Ben-DutkaI have no idea why I have to make this little announcement, but I feel like I should.
It's no surprise to see the Ratchet & Clank remake scoring well with the critics . Insomniac rebuilt this original classic from the ground up for PS4 and…well, it's Insomniac. They rule. And so does R&C.
But I am seeing an extremely bizarre complaint in some reviews, even though the critic usually admits it's a minor "flaw." I've seen a lot of sentences that start with, "even though it doesn't do anything new" and "while you won't see anything you haven't seen before," etc. In most reviews, even ones that only award the game an 8, this seems to be the only complaint.
…did I miss a step?
Look, I know critics continue to be absolutely obsessed with the idea that every single new video game on the market has to be "innovative" or fresh in some way. I'm one of the biggest proponents of originality and innovation as well, but I'm not about to condemn tried-and-true formulas that are precisely what the fans want. One of the biggest failings of this industry in recent years has not been a lack of originality (take one look at the indie scene) but rather, the inability of certain developers to simply stick with what works.
Really, though, that's another argument for another time. In this case, we're talking about a remake of a classic title. A remake. Not a sequel. I understand that it's not a remaster and one could argue that a remake should change and improve on a larger scale, but Insomniac did update this game, and very significantly. It has quite obviously been spruced up from top to bottom and this includes the mechanics. Unbelievable new graphics and a completely upgraded control set, along with a bunch of new content. What more should we be asking for from a REMAKE?
This is all we want. Of course it's not going to introduce "anything new." It's not going to change genres. It's not going to alter the core and spirit of the game because then it wouldn't be a remake of a classic, now would it? Save your analysis of new stuff for a sequel, would you please? Let's at least be logical, for crying out loud.
Related Game(s): Ratchet and Clank
I think the critics were expecting a more action genre rather than a platformer-shooter genre from this REMAKE of Ratchet and Clank ala Final Fantasy XV. hehe lol
Anyway I bought the game yesterday and tested it. The opening cutscene graphics of the game just wowed me. It's like watching an animated movie in an IMAX cinema. The game simply looks gorgeous! ^_^
Last edited by smileys_007 on 4/12/2016 10:00:35 PM
My problem with reviews today…
So good.
I'm loving it. No complaints. Want more. Going commando and up your arsenal better be coming out just like this. The plumber did say " see you in the next remake " to ratchet!
I'm gonna say that's the Easter egg for going commando.
Remake or sequel, it's perfectly valid for critics to point out that the game is retreading old ground. Being a remake doesn't render it immune to criticism on that front. If anything, the fact that it's been so extensively reworked, from the ground up, makes it imperative that critics do highlight the areas where it hasn't gotten that kind of treatment.
Most reviews I've read pointing this stuff out usually end those sentences with "..but the game is an absolute blast" or "..it didn't really need changing anyway because it's still a blast", so I'm not sure what the issue is, anyway. The game is being very positively received. Not every critic has to give it a perfect score.
I'm actually okay with them letting consumers know "hey this is a remake, it doesn't do anything new, but what it does do is fantastic".
On the flip side to what you are saying though I've read a few reviews that make it sound like this is a new game, despite pointing out somewhere that it is a remake. Maybe because they didn't play it back then? Maybe because they are not familiar with the franchise? I don't know. But it can be deceiving to a consumer who's never played the games before.
It got the entire treatment, from visual to mechanical, that every remake needs. "Doesn't do anything new" implies a lack of innovation that the franchise needed, and a remake has no need of innovation. That makes zero sense.
The notion that remakes don't need to innovate is entirely subjective, and if the gameplay was overhauled I think that's de facto admission on the part of Insomniac that the original simply wasn't up to par with today's standards. If they updated everything, but still didn't break any ground on the gameplay level, that's absolutely a fair point of criticism.
Even then, I haven't seen any reviews that pointed this out as a bad thing, anyway. Most reviews I've seen just point it out as a piece of information, then render their opinion that the game is still a ton of fun.
Different strokes, I guess.
Remakes don't have to "break ground." It's not a sequel.
That's one opinion. Not everyone shares it, nor are they required to. I think it's pretty obvious Insomniac was trying to modernize the game, and some critics feel they didn't quite hit the mark. I'm not sure why that's a problem, especially when everyone seems to love it, anyway.
I'm sick and tired of this idea that sequels and remakes have to almost literally re-invent the game every time. That to me is preposterous. If you want to re-invent, go make a new game. If you want to give fans something they want and like, don't fix what isn't broken.
