With a game library as vast as the PlayStation’s, there are a plethora of titles that many of us hold dear to our hearts.
Throughout each of Sony’s console generations, there have been games that have created our fondest memories and that have even shaped what we expect from videogames in terms of story, graphics and gameplay.
Whether it was the first time you enjoyed Crash Bandicoot on the original PlayStation, to the time you relished in brutally slaying Ares to become the God of War on PS2 or realized how cool of a protagonist Nathan Drake was during his first outing in Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune for PS3, these games have created anticipation and excitement for future gaming experiences.
Now, with the power of the PS4, many great previous generation titles can now be revisited and enjoyed the way developers originally intended them to be. Improvements such as upscaled visuals, improved controls and additions to a game’s narrative are some of the things a developer can utilize given the more powerful hardware.
But, are remasters worth a second look if you have already played the original game before?
Well…that depends on a few things. Has the game improved enough to warrant its hefty price tag? From what we have seen thus far, from titles such as The Last of Us Remastered, GTA V PS4 and Tomb Raider the Definitive Edition, are that these games have definitely benefited from this next gen make-over.
New features, smoother frame-rates and a better-looking game all-round, GTA V was a stunning remaster
The developers have taken advantage of PS4’s technical prowess and made these already fantastic titles even better; all these aforementioned titles now run natively at 1080p as opposed to the 720p from their last generation showing. Framerates are also much smoother with the majority of games now showcasing 60 frames per second. Add in expansion DLC that is now bundled in with many titles and the integration of PS4-only features, such as voice control, touchpad integration and use of the DualShock 4’s built in speaker and lightbar, and you’ve got yourself the best possible version of these games to date.
Remastering popular titles is not a new concept exclusive to this generation. We have seen games receive the upgrade treatment before with one example being Sony’s epic exclusive God of War series seeing the benefit of being brought over from the PS2 to glorious HD on the PS3 with amazing results.
Having these games make the leap from one generation to the next also creates the benefit of owning the best version of that particular game and continuing your collection with said game’s inevitable sequel(s) on its most current platform.
Never played a game’s previous incarnation? Perfect, what better way than to experience it the way a developer intended it to be played. The extra amount of detail and polish given to an already established and well received title is already reason enough to go ahead and pick the game up.
Just as Hollywood has been upgrading classic movies for a while now in order reach a broader audience, so is the video game industry. As many games will come and go, only the truly worthy titles will be given the remaster treatment and in my books, too much of a good thing is okay with me.