EA’s remastered classics collection improves several older games with higher-quality full-motion video, 60 frames per second gameplay, additional .INI configuration options, and full controller support. The restoration effort also involved recovering archival footage, working with original creators, and, in some cases, re-licensing original music. The remasters are currently available on GOG and Steam, with free upgrades for some existing owners.
The most significant improvement is the new full-motion video, which is presented at substantially higher quality than in the original releases. Other enhancements include 60 fps gameplay, newly available .INI tweaks, and full controller support. However, posts on the games’ Steam forums indicate that some players are having trouble getting controllers to work.
Recovering the original footage
For Privateer 2, the little-remembered sequel to Wing Commander: Privateer, the team could not locate the original high-quality masters of the FMV scenes. It ultimately contacted the game’s original cinematic director, Steve Hilliker, who had kept the tapes in his attic.
Hilliker had long wanted to take the footage in a new color-grading direction. He was able to do so while remastering and upscaling all of the game’s cutscenes.
Wing Commander’s Prophecy received a similar update. EA’s blog post also describes GOG’s role in the restoration and remastering of Prophecy and Road Rash. For the latter, EA re-licensed the entire original soundtrack for the re-release.
Availability
The collection is currently on sale on GOG and Steam. Previous owners of older versions purchased through the GOG and EA storefronts can receive the remasters for free. None of the games costs more than $5.
One positive story does not erase EA’s many unpopular decisions and other bad news, but this project demonstrates what a small group of passionate people can accomplish in game preservation. Some of the work was performed by volunteers outside normal working hours, although EA committed resources to the restoration as the project progressed.
The remaster is not perfect, but the game industry could learn from efforts like this. EA’s blog post is worth reading in full for a closer look at the complexity of restoring older games.
Source: arstechnica.com
