The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim Special Edition has me at odds with myself.
As an old-school gamer and collector, I was initially averse to remasters of older titles. My thinking was, I admit, pretty narrow-focused: “Why should I buy the remaster? I have the original game right here!” I have since learned to embrace remasters of classic titles like Resident Evil 4 and Full Throttle, as they offer gamers a way to experience these classics with a modern gloss. I, however, am not, and may never be, a fan of remasters for previous generation titles at all. Games like God of War 3, The Last of Us, and Dead Island are games that we recently experienced and, in many cases, can experience again. Do we really need a new version of a game that, especially in the case of The Last of Us, is still kind of new?
I know that there are defenders of remastered games, as well as people who no longer have access to the original consoles and titles. Many look to games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare as examples of last-gen titles that are primed for a next-gen remodeling. And yes, Modern Warfare was an early seventh generation title, so I see the logic there. I understand their position, and accept that these remasters are meant primarily for them. Personally, however, I am not a fan of the practice. If I want to play Modern Warfare, I can fire up my Xbox 360 and do so. In certain cases, such as The Last of Us, I feel that remasters are cheap attempts to cash in on established titles. In other, I can simply ignore buying the new title in favor of the original versions.
Such is the case with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition. It’s a last-gen title, so my first instinct is to shy away from it. But in truth, this doesn’t feel like a normal remaster. The Special Edition will be treated like a gussied-up Game of the Year release, with all DLC included. And in addition to all the next-gen gloss the game will get, Bethesda is including mod support for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions. That is not a trivial addition; mods can expand the core game exponentially. As an additional perk for PC owners, if you own either the base game with all the DLC or the Legendary Edition, you get the Special Edition for free. There is no word yet if there will be a similar deal for consoles, but I would hope Bethesda would throw console owners a bone here.
In the end, whether you agree with me that remasters are cash grabs, or you feel that they are great ways to experience older games in a new sheen, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition doesn’t seem like too bad of a deal. Now if only we can get Bethesda to start work on remastering Daggerfall and Morrowind!
