Remakes Vs Remasters – What’s Better For Games Preservation?

Developers and publishers have three main options when releasing a game. Let’s take Final Fantasy, a hugely popular franchise, as an example. During the PlayStation 3 era, Square Enix re-released the original PlayStation 1 versions of games – without adding any new features – such as Final Fantasy 7, on PSN. This allowed players to enjoy the games on PS3, PSP, and PS Vita.

Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles, a fresh remaster, is essentially the same game, but with added features and improved HD visuals. A strong example of a remake is Final Fantasy 7 Remake, which expanded on the story and changed the gameplay. Considering both remakes and remasters – the most frequent methods of re-releasing games – which approach is more beneficial for the industry and for preserving gaming history?

Remaster: Preserving The Past Through A Quick Release

Better Than Going Missing

One of the biggest benefits of remasters is that they take less time and resources for developers to create compared to building a game from scratch or even fully remaking one. A capable development studio can release several remasters quickly, as long as they have the necessary funding. It’s important to remember that, like any game, remasters still cost money to develop. They’re also a fantastic way to re-engage fans. While new games are always exciting, if a company like Square Enix, Ubisoft, or Bandai Namco experiences a string of unsuccessful releases, offering a remaster can be a smart strategy to revitalize their fanbase.

Companies have a lot of freedom when creating remasters – they can update the visuals and gameplay while staying true to the original game. Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles takes a more cautious approach, whereas Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army features significant changes and feels much more contemporary than the original PlayStation 2 version. Reviving older games with updated controls can make them more appealing, even if the graphics only receive minor improvements.

Remake: Creating Something New

Even If It Is Safe

Remakes often stick closely to the original, but they generally include some alterations. These changes can make the game feel fresh and new to players unfamiliar with the original, while experienced players will likely notice both what’s different and what remains the same. For instance, the 2023 remake of Resident Evil 4 is widely considered excellent. It boasts stunning graphics – far beyond a simple visual update – and introduces new gameplay elements and voice acting. Nevertheless, even with these changes, the remake largely follows the same storyline and structure as the original game.

So, I checked out the 2023 remake of Dead Space, and it reminded me of a few other recent remakes. It might not *seem* as flashy as completely reinventing a game, but doing a 1:1 remake is actually a really smart move to draw in new players. Honestly, as someone who didn’t play the original, a remake is way more appealing – I want to see what all the fuss was about! Of course, remakes are definitely more expensive to make than just a remaster, so there are downsides too.

Remaster: A Look Back At The Time Period

Collecting Works Of Art

Beyond simply allowing players to revisit classic titles, companies frequently collaborate with various developers and publishers to create remasters that feel like a real event. Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles certainly warrants this treatment, having been unavailable on major platforms for over ten years. However, Square Enix didn’t include much extra content to mark the occasion. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection, in contrast, was packed with bonus materials.

This collection wasn’t just filled with some of the greatest TMNT games of all time; it also included comics, advertisements, the box art, and other extras. These kinds of remasters feel like time capsules, though that comparison isn’t perfect since the pixel graphics weren’t significantly improved. The GEX Trilogy is a better, more recent example, offering trailers, interviews, box art, and similar bonus content. Remakes, on the other hand, almost never go out of their way to celebrate the original game beyond a simple credit mention.

Remake: Going Back And Redoing A Past Work

The Ultimate What If

The 2023 versions of Resident Evil 4 and Dead Space show how remakes can be done safely, but truly innovative developers see remakes as a chance to essentially create a new game. They might expand the content, alter the story, significantly change how the game plays, and more. Final Fantasy 7 Remake is a great illustration of this-Square Enix transformed what was originally a roughly four-hour section of the PlayStation 1 game into a standalone experience with almost forty hours of gameplay. The story was revised, though it still followed the main plot points, resulting in a game that was 70% new content and 30% faithful to the original. The gameplay also shifted from turn-based to action, and we’re seeing more and more examples like this.

This was just the first installment of what’s planned to be a three-part series. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the second game, also included a lot of new content, though it was a bit more restrained. It’s hard to say whether Square Enix would have received as much praise if they had remade the original game all at once. They definitely would have had to make some compromises. It’s great that the development team took the chance, and thankfully, fans generally responded well to both games. It’s a good sign for the industry, showing how older titles can be revitalized, but it’s also a gamble. Some companies feel the risks of full remakes aren’t worth it, especially when even remasters seem unnecessary, as seen with the two games in The Last of Us series being remastered multiple times in a short span.

Remaster: More Games In One Package

Remakes Could Also Do This

It’s strange that Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles was labeled as a “Chronicles” collection despite including only one game, unless players considered the original, unaltered version as part of the package. Many fans would have appreciated if it also included Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, which remain exclusive to the GBA and DS. That’s a great thing about remasters – they often bundle several games together in one collection.

Mario enthusiasts are thrilled that Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 is getting remastered, despite the relatively high cost and the fact that it includes fewer games than the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection from 2020. However, many fans are happy to simply have these games available to play again, all in one place. The quality of remastered collections varies – some offer more than others, like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection and Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy. It appears that we won’t see a collection of remakes unless the games have already been released. For instance, fans anticipate that Square Enix will eventually bundle all Final Fantasy 7 remakes together once the third game is finished.

Remaster: The Best Way Forward

Keep Games Unsullied

Both remasters and remakes are beneficial for the gaming industry, both financially and in terms of preserving classic titles. However, when considering the overall value and how well a game is represented, remasters generally offer more than remakes. Remake development requires resources comparable to creating a brand new game, leading some to question why that isn’t done instead. This feeling was particularly strong with the release of Dead Space in 2023, as just one example.

If EA had simply released a remastered collection of the original three games, there likely wouldn’t be as much discussion about a fourth Dead Space installment. It would also have been cheaper for EA to develop. As is typical, whether fans request remasters and remakes depends on each specific game, but generally, remasters offer a fast way to preserve gaming history and make older titles accessible to a wider audience.

2025-10-03 09:37