A tasteful remaster with technical chops - yet the Wii original is better in some respects.
The remastering is tastefully done, the new textures generally look excellent and it feels authentic to the original.
Let’s start with the opening FMV.
This has been massively improved and might even have been completely remade if the original assets still existed.
Thankfully, that’s not the case here.
In-game first impressions are also positive, with the remaster remaining true to the original visual design.
Rain and water rendering are also improved substantially.
The closer you look though, the more you start to spot some oddities.
First, loading times.
Sure, asset sizes have increased, but this still feels like a big step back.
Second is the frame-rate.
But the Wii version of this game basically runs flawlessly, so the few areas of slowdown stick out.
The fact that this game runs worse than its more technically advanced sequel doesn’t sit right with me.
That’s what makes this game so tricky to discuss.
So what’s the takeaway here?
The reality is that this release is both good and disappointing at the same time.
