Batman: Return To Arkham - 8 Ways It Proves Remasters Are Totally Ridiculous
1. There Are Way Too Many Of Them
Despite all these critiques, arguments can be made that Return to Arkham has a reason to exist. Arkham Asylum and City were two of the most influential games to have been released in the past decade, as studios everywhere have looked towards the series' blend of stealth and action to affect their own licensed miracles. Shadow of Mordor, apart from being an amazing game in its own right, was extremely derivative of the Arkham brand, and I've yet to see a period where licensed titles have enjoyed such critical and commercial reverence.
This was all kickstarted by Rocksteady's relationship with Batman, so whilst I may lament the rise of remasters everywhere, to an extent, a release celebrating the studio's achievements doesn't feel at all disingenuous.
Most remakes today however, are of games that were of little consequence when they initially debuted. Deadpool, Resident Evil 5 and even Dead Island have all been the beneficiaries of remastered content. Whereas certain titles released at the end of the generation certainly warrant a fresh veneer (GTA V, for example), none of these titles could possibly justify a reason for being remade, especially when they all received mixed to downright negative reviews upon release. Even more are on the way too, illustrating that this much derided aspect of the gaming market is showing no signs of stopping.
If a title is culturally significant, impactful, or critically revered, then yes, it probably should be revisited once its shown its age. However, the exhausting quantity of remakes making their way to current-gen consoles is approaching levels beyond parody.
Arkham may certainly not be the biggest offender, but its addition to the ranks of remakes long past their welcome can only be described as regrettable. If companies are going to try and milk our nostalgia, maybe they should try looking at what made these games so special in the first place.