Do We Really Need to Remaster Recent Titles?

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I was over the moon when Square Enix decided to remaster the Final Fantasy X saga. It’s been a decade since I last played the game and most people have either sold or broke their PlayStation 2 system. The graphics from then and today truly show a huge leap, so it was a welcome change to give the game an HD facelift in all aspects. Was I willing to spend money a game I already bought? Hell yeah.

I skipped on buying the ‘remastered’ editions of Injustice: Gods Among Us and Tomb Raider. These titles aren’t exactly the games companies would usually remaster. Consequently, Naughty Dog joined in the fray and decided to make a PS4 version of the game. There are also rumors of a Mass Effect collection for the latest generation of consoles. My fangirl heart tells me to impulsively buy the re-released versions, but my mind is telling me to think twice about it.

Is it worth it to buy remastered versions of recent titles? Let me weigh in below.

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This was literally my knee jerk reaction to the news about The Last of Us and the Mass Effect rumors for the next generation of consoles. People often asked me if I would get it and ask why I would buy those games again. The plain answer was because I loved those games to pieces. However, the truth is love does not solve and justify everything. I took a look at my bank account and my mind forced me to be more practical about my video game spending decisions.

It’s cool that The Last of Us will be bundled will of the DLCs in the remastered edition for the retail price of a standard triple A video game. Naughty Dog did boast an upgrade in visual fidelity through using tech jargon an average person wouldn’t understand. I saw the comparison screenshots and videos, but it’s not really that noticeable. Truthfully, you could say the same for all of the games released on the current generation of consoles. Would the technology of the PS4 allow improvements in the gameplay? If that’s the case, then that’s something at least. However, this does make sense if you think of it as a GOTY edition plus some improvements. It’ll appeal more to people who haven’t played the game though, but is hoping to play it someday when a good bundle comes out. I don’t think that this will be a system seller for the PS4.

Mass Effect trilogy has tons of DLC and I’m wondering if EA will release a remastered edition for a reasonable price. The collection they launched for the last generation didn’t even have all of the DLCs that were out before it released. The price was less than $60, but I bet it’ll cost more if you add all the other expansion packs. Give me more than a bundle and actually show me how the new consoles can improve the game in more than subtle differences. They would have to do something more since I don’t think enough time has passed for people to actually miss the Mass Effect games. The games are still recent enough to be accessible. 

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I have faith in Halo: Master Chief Collection and I see its potential to become a system seller for the Xbox One. It can sell to both longtime fans and those who are looking for the right opportunity to jump in. It’s been nearly a decade since the last two games came out and people probably don’t have an Xbox anymore. It’s more than enough time for devoted fans to re-experience the games. This was also the time when the PlayStation 2 dominated, so a lot of people have probably missed out on getting an Xbox.

 I’ve never really seriously played a Halo game. The only time I played the games is with my nephew for a few hours and that was it. As I grew older and the franchise grew more popular, I’ve always wanted to dive in but neither my Xbox nor Xbox 360 system is in my possession anymore. Developers usually make sequels to their games accessible to new fans, but it’s not the same as experiencing it from the very beginning. I think that the Halo series is worth it, and now Microsoft is capitalizing on this. It’s a win-win scenario. I wish they could include the other two games, but it’s understandable they excluded it since those were the fairly recent ones.

If the Fable anniversary edition came out for the Xbox One, then that would have seriously have been a system seller for me. However, I’m definitely saving up money and time for the Xbox One when Halo: Master Chief Collection comes out.

We are all clamoring for new games on the current generation of consoles. Creating remastered editions of games might be a way of buying time that some gamers don’t appreciate. However, it can be a great thing if companies choose the right game and execute it well at the right time.

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10 Comments

  1. IMO it’s cool for someone who skipped the console be able to play an improve version with all the extras.

    Still it promotes a culture of selling obsolete products. Since it has become common to release a lightly updated version of a game or making a sequel that barely plays different.

    Although IMO this gen is gonna be harder to pull that trick since last gen was such a huge leap in games than what this one has shown so far. Even more when PC games have run updated versions of those games for some time now. [This means 3rd party, not exclusives].

      1. The first Mass Effect was a great game until the second game was released. Now it is only playable with a healthy dose of sentimentality.

  2. I’d be really disappointed that this is the wave of the present, but it buys me more time to catch up on the PS3 and PS2 titles I’ve never played so it suits me. I feel bad for early adopters, though. Mass Effect and Dragon Age trilogy sets with upgraded graphics and all the DLC included would be something I’d consider buying for sure in the future. But not now. It’d be cheaper for me to buy all the DLC I’ve missed and play them again on my 360, but for gamers who never had a chance to get into BioWare’s stuff it’d be a great deal.

  3. Normally I’d be quick to do my cynical stuff in regards to A) we live in a country where both, music, movies, and now even videogames can only make money through nostalgia, B) new videogames aren’t even up to speed with new systems capabilities, and C) there’s no point in paying X dollars for something as well as additional $ for DLC when you know there’ll be a “remastered” release with all DLC and slightly better polished graphics in only a few years, but….

    Resident Evil remake on Gamecube is one of my favorite games ever and is beyond leaps and bounds better than the original. The new HD PC version of RE4 is the best available version yet and I was actually playing it earlier today, and I’m waiting patiently for an updated remake of RE2 and Super Metroid. Make it happen developers!!!

  4. Do we really need another “do we really need?” article?

    Every week someone is asking this now.

    Of all the remakes so far, Tomb Raider’s was probably the least necessary.

    Metro Redux is absolutely necessary. Last Light was playable at best on the PS3. The hardware simply couldn’t handle it. The game was simply ugly on last gen consoles, which is a shame, because it really is a beautiful game.

    TLoU is necessary because it gives new Playstation buyers a chance to play a game they may not have last gen. They may not have owned a PS3. Also, TLoU pushed the PS3 pretty hard, and a smoother remake is absolutely warranted.

    It’s all a matter of opinion, but I’m so tired of these articles. Some people are very grateful for these remakes, while others aren’t. End of story.

  5. Nope, we don’t but the industry is rapidly running out of ideas and trying to milk whatever it can, just like the movie industry does. That’s why Sony is jumping on the indie garbage heap so fast as they know it and can’t afford the investment in new IPs as much as their direct competitor.

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