The video game industry is witnessing a resurgence of remakes, with developers revisiting some of the best games from the 2000s and beyond. A number of highly anticipated remakes such as Resident Evil 4, Like a Dragon: Ishin, Advance Wars 1+2: Re-boot Camp, Silent Hill 2, and System Shock are set to be released in 2023. This has led to questions being raised about the purpose of these remakes and what they offer compared to the original games.
The approach taken by different studios towards remakes is diverse, and there is no set formula for determining which games would benefit from a remake. While some remakes are purely nostalgic trips, others provide a deeper understanding of the source material and offer a more meaningful experience. Examples of remakes that have taken this approach include Final Fantasy VII Remake and The Last of Us Part I.
It is worth considering why 2023 is the right time to reboot a series and what a remake will bring to the table. Will it deepen the player’s understanding of the original game or is it simply a technical makeover? These are important questions to ask when evaluating the value of a remake.
While there is no shame in a simple nostalgia trip, the best video game remakes not only revisit the classics but also reinvent them in a way that adds to the original material.
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