WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.180 Right now, we are in the age of the remake. 00:00:03.180 --> 00:00:07.380 From Dead Space to Demon's Souls, and  from The Last of Us to Like a Dragon, 00:00:07.380 --> 00:00:11.100 it seems like every publisher is  now ransacking its back catalogue 00:00:11.100 --> 00:00:14.520 to look for games it can reheat  and sell to us all over again. 00:00:14.520 --> 00:00:18.780 But there's one studio that's doing  things differently - and that's Capcom. 00:00:18.780 --> 00:00:21.120 Specifically its Resident Evil team. 00:00:21.120 --> 00:00:25.860 Over the last two decades, Capcom  has remade Resident Evil 1, 2, 00:00:25.860 --> 00:00:32.460 3, and 4 - and these games feel like way  more than just recycled retro favourites. 00:00:33.000 --> 00:00:36.855 So - what are they doing differently?  And how do they pull it off? 00:00:36.855 --> 00:00:41.285 Well - I'm Mark Brown, and this is Game Maker's Toolkit. 00:00:43.620 --> 00:00:47.460 Do you remember when Gus Van  Sant remade the movie, Psycho? 00:00:47.460 --> 00:00:54.480 This was no ordinary remake: instead, it was a  near-perfect, shot-for-shot recreation of the 00:00:54.480 --> 00:00:59.880 original film, with the same script, camera moves,  and musical score - but a few modern updates, 00:00:59.880 --> 00:01:05.220 like shooting in colour, and adding more gore  and nudity to that infamous shower scene. 00:01:05.220 --> 00:01:10.920 If you don't remember it, I'm not surprised - I  think everyone involved would rather you forgot. 00:01:10.920 --> 00:01:15.780 The remake bombed at the box office,  it was savaged by critics, Roger Ebert 00:01:15.780 --> 00:01:19.800 called it "pointless", and Hollywood  has never tried such a thing again. 00:01:19.800 --> 00:01:20.760 *Pumbaa Farts* 00:01:20.760 --> 00:01:21.660 For the most part. 00:01:21.660 --> 00:01:23.460 But in the world of video games... 00:01:23.460 --> 00:01:26.820 well this is actually how a lot of remakes work. 00:01:26.820 --> 00:01:29.520 Despite using all new engines and assets, 00:01:29.520 --> 00:01:33.360 the goal is to be as faithful as  possible to the original game. 00:01:33.360 --> 00:01:37.200 To make a beat-by-beat  recreation of what came before. 00:01:37.200 --> 00:01:40.920 But with a few conservative  tweaks to the gameplay or content. 00:01:40.920 --> 00:01:43.260 Now this can certainly lead to good games. 00:01:43.260 --> 00:01:46.740 And I've used these remakes to catch  up on titles I missed upon release. 00:01:46.740 --> 00:01:50.460 But I think there are two big  problems with this approach. 00:01:50.460 --> 00:01:54.180 For one, it can lead to games  with absolutely cutting edge 00:01:54.180 --> 00:01:58.680 graphics - but gameplay that feels  dated and surpassed by later titles. 00:01:58.680 --> 00:02:01.560 And two - if you've already played the original, 00:02:01.560 --> 00:02:06.060 then this perfect recreation offers  little incentive to pick up the remake. 00:02:06.060 --> 00:02:10.800 So that's why Capcom doesn't follow this  trend - while its remakes are heavily 00:02:10.800 --> 00:02:16.200 influenced by the original games, it liberally  changes both the gameplay and the content. 00:02:16.200 --> 00:02:18.900 For gameplay, take Resident Evil 2. 00:02:18.900 --> 00:02:21.540 The PlayStation 1 original has these fixed, 00:02:21.540 --> 00:02:25.980 CCTV-style camera angles, and  Leon moved around like a tank. 00:02:25.980 --> 00:02:29.880 For the remake, Capcom did experiment  with keeping this viewpoint... 00:02:29.880 --> 00:02:34.740 but ultimately went for something more modern:  turning it into an over-the-shoulder shooter. 00:02:34.740 --> 00:02:38.460 And for content, look at Resident Evil 4. 