What Do You Want from a Remake?

The trend of remaking classic video games shows no sign of slowing down. On this blog, we have previously covered some of the different types of remakes and re-releases that frequently pop up. This article will borrow from the terminology and concepts discussed in that post, so we recommend checking that out first to get an overview and some examples of the things we’re talking about. The idea of this article is to prompt you to ask yourself what you would want from a remake of an old classic in an ideal world.

Option 1: Stay Faithful

Some just want the same game they played before with a shiny new coat of paint. Level designs, story, and pretty much everything else is essentially the same; everything just looks, sounds, and plays more modern.

This approach is usually a safe bet, but it’s not going to please everyone. At an aesthetic level, things are simply not going to look exactly the same. Early 3D games had access to a tiny fraction of the polygons available to designers and artists today. With much more room for detail today, artists invariably have to expand on and literalize designs that may have originally been more amorphous and open to interpretation. The result may be something that differs significantly from what you remember.

Additionally, others view these types of remakes as lazy and overly safe. A well-made faithful Remake may please fans of the original looking to re-experience it and open it up for a new generation of players. However, they tend to be marketed as “replacements” of the original, which does not tend to sit well with those who lobby for game preservation. Many players would seem to prefer that the resources poured into a remake instead be directed towards making something new and fresh.

Option 2: Re-Evaluate Everything

The other popular approach is to Reimagine the original game, taking its concepts, systems, and ideas and completely redesigning them with a modern approach. Features, stories, and systems may be liberally expanded, re-done, removed, or added.

This can be a great experience for people open to something new. Players may be more receptive to drastic changes if they know upfront that it isn’t going to be 100% the same game they remember. A Reimagined game has the potential to tickle the nostalgia bone while still providing a fresh experience. But if the changes are not to the player’s taste, they may lament the new version as being an inferior or butchered rendition.

Option 3: A Little of Both

The idea of taking the middle road can be very appealing to many types of fans. The developers can keep what worked, fix what didn’t, and flesh out what was underdeveloped or not technically possible at the time.

This approach requires some very wise and observant developers at the helm. They have to really understand what made the original game great if they are going to precisely identify what players loved about it.

How to Please Almost Everyone

In the end, no remake is ever going to be everyone’s cup of tea. People just want and expect different things. However, one thing a remake can never, ever do is replace your experience or memory of the original title. Even if the new version is branded as the “definitive” or “ultimate” way to experience the game, playing the remake isn’t going to forcibly suck the memories of playing the old game out of your brain. Regardless of what changes are made in a remake, the old version still existed. And in an ideal world, it would continue to exist alongside its remake.

Providing easy access to the original title on modern hardware alongside the new version is a great way to please both purists and those seeking something fresher. Better yet, including a faithful port or remaster of the original game as part of the remake package would leave little room for any complaints. Providing such an option would help dispel any lingering notion that the new version is meant to “replace” the original and be the only way any future could experience it. Old fans may be more receptive to drastic changes to or reinterpretations of what they know and love if they could rest easy knowing the classic versions were easily accessible and not going anywhere. This is not always possible, most often due to licensing issues. For instance, Activision cannot legally re-release the original PS1 versions of the Spyro trilogy because, while owning the Spyro franchise as a whole, Universal and Sony still retain some ownership and/or publishing rights of those specific versions. But wherever possible, making sure players can easily play their favorite version of the game will cover most of the bases. Capcom and Square Enix both tend to do a good job of doing exactly that when remaking their catalog. Hopefully, other publishers can follow suit.

What do you think? If an old favorite of yours was announced to be getting the remake treatment, what would you want it to look like? And for the many, many games that have not been re-released or remade, be sure to check out our catalog of original retro titles.