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'Skyrim Special Edition' audio took a step backward
As a rule, remasters of classic video games are supposed to be clear steps forward in audiovisual quality. However, Bethesda didn't get that memo before launching Skyrim Special Edition. PC and Xbox One owners have noticed that their version of Skyrim is using highly compressed audio that's noticeably worse than in the original release. You're fine if you have the PS4 version (or are willing to modify your PC copy), but it's a rude surprise for everyone else.
'Resident Evil 5' comes to PS4 and Xbox One on June 28th
Capcom's Resident Evil series set the standard for a generation of horror video games -- so it's no surprise that the company is celebrating the franchise's 20th anniversary by selling some of its greatest hits again. In reverse order. Starting with Resident Evil 6 back in March, Capcom has been counting backwards to the game that redefined the series: Resident Evil 4. That coveted release is still awhile out, but if you need a zombie fix right now, there are options. At the end of June, Resident Evil 5 will be available on Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
'Final Fantasy X' re-released again, this time on Steam
Final Fantasy XV finally launches this September, but publisher Square Enix wants you to take a look back in the vaults ahead of that. Final Fantasy X and its direct sequel X-2 got the HD remaster treatment on PlayStation 4 last year and now the double pack is headed to PCs by way of Steam. That means a remastered soundtrack, better-looking graphics and a few bits and bobs from the International Editions like a special boss fight mode for the first. No word on improved voice acting, though. However, there's a quasi-Pokémon feature that allows for capturing and training enemy monsters to use as their own during battles -- something first seen in the second launch of FFX-2 in Japan. It's confusing, okay?
The 'Resident Evil' 20th anniversary means more re-releases
Ready to re-buy Resident Evil 4 again? This time for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One? Well, you'll be able to do that this year, but not before developer/publisher Capcom drops gussied-up versions of Resident Evil 6's hot garbage and the divisive Resident Evil 5 first. Come March 29th, the absolute mess that's better known as RE6 will hit the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live stores for $20, with RE 5's African adventure starting sometime this summer and the series' modern highpoint, RE 4, releasing this fall.
'Beyond: Two Souls' hits PS4 next week
When it comes to story-driven gameplay, few developers are quite as ambitious as Quantic Dream. We already knew that its PS3 titles, Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls, were coming to PS4, and now we've got some release dates. Beyond is coming out digitally next week: November 24th in the US ($29.99) and November 26th in Europe (€29.99/£24.99). If you buy the game that way, you'll also get access to a discounted version of Heavy Rain -- it's due on March 1st in the US, but it's not clear exactly when it'll be available digitally elsewhere. For Europe, Quantic Dream has confirmed a physical bundle called, unsurprisingly, The Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls Collection. That'll arrive on March 4th in the UK and March 2nd for the rest of Europe. There's no word on pricing, and we suspect that's roughly when Heavy Rain will launch digitally across the continent.
The original 'Valkyria Chronicles' heads to PS4 in HD (in Japan)
Valkyria Chronicles, Sega's strategy RPG that hit the PlayStation 3 in 2008, is getting an HD upgrade for a launch on PS4, Famitsu reports (as translated by Gematsu). The remake is confirmed for a release in Japan on February 10th, with no mention of North American plans just yet. Sega is also working on a new entry in the series, Valkyria: Azure Revolution, slated to hit Japanese PS4s in winter 2016, according to Gematsu. Valkyria Chronicles debuted on PC in November 2014, and while that wasn't an HD remake, it featured dual-language support, Steam Achievements, customization options and all previously released DLC -- not bad for $20.
'Uncharted' for beginners: My first romp with Nathan Drake
I am the 80 percent. Let me explain: Sony recently released a remastered collection of the Uncharted series for the PlayStation 4. The games were all critically acclaimed, with Uncharted 2: Among Thieves ranking among the best games of the last decade, but developer Naughty Dog says that 80 percent of PS4 owners have never played them. I'm part of that group, and I figured it was high time to catch up with one of the most lauded trilogies of the last decade. Now that I'm in the thick of Nathan Drake's adventures, I'm going to answer one question: If you've never played Uncharted, are these games worth your time?
Playdate: Revisiting 'Uncharted' in 'The Nathan Drake Collection'
PlayStation doesn't have an official mascot character, but if it did, developer Naughty Dog's Nathan Drake would probably fit the bill. Much like Microsoft did last year with Halo: The Master Chief Collection to get fans ready for Halo 5: Guardians on Xbox One, Sony's gone back and revamped the three main Uncharted games and put them into Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection to prep folks for next spring's Uncharted 4: A Thief's End on PlayStation 4. How do the eight, six and four year old games hold up? And was the remastering really necessary? Tune in on this post, Twitch.tv/joystiq (if you'd like to join us in chat) or the Engadget Gaming homepage at 6pm Eastern / 3pm Pacific as myself and Sean Buckley find out.