00:02:38.460 --> 00:02:42.000 This remake mostly follows the  beats of the original game, 00:02:42.000 --> 00:02:46.620 but regularly makes changes - content  is moved around, played out of order, 00:02:46.620 --> 00:02:51.420 expanded, shrunk, cut entirely,  and replaced by brand new stuff. 00:02:51.420 --> 00:02:56.760 So even if you've played the original,  this remake is full of surprising twists. 00:02:56.760 --> 00:03:02.880 Take the iconic village siege from the  opening of the game - seems familiar enough, 00:03:02.880 --> 00:03:07.860 but then I went up this tower and,  oh, that's not how I remember it. 00:03:07.860 --> 00:03:11.640 And then I rounded this corner  and, oh no, what's happening now? 00:03:11.640 --> 00:03:16.260 Capcom says "if we remade the game so  players do the exact same thing as the 00:03:16.260 --> 00:03:19.440 original, that's not really  going to be fun or interesting". 00:03:20.640 --> 00:03:25.260 Of course, it's not enough to just say "throw  out the source material and do something new". 00:03:25.260 --> 00:03:28.200 Remakes are playing to our  nostalgia for the original, 00:03:28.200 --> 00:03:32.760 and any changes can feel like  blasphemous meddling with perfection. 00:03:32.760 --> 00:03:37.380 There are no shortage of remakes that have  angered fans by changing things too much. 00:03:37.380 --> 00:03:39.720 Whether that's Ratchet's characterisation, 00:03:39.720 --> 00:03:46.020 Peter Parker's face, or Venture Beat describing  Shadow of the Colossus's new graphics as "too good". 00:03:46.020 --> 00:03:51.120 So, Capcom says its remakes "show love for  the original work through their content, 00:03:51.120 --> 00:03:55.980 which includes both where the remake makes changes  and where it remains the same as the original". 00:03:55.980 --> 00:04:00.180 They know when to stay faithful, and  know how to stray from the source. 00:04:00.180 --> 00:04:04.320 One way to do this is to focus  on capturing the sensation of 00:04:04.320 --> 00:04:07.800 playing the original game - even if  you're not copying the exact details. 00:04:07.800 --> 00:04:12.480 For Resident Evil 2, Capcom says a  guiding principle was that "whenever 00:04:12.480 --> 00:04:15.540 people play this, they should get the  same feeling we got back in the day, 00:04:15.540 --> 00:04:17.940 even though the outer layers are different". 00:04:17.940 --> 00:04:21.300 So while it loses the forced camera perspective, 00:04:21.300 --> 00:04:25.260 the developers still wanted the game to  be tense and claustrophobic - and so made 00:04:25.260 --> 00:04:29.640 it difficult to aim exactly where you want,  and kept the camera tight behind Leon's back. 00:04:29.640 --> 00:04:34.140 A smart approach is to identify some  pillars of the original - things 00:04:34.140 --> 00:04:37.500 define the DNA of what made it  so beloved in the first place. 00:04:37.500 --> 00:04:43.860 For Resident Evil 4, that included stuff like  its lighting-fast pace, its b-movie dialogue, 00:04:43.860 --> 00:04:48.180 the way you can tackle encounters in different  ways, and how fun the game was to replay. 00:04:48.180 --> 00:04:53.760 The designers behind the Dead Space remake  had a similar idea - with "sci-fi horror, 00:04:53.760 --> 00:04:57.180 unbroken immersion, and creative  gameplay" as the pillars. 00:04:57.180 --> 00:04:59.940 "Any novelty, enhancement, enrichment, 00:04:59.940 --> 00:05:04.020 or whatever had to fit inside one of  those pillars" - the developer says. 00:05:04.020 --> 00:05:08.400 Importantly, these pillars  should be feelings, not features. 00:05:08.400 --> 00:05:11.940 Aesthetics, not mechanics, to bring  us back to the previous episode. 00:05:11.940 --> 00:05:17.100 This allows developers to change how the game  works, without messing with how the game feels. 