Black Mesa and Remakes

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Armagon917

Armagon917

TOAST
Mar 6, 2008
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Can't wait to play the remake of Half Life/Black Mesa Source.
for those who haven't seen it,
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/43237.html

Valve in particular has done quite well with a certain remake and this got me thinking. What would be involved and would it be a sound move to do a completely accurate remake of UT99 using Unreal Engine 3? Would this be a good idea and how many other games could this type of thing be applied to.

I'm pretty sure a remake of UT99 with new assets, materials, meshes, in general an updated look would sell really well. Theres DOOM3, and the point is that there are really great ideas implemented in old games that could be reinvisioned or simply converted to newer technology. TES Morrowind, System Shock, and Unreal. Imagine if the original Unreal was attempted with what id Software did with DOOM 3. Any takers on that? Quake III Arena to id Tech 5.

Black Mesa Source got this idea rattling around in my head and I am curious how well you guys think this kind of thing would work, yes,no if so what games? Obviously fresh ideas are best but maybe a remake would be a shorter dev cycle since you know exactly what the end product already is.
 
F

Fuzz

Enigma
Jan 19, 2008
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Nostalgia warning!

I love remakes. HL was a game with great replay value. That is awesome. Almost a spoiler thou.

A remake of Unreal and Unreal Tournament would be great. I have played those games many times and I hate to see them up on the shelve just because of their lesser graphics and details.
 
Zarniwoop

Zarniwoop

is cool
Jan 20, 2008
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I've been following Black Mesa's progress for a while. I like remakes, but only if they come a long time after the original product, and remake more than just the graphics.
 
Dark Pulse

Dark Pulse

Dolla, Dolla. Holla, Holla.
Sep 12, 2004
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We tried that, and it almost worked. Unreal Tournament Revolution, anyone?

Shame that we couldn't get the help we needed to finish it. :(

And there is Unreal Evolution under works for UT3... but things there are mostly pretty quiet. Probably because of the insane amount of stuff that has to be redone. :p
 
F

Fuzz

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What I would like to see in a remake is probably the one-to-one replication but with modern level of detail, quality and effects in the current engine. You have the original in mind and try to figure out the best way to do exactly the same thing today. It must feel like the original felt the first time you played it. It's easy to achieve that because people want to recognize the elements, they just have to look alike, sound alike and play alike.
 
StalwartUK

StalwartUK

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Feb 12, 2008
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There isn't much point in remakes as they don't generally do anything new and will always be in the shadow of their predecessor. As for stuff like Unreal and System Shock, SEQUEL!
 
KaiserWarrior

KaiserWarrior

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Aug 5, 2008
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ambershee said:
Woop-de****ing-do. Is it really that important?
Click to expand...

It makes the experience more enjoyable.

In the end, gameplay is what matters, which is why we still play ancient games to this day. And though we can ignore the graphical lack in them, and even come to appreciate it (8- and 16-bit graphics have a certain, timeless charm), the fact is that modern graphics are more visually pleasing.

So when you take a great game that is fun to play in its own right, and remove the only flaw in it (outdated graphics), you just made a great experience better. And that is well worth paying for, IMO. The same can often be said for sound, especially remixing original chiptune music with modern musical capabilities. When done right, it breathes new life into a classic and beloved soundtrack.
 
F

Fuzz

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Jan 19, 2008
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I would like a sequel to Unreal. Unreal II is not really a sequel at all, it's a different storyline with different characters, presumably set in the same universe at a later time. The Unreal series never got any justice at that point. You can argue that Unreal II is a good game, yes you're probably right, but the storyline and characters are still wrong.

I would love to see a sequel in UE3 as well as a remake and please continue the storyline and adventure in the same spirit and environment. Also being able to play as any character rather than one male is very important for most players. I really don't like that shortcoming in Unreal II and Unreal Tournament III.
 
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ZenPirate

ZenPirate

Living Legend (and moderator)
Nov 21, 2000
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ambershee said:
Woop-de****ing-do. Is it really that important?
Click to expand...


Depends on the title. I would kill for Sonic the Hedgehog 1&2 untouched, except for HD graphics and sound. I'd imagine Final Fantasy 7 with a modern engine would be an outstanding game.
 
Armagon917

Armagon917

TOAST
Mar 6, 2008
339
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The Woodlands, Texas
Black Mesa looks great and I have to say this is an awesome thread. That said.
A UT99 reamke I think would be cool because it would have a quick turnaround. Weapon balance, and in general the core gameplay would be the same as well as levels. I agree that it really depends on the game. Which one would really be worth it.

I think that Unreal has a lot of potential as a remake. Reuse assets from Gears or UT3 where you can and so on. Put a decent size team at EPIC on it, get it out quickly and you make most Unreal fans happy and introduce the IP to new gamers/those that missed it the first time around. It seems like it would be a good move business wise. As for UT99, can you guys honestly say that you wouldn't play an Unreal Engine 3 powered version of the game?

I say EPIC needs to make the "Unreal Box" with remakes. OK "need" maybe not but it would be cool IMO. Black Mesa is fantastic because now you can play the entire series at the same graphical fidelity. This isn't a serious thing that I feel MUST happen just something that would be cool and entertaining which is what games are supposed to be.
 
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Armagon917

Armagon917

TOAST
Mar 6, 2008
339
0
0
The Woodlands, Texas
KaiserWarrior said:
It makes the experience more enjoyable.

In the end, gameplay is what matters, which is why we still play ancient games to this day. And though we can ignore the graphical lack in them, and even come to appreciate it (8- and 16-bit graphics have a certain, timeless charm), the fact is that modern graphics are more visually pleasing.

So when you take a great game that is fun to play in its own right, and remove the only flaw in it (outdated graphics), you just made a great experience better. And that is well worth paying for, IMO. The same can often be said for sound, especially remixing original chiptune music with modern musical capabilities. When done right, it breathes new life into a classic and beloved soundtrack.
Click to expand...

^awesome. Hit the nail on the head.
 
Airmoran

Airmoran

Construct
Nov 9, 2004
2,075
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ambershee said:
I despise remakes. What's the point when the original is a perfectly good, playable game?
Click to expand...
...'cause it's not the original game?

The mod looks like it wants to re-imagine a lot. The better question is, what's wrong with another, perfectly good, playable game?

Having that said, Black Mesa gets hyped once a month every 6 months on every corner of the internet. Yeah, it looks good. It looked good a year ago. Then a year before that. At this point, the only thing I'll care about it is if it's out or not.
 
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