Like movie script writers, there seems to be a lot of game developers who have stalled on ideas for new stories and characters, and decided re-making their old games with newer technology is a good idea.
And in some cases, its a fantastic idea and works reasonably well.
However in other cases, the developers use the name and IP from the original game, but make it into something else… completely horrible (ok, I exaggerate, just my opinion on some releases).
One of these, titles was Syndicate.
On the Amiga (and eventually PC), it was a fantastic game – just everything about it was very well done and made the game very enjoyable.
In 2009, it was announced that a new Syndicate game was on its way.
Boy, did I get excited.
Then I read this :
however, it used a first-person shooter format, which differed significantly from the isometric real-time tactics format of the series’ original game
Oh.
It used the name, and some of the ideas etc but was not Syndicate to me.
I did buy it a while after its release, and while was a fun romp, just not Syndicate.
I wanted the original format of the original game – isometric, guiding your little team around these massive cities gunning down other Syndicates. But with newer graphics and sound. But LEAVE THE GAMEPLAY ALONE.
One of the original developers of the original game, did release a Syndicate type game, Satellite Reign, a few years ago and while did fit what I was looking for to a degree, it still was not quite there.
One game that was remade, and did it right, was the all time great, The Secret Of Monkey Island – Special Edition.
Graphics, sound etc updated. Fantastic. But overall gameplay was left as the original. AND you could even switch to the original graphics mode whenever you wanted for that nostalgia.
So developers, ask around before “remaking” a game – see if people want the same gameplay, or something else. I think you’ll be surprised how many will just want updated graphics and sound…