The 1998 'Battlezone' remake is getting remastered
The trends of remaking and remastering classic games just kicked into overdrive. Rebellion (best known for its Sniper Elite games) has revealed that it's developing not just a virtual reality version of the original Battlezone, but a refresh of the 1998 Battlezone title for PCs -- yes, it's a remake getting a remaster. It's too soon to know what this new version will entail, although it'll probably be fun if it maintains the 'original' mix of tank-based action, real-time strategy and an alternate-history space race. Let's just hope that someone doesn't try to re-do the remaster a decade from now... that would be a bit much.
'Shenmue' and 'Streets of Rage' tunes are headed to vinyl
When it comes to classic Sega games, they don't get much bigger (or better) than Shenmue and Streets of Rage. They were released more than eight years apart and on completely different consoles, but they share an important trait: incredible sound. Now, as Polygon reports, a London-based record label called Data Discs is planning to release both soundtracks on vinyl later this year. They'll be priced at £19.99 (roughly $31) and pressed on 180 gram vinyl, complete with lithographic artwork prints. The company is also working with Streets of Rage composer Yuzo Koshiro to remaster the tunes from the side-scrolling beat 'em up, ensuring fans get the best experience possible on their turntables. Pre-orders start on May 30th and there are "exclusive editions" for those who spend their cash early, however the first wave of records isn't expected to leave the warehouse until September.
Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy remastered for Steam, iOS
The "definitive version" of Quantic Dream's Indigo Prophecy is now available on PC, Mac and Linux via Steam as well as iOS. Crafted by porting specialist Aspyr Media, the updated version of the "supernatural murder mystery game" goes by the name Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Remastered as a nod to the 2005 adventure's European name. Players can download it for $9.99 (€8.99 / £6.99). Aspyr noted in its FAQ that there is "absolutely no cut or censored content in this version" of the game. Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Remastered features updated graphics that can be toggled on and off on the fly and controller support across all platforms. While the Heavy Rain developer's original game was capped at a resolution of 1024 × 768, Aspyr said the remastered version supports native resolutions up to 2880 × 1800. Aspyr claimed it "gave every texture in the game a facelift," giving some elements four times the detail as the original game, but the 2 GB size limit on iOS forced remastered textures to only double in size in the mobile version. While it won't provide a release date just yet, the developer did add that an Android version of Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy is in the works. [Image: Aspyr Media]
Majora's Mask 3D bundle sports a Skull Kid figurine
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D will receive a limited edition bundle at the game's launch that includes a Skull Kid figurine. The $50 bundle doesn't include any of the goodies packed in to Europe's special edition, as Nintendo noted that it only features a copy of the game and the figurine. The publisher has yet to offer a launch date for the remastered game. Nintendo announced plans to remake Majora's Mask for 3DS during a Nintendo Direct livestream in November. The original game launched in 2000 for Nintendo 64, putting series hero Link in the doomed land of Terminus, months after the events of the other cherished Zelda game for the system, Ocarina of Time. Word of a possible 3D remake of Majora's Mask began in November 2011, when series producer Eiji Aonuma said the publisher was "seriously considering" it following the success of Ocarina of Time's own 3DS remake. [Image: Nintendo]
The Last of Us Revisited: Hearts of darkness
If you're experienced, playing The Last of Us again is not easy. For any PlayStation 3 owners who already marched through the dark recesses of Naughty Dog's post-civilization adventure, you know just how hard it is to play. Ellie and Joel's journey across America, chasing a faint hope for a cure to a decades-old mushroom-zombie epidemic, cannot be described as happy fun times. The peaks and valleys of their friendship are Naughty Dog's most affecting story beats, its desperation-inflected combat and exploration expert lessons in linear game making, but all its many pleasures don't change the fact that The Last of Us is relentlessly grim. Darkness, ugliness, and authentic brutality haunt every hour of the game Joystiq dubbed its favorite of 2013. If you've already played The Last of Us and its downloadable chapter "Left Behind," it's not an essential purchase on PlayStation 4, though it does have its merits. If, however, you're among those newfound PS4 owners who skipped out on PS3 and you're willing to brave an emotional abyss in search of catharsis: The Last of Us: Remastered is the best game playable on the console for a variety of reasons.
