Quote:
Originally Posted by Knighto
Again, I don't think newcomers who didn't play FF7 should be playing FF7R without doing the former first.
|
Ah, and so we have the crux of the argument. I would argue that you SHOULDN'T need to play the original first- anything that would reference the original without any explanation should be left as fanservice or Easter eggs. A remake should be able to stand on its own... and preferably without changing any major plot points (granted, I know that this is a problem fro so many remakes anyways, especially in film). The exception to this being if the original was a pile of hot garbage, something we know OG VII definitely wasn't.
Of course, I went and double-checked the trailers... and I had to re-evaluate what SE is doing in their marketing. I will still say that any remake has to stand on its own, but I'm honestly not sure who SE is trying to market to. It feels like they're definitely aiming for the crowd that played the OG VII, but also trying to show they've updated their mechanics and graphics for anyone who has never played the OG. Which leads to the next major problem: how much do you change the story? For anyone who is new and isn't aware of Certain Events, then I can understand them changing that scene (and swear under my breath about otaku and their moe waifus). Meanwhile, it feels like they're taking a very heavy risk for those who HAVE played the original game- double-checking the trailer, they have already made certain changes, but they aren't anything that drastically changes the overall plot. But if the ending of this part does ultimately lead to Major Plot Points being changed... well, let's put it like this: Back in the Day, there were two major things that made VII take off: the Infamous Scene, and the fact that VII's gameplay was a breakthrough, at least in the West. The latter of those now doesn't apply because of how far game development has come. So it feels like they're aiming to make money off nostalgia... if parts of the story ultimately get changed, will they still be able to cash in on the nostalgia?
Actually, let me make a tl;dr- what defines a Remake? How much can you change to the original story before the only thing the OG and the Remake have in common is the name? My answer is that you can update graphics, combat, and maybe flesh some parts out, but making major changes to the storyline and plot means it's no longer a Remake but something else entirely.
EDIT: Doing some hunting, I have found something completely infuriating that makes me go, NOMURA, YOU BASTARD!!
Interviewer: So what's the second meaning of Remake?
Nomura: [Laughs, Does Not Answer]
So Nomura, you're purposefully fucking with us to give leeway to all the changes you're going to throw in. It's practically official, we have False Advertising with this game. Go suck a dick, Nomura.