This week The Last Of Us appears on the PlayStation 4, all buffed up and smooth as butter and whatnot. Folks that have already played and finished the game: will you be shelling out the cash to go through a fancier version of the game?
It seems to be part of a trend: first it was Tomb Raider, then it was The Last of Us, soon it’ll be Grand Theft Auto V. I completely understand if you haven’t played these games that it might be worth picking up. Even in the case of Grand Theft Auto — which I started and didn’t finish — I think I could justify paying cash to transfer my game across and continue on the PlayStation 4/Xbox One. But I think that’s my limit.
What about you? Do you have a personal policy on this? Is it — like me — a decision you make on a game-to-game basis?
Comments
35 responses to “The Big Question: Are You A Fan Of ‘Remastered’ Video Games?”
There’s a few games I’d happily rebuy, The Last of Us is one of them but I’m not a fan of buying the same games over and over again usually.
While they’re not HD remasters as such, more just straight-up ports, I do like the fact that some PS4 versions of PS3 games (e.g. Flow, Flower, the upcoming PS4 version of Spelunky) are covered by cross-buy. So if you already had them on PS3 you get the PS4 version when it comes out without having to buy it again.
depends. if the remastering is noticeable, eg Ico / Shadow of the Colossus / Okami / FFX etc. then yeah.
also, if its a game I never got to play the first time round like Wind Waker, or the Silent Hill games, then for sure.
but I’m cynical of things like the Last of Us being ‘remastered’ so close to its original release date.
feels very much like its just a cross-gen game being marketed differently.
This.
They should have announced that they were going to release a PS4 version before there initial release on PS3 so that consumers would have options.
Because of the way they announced it i feel cheated that i paid for something that now feels inferior compared to the PS4 version.
And before anyone comes in and say’s they did not know they were making the PS4 version till later so they could not announce it till after the PS3 version released, that’s bullshit they started working on the PS4 version straight after the PS3 version shipped.
“Development of Remastered started immediately after the development of the PlayStation 3 version ended.”
Under the sub heading “The Last Of Us Remastered”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_of_Us
Some games, the absolute classics, cry out for a remaster/remake, even if only to have the classics available for newer generations of consoles and game enthusiasts. The Last of Us fits that bill, despite being released only last year. It’s now an established classic title, and it does seem to benefit pretty significantly from the power of the PS4.
I’d buy a ICO / Shadow of the Colossus HD remake for the PS4, though I already own the PS3 and original PS2 titles. Very much looking forward to the Grim Fandango HD remake.
Also bear in mind that those old PS2-era games were originally in standard definition, which could look REALLY ugly when displayed on a high def TV. So sprucing them up in high definition was probably more worthwhile than going from PS3 to PS4 since the resolution issues aren’t so bad.
It depends on the game. Ico/Shadow is great but stuff like Metro collection is just stupid and pointless.
I don’t want to, but I’m still gonna buy the remastered Metro games because fuck I love Metro
Metro is epic <3
The upgrade for 2033 is great and worth charging for. The PC version of LL Redux only tweaks minor things. Since I own both, its $12 for each. Worth it for 2033 (due to mine being a bundle copy), not so much LL
I like it. For some people it’s a great chance to play games on new consoles (maybe they didn’t have a Playstation last gen, but now they do), and for others, it’s just another way to keep your favourite games on hand (a lot of remastered games come out digitially, which is great).
If I missed out on the game on it’s original platform for one reason or another, then yes I like remastered remakes, so I can play those games I missed out on. If I played them on the original platform though, then no, I tend to avoid them. The Metroid Prime remake for the Wii Metroid Prime Trilogy disc was an exception to that though due to the different control scheme it used.
My thoughts exactly.
BTW How good was that Metroid Trilogy! I still have the Prime games on GameCube and a functioning Cube as well, but the Wii version was almost like playing them new again due to the controls.
I can see why they would be handy for example I never got Last of Us last gen so I’m glad for the remastered edition for current gen. But honestly even if they re-released the PS3 version exactly as it was for the PS4 I’d grab it.
Some companies go overboard with remakes though when they should be focussing on new games. So while I think it’s nice to have them around I don’t think I’d miss them if they weren’t.
Hard to give just a Yes or No answer. As others have mentioned above, it depends on how noticeable the differences are and whether or not you have played the original.
