IT’S TEMPTING TO MAKE EVERYTHING SHINIER, BUT THE LIMITATIONS OF THE ORIGINAL DESERVE PRESERVING TOO.
Let’s not bury the past in the rush to PS5
Being someone who’s not fixated on graphics when it comes to my favourite videogames, I might be in the minority here. While I can acknowledge how impressive it is to see water droplets rendered in photorealistic quality on a sullen protagonist’s brow, graphics are seldom a selling point for me.
That being said, I was blown away by the footage of the Demon’s Souls remake at the recent PS5 reveal. Visually, this redo gives the game a significant boost in quality, but I also couldn’t help but wonder what this means for the legacy of the original game. Newer graphics are obviously great for enticing a larger audience and introducing new people to a franchise, and I’m excited at the prospect of experiencing where the Souls series began with this remake. But going by the comparison shots and comments that have been posted online in the wake of the reveal trailer, it’s clear that with the graphical upgrade there has been a noticeable change to the tone and atmosphere of the game. While I don’t believe this is necessarily for better or worse, it does speak to the erasing power of remakes.
Videogame remakes offer great entry points into a series for players who missed out on games during their time; I have benefited from several. However, it’s the game industry’s poor record with game preservation that presents the real problem. With more remakes and remasters being released each generation, there is the risk that they will become the most, if not only, accessible versions of a game, and will essentially replace the originals. In an ideal world, remakes would always be regarded as companion pieces, and companies would ensure that older games are accessible even as technology advances and games are remade or remastered. Sadly this isn’t the reality, and even though making sure old games are still able to be played in the future has been the main focus of videogame preservation, a more holistic approach needs to include the chronicling of the different versions of games, be they remasters, remakes, or ports, and also of unique gameplay experiences.
LET’S PLAY TOGETHER
Aside from allowing those who, for whatever reason, cannot physically play certain games to experience them, online Let’s Play videos offer the opportunity to preserve gameplay experiences. I often think of how PT’s disappearance from the PlayStation Store, and the elimination of any opportunity to reinstall the game, means that the only way it will be experienced in the future is through footage on YouTube. Unlike films or books, games by themselves don’t often offer the same window into the past in regard to people’s attitudes or general culture at the time. Preserving them in context, for example with comments under a Let’s Play video and any associated fan works, would offer insight to future generations.
People have strong sentiments and powerful memories attached to their experiences of playing their favourite old games, and technology has given us the opportunity to experience them in new contexts. However, remaining true to the spirit of the original game is too big an ask for a remake. This is why it’s more important than ever to allow remakes to stand completely on their own and ensure that the experiences of the original games are also preserved, warts and all.