Remake or Remaster - What Defines Both?

The game industry seems to be full of remakes and remasters these days. In fact, there are so many that the difference between a remake and a remaster can get a little confusing. To be fair, it makes sense that many game companies are going all in on revisiting old games. Nostalgia is a powerful thing and marketing toward it can be very successful. However, this wave of classic titles has inspired many arguments over what constitutes a remake or a remaster.

[NecrumOddBoy]

Remaster - Using the framework of the original engine with new assets to polish and enhance the experience.

Remake - Using the original design of the game as an outline but recreated with a new engine and tool sets to modernize the experience.

Reboot - Using the fundamentals of an IP to create the first title of the IP’s new game series with intent to exist apart from the original titles or re-path the chronological timeline of releases.

[blackblades]

Also to add to the remaster, which also a remaster could just be a plain money grabbing port with no new asset or fix or anything just a slap remastered to it

[zaanan]

Did they really change Ellie that much in the remake? I like her original look much better

[Babadook7]

Looks a bit less cartoony now. I’m guessing that the way they do the new rig for capturing facial performance also makes the new version emote a bit more like the actress (Ashley Johnson) doing the performance.

[VenomUK]

I haven’t played the Remaster, but from that screenshot and the clips I’ve seen they’ve made Ellie’s face look older and that detracts from her story of being an innocent young girl who has to adapt to the world she lives in.

[MadLad]

Remasters are usually just graphical overhauls. Typically just in terms of performance and resolution. Maybe some graphical updates here and there.
A remake is TYPICALLY meant to modernize antiquated titles for a new generation, but the term remake is being used fairly loosely as of late.

[MocBistro]

Doesn't the word describe itself?

[CrimsonWing69]

Yes, yes it does, but for some reason people think a Remake is a Remaster or they think a Remake can’t be 1:1. It’s kind of absurd we’re at this point.

I mean when you see a digitally Remastered movie it’s literally cleaned up with visual enhancements and audio. That’s pretty much a remaster for a game, it’s just the max settings PC version that runs better and looks sharper.

A remake of a movie, whether it’s 1:1 or not is literally a movie remade from the ground up. Just like a Remake of a game. It can be 1:1 like freaking Shadow of the Colossus PS4, Demons Souls PS5, Last of Us Part 1, or it can be reimagined like Resident Evil 2 Remake or Final Fantasy VII Remake.

It’s not rocket science but for some reason people call The Last of Us Part 1 a Remaster, but call Demons Souls on PS5 a Remake 🤷‍♂️

Like I don’t get how this happens.

[blackblades]

Some of the ones calling it a remaster were trolls and other were blinded by rage of that $70 tag amongst other things and of course as what you said which people should know difference by now.

[generic-user-name]

This guy gets it. But if you're wondering why people call TLOU Part 1 a remaster but not DS 2020 it's because of saltiness. So they can claim it's "a remaster of a remaster" to be as derogatory as possible towards it. Either for console fanboy reasons or for political anti-ND reasons.

[gleepot]

a remaster is an updated version of an older game, a remake is a rebuilt game from scratch

its not hard

[chicken_in_the_corn]

Gamers still don't know the difference? You would think that they would considering it's all they want from devs.