Agree with @35 about possibly being a different marketing strategy when ‘remastered’ versions come out so close to the original release date. If it came out within 12 months or so of the previous game being released it’s a definite NO from me but there are exceptions.
I don’t really care much for the PS3/PS4 remastering trend, but I love the PS2/PS3 remastering work (when done properly) because it not only lets me play games I missed out on the first time round, but it makes the games not look like a mess on a HD display.
I prefer them when there’s a bigger gap between generations so you can really see the difference.
Turning a SD game to HD sees a real benefit, but converting a HD PS3 game to a little more HD PS4 game doesn’t have the same impact.
For all the trouble Fable: Anniversary was exactly what I needed. I’m not nostalgic enough to put up with low resolution and dated controls. Then there are the games that just don’t exist anymore. I would murder you all for Metroid Prime 1-3 to get the Wind Waker HD treatment.
If Naughty Dog makes a remastered version for the whole Uncharted series on the ps4 I’d definitely buy the whole collection cause i never got to play them. I’ve only played like a mission or two at my friend’s place on the ps3.
If the game is older then I’m all for it.
For something as new as The Last Of Us I don’t think it’s worthwhile.
Need an option on the poll for “Yes, if it’s not half-arsed.”
E.g The Tomb Raider one really didn’t look that impressive (compared to the original PC version), also Age of Empires II HD is pretty much just AoE II. On the other hand I love Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD Remix, 2.5 looks great.
I’m not quite sold on The Last of Us Remastered yet (loved the original) but then I don’t have a PS4 yet anyway so I’ve still got some time to decide 😛
True, the difference between PC Tomb Raider and PS4 not as great, but PS3 to PS4 was enough for my other half (who can’t tell the difference between DVD and Blu-Ray, I kid you not) to comment on it. Trees swaying, shadows, Lara herself, and really smooth. I’ll probably play it one more time before the sequel is released.
I really enjoyed the Tomb Raider remaster, but that was early on in PS4 after I’d finished Black Flag, was itching to replay Tomb Raider so thought I’d take a punt to compare the 2 versions and I’m glad I did as the difference is stark. Although I loved TLoU I’m less excited about the remaster as the PS3 version was so good and I played it on PS3 after I already had the PS4. Ico/SoTC I loved the remake.
So as with just about every post above, a little from Column A, a little from Column B.
Generally no. Few exceptions, but for me, when there’s been a large span in time from the original to the remake or remaster. And when the effort has been put in to make it feel more complete and definitive. Like when the dev goes back to fix a problem or general complaint from the original (sailing in Wind Waker for example.). I got nothing really against it per se, but when it’s half assed, you can really tell and turns me off it.
The Zelda remasters have been pretty great, I have to say. They’ve introduced great tweaks to suit the hardware and iron out issues with the original titles.
If it’s just a graphics update, though, I’m not too fussed about it.
It really depends on the game. I have The Last of Us on PS3 and loved it, but never bought the DLC. I can’t wait to get it on PS4. It’s actually arrived in the mail today, but I’m at work, so won’t be able to collect it until the weekend 🙁
I’m excited about the GTA:V remake too as I didn’t buy it on PS3.
Wind Waker HD was fucking excellent, I am sitting here hoping for that Majora’s Mask 3DS remake and a remaster of Metroid Prime Trilogy for Wii U (would at least ease the pain of there being no Metroid game for at least the next two years)
Moreso for the games I have missed due to time or other games out. For example I am quite keen to pick up the Metro bundle coming out at the end of August.
The way I see it is, they’re not compulsory to buy. I was happy to get the God of War/Prince of Persia ones as my PS2 is packed up somewhere, and if you skipped the PS3/had a different console, it’s an easy way to play some great games on the PS4.
Ultimately, think of it as the console equivalent of GOG, letting you play games that would otherwise fade away.
GTAV is a very poor example that I’ve seen used every time this question has cropped up recently, it’s the PC/PS4/XB1 version that Rockstar have been working on all this time and which they haven’t released yet, it’s not a re-release. That’s like saying that the PC version of GTA3 was a re-release of the PS2 version because it came out a year later and then saying the xbox version was a re-release of the PC version or a re-re-release of the PS2 version, same game but different product.
