Remakes: Faithful versus revolutionary

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Any bumbling time travelling gamers out there are going to have a real tough time figuring out what time they've just stepped out into, what with the spread of remakes, remasters and new games that carry the exact same name as an earlier entry in the same franchise. (Modern Warfare and Modern Warfare 2? There are other synonyms for 'modern', Activision!) It's getting to a point where we can actually pick up on the type of remake we're going to be getting and critique the benefits and drawbacks of each approach. Which is... well, that's pretty much what we're going to be doing as I find myself affronted with this new age question: In the world of video game remakes which is more preferable, the totally faithful adaptation or the revolutionary leapfrog which pushes beyond what the original game imagined? And I am talking about remakes here, not those shiny remasters with their scaled up resolutions and pretty textures!

Remakes don't have to all be totally strict to the confines of the original product, but sometimes they can just use the important bullet points of that original to elicit the same sort of experience out of the player. Take Resident Evil 4, for example. That Remake expands upon the world, totally reimagines and changes the layout of areas to feel more grand, twisting and mysterious, upgrades the gameplay and visual fidelity and drains out a little of the more obvious camp- but it remains the same heart of the game by keeping the same characters, story beats, major landmarks and rough gameplay ideals. You'll still be stunning enemies to get crowd control smashes, but now you'll be careful about swinging that knife because of the durability system. It's a mindful renewal caught between improvements and nostalgia nourishing that takes a very special kind of talent to master. That's just what these games can accomplish after all this time between now and the original.

And then you have remakes like Demon Souls, made without the direct oversight of the legendary Hidetaka Miyazaki and so perhaps the team didn't think it right to make literally any structural alterations whatsoever. Demons Souls is one-to-one with the original in terms of level layout, enemy construction and placement, gameplay presentation and scope. All that has changed is the technology running the game and the art-style bedecking the stages you traverse. Apart from that the new Demon Souls inherits all of the benefits and shortcomings of the original, such as it's distinctly challenging limited healing items and that mandatory one awfully boring boss that every Souls game needs. One might question then, why we even needed this new version of the game at all, and the answer is sound but not exactly sexy. Bringing the game to newer console whilst riding that same positive reputation (elevated to mythos since with the explosion of Souls-like as a genre) allows the product to be seen by many more eyes. The shiner graphics and better frame-rate are a pleasing addendum.

Pokemon games are no strangers to remakes, not least of all because every game is made at least twice in order to capitalise on one of the most tedious marketing gimmicks in gaming. But recently as the franchise has started to get somewhat long toothed, The Pokemon Company have gone the distance of going 'whole hog' down the 'Remake Roundabout' with the reconstruction of Diamond and Pearl. These too where 'Faithful' Remakes that provided simply an updated art style and some essential QOL improvements that modern Pokemon players just couldn't live without. Still, there was an aura of disappointment around the game when it launched. Players felt that not enough ambition was put in to make the game feel new and worth its fresh-game price tag, and newer players just didn't find that special spark of what made the original a classic at all. Such is the danger for those who stick too close to the ideals of being 'faithful.'

Personally I like a remake that isn't afraid to step out of it's own comfort zone a little, to justify it's existence alongside the original, rather than just take it's place as some sleeker, younger replacement. For example, as much as I love the idea of a Persona 3 Remake, I can't just pretend that game doesn't have one of the weakest Social Links in the latter Persona trilogy thanks to come curious writing choices, nor that it's sole dungeon, 'Tartarus', is one of the most mind-numbingly repetitive the series has to offer. Using the lessons of the years that have passed, the successful deconstructions of their own formula that has proceeded the original 3, I remain confidant that ATLUS can work their way around to making Persona 3 Reloaded the best possible way to play- oh wait, the team have already said they're not going to include the Female Protagonist... or the FES epilogue chapter which ties the whole narrative together... Because that wouldn't be faithful to the original release... see what I mean?

But can we extend that same level of scepticism towards the newly announced Super Mario RPG remake? A reintroduction to the first game that brings us 3d sprites for the first time, and beautifully rendered backgrounds... and that's about it. The story, presentation, gameplay, characters, cutscenes, staging, all of that seem identical to the original product. They couldn't even throw in a more clever looking animation for Bowser's transformation scene, he just spins around on the spot like a Dino-World version Wonder Woman. And is that a bad thing? Do fans want anything more from a revisit to the beloved Mario RPG franchise? Probably not, honestly; Nintendo games are so smothered in the perception of 'perfectionism' that they can scoot underneath in these sorts of discussions. Whilst I would want something different, I'm not the core audience, am I?

