I’m always intrigued when I see a remaster or a remake of an older game or franchise announced. I often however, rarely get a chance to play them. My time is usually taken up by a new, fresh release or the current multiplayer game I’m playing with friends. To replay a game from my past, it would take something special. Something that I haven’t experienced from another game for a while.
My interest was piqued then when I read that the Syphon Filter name had recently been trademarked by Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe (reported on Push Square). As every article you’ll read on this will suggest, a trademark is a tentative link to an actual release, although it does happen (see my recent article on the Gameboy trademark for examples). Sony may just be protecting the name, they could be preparing for a new game, a remaster or listing an original game on PSN or PlayStation Now. The possibilities are, well, not endless but many.
Sony Interactive Entertainment has trademarked Syphon Filter in Europe. pic.twitter.com/XrPQDwRkgL
— Gematsu (@gematsucom) November 10, 2017
The original developer SIE Bend, formerly Eidetic, are currently making Days Gone, which has yet to have a release date attached to it. From what we’ve seen of it the third person choose your play style that Syphon Filter was known for is definitely present. Whilst it’s not an equivalent or a modern society set spy thriller it definitely pulls from Bends experience. Two videos they have released show the same scenario but at different times of day and a different season. This gave two differing play styles with both pulling elements from action and stealth. This makes me think that perhaps their modified version of the unreal 4 engine could be put to other use. That a Syphon Filter remaster or remake is feasible.
As no date has been revealed for Days Gone could we see Syphon Filter appear to plug a scheduling gap? Sony have a slate of exclusive games coming in the first six months of 2018, none with confirmed dates except Shadow of the Colossus, and Days Gone was rumoured to be a late 2017, early 2018 game. Unless we get a big announcement at PlayStation Experience I think Days Gone is coming later in 2018 than intended. A Syphon Filter remaster could ease that news for fans and provide something to tide them over, if they’re not into Spiderman, God of War or the numerous third party games coming such as Red Dead Redemption 2.
Days Gone
With a big list of games coming out in early 2018 is there really room for another remaster? I definitely don’t have time between a young family, work and all the new games to play something I’ve played before, unless it’s something I think I’ll really enjoy a second time around, or something I missed on its original release. Even without having the time for them I am glad that remasters are being made. Apart from the obvious “it makes them money” comments, think how well Crash N’sane trilogy did, I feel it shows the publisher or the developer care about their older franchises. That they think about their roots and the roots of their systems and player base. That these older, often acclaimed games are worth younger fans and new comers to the modern systems experiencing.
With all this said there are new versions of several older games coming out that I’m going to make time for:
Okami HD
Releasing just in time for Christmas on 12th December Okami is a game I never finished. It’s beautiful but I bounced off it when I rented it on original release. I played more and throughly enjoyed it when borrowing from a friend, knowing I had more time with it perhaps, and I always bring it up when discussing game aesthetics. I’m very excited to experience this again.
Shadow of the Colossus
Kicking off 2018 strong is Shadow of the Colossus. I had a similar experience with SotC as I did with Okami. Playing perhaps half of the game close to original release its sense of scale, isolation and achievement are fantastic, but janky controls and camera put my younger self off. If these elements have been improved with the remake with the updated graphics it will be a must play for me.
Resident Evil 2
Another from Capcom. We know it’s in development but that’s currently about it. If the Resident Evil remake is anything to go by then we’ll be onto a winner. A revised control scheme, with those fixed point cameras, that sense of dread and tension punctuated with action (and a lot of running away) and perhaps some new voice work will create a fantastic version of this game. I remember putting a ton of hours into both Resident Evil and RE2 as a teenager and, whilst we have a lot of horror games equivalent to them today, these two games really got me into the horror genre.
Writing about this has also made me pine for the other game series that gave me my horror fix, Silent Hill. We’re never getting another one are we, not a remake, a remaster nor a new game. Fuck Konami.
Final Fantasy 7
Knowing this is coming put me off buying the re-release on PS4 this year. I’ve played that game, multiple times. It’s one of my favourite games ever. So I’m super excited for this remake. I don’t care if it is episodic or a full game not released for a couple of years. I don’t care give it to me. I’ll turn away all other game released for it (unless Cyberpunk 2077 comes out at a similar time, then my head might explode).
We might find out more about Syphon Filter, Days Gone or the Final Fantasy 7 remake during Playstation Experience. Then again no news is good news, right?
Which remake or remaster has you excited? Let me know in the comments, lets discuss it, or tweet me @Nova_47.
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