Biggest pleasant surprise of the Switch era

[Jumpin]

SKMBlake said:

Jumpin said:

Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition is actually a remaster. There were a number of people incorrectly claiming it was a remake prior to its release, but were later proven wrong.

Nope. But there is no need to discuss this. The fact that they remade the game under the Torna engine to be closer to Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and adding a new epilogue speaks for itself.

I would've like a remaster actually, it would've run at 1080@60fps (like other Wii remasters, such as Skyward sword HD), not 360p@20fps

You are still mistaken. It's not remade in the style of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 or Torna. It is the original Xenoblade Chronicles remastered with a new expansion (Future Connected) included.

I'm unsure if you have never played the Xenoblade Chronicles games before, or if you just have some misconceptions.

Porting to an updated/different engine doesn't make a game a remake.
Not all remasters are "1080@60fps" - that's just optimal for HD TV displays.
Xenoblade Chronicles DE isn't 360p at 20 FPS. It's 720p at 30FPS.
Adding an epilogue isn't remaking a game, it's expanding a game.

I'll try to explain.

Short version: Remasters are essentially brand-new good drafts made for newer generational standards.

Less short version: remasters go beyond improved frame rates, resolutions and rescaled assets or anything else commonly seen in ports from weaker to stronger hardware. Remastering involves starting with an old game, then touching up or replacing old textures, models, UI, and audio to better match the standards and capabilities of newer generations of hardware. Often features are updated or added for QoL/streamlining purposes. Some other examples of remasters on the Switch include Final Fantasy 7-12 - these games also feature porting to new engines, replaced character models, and texture touch ups.

While you might say "Are they not remaking elements of the game?" Yes, you can say that. But that's not accurate or useful when talking in the context of video games. The industry and market already understand "Remakes" to be completely new games (not edits) based on an older existing game; distinguished from ports, enhanced ports, and remasters. An analogy of this would be calling Super Mario Bros a roleplaying game because you play the role of Mario - misleading because we already have a genre called roleplaying games. An example of a remake is Final Fantasy 7 Remake. And the term descends from the film industry - an example would be Brian De Palma's 1983 remake of the 1932 film, Scarface.

You can read about the remastering process and results of Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition in this Digital Foundry article and interview with game creator, Tetsuya Takahashi below:
https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2020-xenoblade-chronicles-definitive-edition-tech-analysis
https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/9/21284381/xenoblade-chronicles-definitive-edition-nintendo-switch-interview-tetsuya-takahashi