You wanna know what I am the key audience for? Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater: That there is my game. Here's the thing, the original is an incredible masterpiece of a product that should be reintroduced to the world to remind everyone how good we once had it- but darn if the original doesn't hold up just fine! I mean seriously, I play MGS 3 whenever I get the chance and the game hasn't disappointed me yet, I still come away wowed at what that team was able to make all that time ago: I had hoped a Remake would hold all new wonders to discover, but from what we've seen it would seem that the team are playing things nauseatingly safe. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trust Konami to wash their hands after the bathroom: but tracing over the lines of the Mona Lisa isn't exactly what I'd call a resounding leap towards sparkling redemption. Try making something a little new first guys, see where that gets ya!

Ultimately I suppose we all dance around the fact that even embarking on a Remake instead of something fresh is a safe venture. Banking on the established fandom and reputation of a proven idea instead of trying to spark hearts and minds to action with something wholly new, it's obviously not going to drum up a total revolution of creative genius. I just wonder if the auteurs of design who made these original games we venerate so would have risen the way they have if they were stuck remaking the vision of others from decades previously? If we focus ourselves on the past fully, who's left to push us forward so the next age of Remakes is even more revolutionary? I'm still holding out for Modern Warfare Remake Remake, in which the game is an open world life-simulator wherein Captain Price gets to marry McTavish and move to Stardew Valley to start a life of laconic farming.

Remaking Persona 3

 I've been waiting for this!

The Persona franchise has grown very near and dear to my heart recently, such that I consider it some of the greatest games ever to be published and am slowly being drawn into the rest of the Shin Megami Tensei universe as a consequence. I can hardly help myself, can I? Catherine literally butts it's way into Persona 3, I've not experienced the whole world unless I play that game too. (Slippery slope commence...) And as such I've gone from hearing talk about the Persona 3 Remake and being utterly disinterested, to seeing a leak and thinking it looked fine, to actually experiencing the original and coming away slightly hopeful about the leak, to exploring a bit more into the Persona 3 brand and deciding that this Remake has the potential to blow us all away if the team over at ATLUS handle it correctly. I really have turned around on the little guy.

First off you should probably know my thoughts on what Persona 3 was and how I think it could be improved. Of the three Persona games that are considered the 'modern Series', I think Persona 3 might rank as my least favourite. Which isn't to say the game was bad, I think it was actually a great game- but for the key defining elements of the Persona sub-series that gives it it's individuality, the relationships and bonds we form with one another, Persona 3 doesn't really hold a candle to it's successors. Using purely the game as reference material, I never really brought the SEES team being close-knit friends like I know the Inaba Investigators and the Shadow Thieves are. And it seems that the creators agree with me given how the Persona 3 anime purposefully rewrote characters and how they behaved to better reinforce the unit. (In doing so giving Ken and Shinjiro a relationship which makes their shared narrative actually mean something in it's climax.)

I know, it's a very controversial opinion to have considering there are many who call the game the best of the three- and you can call me a misguided heathen for having experienced the game in it's worst possible form, though Persona 3 Portable- but my gripes reach deeper than the presentation. The MC was never much of a leader, or presence within the team at all outside of being the heavy hitter in fights, the key concept of 'sacrifice' which plays such a key role loses it's bite when the key most realisation of the theme is made unwittingly and without any real indication- and I still don't understand why the many intro videos for the game fly by a plethora of scientific concepts that play no bearing on the game's narrative. Butterfly Effect? Arguably relevant in a very tenuous manner. Cogito, Ergo Sum? 'Sentire, Ergo Sum' seems like it'd be more related. (My Latin's not very good but you can get the gist of what I'm saying) Topological Space? I don't... what does that have to do with anything? Explaining Tartarus? Don't pretend the scientific possibility of the high school transforming into a 250 floor death dungeon is essential to understanding the inner workings of this narrative!

But I'm not entirely heartless either. I think that Persona 3's exploration on the concept of acceptance and facing death is particularly unique and affronting in this world of media, and I love the way the game touches on these ideals so abrupt and jarringly that the audience is forced to acknowledge and ruminate on them. I even like the idea of what they were going for with the ending, which is what I suspect so many people fell in love with when it comes to Persona 3's finale. The idea of the ending is perfect, the execution seems abrupt and confusing- somewhat contrasting with the entire idea of the final act: knowing what is coming and choosing to face it, not cower or live in fear. I really think that finale could have been incredible. Which is why I'm coming around on the idea of this remake really throwing the Persona 3 narrative into high gear. 

