It Doesn’t Matter If The Last Of Us Remake Is A Cash Grab
The Last of Us remake has come under fire once again ahead of its October release, with a tweet from developer Robert Morrison going viral and catching the attention of fans and outlets around the world. Morrison hit back at claims that the project is a little more than a cash grab from Sony and Naughty Dog, praising it as one of the most “meticulously crafted” games he has ever worked on, boasting quality, animation, and craft that few in the medium can match. I don’t doubt that in the slightest, and wouldn’t be surprised if the remake even sets a new benchmark for the studio moving forward. But Morrison misses the point.
Remakes and remasters are cash grabs by design. The original game was successful enough to sell millions of copies or at least warrant some sort of cult following that saw it amass enough support either internally or externally to be reborn. Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon saw their trilogies remastered when Activision saw the potential of bringing back two platforming icons now defined by nostalgia, while smaller properties like The Wonderful 101 and Ty The Tasmanian Tiger were brought to life by companies asking fans to help fund production and make their return possible in the first place.
Related: Does Anyone Else Wish That JRPGs Were A Bit Shorter
The Last of Us remake being a cash grab isn’t the problem, if anything it’s a consequence of its existence in the first place. We purchase remakes and remasters because we love the original games, and want to see them updated with improved visuals and gameplay changes. This is the problem - Naughty Dog hasn’t shown us a single thing to justify this remake beyond its visuals and animation. Joel and Ellie’s return is said to be the most ambitious
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