So it looks like Sleeping Dogs might be getting some sort of ‘Remastered’ edition on Xbox One or PS4. Add it to the pile I guess.
What are your thoughts on all these remade, special editions of games. Are you buying them? Are you content to buy the same game more than once?
I dunno. Personally I think it’s overkill. But I also understand we’re in a transition phase right now; that most of the big titles are coming out in 2015. Perhaps now is the best time to sell back these older games while we’re waiting for the next big thing.
I’m keen to hear your thoughts.
Comments
61 responses to “Tell Us Dammit: Thoughts On Remastered Games?”
Done the way TLoU did it and Sleeping Dogs is doing it, that is with all released dlc, I”m quite happy for it.
Kingdom Hearts 1.5 remastered and FF10/10-2 HD were both solid remasterings too, lets not forget the gamecube Resident Evil shat all over the original. There is room for remakes/masters crafted with care but those that are a cash in are a little repugnant. I would actually count TLoU as being more of a port than a remake tbh, not that I dislike the game, I love it to bits and the addition of the DLC and whatnot is fantastic but it is only just crossing the line into remastered territory.
Wind Waker HD is also a prime example of remaster done right. Difficult to get a copy of games getting remade I am fine with if actual effort is put into their creation.
Kingdom Hearts 1.5 was a dream come true mostly due to the rerelease of final mix and re:com. I agree that TLoU is more of a port (no significant gameplay changes, things do ‘feel’ smoother though). To be honest I’d prefer if they remade some classics from the PS1 era because the differences and improvements in gameplay would be much more noticeable, however like you said they need to be crafted with care or they’ll just feel lke cash grabs. I have yet to get Wind Waker HD, what’s it like compared to the original?
Wind Waker HD is to wind waker what Eye Fillet steak is to Scotch Fillet. You don’t realise how inferior Scotch Fillet is to Eye fillet until you try it and then you will wonder how you ever stomached Scotch to begin with.
That is to say it is amazinger in every way shape and form…though there is still choppy frame rate when bombing things in your boat on the ocean.
edit* I am using the steak reference because that is what I am currently eating, alas the inferior version but comparing a Macallan 12yo scotch to a bottle of johnny walker red would have done the trick too
That’s good to hear I loved Wind Waker (you know minus the sailing), so I might grab Wind Waker HD when I’ve got the time to play it all in one day.
Sailing is much improved, access to a sail that is both faster than full sail and that automatically corrects the wind to always be behind you without needing to whip out the baton, it speeds things up greatly
Well I’m definitely getting it then, woo hoo less sailing 😀
Does the remastered Tomb Raider include the DLC?
Wikipedia says it does.
So they’re remaking Sleeping Dogs and not Final Fantasy 7 or 8?! WTF Square Enix, fix your shit
Personally I think they are pointless , I’m not all into the “graphics” of games and more into gameplay. It’s becoming a bit much when you walk into EB games and the PS4 shelves are 75% filled with games I played on last gen.
People are obviously buying them and its smart for the game companies , hopefully the extra cash they are making flows into new game development.
I don’t mind them at all, no ones pulling your leg to purchase them and it helps smooth out the lull/drought of games we experience this time of year.
But would it not be better if company’s made games like Child of Light or Valiant Hearts in the “lull/drought”? You know smaller new ip’s, rather then bringing back something that is just over a year old (The Last Of US).
Wasn’t this a Big Question topic a week ago? Personally I don’t mind remasters as long as they are well done and worthwhile. I have caught up on a few titles because of PS2->PS3 remasters and it’s a lot more convenient than dragging out the PS2 again. PS3->PS4 just doesn’t seem like a worthwhile proposition though. The value add just isn’t there.
Yes. Yes it was.
http://www.kotaku.com.au/2014/07/the-big-question-are-you-a-fan-of-remastered-video-games/
Yes but Serrels has rereleased the same thread with better graphics and all the DLC…
I don’t mind remastered editions but I don’t see the point in remastered edition for games that aren’t that old. Halo remastered anniversary edition? Sure, that sounds cool (oddly enough I don’t care for the MCC). Last of Us remastered edition even though that game is only a year old? I don’t really see the point.