Still, the real reason I've come around so heavily on the idea of this remake is because watching the anime has revealed the single depiction of the MC that makes sense within the context of his story. Unlike within the game, the anime depicts Makoto (the generally accepted canonical name of the protagonist- not that I personally care about canonical names, my characters are always the name I picked for them in my heart) as a largely apathetic, almost, airhead. At least at the beginning, Makoto seems to lack any sort of strong emotion in the face of anything. The prospect of a grisly death doesn't appear to frighten him, he accepts the reality of the '25th hour' of the day totally at face value without questioning a thing, and when trapped abroad a speeding train that's about to crash into a stationary train causing chaos and potentially killing hundreds- he casually strolls into the driver's cabin that Yukari and Junpei are frantically slapping buttons in and simply says "Oh, you want to stop it?" Before casually pulling the breaks. He is... uniquely disconnected. 

And it works! It works increadibly well. Of course, the very concept of 'apathy' is a huge reoccurring theme throughout Persona 3, with the 'Apathy Syndrome' being a supposed illness that is spreading across the land as the increasingly aggressive Shadows of the Dark Hour eat the emotions of those oblivious to the hour's existence, robbing their drive and passions for life. Makoto earns his apathy in a another way, however. Having lost his parents 10 years ago, Makoto drifts through life without friends or strong ties, like a ghost being dragged along in corporeal form. He has a uniquely disparate view on the concept of society and connection that are best recognised by anyone who has gone through the throes of directionless depression like he has. And I can attest personally, the depiction is apt. And most importantly of all, it creates a base for the evolution of the character throughout the narrative.

Starting as an odd-ball loner with nobody and no ties to the world, carrying the heart of death inside of his soul, Makoto going on to learn to be close to those members of SEES and come to rely on them in battle and life allows us to really recognise the change inside of him, better explaining how that shift of place reflected on Pharos and later The Avatar of Nyx. Going from an apathetic no-one with nothing to lose to a integral and irreplaceable heart in the midst of a team of steadfast, tragically touched, heroes presents the most distinct character evolution possible in this story- and I'll bet a set-up like that will make that finale act hit with every single emotion that the lovers of this game remember it hitting with in their recess of their rose tinted memories. I'd love to have my devastated heart soar in the way that thr beloved final song attests that it should.

All in all, I think that any remake of Persona 3 absolutely needs to depict Makoto the way that anime does, to bring the touch of narrative mastery back around to the game, resulting in that ideal depiction of the game's themes coming to fruition and resonating the way this story should. Alongside rewriting the Social links to be more about personal development than unintentional harem forming, and making Ken's relationship with Shinjiro existent. Oh, and while we're at it- How about making Junpei and Akihiko's social links accessible to male characters? You know, so we can actually feel like we're close friends with our fellow SEES members? Oh what, you'd have to cut 'Kenji' to make that work? Mr 'delusional-and-hot-for-teacher'? What a terrible shame that would be! And Hidetoshi? Honestly, I never liked Hidetoshi anyway...

Pulling from the past

 Burn the past.

We've touched on this before, but given the increasing success of remakes over the brand newly conceptualised titles of the current year, I can't help but ponder the idea of remakes and their place within the world of modern gaming more and more. I mean just look at the past few AAA titles to come out: Jedi Survivor, Hogwarts Legacy, Redfall- all terribly broken and buggy at launch, a few broken far beyond repair. (But still those developers want to try and stick with it, because people don't know when to put down a lame horse anymore I guess.) And then look at the AAA titles that were remakes which launched around about the same time. Resident Evil 4, Dead Space- fantastically reviewed, beloved titles that few people have anything substantively bad to report about. And yes, The Last of Us Part 1 has it's place in there, shill cash grab of a remake that was, but right now it's the exception rather than the rule.

Given recent empirical data it would seem we've rubbed up against that wall of compounding development teams and costs- where the vast ambition of the final products simply can't be met within development windows. Of course, Redfall had something else clearly going on that we've yet to uncover as a community, but for the most part the issues are bare and obvious; games can only feasibly get so big without it reflecting badly against the typical time to develop. Just as how big high-CGI Marvel movies simply can't be pushed out in such close proximity as they have been over the past two years without crimes against visual design coming out the pipe-line, giant games can't be cobbled together to working order in that old 2-3 year cycle that our industry loves to tout. Especially not in the present when every other game and it's mother wants to be the new 'biggest game ever'.

