they should fix their game for free because it is broken in the first place, instead of fixing it then slapping a remastered sticker on it so they can sell it again at full price.
100%. I’m also honestly a bit worried about any remaster they may announce. Bluepoint did a wonderful job in many areas with Demon Souls, but there were definitely some “enhancements” that didn’t exactly match the authorial intent of the original.
Ideal world, I’d love both, good access to a high quality original, and a top-tier remaster of a classic.
Fortunately ShadPS4 looks to be saving the day here, by giving us the ability to emulate the original with patches to fix the glaring issues. Still sucks if you’re sitting there on PlayStation though.
All that said, I don’t expect anyone to touch the original officially. From Soft have moved on, and Sony holds the publishing rights. If BluePoint isn’t interested, it’ll continue to be the elephant in the room.
there were definitely some “enhancements” that didn’t exactly match the authorial intent of the original.
Like what? I haven’t and probably never will play the remaster, but my understanding was that it was meant to be as close to the original as possible only with nicer graphics. I read that they were even trying to match the timings of combat exactly.
Mostly art things. I’m far from qualified to speak to it as an expert, I haven’t played either version yet, but have friends who are very passionate about the topic.
I think the easiest way to explain it is to refer to this Miyazaki quote:
Most people don’t believe me when I say this, but a certain kind of refinement, elegance, and dignity are very important to me. I’ll usually tell the designers that flat-out grotesque or splatter type designs will not get past me. This has everything to do with my own personal sensibilities, and it is something that I apply to every design that I approve.
Even if you just look at the tutorial boss (I clipped a a YT side-by-side for you here), the changes they’ve made here to add detail are basically all… grotesque. Gross hanging flesh, some weird hanging nipple thing, it’s a very different interpretation of the original than what I believe was intended.
This is obviously just one example, but it’s this type of change that bothers purists. Now, mind you, I don’t think this makes the remake trash or anything, but if you’re interested in Demon Souls historically as the beginning of the Souls franchise, this kind of change is essentially revisionist history, and it’s disappointing to me that the original game isn’t also available in some way besides buying an old PS3 or emulating the game.