Really good piont. The only time I would buy a remastered version of a game that’s only 1 year old is if I hadn’t picked it up in the first place.
If you don’t care about graphics or framerate, getting the original version could be a lot cheaper.
The point is, there’s a lot of PS4 owners that only had a 360 or Wii last gen and have missed out on playing this game. Then there’s those of us who really enjoyed it on the PS3 and are more than happy to buy it again for the increased resolution and framerate and also the DLC that we didn’t bother buying for the PS3 version. I traded in my PS3 copy of the game and got 40% off the Remastered edition. I’d say that was a fair deal considering the game was already being sold well below the original retail price of most new PS4 games. At least here in New Zealand anyway.
I’m going to get this… in a year or two.
During a Steam sale.
I think at the moment, companies are using these remastered games sort of like a training ground to test the tech/hardware of these next-gen consoles, so that when they get into making games for realsies, they’ll have had the experience to make them better. I think there was a whole thing about how naughty dog learnt alot from the last of us remastered to help with uncharted 4 and I have a feeling thats the case with other companies.
Of course, maybe it’s all a cash grab, in which case, screw them. But then again I think these days its harder for triple-a games what with the emerging indie market. in which case having the aforementioned time to “train” before making the big releases helps, I guess…
Personally though, unless i havent played them before, I’m like “whatevs”…
For an older classic, something like windwaker, love it.
For a game that came out in the last two years just for an excuse to re-release it on next gen? EAD.
Seriously, is this the year of the remake?
Wind waker. .. best remake ever
I think they do it with all the wrong games – but that’s me personally.
Infact I believe they should be focusing on remaking PS1/2 games not PS3 games.
*Tomba/Tombi*
*Dino Crisis Series*
*Final Fantasy (PS1 games only)*
*Metal Gear Solids*
*Cool Boarders (updated to be more like Trials Fusion)*
*Digimon World 1&2*
*Monster Rancher Battle Card*
And so much more :c
Yet all we get are games that are already pretty accessible today.
Metal Gear Solid got a remake on the Gamecube.
YEP! A proper remake and not a HD re-release too. Though it betrayed Snake and the stories tone a bit with the changes especially him flipping through the air like a ninja to avoid machine gun fire. Still it is worth a play through at least once IMO.
I hope you’ve played the Abe’s Oddyssey remake on PS4 called “New ‘n’ Tasty” – best $32 I’ve spent to replay an upgraded version of that game.
For a game like Baldur’s Gate that is over a decade old and that many people these days may not have played? Great! Planescape Torment next please!
A game like TloU that is what, a year or two old? What a waste of time. Make some actual new games instead of lazy cash grabs.
Not a waste of time to me.
I didn’t play TLOU as I didn’t own a PS3. Now I have a PS4 I can experience it.
Me too! Loving it so far, about 6 hours in!
Yep, it’s basically intended for 360 converts which I’m okay with – the media has an issue with it but that’s cuz they all devoured this game a year ago
Remake Planescape Torment? Why bother waiting for that when you can buy the GOG version and just follow the modding guide to get it up to 1920×1080 resolution (or better), get a little more content that was cut, some bug fixes and a few more odds & ends. Best way to play the best game.
Yeah I did that a while ago. Played a little bit, thought it was great and then never got around to continuing for some reason. Have to reinstall it all now but it’s on my to-do list.
A proper remastering would be great though. The mods really help but the graphics are still quite dated.
Personally I think it’s a good idea when it’s a critically acclaimed game. I.E. The Last of Us. Not like Sleeping Dogs.
My 2nd ps3 broke years ago and for that I swapped to 360 so never experienced TLOU. But getting the ps4 I’m glad they released the Remastered version because it’s an amazing game and honestly it looks on par with current ‘next-gen’ games.
Is it worth it for people who already have it for last gen? Course not, but it’s great for those who haven’t.
If I already own it, I aint buying it again. Especially if I JUST bought it.