00:05:17.100 --> 00:05:20.580 For example - Leon can use his  knife for some brand new moves 00:05:20.580 --> 00:05:22.800 like a parry, and a stealth takedown. 00:05:22.800 --> 00:05:26.880 This could change the feel of the  game, making Leon overpowered. 00:05:26.880 --> 00:05:31.500 But by making it so the knife can break and  need to be patched up by the merchant, Leon 00:05:31.500 --> 00:05:36.720 stays one step behind, and the remake stays true  to the survival horror feeling of the original. 00:05:37.860 --> 00:05:40.740 So - this approach can be  used to address the three 00:05:40.740 --> 00:05:43.380 main things that all remakes should consider. 00:05:43.380 --> 00:05:45.780 Number one is modernisation. 00:05:45.780 --> 00:05:48.360 Remakes are entering the industry today, 00:05:48.360 --> 00:05:53.640 and so people expect modern conventions and  conveniences like fast travel and quick save. 00:05:53.640 --> 00:05:55.740 And they don't want to see mechanics that are... 00:05:55.740 --> 00:05:58.680 I don't want to say dated,  so let's say unfashionable. 00:05:58.680 --> 00:06:02.040 That's why Capcom pulled the  button-bashing quicktime events 00:06:02.040 --> 00:06:06.600 from RE4 - "QTEs are not popular  in today's games," the devs said. 00:06:06.600 --> 00:06:11.340 But, any change to the mechanics is  going to have a knock-on impact to 00:06:11.340 --> 00:06:14.040 the rest of the game - and risk ruining the feel. 00:06:14.040 --> 00:06:19.680 Take the new Goldeneye remaster - it makes  sense to update for modern first-person shooter 00:06:19.680 --> 00:06:23.400 controls, but that makes the game, which  was designed for much clunkier inputs... 00:06:23.400 --> 00:06:25.320 well it makes it a bit of a cakewalk. 00:06:25.320 --> 00:06:28.800 Resident Evil 4 could have  fallen into the same trap. 00:06:28.800 --> 00:06:32.040 In the original game, Leon couldn't aim and move 00:06:32.040 --> 00:06:36.060 at the same time - he became a turret  every time he pulled out his pistol. 00:06:36.060 --> 00:06:41.100 But not adding strafe was an intentional  choice on Capcom's part - in 2004, 00:06:41.100 --> 00:06:44.880 it said "we didn't want to go into  the shooting / army type genre". 00:06:44.880 --> 00:06:47.880 The remake, predictably, lets Leon strafe - and 00:06:47.880 --> 00:06:50.460 he generally moves around like  a typical shooter protagonist. 00:06:50.460 --> 00:06:55.500 But to counterbalance this change, the enemies  are now more aggressive and more numerous. 00:06:55.500 --> 00:07:00.960 So despite Leon's newly nimble movement, the  game still feels as pulse-pounding as ever. 00:07:01.800 --> 00:07:04.920 Number two is addressing  criticism of the original. 00:07:04.920 --> 00:07:09.720 If there's one thing that puts me off from  replaying Resident Evil 4, it's Ashley. 00:07:09.720 --> 00:07:13.200 This lengthy escort quest  can become an annoying bit 00:07:13.200 --> 00:07:15.540 of babysitting that threatens to spoil the fun. 00:07:15.540 --> 00:07:21.180 Of course, it would be tempting to dramatically  change how she works in this remake - perhaps make 00:07:21.180 --> 00:07:26.340 her invincible and helpful, like the partner  characters in games released since 2005. 00:07:26.340 --> 00:07:31.020 But that would change the dynamic of the  original game - so, instead, Capcom made 00:07:31.020 --> 00:07:36.540 more considered changes, with careful tweaks to  her AI, her health bar, and her characterisation. 00:07:36.540 --> 00:07:40.500 No game is perfect, and there will always  be elements that don't gel with fans... 00:07:40.500 --> 00:07:42.480 or indeed the developers. 00:07:42.480 --> 00:07:47.940 Talking about The Wind Waker, Zelda boss Eiji  Aonuma says "right after the game was completed, 00:07:47.940 --> 00:07:51.510 there would be discussions about how we wish  we could have done something [different]" - 00:07:51.510 --> 00:07:54.180 and so the Wii U version  makes some welcome changes, 00:07:54.180 --> 00:07:57.120 like speeding up a contentious  late-game fetch quest. 