El Presidente
Arcane
This is something I think about quite often, I don't know if anyone else already said it or put it to words better than I am, but could it be that the mix of non-realistic graphics and text heavy storytelling/systems makes for a final product that can't even be considered part of the same category as a modern, full realistic title, the same way you wouldn't consider games and books the same medium?
Things on the screen served as symbols. It's like they were not directly the thing per se, but a lower fidelity representation of it. Because of this, you'd inevitably use your imagination when looking at the game. It makes for a medium that isn't a book but at the same time isn't exactly showing directly the things to you as well. It's like a hybrid in-between of sorts.
And this is also why realistic remakes are all doomed to fail to some degree, as they'll have to take said symbols and pretty much come up with realistic imagery for them. Take this for example:
When you're looking at this you are but at the same time kinda "aren't" seeing Kefka laughing, it's a representation. You fill the gaps in your head. It doesn't look even half as stupid as it would if it was a 1:1 replica of this but with a photorealistic Kefka laughing exactly on this pose. Try to imagine how, for lack of a better word, cringe that would be - and that also wouldn't leave room for your imagination like the pixelart "symbol" Kefka does. Now imagine a FF6 remake as realistic as the one they recently did for FF7. There's simply no way to replicate this 1:1, what they'd do is invent new poses, moves, camera angles, etc, thus completely changing what was before "another medium" essentially.
Try and convince someone younger this is the most epic scene ever:
You can't, cause it's all in your mind... except it's not all in your mind, it's also represented graphically on the screen too... but it kinda "isn't" too... this is what I mean by hybrid and different medium, and this is why I adamantly believe it's not hurr durr le nostalgia rose tinted glasses, we simply prefer this "other medium" that instigates the player's imagination.
Things on the screen served as symbols. It's like they were not directly the thing per se, but a lower fidelity representation of it. Because of this, you'd inevitably use your imagination when looking at the game. It makes for a medium that isn't a book but at the same time isn't exactly showing directly the things to you as well. It's like a hybrid in-between of sorts.
And this is also why realistic remakes are all doomed to fail to some degree, as they'll have to take said symbols and pretty much come up with realistic imagery for them. Take this for example:
When you're looking at this you are but at the same time kinda "aren't" seeing Kefka laughing, it's a representation. You fill the gaps in your head. It doesn't look even half as stupid as it would if it was a 1:1 replica of this but with a photorealistic Kefka laughing exactly on this pose. Try to imagine how, for lack of a better word, cringe that would be - and that also wouldn't leave room for your imagination like the pixelart "symbol" Kefka does. Now imagine a FF6 remake as realistic as the one they recently did for FF7. There's simply no way to replicate this 1:1, what they'd do is invent new poses, moves, camera angles, etc, thus completely changing what was before "another medium" essentially.
Try and convince someone younger this is the most epic scene ever:
You can't, cause it's all in your mind... except it's not all in your mind, it's also represented graphically on the screen too... but it kinda "isn't" too... this is what I mean by hybrid and different medium, and this is why I adamantly believe it's not hurr durr le nostalgia rose tinted glasses, we simply prefer this "other medium" that instigates the player's imagination.
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