As I put in the unique Ultimate Fantasy, a recreation that first got here out once I was three years {old}, on Sony’s most advanced console to date, I got here to a realization: nearly every little thing I’ve performed this yr has been {old}. Between the remakes, rereleases, and retro collections, it’s been a deluge of nostalgia. And I, for one, have welcomed it.
These sorts of releases are nothing new, after all. What’s been totally different by way of the early months is the sheer amount of traditional releases. Two of the most important blockbusters thus far this yr — Dead Space and Resident Evil 4 — are remakes of titles from nicely over a decade in the past. They’re each slick and beautiful updates that don’t look misplaced amongst trendy big-budget releases, however a part of what makes them so interesting is how simple they’re. No open worlds filled with countless quests or reside service components to maintain you coming again. And most of these design choices come right down to their age, as these video games have been made in a really totally different time with very totally different expectations. In my overview of the Resident Evil 4 remake, I referred to as it “such a online game,” and I meant that as a praise.
However they can be numerous work, incessantly tuned to be all-consuming experiences that get their hooks in you and never let go. And hey, I love Fortnite as much as anyone, however that’s not all I would like from my video video games. Whether or not it’s an elaborate remaster like RE4 or just placing the opera scene from Ultimate Fantasy VI on my PS5, these video games harken again to a simplicity and focus that I usually discover lacking from their modern-day contemporaries. Resident Evil and Ultimate Fantasy are very totally different experiences, however they offer me the identical feeling of a singular, full journey I’m meant to play from starting to finish. The identical goes for the opposite {old} video games I’ve been enjoying.
Taking part in — and, in lots of {cases}, replaying — these video games has been an train in reminding myself what will be so nice concerning the medium. The most important trendy releases are inclined to imitate one another to the purpose that they are often indistinguishable from each other. This is what makes a lot of indie releases so exciting and, equally, what has led me again to all of those new variations of {old} video games — so it’s excellent news for me that this trend shows no sign of stopping.