Gamers Are Arguing About Whether Remakes Should Be Eligible For GOTY
14.11.2023 - 16:27
/ thegamer.com
Last night, the Game of the Year nominees were announced, and headlining the titular award itself are Alan Wake 2, Baldur's Gate 3, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and Resident Evil 4. It's the last one on that list that has sparked controversy, as many are now arguing over whether a remake should be eligible for GOTY.
"Maybe a hot take, but I don't think remakes should be nominated for GOTY," @Fightincowboy tweeted, getting over 2,900 likes at the time of writing. "I thought Resident Evil 4 was a five-out-of-five game, but it's weird to me that a remake takes priority for a nomination over a new game. I'd be fine with a new category for best remake/remaster. I just think it's weird to see a remake of an existing title get a chance over something that's fresh and new."
It doesn't promote originality, it promotes complacency and redoing what we know works.
While Resident Evil 4 is a remake, it's still a brand-new game, built from the ground up with new mechanics and gameplay while utilising aspects of the cut beta content and dramatically altering the tone and atmosphere.
"Hard disagree," @JayLiftsDaily replied. "It's a new game that released this year. [It] gives you a new experience, there are people who got to play it for the first time. It would be weirder to force a different nomination over a 'remake' that deserves GOTY."
"A remake is still pretty largely a new project, especially if we're talking about the Resident Evil remakes," @ComradeDom22 added. "Maybe there should be a separate category for remakes or something but they definitely still deserve recognition".
It's a divisive point, but plenty in the comments agree with the original post. "I think part of the problem is that remakes have become so popular that they have taken up most of the industry's attention (resources) for high-quality output," @ewmpsi said.
"Yeah, kinda agree," @SmoughTown replied. "Dead Space Remake was such a blast, some of the best fun I've had... but didn't even cross my mind to have a GOTY nomination."
Wherever you land, the Resident Evil 4 remake is in the running this year, setting a precedent that they are in fact eligible. Perhaps we'll see Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth crop up in 2024, but in the meantime, many are calling for overhauls to categories, new ones to be added, and a clearer cutoff point.
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