00:07:57.840 --> 00:08:02.100 And number three is making the game  more approachable and accessible. 00:08:02.100 --> 00:08:06.120 A remake is trying to win over people  who never played the original - and that 00:08:06.120 --> 00:08:09.360 includes those who bounced off the first  game, or were never able to start it. 00:08:09.360 --> 00:08:13.260 The first Resident Evil Remake was  intentionally designed to ease in 00:08:13.260 --> 00:08:17.580 new players, with Capcom accepting that the  first game really threw you into the deep end. 00:08:17.580 --> 00:08:21.600 And Resident Evil 2 through  4 all come with an assisted 00:08:21.600 --> 00:08:25.560 difficulty setting with features like  health regeneration and aim snapping. 00:08:25.560 --> 00:08:30.360 Old games can be notoriously difficult  to get into, and rarely accommodated 00:08:30.360 --> 00:08:33.300 players with disabilities - so  it's good to see remakes that 00:08:33.300 --> 00:08:36.300 make things more approachable,  and add accessibility options. 00:08:36.300 --> 00:08:39.120 The Last of Us Part 1 is a notable standout, 00:08:39.120 --> 00:08:43.500 with perhaps the most extensive suite  of options seen in a game thus far. 00:08:43.500 --> 00:08:47.280 But it's usually important to  make these changes optional. 00:08:47.280 --> 00:08:52.980 In the Pokemon Diamond and Pearl remakes,  the devs added a team-wide EXP Share, 00:08:52.980 --> 00:08:57.120 which means that when you win a battle,  all of your Pokemon get experience points. 00:08:57.120 --> 00:09:01.680 This wrecked the balance and made the  game super easy, barely an inconvenience. 00:09:01.680 --> 00:09:06.120 It could have been a good option for those who  want an easier time, but it's actually just part 00:09:06.120 --> 00:09:10.320 of the game and can't be disabled, which  annoys those who want more of a challenge. 00:09:10.320 --> 00:09:14.580 I kinda feel the same way about this  button in Resident Evil 4's remake 00:09:14.580 --> 00:09:17.280 which automatically tidies up your attache case. 00:09:17.280 --> 00:09:19.920 And I know I could just "not press the button", 00:09:19.920 --> 00:09:23.580 but it's right there! Of course I'm  going to press the button! I am weak. 00:09:24.240 --> 00:09:29.640 So, Capcom doesn't try to perfectly recreate  the original game, when it does a remake. 00:09:29.640 --> 00:09:34.320 It freely changes characters, plot  points, mechanics, puzzles, and content. 00:09:34.320 --> 00:09:37.980 This makes each remake feel as  fresh as a brand new release, 00:09:37.980 --> 00:09:42.180 and enjoyable even to those who have  finished the original a million times. 00:09:42.180 --> 00:09:46.380 But it uses the sensation of playing  the first game as a lodestar, 00:09:46.380 --> 00:09:50.160 to carefully guide new changes  - keeping Resident Evil 2 scary, 00:09:50.160 --> 00:09:54.480 and making sure Resident Evil 4 still  feels like an action-packed rollercoaster. 00:09:54.480 --> 00:09:59.940 And I think this also helps explain Capcom's  least-loved remake: Resident Evil 3. 00:09:59.940 --> 00:10:06.120 By nerfing Nemesis - by turning Jill's  invincible stalker into a simplistic set piece, 00:10:06.120 --> 00:10:14.040 RE3 doesn't accurately capture the sensation of  the PS1 original - and so kinda fails as a remake. 00:10:14.040 --> 00:10:18.480 But when done right, says Capcom, "a  remake of a game can deliver a new 00:10:18.480 --> 00:10:22.380 experience to players while also touching  upon the memories we have of the original, 00:10:22.380 --> 00:10:26.760 which is an appeal that is different from  the appeal of a completely new game." 00:10:27.540 --> 00:10:31.860 But there's one problem when it comes to making  such massive changes in a remake. 