Want to remaster a really old successful game – fine by me. For instance, I’d love a remastered Alex the Kid in Miracle World! How awesome would that be? But as much as I loved TLOA, there’s no way in hell i’m shelling out cash for a remastered version a year later. What a joke.
I’d rather they just get it right the first time.
Only if its a game I like! *folds arms stubbornly*
…nah but forreals, time plays a part in making these worthwhile imo. Window between original and remake is closing too much.
You wrote the same article/question last week.
http://www.kotaku.com.au/2014/07/the-big-question-are-you-a-fan-of-remastered-video-games/
Are you even trying anymore?
I don’t object to their existence but I do worry that with a few rare exceptions they’re not really worthwhile unless there’s extra content being added. I mean, I’m excited for the remaster of Halo 3 because it might mean that Halo 3 multiplayer is fun again, following the downward spiral Reach fell into and the dismal performance of Halo 4. But Resident Evil? Were people really clamouring for an update to that? Sleeping Dogs? I loved it but it came out over 2 years ago, so it’s not like it was straddling the next-gen window like Tomb Raider was. I guess The Last of Us is in the same boat as Tomb Raider being close to a next-gen launch but I feel like it’s remastering was more about padding out the next-gen games roster than anything else.
Some might be inclined to say we’re going overboard with them, especially in the case of older games, but we’re also hitting a point where the hardware that older games played these games on originally is no longer operational or compatible. Purely from a preservation of the classics standpoint I can see the value.
I played the hell out of the original Resident Evil. Then they did the remake for Gamecube or whatever and I didn’t go out and get it. I actually never played it, but a lot of the FMV’s looked awesome and I always wanted to. I have a few of those Wii games on my shelf… but I never bought a Wii. It’s been so many years now, it’s not exactly a bad idea to do a sexier version of it. It might even pave the way for a remake of RE2!
On the other hand… I also bought the Last of Us but never really played it properly. Redoing it in HD may be sexy but I’m not planning on buying a recent game that I already own and can play… same with Tomb Raider.
I don’t mind. I’m a mass effect trilogy release away from storing my 360 away.
Personally I’d say… the games should be done like Tomb Raider was, truly remastered. The Last of Us was close enough, but truth be told I was expecting a little ore work to be done for it to actually look ‘remastered’ and not just ‘upscaled’.
Same as other multiplatform releases really.
Given the rapid rate that the PS4 gained traction and the fact that a hell of a lot of formerly exclusive 360 owners got the PS4, it makes good business sense to re-release exclusives so people can try them without having to buy the previous console which the sony are obviously keen for people to not do. They have shiny new things to shift and are keen for old stuff to vanish into the hazy mists of memory after all. The same would presumably apply for Microsoft but I’ve not seen much on the re-release front from them other than Halo which seems a bit odd. You’d think at least a Gears Of War trilogy would show up given how popular it was and the fact that the Unreal engine is running on the XB1, you’d think it’d be a relatively easy port.
For multiplatforms, unless there’s a damned good reason it does feel a but too much like a cash grab and frankly makes me a bit concerned that if the trend continues and becomes a flood, re-releases that legitimately have a lot of work put into them and deserve success will be come to be seen as “ugh another cheap cash in” rather than the labour of love that they are. Those games will need extremely careful marketing to ensure that the benefits of the remake are clearly spelled out in a way that no one can miss.
You’re remaking Assassin’s Creed 1? Why do I care?
You’re remaking Assassin’s Creed 1 in the engine of Assassin’s Creed Unity with the additional investigations from the PC version as well as brand new ones, a substantially expanded story, more stuff to do in the kingdom (by which I mean some stuff to do in the kingdom), loads of modifications so you can pass by guards at something other than a suspiciously slow pace without alerting them and heaps of other miscellaneous new content? What’s that you say, you’re also remaking the PSP game Assassin’s Creed Bloodlines and throwing that in as an extra? Okay, now you’ve grabbed my attention, that I might at least consider. Do the same with an Ezio trilogy and I might consider that as well.
With luck, when publishers have the stones to drop support for the previous generation, the number of games being made for PS4/XB1 will jump markedly, the need to stuff the catalogue with remakes will die off and we’ll only see the labour of love ones again.
