In 2019 so far, we have already gotten the Resident Evil 2 remake and we just got a new trailer for the years-missing Final Fantasy VII remake, plus a MediEvil remake coming this October. Within the last few years, we’ve gotten remakes for Japan-only Fire Emblem games, Spyro, Crash Bandicoot, Majora’s Mask, Pokemon Yellow, and more. Some of these games changed more than others, some of these were total overhauls.
Final Fantasy VII Remake itself has courted some degree of criticism with the changes to the battle system, seemingly becoming more skin to Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy XV than the original game, and splitting itself into episodic release. Meanwhile its contemporary on The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time saw a remake on 3DS that didn’t change all that much aside from the graphics and some quality of life improvements. Which begs the question: what makes a good remake?
What’s a good example of a game that did it right? The recent Shadow of the Colossus remake from Bluepoint? Fire Emblem Echoes that totally recreated the game from the ground up? Final Fantasy VII despite the criticism? Should it be exactly the same with prettier graphics or totally reinvented as a new product?
In an age where nostalgia can be wielded like a weapon, how do you best want to see your favorites remade? Let us know below in the comments.
