Being a Millennial on the verge of middle age has awarded me some unique views on media trends.

One such trends circles on how the passage of time regularly heals all wounds when it comes to originally considered “bad” video games, movies, TV shows, and many others. Of course, this isn’t an absolute concept, but one that seems to perpetuate regularly.

A recent example of this comes in the form of Final Fantasy XIII and its subsequent sequels.

The game and its two sequels have a reputation as a sore thumb in the series, especially following the PlayStation 2 entries of FFX and FFXII. The 13th entry tends to get criticisms for its story, world, gameplay, perceived linearity, and others.

Critics seemed to like the game, but the user score still remains low. Still, there seems to be a growing chorus wanting the trilogy to get a remake or remaster.

There are a few points to consider here. First, Internet chatter isn’t hard evidence. It can indicate a mindset but may not actually reflect a true sentiment.

Second, nostalgia can be a powerful drug. There could be a wave of late ’00s/early ’10s kids wanting to see their childhood remade. This group could be less concerned with quality and more centered on recapturing a time long gone.

Third, this idea could reflect the harshness that typically comes with something different at the onset. It seems that as soon as rationality comes back, a piece of media is seen for what it truly was.

Lastly, it could be that modern media doesn’t hold up compared to older titles so, by comparison, the older “slop” now looks like a gourmet meal.

This last reason is one thrown around with regards to Star Wars. The prequel trilogy was lambasted in the early 2000s largely because it was not on the same level as the original trilogy. After Revenge of the Sith came out in 2005, fans were happy to leave Star Wars alone for a while.

Then came the sequel trilogy.

While many praised The Force Awakens, the next two films received heavy criticism. All of a sudden, people were wishing for the prequels again and wanting to go back to that storytelling. Revenge of the Sith, in particular, became a classic, often talked about in the same category as the original trilogy.

What changed? It seemed like fans found something new to hate and, whether justified or not, it took the place of the original punching bag.

This phenomena isn’t always the case. Sometimes, a bad movie or video game remains terrible. Superman 64 is still pointed at as one of the worst video games ever made.

This instance shows that time is not a cure-all and has its limits. There is still objectivity in this conversation and nostalgia can’t cure everything.

Where does that leave us with the rest of this? The answer may be hard to find as this is a completely subjective conversation. We’re dealing with people’s opinions after all.

Still, it seems that time does heal most wounds when it comes to “bad” games, movies, TV shows, and other media. As I consider this conversation, I see that hype can play a big role in this shift.

If a game comes out to an insane amount of hype and ends up disappointing the audience, it will suffer a short-term hatred. Eventually, however, that hatred fades and people see the game, without the hype glasses on, as its true self.

Sure, these other factors — such as nostalgia and current measurements — play a role in the resurgence. Ultimately, it is the lessening of hyper that makes the larger difference and that takes time to overcome.

Let’s end with Final Fantasy XIII. The game had a lot of hype to live up to and failed to do so in many people’s eyes. As time passed and hype eroded, people started rediscovering this game and partook in a different context. While some still had issue with it, the larger hatred softened and the game is getting calls for remasters.

And thus, the cycle is complete.

What do you think? Does time heal all wounds when it comes to perceived bad media? Why do you think people see it differently as time passes? Let us know in the comments below or head over to our Discord channel to join the conversation.

Featured Image: Square Enix (via VG247)

Boss Rush Podcast – A Podcast about Video Games

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