many others that strive to replace the original game it's based on and with great success. When people say they want remakes of games, they tend to want the first option. Just a straight graphical enhancement with some QOL touches if necessary. Very rarely you find that people want a reimagined title with updated gameplay and massive changes, those are only reserved for titles that some feel were half-baked or incomplete. To use Zelda as an example again, I personally feel that a reimagining of The Wind Waker would be better than just a straight remake. Because the developers were forced to cut out half of their ideas due to lack of time, and the game suffered as a result. So it would make sense if they were given a chance to make the game they originally wanted. You could also say that bad or otherwise mediocre games would benefit from a reimagining, so long as there were parts people actually liked.

[maidenhaver]

Remakes should have denuvo and microsoft account security, so that I have to be online my first session.

[Roguey]

A good remake updates the graphics and addresses elements of the original design that are universally reviled.

I did like the FF7 Remake on its own merits but man does it make FF7 superfans mad.

"As close to the original as possible, only with updated graphics and sound?" Sounds like you want a remaster, not a remake.

[GhostCow]

Remasters usually look way too much like the original and are a shit tier effort. Barely an upgrade. The Nocturne remaster is a good example.