One of the biggest trends in games over the last few years has been the HD remake phenomenon. Bringing games from previous generations back with high resolution visuals and other modern bells and whistles sounds like a great way to celebrate gaming past, but not everyone sees it that way. IGN AU’s Cam Shea and Adam Guetti fight it out.
For those that can't be bothered reading the text.
Adam: Nostalgia. As a gamer it’s that incredible feeling that turns our insides fuzzy after booting up an old classic and re-entering a simpler time. Yet, while we love to experience its warm embrace, is nostalgia actually beneficial for the gaming industry’s future? At the moment, I’m simply not convinced. I've tried ignoring it, but I just can’t shake the nagging feeling that, over the last few years, developers and publishers have begun exploiting this powerful emotion as both an easy means to an end as well as a tool for increasing their yearly release number. Where do you stand on the issue Cam?
Cam: Well, there are a few different ways of looking at the idea of nostalgia in games today. Personally I think that evoking nostalgia through a mix of old school game design and aesthetics with modern production values - think Super Meat Boy, Cave Story or New Super Mario Bros. - is a brilliant way to celebrate the heritage of our industry, and can actually lead to really fresh experiences. I've loved the resurgence of 2D gaming over the last few years. 2D games can have a level of precision and simplicity that leads to incredibly refined gameplay, and they're generally more affordable to make, so taking an old school approach can actually be a great way for indie developers to get a start in the industry.
That said, I don't think that's the nostalgia that you're driving at. What you're talking about is that you're sick of HD re-releases of old titles, right? Why so? What's so bad about bringing classic games back and putting them in front of today's gamers?
Adam: Yes, it's true - I’m not the biggest fan of the HD re-release. I’ve recently booted up titles like Halo Anniversary, and you know what the one resonating feeling was? Boredom. Sure I’m not necessarily the target demographic, but if a lover of the original like myself isn’t attracted to it, why would the younger generation bother?
The main issue that gets right under my skin though, is that I don’t think these titles are being released to educate those who might have missed them. I see them as a simple and relatively painless solution for an extra cash flow injection. I don’t need to handle Lara Croft’s aged curves. I want the newer, younger model!
Where do you stand on Halo Anniversary?
Cam: I don't really object to developers making the most of the titles in their portfolios. If you've got a classic franchise with an established fan-based, why not give it a new lease on life? Beyond Good & Evil is a perfect example of the benefits of HD remakes. The game did well critically but underperformed at retail on release. It then steadily garnered a reputation as a game that should have been huge but wasn't. It had a stellar rep but Ubisoft didn't see the returns on its quality. An HD re-release is the perfect way to give it another chance, and see if people who missed it the first time around - but had heard about its inherent quality - would put their money where their mouths were.
Where the argument falls down is games with a terrible HD port. It's not actually that simple to take a standard def game and make it look good in high definition. Publishers still need to allocate the time and resources to do it right, and if they don't, it ceases to be a loving re-release and becomes exactly what you're talking about - a grab for cash and a slap in the face for the legacy of the game or series in question. Spending the time re-working the textures, getting the tech right for consistent (or higher) frame rates and going over every element with a critical eye is key.
These titles should be a way for publishers to offer great value for classic gameplay with some (relatively) modern presentation. The God of War Collection and MGS HD releases are examples of HD remakes done right. The Silent Hill HD Collection, on the other hand, SHOULD offer a wealth of gameplay for a very reasonable price, but falls down technically. Sure, everything's in HD, but it’s been executed without sensitivity to the artistry that gave the original games so much atmosphere.
Adam: The God of War Collection might have been done right, but the rabbit hole inevitably leads to the question of ‘why’ these games are really here to begin with? Maybe I’ve become jaded, but I can't ignore the feeling that the principal reason for all these games is to simply fulfil the bottom line. Beyond Good & Evil wasn't given a HD treatment to share the love, but because somewhere, a sequel is in the works. The Silent Hill Collection wasn't an inspired choice that failed at the finish line; it was picked from the stables because Downpour was steadily waiting in the wings.
Ultimately, I know people are willing to buy into the HD hysteria. The sales and number of titles on the horizons proves that. It’s a reality that I understand and am growing to accept. I just refuse to believe that it's all under the guise of celebrating our past and indulging in classic gaming nostalgia for the future generations of gamers. This isn't nostalgia, nor is it the remixed approach we initially discussed. No, this is by-the-books marketing, pure and simple. Even when that might not be the case though, it remains superfluous. Do we really need Zone of the Enders again, for example?
Frankly, it looks like an HD re-release that wasn't all it should have been.
Cam: I'm sure there are quite a few Zone of the Enders fans out there who are absolutely looking forward to that release. And so what if it's marketing? Gaming is a business and almost every decision that gets made is filtered through a series of checks to ensure it either makes money or serves the publisher's interests. Do you think Microsoft greenlit Halo 4 because the company heads have a burning desire to tell more of Master Chief's story? Of course not. That doesn't mean Halo 4 won't be awesome though. It also doesn't mean that HD remakes are nothing but a cash-in. They can be good business, good marketing and good for gamers all at once. Why not bring the Silent Hill games back to build awareness of the new title waiting in the wings? Makes sense to me. As I said earlier, though, the issue is whether they're done well. If they've just been dashed out with as little effort as possible, then I'm with you - they are a cynical marketing and money-making exercise. If they're done well then I have no problem with HD re-releases whatsoever.
Case in point, I reviewed the Ratchet & Clank Trilogy for IGN recently, and had an absolute blast. The gameplay still absolutely stands up, and even though they looked fantastic first time around - and ran at 60fps - I loved playing through them at 1080p. Certainly preferable to simply playing them on PS2. And you know what? It was a great excuse for me to really immerse myself in a classic PS2 franchise that I hadn't really played that thoroughly first time around. I'd already played the Future titles, so this release couldn't have been any more perfect for me. Plus, PS3 faithful get trophy support and those that like playing in 3D can also do that (not that I'd recommend it - the frame rate drops to 30fps and the resolution to 720p). Point is - what harm does bringing Ratchet & Clank back do? It's not like Insomniac worked on this port at the expense of another project - it was handled by another team entirely (Idol Minds). We don't miss out on other games as a result of HD remakes. Final thoughts dude? Have I won you over with my relentless logic?
A re-release done right.
Adam: You may belittle my points, but you will never take my freedom!
Look, if publishers push out HD remakes like Ratchet & Clank that don’t detract from original projects and are handled delicately, I’ll wave my white flag in the air. But the reality is that so many aren’t given the same level of love and care. The Splinter Cell Classic Trilogy was labelled “A slapdash production,” while Resident Evil 4 HD was marred because “Upscaled graphics actually make the environments look worse than they did before” – both comments from this very site.
The Devil May Cry HD Collection may have been another not-so-great re-release, yet DmC on the other hand remains an approach I’m much more interested in. I’ll probably never play the original trilogy in HD, but Ninja Theory’s reboot I’ll surely give a crack. Why? Because it’s an attempt at simultaneously creating a fresh experience for current gamers as well as fans of the series.
Simply put though, don’t hide under the misguided pretence of gaming nostalgia and I’ll be happy. Besides, let’s face it; there may very well be eager Zone of The Enders fans, but I’m also sure there are those counting down the days for Naughty Bear 2. That doesn’t mean it’s necessary.
But hey, enough from us - what do you all think? Hit us with your thoughts below.
Cam Shea is IGN Australia's Senior Editor. You can follow him on IGN here, and join the IGN AU Facebook community here. Adam Guetti is an Aussie freelance games journalist.
Source : ign[dot]com
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