As for the actual content of the question rather than me being anal, I have no problem with remake stuff at all as long as the original is preserved and playable to the extent that technology allows (hence the poll is too binary for me to really vote). Monkey Island Special Edition is a perfect example, pretty it up, add voices, add hints for n00bs but on a whim and with the touch of a button I’m playing the original game on the Amiga again. That’s how you do a remake or remaster. I’ve seen a respectable number of games given that treatment (R-Type & Flashback spring immediately to mind) and I’m quite glad that they have respect for their history rather than automatically assuming that new is always better and that no one would ever want dingy old junk when they have the newer and shinier (after all, that line of thought is why we’re missing so much TV from the BBC archives).
From a strictly business standpoint, The Last Of Us: Remastered was a total no brainer, it reviewed really well and the PS4 has picked up a shitload of people who never had a PS3. It makes complete sense to re-release it and several notable PS3 titles to capitalise on the fact that a lot of playstation virgins have heard about these games but have never played them and won’t be buying a PS3 to do so (because backwards compatibility is so old hat!). Hell, I bought the God Of War collection for exactly that reason and enjoyed the hell out of them, I’d heard about them for years, played things labelled as clones, never would have bought a PS2 but the re-release comes along and I take the opportunity and now I realise why so many games cloned it; because it was remarkably well made.
Generally only if I’ve not played the original. The one exception I’ve made is for Halo: Anniversary, purely because Halo: CE got me into gaming as a hobby, rather than something to do when I don’t feel like reading. Playing through the remake was nostalgia nirvana…
Stuff like Last of Us I don’t object to, considering there are likely a number of people that moved from exclusively Xbox 360 to PS4, and thus missed the original, but I’ll not buy it when I’ve got the original and a console to play it on sitting on my shelf.
I needed a third option that said “depends what game it is and what the update contains”
Generally, no. I like proper remakes – Metroid Zero Mission is the absolute pinnacle for me, still. Ones that more or less amount to a straight up port with a new coat of paint? Not so much. Though that said, it also depends on the game itself. OoT3D I did not care about at all because we’ve already had it on the 64, then twice on the Cube, then on the Wii’s VC if you’re into that kind of thing. It’s just not a game that I needed to see again, and especially not exactly the same thing again. Whereas Star Fox 64 3D, we hadn’t seen that since the original release so it was more than welcome.
Maybe.
I’d be a big fan of them if they weren’t half of the entire next gen content. They should be like picking up the blu ray of your favourite movie even though you have the DVD. They shouldn’t consist of 40% of the best games on the console (I’d argue Tomb Raider and Last of us are in the top 5 ps4 games out).
But that really goes into the whole issue about how this Gen is taking off slower than any other previous gen because after watching what happened with the PS2 everyone (devs, publishers etc) has realised there is still a huge base to milk and making next gen exclusives misses out on that market. So until the market changes so next gen are the large majority we’re going to continue to get screwed with games that are designed for last gen and next gen and our leap into the new gen will be more like a slow boring progression.
Normally I’d say no…. but… dat Halo collection.
I suppose it depends. It seems a little bit money grubbing to branch a hardware generational gap that amounts to no more then a year. Even if the game in question is considered a masterpiece.
I also think it is neat to be able to play a game like TLOU on a PS4 because it would perform better on PS4. Plus, it’s the closest I’m going to see to a PC version. It makes perfect sense from Sony’s standpoint. They should be able to move a fair few more consoles with TLOU on the roster for PS4. A good number would have been satisfied with their experience on the PS3 too.
Maybe it’s just me but I also feel like there’s a certain illegitimacy to remasters like TLOU. I would much prefer remasters of much older games or those that a fair chunk of the gaming population have never heard of, or didn’t otherwise have the opportunity to play.
A good example is Double Dragon Neon on Steam. Played co-op with my stepson over the weekend and had a blast! Remembering the DD of my childhood, I couldn’t wait to show him and proceed to lay waste to the multitude of enemies thrown our way. A fantastic way to re-play games long since lost to the technologies of today.
I have absolutely no problem bringing back games like The Last Ninja, International Karate, California Games, Altered Beast, Shinobi, Road Rash, Herzog Zwei, Streets of Rage, Double Dragon, Space Quest, Police Quest and a crap load more get fully sick remasters.
It needs to have a generation in between
Does the ‘New n tasty’ remake of Abe count? I am thoroughly enjoying it and it feeds my nostalgia