At what point does a remaster become a remake? Remastering involves improving video or audio quality, but fundamentally it is still derived from an existing source. The definition of a remaster in the gaming space is a little vague, but it rarely involves much in the way of new, creative work - it's about enhancing what's already there via higher resolutions and frame-rate boosts. But the release of the latest Uncharted: the Nathan Drake Collection story trailerdemonstrates that developer Bluepoint Games is indeed improving and remaking swathes of Naughty Dog's existing assets, respectfully enhancing even incidental detail. The evidence suggests that this isn't just a simple port we're dealing with here - new art or geometry is commonplace in virtually every shot in this latest trailer. Bluepoint Games is well known for its accomplished work in converting classic games to new platforms but with this new collection, we could well be looking at its best work yet.
In addition to main character models, supporting detail also receives a boost. A significant number of textures are replaced with higher quality versions while special effects work, such as explosions and fire, are improved as well. Models with minimal screen-time receive a healthy increase in detail as do many of the backgrounds. Meshes used for terrain are modified significantly in a number of situations. The changes may not immediately leap out, but taken as a whole, the improvement is impressive.
As expected, all three games benefit from an increase in resolution to full 1080p with post-process anti-aliasing. Anisotropic filtering, contact shadows, and improved shading are all present as well, creating a cleaner, more pleasing overall image. Simply eliminating the noticeable texture blurring that plagued the original games along with various other rendering issues makes a world of difference here.
However, there is a notable omission based on every Nathan Drake Collection asset we've seen so far: motion blur. Starting with Uncharted 2, Naughty Dog implemented an accomplished velocity based per-object motion blur. This gave animations significantly more weight and momentum than the previous game and really helped sell the whole cinematic presentation. This effect was especially noticeable during fast-paced sections such as the train sequence, where the scenery blurs realistically as the train speeds by.
Of course, that is one of the most important features of this collection - full 60 frames per second gameplay. As we can see here, the entire story trailer operates at a near perfect 60 frames per second while the previous Uncharted 2 gameplay trailer turns in solid performance as well. While this benefits all three titles from a gameplay perspective, we're most excited by the prospects of playing the original game with a decent frame-rate. After all, Drake's Fortune was notorious for severe screen-tear and performance dips - two things that were corrected in the sequels.
There are some good videos at the link as well.
