Game remakes are interesting things. A really good remake needs to recreate the way we remember a Good Old Game, not necessarily how it actually was. I think we've all experienced going back to play an old game with rose-tinted glasses, only to discover how frustrating and confusing things could be back in the good old days. The System Shock remake feels TOO authentic. Although I never played SS1 (my era was more Deus Ex/SS2) it's a good remake, no doubt. It looks fantastic, retro and cutting edge at the same time. It's exciting to play, darting to avoid laser fire, hoping a grenade hits its mark, the satisfaction of filling out another part of the map or finally unlocking that mystery door. The plot, obviously fresh and exciting in 1994, is rather beyond cliché now, but it's well-told and individual sections (like the emails and audio logs) are fun. That said ... I know purists will disagree, but I wish the developers had been a little more accommodating for the modern gamer. In theory all the information you need can be pieced together in-game, but in practice I found it nigh-on impossible to navigate and progress without a walkthrough open. Modern hand-holding like waypoints would absolutely ruin the game. But would a minimal quest log be too much? Would it be so bad if it logged important passcodes and information? (For example, at one point you unlock a vital code, but it isn't given to you directly: you have to find the place the code now appears, and write it down yourself. None of this was obvious to me.) There's quite a bit of backtracking, which would be fine except that enemies respawn while your ammunition doesn't. So you can get into a frustrating loop where you can't heal yourself because there are new enemies between you and the healing point; you can't destroy the enemies because you have no ammo; you can't go searching for ammo because you have no health. However ... once you re-tune your mind back 30 years, it really is a thrill to play.
Return of the Obra Dinn was one of those games that blew me away, but for years it seemed like no one would ever make a detective game that could possibly compare. Since then, I have played a lot of detective games, and none of them have even come close to Obra Dinn - until Case of the Golden Idol. It is nigh on perfect - 10/10 - 100%. Unlike lesser detective games, the cases are watertight - I never felt frustrated or held back by stupid logic or unclear ideas. The red herrings are believable and when you realise you've been misled, it's a charming feeling of surprise rather than feeling cheated. There are too many "a-ha!" moments to count when you take another look over the evidence and realise you had it all wrong. Even the hint system is great fun and doesn't really take any of the joy out of solving the puzzle yourself. The plot, too, is engrossing - the cast of characters is colourful and well-written, and it's great fun to see the machinations of the various groups involved play out across many years. It can seem a bit hard to follow at times, but all the clues are there and I had a great moment when I finally realised what was happening. The art has a great deal of 90s adventure game charm - the music is nearly up there with the Obra Dinn soundtrack. I thoroughly enjoyed every one of the cases and I hope there is more to come!
