How do you feel about Remakes VS Remasters?

[Naruzeldamaster]

With OOT Remaster coming out in a little while. I'm thinking back on other games that got Remakes/Remasters.
In General I prefer proper Remasters, but Remakes aren't half bad when there's enough love put into them.

I personally think there's room for both methods of remaking a game and calling the one where they 'put makeup on' lazy or effortless is silly.

 

[pmmg]

OOT?

Well, in the context of video games, they have to be redone at time to keep up with the technology. I am not sure if the original Tomb Raider will even play on a Win 11 machine, or a modern Video card. Heck, when it came out, VooDoo was probably the hottest 3d rendering system.

I would push this a broader question, such as, after a work is released, how much freedom should an author/creator feel they have in revisiting it?

Or rather, if readers all bought my book and loved it, but later I decided it did not say what I wanted, and I go back and change it (such as take out the sex scenes for example). In one sense, its my art and I feel it should reflect my vision, in another, what I wrote gained its audience because of some of its content and to remove it is kind of a betrayal of the promise of what it provides.

I would point to examples where this has happened, George Lucas screwing around with Star Wars and having Greedo shoot first. Prince deciding that Darling Nikki would no longer be released, or the Rolling Stone dropping Black Sugar from their lineup. Or even TV studio's removing scenes from movies before airing them... Heck, even cutting all the scenes from Bugs Bunny, and Tom and Jerry.

Is this okay to do? Or should those things live forever in the time capsule they were made in?


At present, I feel about my own work, that if I was to make a change to book 1, so few people have read it, that it would go by without notice. But if it was selling 1000's of copies, I would be more hesitant to do that.

I probably would not want any remade video game. I am sure it would be made to match todays values, which generally I think cheapens them.

 

[Naruzeldamaster]

Sorry, Ocarina of Time lol

As for your other stuff, yeah, that's kind of the angle I look at it. The Star wars example is actually a small concern I have for Ocarina of Time Remake.
For all I know it could be 1:1 with some slight changes. But those slight changes could pile up and annoy certain crowds (I hesitate to use the word 'purists' but...) From what I've seen in the trailers the improvements are very minor, but also very welcome.

The only thing that bugs me is when they charge full price for a remaster. A full remake is different, because it's built from the ground up.

 

[pmmg]

Thinking on this, I did approach the remake of Xcom with some anticipation, and was disappointed. While the game was not terrible or offensive, it lost the total war feeling, and replaced it with flashy cut scenes of slow motion gun shots. Still playable, but missing one of its most important aspects. Much as I loved Xcom way back when, I could not get into the new remake ones.

 

[Naruzeldamaster]

Thinking on this, I did approach the remake of Xcom with some anticipation, and was disappointed. While the game was not terrible or offensive, it lost the total war feeling, and replaced it with flashy cut scenes of slow motion gun shots. Still playable, but missing one of its most important aspects. Much as I loved Xcom way back when, I could not get into the new remake ones.

That's what has me cautious of trying the Tomb Raider remake.
It's a built from the ground up remake, with added scenes, voice acting etc.
But I don't know what they'll change about the game play or if it'll be 1:1.
I know Ocarina of Time will be good because Nintendo is (Usually) good about Remakes.
But I'm not sure about this one.

 

[casval]

Most of the time, I'd rather they just released the game unchanged for modern consoles and computers. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Like, Tactics Ogre got a remaster a few years ago that way oversimplified some of the systems and I found it less engaging than the original (or the PSP remaster, for that matter).

There are some good remakes though. The Resident Evil remakes are all pretty solid games, even if I prefer the originals as a matter of taste. Final Fantasy VII's remakes are less remakes and more legacy sequels - they incorporate lore from side games and films like Dirge of Cerberus and Advent Children - so they are sort of terrible as 'replacements' of the old game, but they're still extremely fun games in their own right. Great combat system.

 

[ThrillhoBaggins]

I think both have their place and would consider getting either, personally.