What Final Fantasy X did differently over X years ago
I've been replaying Final Fantasy X in its remastered form on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita, curious to see if it matches my memory of the original. These are some of the things it did differently back in 2001: "Listen to my story." The story of Final Fantasy X is told from the perspective of Tidus, a young sports star who looks like a bleary-eyed Meg Ryan cosplaying as Prince. On the eve of his big game of Blitzball, a sadistic, underwater spin on soccer, the hosting city of Zanarkand is pulverized by a mercurial blob. Tidus gets sucked into its amorphous mouth and wakes up 1,000 years into the future, as you do. None of this is especially weird for Final Fantasy, but making the protagonist and the narrator the same person is a unique choice for Final Fantasy X, which ironically casts expert swimmer Tidus as the fish out of water. His personal telling is tinged with bitterness over being flung so far from home, and it colors our view of how religion rules the new land of Spira. Tidus plays along when he's taught a religious gesture for greeting the devoted, for example, but awkwardly recognizes it as a Blitzball cheer from the old world. As an additional indignity, nobody believes Tidus anyway: The hero doesn't have amnesia for a change, but everyone thinks he does.
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster comes with physical bonuses too
This video for Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster explores the additional goodies that Collector's and Limited Edition buyers can expect when the remakes arrive on March 18, including the bonus artbook and visual soundtrack found in the Collector's Edition of the game.
Rumor: Final Fantasy X HD includes FFX-2 HD, PS Vita versions separate downloads
Rumors from Japan suggest the upcoming remaster of Final Fantasy X – remember, it's not a remake – will come bundled with another game on PS3: a remastered version of its direct sequel, Final Fantasy X-2. Though each will supposedly be sold on a single PS3 disc, the latest issue of Japanese mag Shonen Jump says they'll be separately available on Vita.The remaster of Final Fantasy X was first announced back in late 2011, only for Square Enix to go silent for almost the next two years. The HD version resurfaced last month, when Square Enix producer Shinji Hashimoto gave us a brief glimpse at the game running on PS Vita. Square Enix has said an announcement with further details regarding the Final Fantasy X remaster is coming "soon."[Thanks, Draco.]
Doom 3 'BFG Edition' bringing Hellspawn to retail on Oct. 16 in NA, Oct. 19 in EU
Smack in the middle of the busiest game release season of the year, Bethesda is re-launching Doom 3. The publisher announced this morning that Doom 3 "BFG Edition" – which includes "re-mastered versions" of Doom 3 and its "Resurrection of Evil" DLC, as well as the new content dubbed "The Lost Mission" – arrives on October 16 in North America and October 19 in Europe.Should all that Doom 3 content not be enough, both Doom 1 and 2 are included in the repackaging, and the whole schebang runs $39.99 on 360/PS3, while it's $10 cheaper on PC. Of course, if you wanna play it in virtual reality, Lawnmower Man-style, that's gonna require a heck of a lot more money. And being friends with John Carmack would also help.
Don't call it a remake: Final Fantasy X is a 'remaster,' to be clear
While regaling Chinese Final Fantasy fans with tales of upcoming downloadable content headed to Final Fantasy XIII-2 during the Taipei Game Show, Square Enix producer Shinji Hashimoto also took time to answer fan questions about various FF projects. One such question directed at Hashimoto wondered if the upcoming PlayStation 3 and Vita re-rerelease of Final Fantasy X would be a "remake" (like the recent re-release of Halo: Combat Evolved) or a "remaster" (like last fall's Ico/Shadow of the Colossus collection).Hashimoto left little space for interpretation of his answer, directly stating it is a "remaster." He also pointed out that "the screen is much prettier than the original," though we're unable to corroborate that just yet as the game hasn't even been mentioned since its announcement last fall at Tokyo Game Show 2011, let alone shown.We've followed up with Square's US reps to see when we might hear more about the upcoming Vita and PS3 remaster, but aren't holding our breath for new info.[Image credit: GNN.Gamer.tw]
Sony to remaster select PSP titles for PlayStation 3, allow cross-device continuous gameplay
As much as you love your PSP, we suspect that its low graphics definition is starting to bug even the most devoted fans. Sure, you can wait for the almighty NGP, but for the time being, Sony's offering the next best thing for you game connoisseurs: the PSP Remaster series for PlayStation 3. As the name says for itself, Sony will be porting select portable game titles to the PS3 in high-def Blu-ray flavor, and some may even come with new add-on content plus stereoscopic 3D support. But that's not all: gamers will also be able to share game save data between the two platforms, meaning you can pick up where you left off on your preferred device. Pretty neat, though it'll be interesting to see how much Sony and the studios wants to charge for what are essentially the same games you already own. The first PSP Remaster title announced is Monster Hunter Portable 3rd, but this is only heading to Japan at an unknown date -- gamers in other countries will just have to keep squinting at the PSP for now.
Akira Blu-ray remastering process detailed
Akira has hit in high definition before, but never like this. Blu-ray.com went in depth with the on the process of remastering the movie for its upcoming Blu-ray release and anime fans will want to check out. It seems like every classic movie release talks about taking Blu-ray to its limits, but it certainly appears this release is getting every opportunity to look and sound its best. For all the audio / video bitrate and color corrected by hand details punch the read link before the disc comes to shelves February 24.