What exactly do R&C need to do to innovate in the world of Platform shooters? It's a remake so the story is essentially the same one. It's a cartoony platform shooter with a sci-fi back drop, it's not going to suddenly turn into a blood and guts shooter or a zombie kill-a-thon. Nor is it going to be an RPG, or a driving sim, or a dating sim, or a board game, or a classic shoot'em up game; though there might be mini games as there has been in the past.
'Innovating' for the sake of innovating results in game directors/producers admitting that they lost sight of the demand for solo gaming experiences. The whole mania for social connectivity and sharing is a complete waste for me. Why should I or anyone else want to spend their gaming time watching some doofus playing a game badly? It's like when Facebook was fresh and people used it to micro-blog their bowel movements. Folks, I'm just not interested. Just let me play my games.
I've only played the demo so far, but I like what I see.
we get enough remakes and remasters .. they should have made a new entry.. not that i've ever played a ratchet and clank game but it applies for all the remake and remastereds we've gotten lately
That's one opinion. Not everyone shares it, nor are they required to. I think it's pretty obvious Insomniac was trying to modernize the game, and some critics feel they didn't quite hit the mark. I'm not sure why that's a problem, especially when everyone seems to love it, anyway.
I'm actually okay with them letting consumers know "hey this is a remake, it doesn't do anything new, but what it does do is fantastic".
On the flip side to what you are saying though I've read a few reviews that make it sound like this is a new game, despite pointing out somewhere that it is a remake. Maybe because they didn't play it back then? Maybe because they are not familiar with the franchise? I don't know. But it can be deceiving to a consumer who's never played the games before.
Remake or sequel, it's perfectly valid for critics to point out that the game is retreading old ground. Being a remake doesn't render it immune to criticism on that front. If anything, the fact that it's been so extensively reworked, from the ground up, makes it imperative that critics do highlight the areas where it hasn't gotten that kind of treatment.
Most reviews I've read pointing this stuff out usually end those sentences with "..but the game is an absolute blast" or "..it didn't really need changing anyway because it's still a blast", so I'm not sure what the issue is, anyway. The game is being very positively received. Not every critic has to give it a perfect score.
Remakes don't have to "break ground." It's not a sequel.
I'm sick and tired of this idea that sequels and remakes have to almost literally re-invent the game every time. That to me is preposterous. If you want to re-invent, go make a new game. If you want to give fans something they want and like, don't fix what isn't broken.
What exactly do R&C need to do to innovate in the world of Platform shooters? It's a remake so the story is essentially the same one. It's a cartoony platform shooter with a sci-fi back drop, it's not going to suddenly turn into a blood and guts shooter or a zombie kill-a-thon. Nor is it going to be an RPG, or a driving sim, or a dating sim, or a board game, or a classic shoot'em up game; though there might be mini games as there has been in the past.
'Innovating' for the sake of innovating results in game directors/producers admitting that they lost sight of the demand for solo gaming experiences. The whole mania for social connectivity and sharing is a complete waste for me. Why should I or anyone else want to spend their gaming time watching some doofus playing a game badly? It's like when Facebook was fresh and people used it to micro-blog their bowel movements. Folks, I'm just not interested. Just let me play my games.
The notion that remakes don't need to innovate is entirely subjective, and if the gameplay was overhauled I think that's de facto admission on the part of Insomniac that the original simply wasn't up to par with today's standards. If they updated everything, but still didn't break any ground on the gameplay level, that's absolutely a fair point of criticism.
Even then, I haven't seen any reviews that pointed this out as a bad thing, anyway. Most reviews I've seen just point it out as a piece of information, then render their opinion that the game is still a ton of fun.
Different strokes, I guess.
It got the entire treatment, from visual to mechanical, that every remake needs. "Doesn't do anything new" implies a lack of innovation that the franchise needed, and a remake has no need of innovation. That makes zero sense.
I've only played the demo so far, but I like what I see.
we get enough remakes and remasters .. they should have made a new entry.. not that i've ever played a ratchet and clank game but it applies for all the remake and remastereds we've gotten lately
So good.
I'm loving it. No complaints. Want more. Going commando and up your arsenal better be coming out just like this. The plumber did say " see you in the next remake " to ratchet!
I'm gonna say that's the Easter egg for going commando.
My problem with reviews today…
I think the critics were expecting a more action genre rather than a platformer-shooter genre from this REMAKE of Ratchet and Clank ala Final Fantasy XV. hehe lol
Anyway I bought the game yesterday and tested it. The opening cutscene graphics of the game just wowed me. It's like watching an animated movie in an IMAX cinema. The game simply looks gorgeous! ^_^
Last edited by smileys_007 on 4/12/2016 10:00:35 PM