Do you prefer backwards compatibility, remaster, or remake of your favorite games?

Remake, but only if the game is really old.

Otherwise i dont need anything other than the original.

With Xbox BC with improvements are free.

If Remakes were free then and only then would I prefer remakes. Holding my breath starting in 3 , 2 , 1. lol :P

Depends. Mostly leaning on Backwards Compatibility. But by god, some older games REALLY need a remake.

Backwards compatibility 100%.

BC is essential, because not every game will get a remake or remaster. Remakes and remasters should be nice luxuries, not a way for publishers to sell solutions to problems they and the console manufacturers caused.

For the most part BC - I already paid for it, and often my nostalgia is tied to its original look and design anyway.

Plus, often I can update it in ways I would like with mods anyway.

However, there are some games this doesn't hold for - especially awkward early 3d games that often have poor controls, poor mod support, and aged poorly visually. Those are definitely good remaster or remake fodder most of the time

PS1 games make me sick. I can't do it anymore. I rather play a snes game. 2d aged better than the early 3d games.

Trying to think of remakes consider better than the originals, it's a thin list.

Remasters it is then. Nightdive Studios come to mind. Do an excellent job updating the visuals without fucking up the art-direction, don't try to charge you through the nose and also tweak poor gameplay aspects.

^ System Shock and Shadow Man being some of their best work thus far

Full on 100% Backward compatibility. Every game, not just hand selected popular titles- I want it all. Remakes are cool if the game is old enough to justify it.

All the above.

Backwards compatibility. Not all games get the fortune of getting a remaster and/or remake and if they do they’re not always guaranteed to get a quality remaster and/or remake.

I play too many old games to not pick BC; if computers were restrictively generational, I wouldn't be playing about 60% of the games I currently do.

After that I'd say remake; I just appreciate them more because I don't need remasters. I got a PC with near-infinite BC and at times mod support to make things look good and run better. Frame-for-frame or interpretive, I don't really care, I just like seeing old games brought to new, good-looking game engines, sometimes with a unique interpretation; Black Mesa isn't just one of the better remakes around, it puts a unique spin on Half-Life to the point it has been one of the better games in recent history.

I don't like remasters. They're cash grabs and they only exist because console manufacturers are too lazy or inept to do BC properly on console. I already bought the game once, your remaster isn't that good....piss off.

PC does not need permissions for BC... so ill go with remake over remaster. Its always good to see a different take on the source material of a popular game.

D2R is proving that remaster and sticking exactly to all the original game mechanics is not always a great thing.

@uninspiredcup: I'm wondering if I'll like Shadow man if I like Max Payne.

Which old games are you playing at the moment?

I think about 50-60% of what I'm playing at any time are old games.

I'm playing Call of Duty 2 and GTA V at the moment.

Yes, GTA V is old.

All of the above.

Backwards compatibility is useful but, only for a limited amount of time imo.

A remaster is great if the game isn't too old. Ex. PS3 games to PS4/PS5 would be fine.

Anything before the PS3/X360 generation likely needs a remake. Ex. I rather remake Metal Gear Solid at this point than another remaster / HD Collection.

@R4gn4r0k: Shadowman closer to Tomb Raider/Metroid. Has its flaws to be sure, some folk hate it, some folk love it. So, I donno.

All of these play a factor into my gaming life, so its basically I'll take whatever I can get but if I must pick, it'll be BC.

Im good with whatever. Some old games really benefit from a remaster/remake though.

Remake. Move forward with a complete overhaul. Old games are more for Xbox players anyway.

Depends on the game.

The Mass Effect trilogy is a great example of a remaster done well (with the exception of leaving out the multiplayer. A decade difference is massive though.

It's also a great example of backwards compatibility. They didn't release it on PS5 so I have the PS4 version. Without backwards compatibility, I'd be f**ked.

I've found that I'm playing a lot of PS3 games remastered for PS4 on my PS5 as of late. Very odd time in gaming for me.

I prefer games that don't effectively have an expiration date. This is the one area where the PC will always reign supreme. Want to play Diablo II on the latest console? Pay Blizzard for the privilege. Me? I just load up my 21-year old copy of the game in Linux using Wine and play without a hassle. For that matter, I can still play my favorite Commodore 64 games from 35-years ago using VICE!

Remake I can play the majority of my favorite old games on PC so backward compatibility isn't a issue.

Backwards compatibility should be standard and ideally you get better results when playing on stronger hardware - in this scenario remaster's are kinda pointless.

After that it's probably a case by case basis.... Is it just getting a face lift or is everything being overhauled?

It honestly depends on the title. Whether I want a Remake, Remaster, or BC can change on a case by case basis. A FFVII Remaster being hyped as something new would've been DOA but that Remake turned heads and got the industry's attention. I'm currently playing .hack//G.U. Last Recode on PS4. It's a remaster of a PS2 game that was exclusively sold in Japan meaning I missed it. I'm fortunate that I have the ability to play it. It wouldn't be possible without that remaster. Different games require different approaches. I'd kill for a remake of The Legend of Dragoon, The Legend of Legaia, or Brave Fencer Musashi. I'd really like a remaster on current gen with Dark Cloud 1 & 2. I'd buy that day 1.

BC hands down. You can have backward compatible games and remakes. Making the old games entirely inaccessible and only having remakes or remasters is a negative.

It depends. For relatively modern games like Bloodborne, a 4k60fps remaster for PC/PS5 would be fine. For older games like MGS and Silent Hill, I'd like them to be remade.

I wish they would remake Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver.

Good God, I LOVED the entire Legacy of Kain series!

