GamerSushi Asks: Changing Remakes?

Final Fantasy 7 Remake

If there’s anything we can say about 2011 – in addition to the fact that it’s been one of the best years for gaming that we can remember – it’s that it has been the year of the HD remake. In the fall season alone, we’ve seen Halo CE: Anniversary, Ico/Shadow of the Colossus and Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection all release to rave reviews from fanboys that have longed to see their old favorites restored with loving detail. Naturally, this opens up the conversation to other classics, and there are none more sought after than the dreaded Final Fantasy VII remake.

In a recent interview with Official XBox Magazine, Final Fantasy XIII-2 producer Yoshinori Kitase gave some of his thoughts about how he’d tackle a remake of one of the most famed entries in the beloved series:

“If I may speak as a game creator, if we were to produce a remake of VII, for example, I would be really tempted to delete things and add new elements, new systems or whatever because if we were to make exactly the same thing now, it’d be like a repeat… But if we did that, the fans might be disappointed or ‘this is not what I was expecting’ so in that sense maybe some might say that it’s better to let memory be memory.”

I have to say that I understand the impulse to want to approach the remake creatively. I mean, where would the appeal be to just slap a new coat of paint on something if you’re part of the team involved? But on the other hand, a part of me would also want the game that I loved exactly as it was. It would be interesting if developers could find a way to include both things in the final product, although I understand it’s not entirely feasible.

So what do you guys think? What kind of remakes do you prefer? Fresh new takes on old favorites, or a new coat of paint on the classics? What would you change in HD remakes of your favorite games? Go!

Source – OXM

Written by

I write about samurai girls and space marines. Writer for Smooth Few Films. Rooster Teeth Freelancer. Author of Red vs. Blue, The Ultimate Fan Guide, out NOW!

8 thoughts on “GamerSushi Asks: Changing Remakes?”

  1. This is the eternal conundrum of the HD Remake. Do long-time fans want to just relive their nostalgia but with updated graphics? Do players who missed out on buying the original game want to play an updated version so they don’t get frustrated with outdated features?
    Or Vice-Versa: Maybe those long-time fans want a dose of nostalgia, but also enjoy an updated game with polished gameplay, not just graphics. Maybe those newcomers want to experience the original version in all its flawed and aged glory.

    I’d say make the HD Remix close to the original because that seems to be the safe cash-in that producers love. Changing gameplay, even if the developers think they’re fixing the game, can be really risky.

  2. In my personal opinion, I think the best remake of any game is the Resident Evil remake for the Gamecube. It has amazing updated graphics for the time it was released, it has plenty of new content that wasn’t in the original, most notably Lisa Trevor and the inclusion of the Trevor diaries which were cut from the original game, and it was pretty much an improvement over the PS1 original in every way possible. If we had more remakes like that, all would be right with the world.

  3. I think if they are going to call something a remake it should be paint thrown over the top of an old shell. If they want to be creative then “re-imagining” would be more prudent otherwise people would get confused if a remake came up with features removed/added in. Personally as long as
    they tag it right i’d be willing to try both options on my old favourite games.

  4. MGS needs a better camera! Although, I think MGS3HD is supposed to use Subsistence’s camera which I THINK is more akin to MGS4’s. If so: YAY!
    Other than gameplay changes that benefit the player’s experience, then I feel it should be up to the developers themselves. It’s their game after all.
    One point I do want to pick up on: “if we were to make exactly the same thing now, it’d be like a repeat… But if we did that, the fans might be disappointed”. I don’t know a single FF7 fan who would feel that way lol. Joking aside, if the combat system was changed I might give it another attempt.

  5. Especially when talking about games like FFVII, which is available in the PSN store to play on your current-gen system, I think it’s a nice idea to tweak things to try and make the experience even more enjoyable. You’re usually more forgiving about games you used to love, even when you go back to them and notice some flaws that weren’t so obvious before. If you’re in it for the sake of nostalgia, play the game in all it’s original glory as a PSN download. If you want a new experience, make it a new experience.

  6. [quote comment=”18189″]I think if they are going to call something a remake it should be paint thrown over the top of an old shell. If they want to be creative then “re-imagining” would be more prudent otherwise people would get confused if a remake came up with features removed/added in. Personally as long as
    they tag it right i’d be willing to try both options on my old favourite games.[/quote]
    That’s more or less what they did with Halo right down to the coding. Not that that’s a bad thing. Halo 1 even without the nicer graphics still holds up to today’s standards pretty well gameplay wise.

  7. Really depends on the genre too. The FF series is unique because each new game usually had new systems, so to remake the game and change the combat system is basically changing the whole game. However, remaking a straight forward FPS, you’re free to add more guns or a cover system without really changing the game itself too much.

    CS: Source was basically a fresh coat of paint for CS1.6, with a weak single player component added on. If Global Offensive doesn’t bring some really new things, and do them well, I think fans will feel a bit ripped off, at least I will. Then again, it’s Valve, they’ve got it.

  8. New paint, no changes. I Didnt buy Halo CE Aniv because of that. Story mode is great, but they lost the sale when they said that it was REACH with new maps. I wanted EXACTLY what was in CE multiplayer with matchmaking. Leave them alone. I dont want a hybrid, I want new looks, change nothing.

Comments are closed.