Remakes of older games

[Bridge]

The only justifiable reason for remaking anything is if it has become outdated and modern audiences don't have the proper context by which they can parse the work. Usually such stories are poorly designed and do not have any lasting effect but it does happen that great stories enveloped in the biases of the times when they were written lose part of their meaning and I think a remake in this case is perfectly acceptable if handled well. Usually that is not the case, with remakes entailing little more than an alteration of the surface elements which can be extremely harmful because you can almost never excise an integral part and substitute it for something superficially similar or even completely different and expect to get the same results. That's not to say it can't be done and doing a remake in the interest of utilizing technology that wasn't available at the time it was created is fine in my opinion. But it has to be done by someone who truly understands the original work. The only reason for updating the tech is improving the ways in which the work expresses whatever it was originally intended to express, right? People think that simply having prettier visuals will magically make the piece more accessible or more potent expressively. Worse yet, some others adopt a viewpoint completely contrary to that and say that prettier visuals can never improve a work. Both are false in my opinion and illustrate a complete lack of understanding as to the role of visuals in art (the media that utilize it that is).

[VaeVictis]

Your article shows tells me you must have a lot of background in this topic. Can you direct me to other articles about this? I will recommend this article to my friends as well. Thanks

I'm not sure I understand what you're asking for. If you want some articles on remaking old games, I could pull some up for you.

The only justifiable reason for remaking anything is if it has become outdated and modern audiences don't have the proper context by which they can parse the work. Usually such stories are poorly designed and do not have any lasting effect but it does happen that great stories enveloped in the biases of the times when they were written lose part of their meaning and I think a remake in this case is perfectly acceptable if handled well. Usually that is not the case, with remakes entailing little more than an alteration of the surface elements which can be extremely harmful because you can almost never excise an integral part and substitute it for something superficially similar or even completely different and expect to get the same results. That's not to say it can't be done and doing a remake in the interest of utilizing technology that wasn't available at the time it was created is fine in my opinion. But it has to be done by someone who truly understands the original work. The only reason for updating the tech is improving the ways in which the work expresses whatever it was originally intended to express, right? People think that simply having prettier visuals will magically make the piece more accessible or more potent expressively. Worse yet, some others adopt a viewpoint completely contrary to that and say that prettier visuals can never improve a work. Both are false in my opinion and illustrate a complete lack of understanding as to the role of visuals in art (the media that utilize it that is).

Well said, and I agree. I think many times projects like these are mishandled under the assumption that every nostalgia-hungry gamer will pounce on it without accounting for the less easily replicable aspect of gaming: the experience in which images, writing, music, and other arts combine to create something truly unique and memorable.
New memories can be created from the forms of older ones, but it takes work and more than a superficial understanding of gaming in general to do so effectively.

[Traggey]

FFff-f-ffff---FFVII!

God damnit.

[Froge]

FFff-f-ffff---FFVII!



God damnit.

+1

[Prelauncher]

The only justifiable reason for remaking anything is if it has become outdated and modern audiences don't have the proper context by which they can parse the work. Usually such stories are poorly designed and do not have any lasting effect but it does happen that great stories enveloped in the biases of the times when they were written lose part of their meaning and I think a remake in this case is perfectly acceptable if handled well. Usually that is not the case, with remakes entailing little more than an alteration of the surface elements which can be extremely harmful because you can almost never excise an integral part and substitute it for something superficially similar or even completely different and expect to get the same results. That's not to say it can't be done and doing a remake in the interest of utilizing technology that wasn't available at the time it was created is fine in my opinion. But it has to be done by someone who truly understands the original work. The only reason for updating the tech is improving the ways in which the work expresses whatever it was originally intended to express, right? People think that simply having prettier visuals will magically make the piece more accessible or more potent expressively. Worse yet, some others adopt a viewpoint completely contrary to that and say that prettier visuals can never improve a work. Both are false in my opinion and illustrate a complete lack of understanding as to the role of visuals in art (the media that utilize it that is).

Rather re-imagine than re-make? I.e. use the new technology to further strenghten what you tried to achieve in the first place.

[DavidS]

... Parasite Eve... I still play PE1 sometimes. Oh and ONI... *drool*

[VaeVictis]

FFff-f-ffff---FFVII!

God damnit.

See, I liked FF7, but I still thought 3 was better. Still, if done correctly, I think it could be a fun remake (I do miss the rollercoaster game).

... Parasite Eve... I still play PE1 sometimes. Oh and ONI... *drool*

*hands napkin and squeegee*

[Alardem]

The remake of Resident Evil is a good example of how to enhance the good attributes of the original without sacrificing its core elements i.e. changing the genre or gameplay style. I'm also fond of Doom 3 for being a modern take on the original that shifted the focus onto horror.

That being said, I don't like games which feel like watered down reiterations of the original. Aliens versus Predator 3, for instance, was less disturbing and enjoyable than its previous incarnations despite the leap in graphics - this is likely due to the boring visual style, the slower paced gameplay and awkward controls, and an emphasis on story that was poorly executed. The first AvP had no story to speak of beyond the immediate goals of the protagonist, and the second game had a surprisingly multi-faceted plot that only worked once you saw all three perspectives - the third tried to emulate the second, but due to bad writing and rushed development it really didn't work.

So I suppose I'm not opposed to remakes. Just cynical, rushed cash-ins.