- BamSaidTheLady
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- Exalted Member
I'm not totally against the idea of video game remakes in principle, as I have bought a few, but it depends why you're playing them. When I do play a remake, I normally look at it in one of three ways:
1. Tribute - Examples of this for me would be the Special Editions of the first two Monkey Island games, maybe even the Super Street Fighter II HD release. In these cases, I loved the original game, and see the remake as being an affectionate tribute to a classic, in the same way that fan art is. It's fun to see how people who obviously care about the original game have decided to approach certain parts of the game, and you get to wonder if you would have done it the same way or maybe a bit differently. In the end, I'll play the remake as a curiosity, but after that I'm much more likely to play the original than the remake.
2. Opportunity to replay a game I otherwise couldn't - A good example of this would be Earthworm Jim HD. I honestly couldn't care less about the graphics being polished, it's just good to be able to have a convenient way to play a game I haven't played in years and years, and do it on my current console.
3. Opportunity to play a game I never got to - A good example would be the remake of Perfect Dark. I never played it back in the day, but heard good things about it, so why not try take the opportunity to try it now?
For some people, a Halo remake might fall into one or more of the above categories. If so, good for you. I genuinely hope you have fun with the remake if this news is true. Same goes for those who say they just want to try multiplayer/online coop to see what it would be like. But to be perfectly honest, it doesn't fall into any of those categories for me (for example, I think Halo's too young for me to play a remake for tribute purposes).
What worries me, though, is a point I read once on the 343 forum. Someone there argued that the reason why some people want a remake is because when the game first came out it was new and wondrous and was really a defining moment for them as a gamer. But when replaying the game for the umpteenth time years later, it just doesn't have the same impact as when they played it for the first time. It's not shiny and new anymore. He argued that these people want a remake because they hope the remake will make them feel like they're playing the game for the first time again, and they can experience those great feelings again. I'm worried that those people could be setting themselves up for disappointment. Halo had its effect on you back in 2001 precisely because it was a product of its time. Nostalgia and a new coat of paint can't bring those moments back.
Am I being too harsh? Perhaps there isn't much difference between me playing a remake as a tribute and someone else playing a remake in order to feel like it's all new again. Maybe it just depends on your perspective. I'd be interested to hear what others think.
[Edited on 02.05.2011 2:13 PM PST]