What is making Octopath Traveler an aesthetic view of gaming? How does an RPG work into it?
When we saw Octopath Traveler, my first thought was that Square Enix had found a gold mine to bring back their great classics. The HD-2D aesthetic, as they baptized it, was ideal for bringing to the present the great RPGs of the Japanese factory (which are not few). We were not the only ones who thought so, and for this reason, the Japanese have made some remakes of impressive quality. What we did not imagine is that the graceful titles would be… so to speak, somewhat unknown.
One was from a JRPG we had barely heard of: Live A Live. Despite its low popularity, especially considering that it was originally released in Japan, we described that work as “an exemplary remake”. It was not for less, because artistically it was beautiful, and playability it was unique. Another recent remake is that of Star Ocean First Departure, the first game in the saga, released on SNES, and which received a wonderful update. The next step for Square Enix? One that we did not expect (at least me).
The JRPG remakes that (almost) nobody is asking for
Star Ocean The Second Story R is the title chosen to receive a new remake, and the truth is that we want to play it just because of how beautiful it looks. The title originally released on PlayStation has received a complete audiovisual transformation, with 3D environments and characters designed in the classic 2D sprites that generate so much nostalgia for us marvellous. Let’s say it’s the HD-2D aesthetic that we mentioned before, but this time combined with three-dimensional graphics. You only have to see the trailer to realize that it is an absolute genius.
Now what we are now wondering is: how long is Square Enix going to wait to give us such a remake of beloved games like Chrono Trigger? The RPG has received a handful of adaptations, passing through machines like the Nintendo DS and more recently on PC with a version that was initially released with a lot of deficiencies (thankfully they were fixed). And what about Final Fantasy VI? This jewel had a version for GBA and a “pixel remaster” edition recently appeared, which was not bad at all, although it was far from what we longed for the most.
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All of us who grew up with these games wished for a remake to match, and that doesn’t happen by simply bringing the games back to be seen in high definition. We want to see them like Octopath Traveler or Triangle Strategy, that is, with the original pixel-art essence, but with everything redone from scratch, which is what a remake is by definition. You know: increase the colour palette, add animations, suggest all kinds of effects and in short, design precious scenes that will leave us speechless, and incidentally allow us to play these classics as if they were novelties.
Dragon Quest III Remake
Square Enix’s recent proposal to remake Dragon Quest III under the HD-2D technique is one of the best news we have received in recent times. Being a follower of Enix’s creation. We are excited that this title is going to be protected, which on its day of release sold a million copies in Japan: amazing. However, although this adaptation looks phenomenal, nothing has been heard for two years, which makes me wonder many things.
Is Square Enix having problems carrying out remakes of great classics? Perhaps that is why he has started with lesser-known titles, to gain experience. Or maybe it’s that the Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VI remakes require more resources or development time. Several creatives have already been delighted with the idea, so… who knows? They may be in development and we don’t know about it. Although it could also be the case that they are not yet in the works, because this company never knows what is going to surprise you next (for better or for worse).
Chrono Trigger (PC)
So at the moment, we have remakes of very interesting titles, but in reality, hardly anyone is asking for them. The moment may come when they surprise us when after so long they gave us FFVII Remake, which turned out very well and was completely worth the wait (even if it was many years). We’ll see what happens with the case of Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VI, but it seems that they are also thinking a lot. What do you think?