Past glory

With Hollywood having made it its collective mission to reboot every property going, it’s little surprise to find that the trend is now permeating the game industry, too. This month’s Hype features two very different prospects deemed fit for a fresh start. The first, DICE’s Star Wars Battlefront, carries with it the weight of years of cancellations and middling returns from the games that did make it onto shelves in boxes bearing that logo. It’s a chance for DICE to ride the wave of its Battlefield success, as well as the excitement generated by Episode VII. All eyes are on DICE to deliver.

The hard part will be satisfying a much larger variety of stakeholders than usual. Battlefield fans have already expressed their displeasure at the inclusion of a thirdperson view. DICE has had to abandon some of the destructible freedom that is a key component of Battlefield’s allure, because Disney doesn’t want anyone smashing up its expensively acquired toys. And in between there will be the casual player lured in by the logo on the box who may not take kindly to being sniped across the map. Perhaps a few DICE staffers will look at Heavy Spectrum with a certain envy. The studio’s choice of Amiga classic Shadow Of

The Beast, a game considerably less burdened by fan expectation, allows more freedom for creative interpretation. But in both cases, the possibilities are tantalising, and while there’s certainly a place for HD remakes, a well-handled reboot is the more exciting way of bringing an old favourite up to date.

Of course, another way to reach into the past is simply to set your game there. Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture and We Happy Few both exemplify another trend: creating games as heady cultural time capsules that tap into recent history ( the ’ 80s and ’ 60s, in these cases) rather then the distant past or future. Whether it’s a reboot or a setting choice, both approaches offer an opportunity to reassess the past, and that can only be a good thing.