I'm really loathing this particular cross-gen period, because I don't remember it ever being quite as frustrating in the past. I suspect that was, in most cases, because the jump in technology from one gen to the next was significant, meaning that each new gen would leap straight to brand-new, unique experiences rather than having the awkward mishmash we have now. But with the incremental upgrade that the new Xbox and PS5 are over their immediate predecessors, we're seeing more and more things that I most certainly don't want to see more of.
The latest example is today's announcement that Final Fantasy VII Remake is getting a PS5 version. Of course it is; it makes perfect sense — particularly as the next episodes (whenever they show up) will be "next-gen" games. What is obnoxious about this, however, is that they've also announced that there will be a new episode involving fan-favourite character Yuffie — and that this new stuff will not only be PS5-exclusive, but will also require a separate DLC purchase.
So once again we find ourselves in a situation where there is no "definitive" version of a game. This feels doubly egregious in the case of a game like Final Fantasy VII Remake, which is a remake of an existing game. A complete remake, mind, not just an HD upscale, but shoehorning in DLC like this feels a little… off — particularly as those who jumped on board with the game when it came out won't be able to access the new episode unless they've been lucky enough to upgrade to a PS5. And then only if they buy the new DLC.
It's good that there's a free upgrade programme from PS4 to PS5 — though the unavoidable fact that you upgrade from a disc copy on PS4 to a digital version on PS5's miniscule hard drive is a bit poop, however much of a "necessary evil" it may be — but realistically speaking, that new Yuffie stuff should be part of that new version from day one if it's going to be a thing at all.
It's easy to be cynical about the business-centric approach of modern gaming, particularly as Sony's State of Play today was preceded by some fairly convincing reports that they're going to be shuttering or at least "winding down" the widely beloved Japan Studio — and it always disappoints me to see stuff like this.
At the same time, I remain grateful that there are still plenty of developers and publishers out there doing great work — and that they care about not only games in the here and now, but the preservation of those games for the future, too. If we're not careful there's going to be multiple generations of games that we end up losing — while stuff from 30 or 40 years ago remains just as fresh and accessible as it was the day it was released.
A sobering thought. And a solid reminder of why I haven't bought a triple-A game for a very long time.
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