Old Games With A New Face

Remastering Classics

there is a new and bitter-sweet trend sweeping the gaming industry, this is the act of digitally remastering old games, and re-releasing them. Some games never die and maintain a cult of followers in the gaming community. Digitally remastering a game is the enhancing the quality of sounds or images in order to create a more refined and appealing result. The re-release of content is not by any means new, it is a common trait seen in the music as well as movie industry, as current technology and processes allow for a more refined and complete experience.

The positives of this are that games like Skyrim: Elder Scrolls (left) and Crash Bandicoot: N-Sane Trilogy (above), which have been re-released after being digitally remastered can once again be enjoyed. These games now would be more appealing, have most of the old bugs and glitches patched and can be played by first-timers, or individuals can even relive the nostalgia of their past. the release of the game also enabled developers to look at years worth of feedback and create more content for the game, creating expansion packs like new maps, missions or characters. Skyrim for example, had multiple expansions added to it, some of which take tens-of-hours of game play to complete. The developer Bethesda, put a lot of effort into the re-released version, making sure it was not just a repainted version of the older model, but one with even greater game play, that brings about the same level of wonder and nostalgia to new and returning players.

Like most things in this industry, there is a darker side to this. Games like Call of Duty have been re-releasing older games, without making any new releases, rather just resting on the laurels. They have released previous editions like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and the soon-to-be-released Call of Duty: World War II. Since they are almost certain that these will sell, they are not putting the required effort into their new content. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare was an instant classic in its time, and so its second release was heavily anticipated. It was released alongside a newer game from the franchise, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, and you were unable to but Modern Warfare without purchasing the new one as well. Infinite Warfare was a spectacular failure, with many people, like myself, having never even booted up the game, rather playing Modern Warfare remake. There are a number of remakes in the pipeline, with Modern Warfare II and Black ops all set to be announced, with no word of any new content.


Content used:
COD:MW comparison - http://sagamer.co.za/2016/05/03/modern-warfare-original-vs-remastered-comparison
Skyrim comparison - https://www.mistergeek.net/2016/07/14/sauvegardes-incompatibles-remake-de-skyrim/
Crash Bandicoot comparison - http://www.gamemascot.com/crash-bandicoot-remastered-vs-crash-bandicoot-ps1-gameplay-comparison-2017_a907433f2.html

 - Chris