The Tales of Remastered Project is in full swing with Tales of Xillia recently getting a remaster, showing that Bandai Namco has no intention of slowing down its efforts.
Officially, the project has yielded three games: Tales of Xillia, Tales of Graces F, and Tales of Symphonia. It’s worth noting that Tales of Vesperia Definitive Edition did release in 2019 though technically before the Remastered Project.
This makes it a fantastic time to get into or revisit the Tale of franchise. Furthermore, the series’ website is far from conclusive that it’s project will stop any time soon.
Now, it’s important to note that there have been some complaints about these remasters, particularly regarding performance and remasters feeling like cheap ports at times. Still, there are many who are also ecstatic for the releases and have not complained about these issues.
While not perfect, the Remastered Project seems to have been a success in drumming up excitement for the franchise, especially around its 30th anniversary. This is something more franchises would benefit from emulating.
It is true that not all franchises have the deep roster that Tales of has. Still, that doesn’t mean some long-running franchises should sit this out.
There are always benefits from bringing older games to a modern generation. While it shouldn’t be a developer’s main focus, it still strengthen a franchise and its fans. It can also help provide an appetizer in between larger releases.
I look at these types of projects from a selfish perspective of wanting more games accessible on modern platforms. I’m not sure I’d try Xillia any other way.
Many franchises have unofficially taken this route. The Legend of Zelda has had an inconsistent streak of making HD remasters over the last 12 years as well as a hearty remake of Link’s Awakening. This doesn’t include any rereleases on the Nintendo Switch Online or old eshop fronts.
Still, most efforts are somewhat inconsistent to nonexistent. What makes the Tales of Remastered Project stand out is it has, so far, produced a pretty consistent stream over a short time.
That is what I would like to see more of: a steady stream that dives deeper into the backlog of a franchise. This could yield some cool results that could have some developers getting creative.
I know there are many out there that are sick of remasters or remakes. I get that sentiment and there are aspects that I agree with in those arguments.
I do think, without proper care, it does appear lazy and a cash grab. If too much of a focus goes into a project like this, it can take away from new games.
That said, it’s all about balance. Let’s face it, new mainline games take a while to produce. There is a lot of frustration when a game gets announced early and goes quiet for years at a time.
I look to a remaster project as a solution for those droughts. Series like Metroid and Dragon Quest would benefit from adding remastered/remade titles to their catalogs.
It’s helping Dragon Quest now that the first three games are getting the HD-2D treatment. I look at Metroid as a prime (get it?) opportunity to for remasters. It started a bit with the first Metroid Prime but the other two games haven’t materialized.
Look, not every franchise needs this, but Tales of is laying a foundation for something that could look really cool elsewhere. With just a bit of effort and care, this type of project could really add a lot to the current gaming landscape.
The key there is care and effort, and that still remains to be completely seen.
What about you? Would you like to see more organized and coordinated remastered projects? What do you think of the Tales of Remastered Project? What series would you like to see adopt a more organized approach? Let us know in the comments below or head over to our Discord channel to join the conversation.
Featured Image: Inverse (via Bandai Namco)
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