I know my opinion will likely spiral this topic into somewhat of a console war, or that’s where some might take it. So, I’ll preface this entire piece with some facts about my feelings on remasters like Horizon: Zero Dawn and Sony in general.
While I haven’t beaten it yet (too many things on my plate), I own and have played through at least 16 hours of Horizon: Zero Dawn’s remaster on Steam. I love it.
I also own the previously exclusive Days Gone on PC and have been waiting for the Broken Road DLC to drop on Steam. While the release of Oblivion Remastered and the upcoming Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 will keep me busy, I’m getting that thing downloaded and ready to play. Backlog be damned.
Additionally, I own a PlayStation 5, and I’m currently playing through the PC-absent Bloodborne with my oft-mentioned brother-in-law. We’ll get to Sony’s failure to remaster that title later.
I had to fight for that PlayStation, too. I literally had to fend off a gunman who was trying to rob me outside my home. That’s not some made-up story for the sake of momentum in this piece.
Needless to say, I love Sony and their games, but what the hell are they doing with these remasters?
Sony, wake up, brother
We need to have a chat. It’s time to stop releasing yet another version of The Last of Us on PC. Stop remastering games that you released only a few years ago, and make something that wasn’t even made in the last decade.
Look at comparisons in The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered and show me anything you’ve remastered that’s similar to their work on this game. It’s a game that was released in 2007. Is that too old for you?
Capcom has it figured out with Resident Evil, Microsoft with Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Activision with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, and EA with Dead Space. Those are proper remakes, some of which you’ve done yourself with Shadow of the Colossus and Demon’s Souls.
Let’s face it: the first Last of Us game is universally loved and respected. I’m not going to sit here and argue with people who are more critical of the sequel; it was rightfully another banger to me and millions of other fans.
However, what the heck is Sony doing with these remasters? These aren’t even that good of remasters. In most instances, you’re redoing games that are only just starting to show signs of age. In some cases, it’s been less than two years!
The Last of Us Part 1 has been remastered twice in less than 9 years, with the sequel having just released its own. Horizon: Zero Dawn had its own after only seven years on the market.
The further you look, the worse it gets. Nioh 1 and 2 both received remasters for their launch on PlayStation 5. Nioh 2 was released the previous year! Spider-Man got its own remaster only two years later.
Needless to say, Sony has a terrible track record when it comes to remastering games that don’t need remastering while ignoring games that would blow up in an instant if the company even bothered.
You were born of blood and so many other renowned franchises
Bloodborne! What are you waiting for? Even FromSoftware saw the outcry and had the wherewithal to create The Duskbloods, which looks to be a spiritual successor to Bloodborne, in the same vein as Dark Souls was to Demon’s Souls.
You got it right when you remastered Demon’s Souls! Hell, that’s one of the greatest remakes I’ve ever seen.
It not only looks incredible but plays like it was made for the modern audience. Side note: I’m unsure why Bloodborne hasn’t received a PC release. Does Sony break out in hives at the sight of cash? Does its skin itch when it touches a dollar bill? Unlikely.
Why your company refuses to construct the money printer that is a Bloodborne remaster after choosing to release another version of “Joel and Ellie: Buddies Go Hiking Adventure” is beyond me. You have the Holy Grail of Souls games on the back burner, stuck at 30 frames per second. Fix it!
You have so many other games that deserve a proper remaster or remake. What about the original God of War games? I’ll even take an Infamous title at this point; just pick one, or any!
You also have the fondly remembered Killzone, Twisted Metal, SOCOM, and Resistance trilogy. The last two were some of the first games I ever played online over broadband Internet. You have so many other beloved franchises that deserve a glow-up on PC alongside a wealth of ported Xbox titles. It’s like you loathe good press.
Other companies aren’t off the hook either
I don’t want this to only be about taking shots at Sony. If I did that, I’d be wasting my opportunity to beg other developers to also figure this out.
Bethesda, you did a good job with this one, but for the love of God, if I see another Skyrim edition before Elder Scrolls VI comes out, I will post one heck of an angry rant on social media (you’ve been warned).
The meanest 250-word count essay you’ve ever seen.
Capcom, where’s our Dino Crisis remake? Again, you figured it out with Resident Evil, but were you aware you have one of the world’s largest and most loved gaming IP collections?
Could you imagine how hard a remaster of Super Mario 64 would hit for Nintendo on Switch 2? As long as they retained the original glitches and physics, we would be able to watch peak performance speed runs in HD.
Ubisoft, sometimes I wonder where your priorities lie. You still have Michael Ironside; where’s my Splinter Cell remake? You could, and I know this may seem unusual to hear, create a sequel to something that doesn’t start with the phrase “Assassin’s Creed” (as successful as that has been).
I digress. We may be stuck in a loop where we’ll only see the latest titles remastered forever, with the rare exception where something like Oblivion Remastered is created. I hope I’m wrong.
What does the reader think? Is there something you’d like to see Sony or another company remaster? Tell me about it in the comments or on social media. I want to hear what you have to say. Convince me.