The idea of vampires running the world and nobody dying any longer which pisses off some fate God so he summons you from the depths of hell to become his grim reaper to get the wheel of fate spinning once more is just thrilling! You run around wasting vampires and sucking their souls. At any moment during the game you can morph yourself into the spirit realm or the material realm to face different enemies and obstacles. It was such a brilliant game and I hate to see it lost to the sands of time.

If they can make my favourite games better with remakes, I'll take that. Otherwise remasters will do.

Generally speaking- if the original version can't hold a steady framerate then it should get a remaster/update. If it can then backwards compatibility is fine.

Although I will admit that older games I played -especially on the N64- that many folks say are "unplayable" today I can go back to and enjoy no problem. Such as Goldeneye. But I do prefer the "remasters" of games like Banjo Kazooie and Perfect Dark we got a few years ago.

Remaster last? 😯

A remake is the only thing that's worth my time, and even then, in most cases, i prefer a remake of a game i have never played. The best is a reimagined remake, so even if i have played the original, the remake has a bunch of new stuff in it.

@hardwenzen: isn't Demon's Souls your GOAT?

It is. But woud have preferred it being a reimagined remake? Hell yes (if done right of course).

BC above all else. Want to have all the classics covered, as they are.

Remasters are nice too, just feels weird repurchasing a game that is usually just some bumped up settings. Especially when you see mods, emulation, or in some cases BC or direct ports that yield the same result.

Remakes are iffy. Chances are if I really enjoyed a game, probably don't want someone fucking with it, potentially ruining what I enjoyed about the OG. Sometimes the gameplay suffers, a lot of times it's art direction that takes a hit, just so many ways to miss the mark. Resident Evil Remake is a brilliant example of a remake done right, but not exactly the norm.

@ConanTheStoner: yea it almost seems like if you do a Remake, gotta be done by the same people. FF7 Remake is a great example.

True, Nightdive does an excellent job with remastering old games and making them super cheap unlike Nintendo and Rockstar where they charge full price for their remasters.

@SolidGame_basic:

Generally yeah, but even that can go sideways lol. Some of the downgrades made to OoT and MM are just... mind boggling man.

Though not really sure the degree of Aonumas involvement, might have been all fresh faces.

@ConanTheStoner: downgrades?! what happened?

😂

It's an exhaustive list man. Started typing up a mega post, but really, there's tons of articles and vids out there that draw direct comparisons.

I know that Nintendo ruined the Zora swimming in Majora's Mask for the 3DS. Seriously what were they thinking?

@AcidTango:

lol yeah, one of the many anti-fun choices they made.

Get what you're saying here, and I agree.

On this end, if it's cheap, has substantial improvement, while not fucking up the core game in some manner be it aesthetics or gameplay, happily plop down some dosh over taking the time to install to some mods. Seeing actual legit man work, from them, taken off your shoulders to justify it.

Some mods themselves inherently have issues, espically if they are stacked up. Even now been playing Doom 3 VR (everyone's fav game) and while it's easy to install and operate, crashes like a motherfucker.

Kinda find that with most mods use, Gothic II, Skyrim etc.. etc.. etc.. Can be abit of a roulette wheel.

Emulation, yea. If you're selling a remaster, roms etc.. should, by default be superior to the illegitimate emulation software.

Emulators tend to have options that completely dwarf what retail games provide. Be it dolphin, Retroarch etc..

Nintendo ATM, esp look like giant assholes. At least to those who aren't in the cult.

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Homeworld to me for all of Gearbox' issues is still kinda the benchmark, at least on PC. Like, just need to spend 30 seconds looking at it to see the upgrade. Everything right down to the audio was touched up. Two full games, originals, extras, half the price of a full retail game. Looks like it's skipped generations ahead.

There was a minor issue with fuel, but it's totally misc when taken into account the full package.

And then here we are now. Nintendo charging full price for garbage. Rockstar getting everyone on the monorail.

@ConanTheStoner: !!

BTW, you ever read the Zelda lore? There's like three different branches in the timeline and each game depends on what timeline it's on 😮

@uninspiredcup:

Yeah for sure. Will gladly take the remaster if it's on point and obviously less hassle.

But yeah, emulation/mods are getting me tons of mileage these days. Unpaid fans on PC doing what Nintendon't, which is great.

lol yeah man, watched some vids here and there. Bit of a clusterfuck tbh, but fun to see how deep people will go to make some of those connections.

Always liked Zelda, but it's kinda in that Metroid/Castlevania boat to me. Passive interest, but ultimately don't care how it all ties together. (Metroid being way more straight forward, but still).

@ConanTheStoner: All I know is, either Ganon or Link wins, and sometimes you play as kid Link lol.

How could anyone choose BC. There's no way in hell I'm playing an old game, on an old system. As soon as I get the next console I never look back. Happened with PS2, PS3, PS4 at least. with PS5, I play the games that got an upgrade at least.

remasters vs remakes...

A remake is always better than a remaster. Always.

However, I think it is excessive to remake a game that is only a generation old. The Last of Us (1) is one of my top 5 favourite games of all time, but there is no need to remake it as it was remastered on PS4.

People talk of a Bloodborne remake, which I think is absurd, just give us a 60 fps patch and possibly 4K resolution bump and it'll look awesome. Focus on Elden Ring / Bloodborne 2 / remaking DS1.

even Metal Gear Solid 4, my favourite game of all time, doesn't need a remake. Bump it up to 4K/60fps (from 720p/20fps) and we're good. but I mean a remake would be better.

Games that absolutely *do* need a remake:

• Metal Gear Solid
• Metal Gear Solid 2
• Metal Gear Solid 3
• Devil May Cry
• Final Fantasy VIII
  
  
• Final Fantasy IX
• Final Fantasy X