Remakes Are Going To Save Virtual Reality

VR remakes like Resident Evil 4 are a much easier sell to non-VR players than other games in the medium. I can preach about how remarkable Half-Life: Alyx is until everyone hates me (which happens often) but it’s impossible to really understand how great that game is unless you play it for yourself. This has always been a huge barrier for VR, which is why Oculus was so keen on developing a wireless model that could more easily be taken on the go and shared with friends. People need to try VR before they really get it, but remakes of classic games like RE4 might just be compelling enough to convince people to take the dive sight unseen. „It’s Resident Evil 4, but you’re actually walking through the village yourself“ is easy to wrap your head around, and a pretty intriguing premise
RE4 isn’t the first game to get a VR remake, but it is the first to really capitalize on the nostalgia potential. Skyrim VR, No Man’s Sky, and LA Noire VR are all modified – and in some ways, compromised – versions of modern games, but RE4VR is entirely modernized and enhanced by VR. This isn’t just an alternate way to play RE4, it’s the best way to play it in 2The removal of design decisions previously viewed as irksome would undermine so much of what Breath of the Wild managed to achieve, and the last thing I want to see is Nintendo steering its formula in a direction that abides by more traditional genre conventions. Assassin’s Creed and similar games of this ilk are arguably more akin to content mill, built to draw you in for hundreds of hours even if much of that time is filled with uninspired busywork. The time you spend with the game is what matters, and Breath of the Wild managed to challenge a system that has become increasingly tired in the eyes of players. Its sequel needs to continue chasing that ambition, and not compromise on its own design ethos.
We only see Princess Zelda fall into a pit in the trailer, presumably descending deeper into the castle’s inner sanctum. Can’t she just climb back out, or is she stuck there until we fish her back out once the final boss is dealt with? I sincerely hope it’s the former, or Nintendo is throwing us a red herring and the true circumstances of the narrative are being cleverly hidden from view. The company has said it’s holding the true title back for Breath of the Wild 2 in fear of spoilers, and the skyward version of Link only ever being framed from the back has convinced me it is another character entir
I can’t play the Spyro trilogy for the first time again, nor can I approach it with the same innocence and sense of wonder that I did when I was ten years old. I still love the series, but games have changed a lot since Spyro first came out. There have been 20 years of evolution and innovation since Spyro the Dragon was made, and I’ve seen how games have been refined and enhanced since then. I’ve changed a lot too. I’m a critic now, and I pick games apart and analyze them for a living. I can revisit Spyro from a new perspective, but now I experience it as an echo of the original – a snapshot of my childh
The most obvious new addition is Link’s hair. This can change depending on certain outfits that are being equipped, particularly those that have our hero donning a mask or regional attire. But here, we see it flowing freely as he soars downward towards Hyrule, new airborne landmasses slowly coming into view as the true nature of this new adventure becomes apparent. We quickly shift back to vanilla Link, with his scruffy blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail so it doesn’t flop about in the wYou also can’t climb in the rain, with Link being encouraged to find another route up a mountain the moment a drop of water falls from the sky. These are all polarising mechanics, and for good reason, but they also help define Breath of the Wild as a special experience that always changes things up, seldom having you repeat the same tasks in order to complete your objective. If it wasn’t different, it wouldn’t be Zelda.
If anything, its sequel is likely the primary candidate to accomplish such a feat, with the recent reveal trailer unveiling an experience that isn’t afraid to be vastly different, while also remaining true to the masterful foundations it was built upon. While the Divine Beasts were grandiose monoliths and the various civilizations of Hyrule were saturated in fascinating glimpses of a wider culture, much of the real beauty was found in Link hims
The fashion on display here is incredibly exciting, and has the potential to extend into a grander mode of customisation where clothing isn’t the only thing that defines Link’s hairstyle and physique. I hope we’re able to adjust the specific nature of each outfit, perhaps extending to the colour of materials, the stats and Elden Ring lore buffs provided when you wear them, and possibly specific adjustments to accessories and st
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a beautiful game. Despite the relatively limited hardware of the Switch, Nintendo was able to produce a vast, uncompromising open world that could be freely explored for hundreds upon hundreds of hours. Each discovery felt perfectly natural, with its picturesque landscapes and immaculate art design spurring us onward into each new location. It’s a masterpiece that remains unbeaten to this very