Whatever happened to nailing a simple premise for all to love in some small degree? Picking a niche, taking an idea, and expanding on that to it's core-most ideal- providing some small experience unlike anything else available to the masses? No, now we have to make everything a grand open world sweeping adventure that shoots it's players giant fully-developed narratives, side games, meta games and an online competitive scene. Every new game has to be the 'next generation of open world games', so giant it will swallow up your entire life and leave you a gasping husk of an empty human, totally devoid of any personal thought and drive. Which is... I mean is that a good thing? Yeah... yeah I'm sure that's the natural endgame everyone yearns for. We all want that GTA Online money, right? The money to literally buy our own Cayman island and live away from society for the rest of our natural lives. Not that the developers would ever that kind of money even if they could make those sorts of games.

So instead of focusing on the big new releases and their unrestrained ambition, we can instead look inwards to the influences of those games. The incredible confined yet polished stories that inspired the developers of today back when they had free time and hopes for the future, to pursue game design themselves that they one day might create something as special with their own hands to inspire a new generation some day. Resident Evil 4 revolutionised it's franchise and third person action games, so let's get back to that. Dead Space refreshed the horror scene with a new almost lovecraftian-meets-body-horror take. (Lovecraft actually is a bit body horror on it's own, now I think about it.) And if we're to take the rumours and 'leaks' of the past few weeks, this trend is only going to extend in the years to come as what was old is destined to become new again.

The most obvious example to pull from would be Persona 3 and it's long rumoured and recently leaked remake which is being worked on at ATLUS. (Allegedly.) Using the meteoric momentum built up by the explosion of the Persona franchise in popularity and funnelling it towards a game that many of the die hard fans still consider to be an unsung masterpiece. Using a story framework that exists, developing within that constraint and punching up everything around it to a mouth watering degree- the winning formula of all these recent remakes. Of course, I would personally also push for some narrative rewrites and reworks to incorporate some of the elements that weren't so well explored in the original, as well as a total restructuring of all Social Links to not be quite so... limiting. But it's a product with a pre-existing fanbase and a perceived quality attributed to it- you won't see remakes of failed games to try and fix what was broken, but retreads to capture that post glory and share it out for the crowd. 

Just as what would be the case with Knights of the Old Republic, if that remake ever ends up actually being made. A game that already had a smaller audience than your typical Star Wars fare simply by warrant of it being an RPG in the vein of DnD; but which has a place of honour for how it retold and remixed a familiar Star Wars narrative formula and played on audience expectation in a way they didn't anticipate. To this day fans yearn for a day when KOTOR could be reintroduced back into the canon, with all of it's fan favourite characters and lore tidbits largely intact; and that's the promise that this remake would have provided. More than a proposed adaptation either in film or movie; a remake would have been the perfect way to bring back what fans loved whilst heralding the modern world of Star Wars who had only heard of this apex of creation into picking up the, presumably decently more accessible this time around, port.

And now, I can say this with a bit of excitement once again, there's the Metal Gear Solid 3 Remake. Yes, apparently it's actually happening this time around, no take-backsies, for real-reals. After Konami demonstrated how pathetically incapable they are at carrying on the Metal Gear franchise by themselves, and to even hold their own in  a market that roundly hates them, remaking MGS3 is kind of like a last ditch attempt to score nostalgia points. Using the masterful work of Kojima for their advantage and almost certainly without his involvement overseeing it all. But by god is it a good choice. Even as a cynical ploy I can't help it- MGS 3 is literally my favourite game of all- I have to get excited about this. Even knowing I'm being manipulated, there's not a damn thing I can do about and that irks me to absolutely no end.

We can see the strings of what a Remake does to us, but what I find just fascinating is the way it lays the bodywork for the best games of this generation. As if the sheer over-ambition of modern games is what scuppers them, and by following a simpler framework from a more sensible time, new games can be created to that impeccable standard the AAA market has established for itself. What was starting to become a begrudging reality of the industry is steadily becoming it's sole saviour, and I for one welcome our new remake overlords as long as they don't start getting lazy with it- oh wait, the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters just dropped with their boring unified UI design and ugly text proportions- well there goes the new standard!