45: Remakes and Remasters, Sequels and Expansions: Re-addressing Implemented History

45: Remakes and Remasters, Sequels and Expansions: Re-addressing Implemented History

Daniel Wigmore, @WigorMortis, University of Southampton

Games have always been a great way of bringing historical periods to life and offer ‘small steps’ of understanding and education of the medieval world to the wider public. However, games and their depictions of the past become dated, and often need modernising. ‘Live’ games, actively supported or being developed, are naturally evolved by patches, updates, or expansions (sometimes with sequels) to build upon player feedback. These address features or mechanics, that are deemed to be missing or crucial to the period they cover. Remasters refresh ‘dead’ games, renewing audio and visuals, and improving device compatibility. Yet surface level changes and consumer expectations can cobble attempts to mechanically update games to modern gaming culture or current historiographical trends.

Sequels and remasters allow the expansion of what is ‘medieval’ into gaming culture, mechanically or otherwise. Sequels/expansions are freer; not bound by an expectation to follow a previous development, yet remasters can directly challenge issues in the original game. Mount and Blade’s ‘Warband’ standalone expansion shows how fundamental gameplay can be advanced in line with the medieval world. A new non-European themed faction, political and combat changes, and more depth to societal elements touch on core tenets of medievalism. Alternatively, games such as Crusader Kings 2 and Medieval 2: Total War offer targeted expansions to cater to what customers may prefer and highlight aspects of medieval history. Collated, they can offer a holistic experience and stimulate more development but risk catering to popular topics. Following trends can make sequels more stylised: The Heroes of Might and Magic games have made transitioned from ‘Renaissance-style’ fantasy to more ‘grim-dark/soulsian’, echoing a trend within modern media to depict the medieval period as a ‘dark age’. Gaming culture can have a greater impact than historiography. Games often underestimate, & are underestimated for, their impact on public perception of historical periods, but it is this influence that can be harnessed to inform and aid public understanding. In-game encyclopaedias & campaigns can act as educational tools to players. Opportunities to implement these and change falsities in remasters are often overlooked. Pressure to conform to past portrayals limits the possibility to advance beyond aged audio-visual depictions of the past. Few games risk angering fans by making minor alterations. Some expansions can emphasise altered perspectives: Age of Empires II’s various expansions change from Early-Medieval Western Europe to Late-Medieval or African or Asian perspectives. Tying new gameplay to less publicly known areas forces players to shift their focus.

At their heart expansions change a ‘live’ game, while remasters can update a developmentally ‘dead’ game. When remasters are committed to continue & expand, they have a unique opportunity to update historical perceptions and develop ideas using a known popular medium. As many popular medieval games age and feel increasingly dated, remasters or remakes seem increasingly likely. Will future sequels or remakes take this opportunity to reflect and educate gamers with modern ideas, or do they risk perpetuating old myths?

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