00:10:31.860 --> 00:10:36.660 You see, the reason why Psycho was  dubbed pointless is because the 1960 00:10:36.660 --> 00:10:40.080 original is readily available,  and eminently watchable today. 00:10:40.680 --> 00:10:45.840 In general, it's reasonably easy to remaster  a movie - which means to go back to the master 00:10:45.840 --> 00:10:50.400 recording, and make a new print with an improved  picture, for a modern format like Blu-Ray. 00:10:50.400 --> 00:10:55.680 This means that, in Hollywood, remakes are free to  liberally adapt the source material - completely 00:10:55.680 --> 00:11:00.120 changing the film to work in a different time, or  a different culture, or with a different audience. 00:11:00.120 --> 00:11:03.300 Change what you want: the  original is always available. 00:11:03.300 --> 00:11:05.460 But games are different. 00:11:05.460 --> 00:11:10.800 Old games get stuck on disintegrating  hardware, digital games get delisted, 00:11:10.800 --> 00:11:15.360 online games see their servers go down,  and entire storefronts go offline. 00:11:15.360 --> 00:11:19.920 And it's really tough to do a straight  "remaster" of a game - and there are 00:11:19.920 --> 00:11:22.020 no shortage of crummy ones to point to. 00:11:22.020 --> 00:11:26.940 Truly great remasters, like Metroid  Prime on Switch, are a rare treat. 00:11:26.940 --> 00:11:30.900 So, for some players - well,  they're counting on a remake 00:11:30.900 --> 00:11:33.660 as the only way to revisit their old favourites. 00:11:33.660 --> 00:11:36.600 And they want it to be exactly  the way they remember it. 00:11:36.600 --> 00:11:40.620 They're looking for that ultra faithful  recreation with a few modern updates. 00:11:40.620 --> 00:11:42.840 They want Gus Van Sant's Psycho. 00:11:42.840 --> 00:11:46.380 But I don't think this means we  need more shot-for-shot remakes: 00:11:46.380 --> 00:11:49.860 it just means we need better  game preservation - and to 00:11:49.860 --> 00:11:52.980 praise publishers who provide  access to the original titles. 00:11:52.980 --> 00:11:56.640 Because no matter what you think  of the new Resident Evil 4 Remake, 00:11:56.640 --> 00:12:02.580 it ultimately lives alongside an excellent, and  very moddable, HD remaster of the original game. 00:12:02.580 --> 00:12:07.620 The RE4 Remake doesn't try to  overwrite or replace the 2005 original, 00:12:07.620 --> 00:12:10.920 and I'm sure I'll be replaying both in the future. 00:12:10.920 --> 00:12:16.140 Sadly, the older Resident Evil  games are not so easy to play today. 00:12:16.140 --> 00:12:21.720 And I hope Capcom rights that wrong in the same  way it does its many, many Mega Man compilations. 00:12:21.720 --> 00:12:24.420 But other developers are showing how to do it. 00:12:24.420 --> 00:12:28.380 Nightdive Studios is currently  working on a wild new remake of 00:12:28.380 --> 00:12:33.120 System Shock - but after acquiring the  IP it also released the original game, 00:12:33.120 --> 00:12:36.540 an enhanced edition, and even  dropped the source code online. 00:12:36.540 --> 00:12:40.680 And remember when Zero Mission  let you just boot up Metroid 1, 00:12:40.680 --> 00:12:43.680 right there, in the game? That was neat. 00:12:43.680 --> 00:12:46.920 Just don't be like Rockstar, who removed the Grand 00:12:46.920 --> 00:12:51.420 Theft Auto games from Steam to make  way for its disastrous remasters. 00:12:51.420 --> 00:12:57.300 Or Blizzard, who removed Warcraft 3 to  make way for its, again, disastrous remake. 00:12:57.900 --> 00:13:02.940 So, what do you reckon? Is Capcom  king of the remakes? Or do you 00:13:02.940 --> 00:13:07.440 prefer more faithful recreations? Let  me know in the comments down below.