How do you feel about video game remakes?

[Dave Gray]

For films, I find that remakes are often unnecessary and not additive, to the point of sometimes being offensive or at the very least, off-putting.

But for video games, the technology changes so much that I feel a bit differently.  Some of these classic games need to be played to be appreciated as cultural touchstones, but the graphics or controls are so outdated that they're essentially unplayable.

So, I'm a bit conflicted, but I guess I'm for it, so long as we're not just perpetually remaking the same crap over and over.

The Ocarina of Time remake trailer got me thinking about this, by the way.
https://www.reddit.com/r/videos/s/BeHX1u9Dwj

[Pappy13]

Generally speaking, I think it's lazy development and just a way to squeeze a few more dollars out of a franchise. I'd much prefer you create a new game even if it's in the same IP.

For example, I have no issue with Diablo II, III and IV which were all developed by Blizzard Entertainment each of which is it's own game. Diablo II resurrected on the other hand which is a remaster of Diablo II that was primarily developed by Vicarious Visions should have never happened. It offered very little other than nostalgia which I understand is huge for a lot of players, but it's a waste of resources that could have been placed on a brand new game in my humble opinion.

Don't even get me started about Warcraft III Reforged which made tons of mistakes on top of being a bad remake which made it even worse than the original game.

If the controls for example are outdated, than the game is outdated. Move on and create a new game.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

About a month ago I was at a friend's house and we were playing Madden98. Does that tell you my stance on the need to update games to

[Spider-Dan]

I happen to be a heavy player of Diablo 2 Resurrected, particularly since the new Reign of the Warlock expansion earlier this year (for a game that is essentially 25 years old!).  I think both products serve a valuable function.

Many older games like Diablo 2 and Starcraft are designed for older versions of Windows and don't work properly on modern HD monitors.  The higher resolution on the remasters, by itself, justifies the purchase for a game you enjoy.  The point about Vicarious Visions frankly doesn't make sense; Vicarious Visions became a Blizzard subsidiary a month before Diablo 2 Resurrected was announced, and was renamed Blizzard Albany 6 months after the game came out.

As for remasters more broadly, I am in favor of them.  The online console revolution of the late '00s, followed by PC gaming attaining full peer status with consoles on AAA games in the mid '10s, and online crossplay between different platforms becoming widespread in the early '20s have made gaming releases prior to those eras have glaring drawbacks that have little to do with the quality of the game itself.  For online games in particular, remasters that make these legendary classics accessible on modern hardware are a welcome development.

A different category of game, I think, is the "remake"; games like Final Fantasy 7 Remake or the newer Resident Evil 1-4 releases, where the gameplay is radically reworked.  These remakes have more of a lazy "Let's just make the same few games over and over" feel, like the endless remakes of movies that Hollywood loves so much.

[Dave Gray]

Interesting responses.

I feel like some games that are key components of an ongoing series are helpful to have in a format that is playable to modern audiences.

I didn't have a Playstation, but Resident Evil REmake is one of my favorite games ever when it came out on the Gamecube.  It was a brand new experience for me and it ushered me into a series that I otherwise wouldn't have played, probably.

I also think that the overhaul that Halo got is worthwhile.

So, I guess...I'm for it for games that are absolute classics and part of an ongoing series where it's beneficial to play the origin of the series AND (this is important) the original version doesn't hold up or isn't readily available.

[Denver2]

The oblivion remaster was really fun but I’d rather have studios focus on new games.