Are Remakes Killing Original Games?

When Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Resident Evil 4, and The Last of Us Part I hit the shelves, fans knew what they were getting. Nostalgia, polish, and plenty of marketing. But as remakes and remasters continue to dominate release calendars, some are beginning to ask the uncomfortable question: are original ideas in gaming being pushed aside?

It is not a new debate, but it is growing louder, especially as independent developers struggle to get noticed and big studios appear more focused on revisiting past successes.

A safe bet in uncertain times

For publishers, remakes are attractive for obvious reasons. They come with built-in fanbases, familiar characters, and proven mechanics. In a risk-averse industry, where development costs for blockbuster titles regularly exceed £100 million, returning to a game that worked once is seen as a safer investment than creating something from scratch.

“When you consider the cost of failure, a remake of a well-loved game starts to look like a smart move,” says Maria Lowe, a game development consultant based in Sheffield. “You already know there’s an audience, you already have the world-building in place, and it often just comes down to updating graphics and systems.”

In some cases, those updates are more substantial. The Resident Evil remakes, for example, have not only overhauled visuals and controls but also made significant narrative changes. Critics have praised them as examples of how to do a remake well, reinterpreting rather than simply recycling.

But not all efforts are as ambitious. Some titles are essentially repackaged versions of the originals, sometimes sold at full price, and with minimal new content. In 2023, The Last of Us Part I was re-released less than a decade after the original PS4 remaster, raising eyebrows among players who questioned whether graphical upgrades alone justified the £70 price tag.

Remakes: A risk to creativity?

The concern for many players is not that remakes exist, but that they are becoming the dominant form of output for major studios.

Looking at recent and upcoming releases, many of the biggest titles are either remakes, sequels, or adaptations. From Metal Gear Solid Δ to Silent Hill 2, the trend is hard to ignore. Meanwhile, wholly original AAA games — those not based on existing properties — have become relatively rare.

“It used to be that the biggest games each year were new ideas. Now they’re mostly remakes or sequels,” says Chris Molyneux, who runs a retro gaming community in Manchester. “I get the nostalgia, but it feels like we’re stuck in a loop.”

There are exceptions. Elden Ring and Death Stranding, for example, offered fresh concepts from big-name creators. But these are often the outliers, not the norm.

Independent developers are still innovating, of course, but they often lack the marketing power and visibility of the major publishers. A groundbreaking game made by a small team can still struggle to find an audience in a marketplace dominated by familiar titles.

What players want

Remakes do sell — and often sell well. Capcom reported that Resident Evil 4 Remake sold over five million copies in its first year. Meanwhile, Square Enix’s remake of Final Fantasy VII has been a commercial success across multiple instalments.

For many players, these releases are welcome. They offer a chance to relive games from their youth, often with improvements that make them more accessible or enjoyable. In some cases, they provide an introduction to classic titles for younger audiences who missed them the first time around.

“Not everyone had a PS1 or a GameCube,” says Zara Hopkins, a game streamer based in Leeds. “A good remake means a new generation gets to experience a story that deserves to be remembered.”

But there is a line between celebrating the past and ignoring the present. When most major releases each year are remakes or remasters, players may start to wonder what they are missing out on.

A balancing act

Game studios are in a tough position. Rising costs, cautious investors, and high player expectations make remakes an appealing solution. But an industry that relies too heavily on its past may find itself stagnating.

There is also the risk that younger studios and original IPs are pushed to the margins. Creative risk-taking is vital for any medium to evolve, but it becomes harder to justify when publishers can rely on nostalgia-fuelled hits.

Some have suggested that remakes could support creativity, rather than replace it. A financially successful remake could, in theory, fund the development of new projects. But whether that happens depends on priorities set behind closed doors.

At the moment, the market still seems to reward familiarity.

Looking ahead

The remake trend shows no signs of slowing down. With titles like Max Payne, Knights of the Old Republic, and even Minecraft being rumoured or confirmed for re-releases, publishers are clearly banking on our collective appetite for the past.

But players are also showing signs of fatigue. On forums and social media, the excitement that once greeted remakes has become more cautious. Fans are asking for balance, not the abandonment of remakes, but a future where they sit alongside, not instead of, fresh ideas.

In the end, the gaming industry, like any other, will reflect the audience it serves. If players keep buying remakes, publishers will keep making them. But if demand shifts towards originality and experimentation, studios may be forced to rethink the formula.

Whether that shift happens or not is, for now, anyone’s game.