I might be wrong but it seems like M$ want to gives Gears some time out of the spotlight after the underwhelming performance of Judgment
If it came out in the last 5-odd years then bugger off. I don’t care for slightly sharper shadows in that context. Remaster older games in which the gameplay still stands up so they cater to higher res and widescreen aspect ratios and I’m interested.
I guess some exclusives are ok for those who swapped consoles (though I think remakes should be much cheaper). I think the time and money would be better used on a sequel or heaven forbid a new IP. I always feel totally ripped off when I go and buy a super fancy deluxe edition of a game only to have them release the “Definitive Edition”, they should implement a system where all of us suckers who bought the game the first time and funded their remakes should get a massive discount at least or something. It even annoys me a bit that consoles get so many different models, like the original DS I got it day one (the fat sliver ugly one) and felt a bit ripped off as I watched all the better models get released, we should be rewarded for supporting products from day one and it certainly never feels like we are.
Normally I’d say no, but for some reason GTA v on xbone is getting me excited. I think a previous adopter upgrade cost is the key here, for example if you owned gtaV on 360 and upgrade to Xbone, it costs 75% less, or something like that. I remember hearing they’re doing this for minecraft and the newgen versions, other studios should follow suit.
As if Rockstar would do that!
I’m curious about GTA on the new machines but only if the player count has been upped for the online – 16 is not enough.
I for one am all for it IF:
– It’s an older classic that no longer works on current Gen hardware
E.G.
halo
FF
System Shock
etc etc
Theres no need for an HD remake of a game thats a year old.
All I want is Eternal Darkness and Metroid Prime HD editions for the Wii U, there is nothing else I care about. (at least when it comes to remasters)
For me the rest of “next-gen” is going to be Doom, Star Wars: Battlefront, Zelda and MGS V
Id much rather game company’s work on smaller games while the bigger stuff is being worked on, games like Child of Light or Valiant Hearts should be the in between games while the other bigger projects are still being made.
Give us time to miss those games that came out last gen, The Last Of Us being remade just over a year after it was initially released is a joke, had they bought it out around the end of this gen it would have been more acceptable in my eyes.
Sick of remakes completely. That includes this Halo bullshit.
New games, for goodness’ sake. Give us some new games.
In cases where the original game is no longer supported by more recent operating systems, yes, absolutely.
In cases where TLOU came out last year and now they’re porting it to new consoles, god no. That is nothing but a shameless moneygrab.
I’m okay with them. I got tomb raider because I loved it when it came out, but I never actually owned it, and I got the last of us because I no longer have a ps3. I’d probably pick up a lot of my favourite games, as well as some that I hadn’t previously played, if they were released on ps4.
Alot of them are just the same game I played a year ago, just with prettier graphics and in some cases some content for a tacked on multiplayer mode no-one bothered to play. I can see why exclusives like the Last of Us are getting a re-release because people would be switching from Xbox 360 to PS4 or PS3 to Xbox One, but multiplatform games? I don’t see the point.
One I really can’t help but facepalm at is the GTA V re-release. WHY!?! Okay, the PC release makes sense but the XBO/PS4 ones don’t. Literally everyone aside from PC-only gamers got it last year- even non-gamers that only buy the yearly CoD games. Are people really gonna pay $100 to play it for the second/third/fourth time, only this time with more traffic, more grass and better textures? Really!?!?
I want Dark Souls II to come out on the new consoles because I haven’t bought it yet on 360
Also why did the PS3 get the splinter cell HD collection and not the Xbox?? Splinter Cell needs a remaster – esp Conviction – that was great
I’m cool with it I mean at least Sleeping Dogs is what 2 -3 years old that makes a bit more sense than The Last Of Us which came out just last year. Either way I’m not to fussed about the whole thing, for me I might buy them again depending what else comes with it i.e. all the dlc and how much I liked the game.
I’ve no problem with it. I bought The Last of Us Remastered because I never got time to play it on PS3 when I owned it there. So more than happy to buy it again, especially for 60 bucks. Awesome game!