To remaster or not to remaster???

Zillah

Homeworld Remastered was good and worth it.

Retr0gamer

Zillah wrote: »

Homeworld Remastered was good and worth it.

I just wish it included Cataclysm

Zillah

Retr0gamer wrote: »

I just wish it included Cataclysm

Apparently the source code was lost

Vicxas

Zillah wrote: »

Apparently the source code was lost

Wasn't it a different company that made Cataclysm and not Relic?

gizmo

Zillah wrote: »

Apparently the source code was lost

Finding the source code would allow them to release a "Classic" version of the game alright but it still wouldn't guarantee a "Remastered" release since they'd still need to rebuild all of the Catalysm mechanics and assets in the re-engineered HW2 engine. At that point it'd come down to more of a business decision as to whether the cost of development could be recouped through sales.

Retr0gamer

Vicxas wrote: »

Wasn't it a different company that made Cataclysm and not Relic?

Yes but I'd say the source code is probably the issue.

A HD remaster is still possible, it would just take a huge amount more work to do in comparison to the games they had source code for.

Pity, as I heard it's the best one.

A Gog release of it would be nice though, although I'd say it would take a fair amount of work to get it running on modern systems.

TheDoc

Why would they be rebooting the Batman games?

Only played through them last year, still look fantastic imo. I'm sure there would be plenty of games that I'd jump at if they got a remaster in terms of visuals.

GTA Vice City and Max Payne jump out at me immediately.

Mr.Saturn

Look at the likes of Day of the Tentacle, Grim Fandango (the original was a pain in the hole to get running on anything) or Beyond Good and Evil and you'll see developers capitalizing on cult status and word-of-mouth to get games into the hands of people that missed them the first time, while making the more agreeable for modern tastes. It's a pretty sound concept.

The "hey, our launch window is empty, let's throw a bit of polish on something really successful that you already bought a year or two back" approach can be a bit suspect, mind. If only because the standard for remasters has be set so high elsewhere that just getting the same thing again with a fresh lick of paint feels kinda like being shortchanged.

Vicxas

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Yes but I'd say the source code is probably the issue.

A HD remaster is still possible, it would just take a huge amount more work to do in comparison to the games they had source code for.

Pity, as I heard it's the best one.

A Gog release of it would be nice though, although I'd say it would take a fair amount of work to get it running on modern systems.

I really liked Cataclysm as it strayed away from the whole "chosen one" theme through 1 and 2.

Dr.MickKiller

The main reason for remastering Skyrim seems to have been for modding improvements. There is a large modding community and there is probably little else they could have done to it that hasn't been done already. The PS4 got limited mod support for whatever reason, so in that case there wouldn't have been much point to it but the PC saw a significant improvement in stability by making it 64bit, allowing a lot more memory available for mods.

K.O.Kiki

TheDoc wrote: »

Why would they be rebooting the Batman games?

Only played through them last year, still look fantastic imo. I'm sure there would be plenty of games that I'd jump at if they got a remaster in terms of visuals.

I'd be all for a reboot of the Batman games, i.e. without all the story & gameplay trappings of the Arkham series.

Set it in a different Batman timeline (e.g. Batman Beyond), redo the Joker so he doesn't turn into a bad Hulk-monster, work the Bat Family in properly, etc.
Maybe get rid of Detective Vision.

5rtytry56

I wish that the likes of GP4 by Geoff Crammond would be remastered. (75% of boardsies here have'nt a clue what game I'm talking about)

gizmo

K.O.Kiki wrote: »

I'd be all for a reboot of the Batman games, i.e. without all the story & gameplay trappings of the Arkham series.

Set it in a different Batman timeline (e.g. Batman Beyond), redo the Joker so he doesn't turn into a bad Hulk-monster, work the Bat Family in properly, etc.
Maybe get rid of Detective Vision.

While I've pined for a Batman Beyond game since I was a kid I'm kind of torn now. The Arkham games were at their best, imo, in the more confined settings of the Asylum so perhaps putting a studio like Rocksteady on a Green Arrow game, perhaps based on the Super Max storyline would work better?

TerrorFirmer

I'm all for remakes when they're done right and serve a purpose. Something like the Bioshock 'remaster' I felt was largely pointless - a game that still, in its original form, plays and looks fine even by modern standards.

Whereas the Resident Evil remasters, upcoming System Shock remaster strike me as two particular examples of excellent remasters that do serve a purpose - introducing a genre classic to a whole new audience whilst being an amazing nostalgic indulgence for those who have played the originals.

The Halo/Halo 2 anniversary editions were also fantastic remasters - the ability to switch between the overlaid engine and the original engine was an incredible feature and extremely cool.

V-man

5rtytry56 wrote: »

I wish that the likes of GP4 by Geoff Crammond would be remastered. (75% of boardsies here have'nt a clue what game I'm talking about)

Or better, see the GP Series appear on www.goodoldgames.com.

In general I don't really see the need for full remakes. Just adding Widescreen support, better Textures, proper netcode and keeping it compatible on modern OS/HW would do a lot.

K.O.Kiki

If someone could remake Star Wars: TIE Fighter i wouldn't leave the house for a month!

Mal-Adjusted

I think they're great when done right. Being tied to hardware means games will always be left in the past (except for myst and RE4, they get released on everything apparently). So to see homeworld, system shock, icewind dale and others to come out again, crisper looking and with maybe updated controls and tweaks to the mechanics is great.

Releases like the Metal Gear Solid HD collection and sonic the hedgehog mega collection + are what remasters should aim for. Re-releasing modern games just a couple of years after the initial release is a pretty handy way to fill a gap in your schedule though. It's less risk as these games are guaranteed hits and still fresh in people's minds.

I'd kill for a Crimson Skies HD collection

bigphil2

Really want Max Payne 3 remaster for ps4... i know im in a tiny majority but i feckin loved that game..