Gaming like it's 1999

It's the age of remakes. Last weekend saw the release of Capcom's "Resident Evil 3," a remake of the 1999 PlayStation game of nearly the same name.

Like it's predecessor, last year's "Resident Evil 2" remake, "Resident Evil 3" is excellent in just about everything it does.

From a gameplay stand point, it features tight controls, smartly crafted environments, and fun mechanics to master. Graphically, the Resident Evil engine has proven to be a top-notch gaming engine, capable of delivering impressive visuals without needing high end hardware.

Capcom knows how to make use of that engine as well, using it to create breathtakingly atmospheric locations, horrifying monsters, and realistic looking characters. And these characters are portrayed by talented actors utilizing state-of-the-art motion capture performances to deliver a cinematic like experience to the game, a far cry from the awkward B-movie dialogue that defined the original.

In short, Capcom's recent series of Resident Evil remakes are a testament to what can be accomplished in a video game.

There just isn't enough of it.

If there is one critique that has been universal across both games, it's that they are sorely lacking in content.

One would think that modern technology would allow Capcom to expand on the foundation laid by the original games. Instead, these games have largely been defined by what didn't make the cut. In the case of "Resident Evil 3," the newly released game is shorter than its predecessor and omits several iconic locations, bosses, and features.

Such is the dangers of expecting modern day production values to recreate twenty year old games.

The original "Resident Evil 3: Nemesis" for the PlayStation was developed in about a year and a half. Its remake, in contrast, has been in development for twice that time, and yet it's still coming up short.

Which is no surprise. Game development today is nothing like it was twenty years ago. Back in the day, a cutscene of characters talking was nothing more than some voiceover playing while polygonal characters made wild motions with their arms.

Today, it's suiting actors up in motion capture suits and somehow turning that into a 3D movie playing out in a game.

Modern technology lets us do really cool things, but it's not quick and it's not cheap.

So yes, while I lament that the remake of "Resident Evil 3" feels lacking in content, I understand that you can only do so much before your game has to ship.

But is there an alternative to releasing an abridged remake of a beloved game?

Maybe. We'll find out this week when Square-Enix releases "Final Fantasy VII Remake."

It feels like a recipe for disaster. After all, if Capcom can't remake a Resident Evil game without axing a third of its content and making it feel like an unfinished product, how in the world is Square-Enix going to remake a 60+ hour RPG to modern standards?

Moreover, it looks like there's every indication that "Final Fantasy VII Remake" will be largely expanding on the story, going into even further detail than the original did.

The secret, as those who have followed the multi-year development of the project already know, is that "Final Fantasy VII Remake" is also going to be an unfinished product. Except in this case, that's by design.

The game coming out this week is merely part one of a yet to be determined number of games that will, hopefully, eventually cover the entire saga. Rather than trying to remake the entire game in one go, which would doubtlessly result in scores of cut content, Square-Enix is putting their full effort into a fraction of the original game's story and betting that you'll enjoy it enough to buy the next installment.

It's a bold choice, but I think I may prefer it to the alternative.

It's not like getting a full story in installments is new to gaming. The "Mass Effect" trilogy was just that. A trilogy. Each game satisfactory on its own, but also part of an overarching plot. The "Uncharted" and "Tomb Raider" franchises are in similar states.

If buying the game in three parts is what it takes to get the full experience, and then some, so be it. Better than the alternative of buying an unfinished product once and having it stay unfinished forever.

Travis Fischer is a news writer for Mid-America Publishing and didn't think he'd spend so much of 2020 playing remade games from the 90s.