The classic approaches weren’t bad or archaic. It’s a common misconception. They often had janky controls, poor accessibility, or even overly difficult game design – but the aesthetic was never to blame. The industry has ironed out a lot of these creases over the years to create much smoother experiences, and the indie space is proof enough that 2D doesn’t mean old and obtuse. The Binding of Isaac takes the original Zelda and makes it a roguelike, even sharing its UI, dungeon format, and item pickup animation – the inspirations ooze. Undertale is a 2D RPG that has combat expressed through a small box that has you avoiding the bullet-hell barrage – it doesn’t rely on fancy graphics. Little Dew is a more comedic Zelda that feels like an HD rendition of the classics with a quaint, cartoony art style. These are all iconic titles, despite not being 3D triple-A blockbusters. Meanwhile, when Nintendo wants to revive its classic library, it does so by modifying its 2D approach, 3Dizing them instead. Look no further than the upcoming Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Pokemon gam
If Zelda goes back to 2D, it stands alongside the indie scene. It showcases that these older takes shouldn’t be abandoned due to their age. Many other games are doing this already, but none have the clout of Zelda. Going back to 2D with its next main entry – not a remake, remaster, or spin-off – would set a major precedent: not every new triple-A title needs to splash out to make a big blockbuster. It could be a hybrid like Octopath Traveler with its 2D sprites on top of its paper-like background, or it could go the full mile and be completely 2D. Whatever it does, going back would be refreshing for gaming and it could pave the way for other studios to do similar things with their own catal
Breath of the Wild is so special because every moment feels like a discovery you made on your own terms. A mixture of basic yet impactful abilities like stopping time and lifting metal objects allows you to play with the game’s definition of physics in ways that are still being discovered to this day. You can build a chain of metal weapons and charge them with lightning to activate a distant switch instead of following the traditional solution, showing that the game’s systems are built to be toyed with and taken advantage of in ways that have near limitless potential. Nobody will play Breath of the Wild in the same way, and given the open world genre largely remains defined by chasing down icons and completing repetitive objectives, this is a breath of fresh air that remains unmatched. You could argue « it doesn’t feel like Zelda » because its dungeon design abandons tradition, but the rewarding discoveries of Breath of the Wild are intentionally spread throughout the entirety of Hyrule.
Given that there were already some framerate issues with Resident Evil 3 Remake on consoles, the higher number of enemies and action on the screen in Resident Evil 4 may require next-generation console technology to fully bring it to fruition. Resident Evil 4’s tank-like controls certainly have not aged well to most, and are more than in need of updating, which a new engine or the current Resident Evil engine can accommodate fu
Earlier this year, Capcom released its latest remake, which is a reimagining of the events of Resident Evil 3 . Of course, given the success of the RE2 remake one year prior, fans had high expectations on the Resident Evil 3 remake. Unfortunately, when the game finally released last April, fans were a bit disappointed by how far the RE3 remake strayed from the original . Sure, it still retained the basic premise of RE3 but the sequence of events has been reshuffled so much that it is barely recognizable from the origi
Judging from the trailers we’ve seen thus far, Breath of the Wild 2 is going to be rather similar to its predecessor – at least in terms of moment-to-moment gameplay. The version of Hyrule we explored in the last game is making a return, with Link stumbling across familiar landmarks and enemies with an outfit and movements we recognise from the last game. I imagine towns have been rebuilt and the region is a little more alive now Calamity Ganon has been vanquished, but the layout is likely similar. Because of this, the way in which we explore this world should remain recognisable, so returning players feel welcome and newcomers aren’t alienated by a sequel that challenges some of its younger sibling’s most daring and creative ideas.
Shortly after its release, the Resident Evil 2 remake received glowing reviews from fans and critics, and it even outsold the lifetime sales of the original game . This goes to show that staying faithful, Order 66 survivor even when some of the events have been reshuffled, is an important factor for a remake’s success. Another thing that fans loved about the RE2 remake is the addition of new storylines and the re-writing of some of the characters and events that all made sense in the grand scheme of things. In the end, the Resident Evil 2 remake is undoubtedly Capcom’s most profitable
