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The most notable thing in the game is that though it can be a little awkward and frustrating in places it is also varied and pretty smart. Environmental puzzles can take some work and trial and error but in general they’re fair and nothing a bit of exploration and experimentation can’t resolve. If you see a note somewhere be sure to take it in, very often details you find matter and in several cases throughout the game you’ll be expected to retain at least some rough details you may find. In addition to the game’s more cerebral side you’ll need to be ready to test your action chops because in a very old school way there are sections that are unapologetically challenging that you’ll be expected to get through. Whether a series of platforming jumps, making some careful shots with the ray run you’ll acquire, or working under pressure as one of the game’s “boss” sequences is hot on your tail you can expect to die quite a bit. Fortunately the game’s tendency is to autosave on a pretty regular basis and usually it is fair in what it will expect you to repeat when you fail. All that said, while elements of the original game have been improved and some rough edges sanded it still retains some of the at times wonky and stilted controls that can take some work to master or at least understand. Your movement and jumping, especially when it is crucial that you don’t lose time, aren’t always your friend. In particular there were times that the simple act of getting onto a ladder when the pressure was on was more challenging than it ever should be. No doubt this kind of thing wasn’t uncommon in older titles, I just wish they’d refined issues like that a little more to eliminate a few aggravating and unnecessary deaths. That said, if you bear with the game and its quirks it has its rewards and the feeling of satisfaction when you manage to master a sequence is significant. In the end I think this is a style of game that people will tend to either love or hate without much of a middle ground. Even gamers who are nostalgic for a lost age could find it to be a refreshing but are just as likely to find that there are some styles of play better left behind. Younger gamers who appreciate a challenge may enjoy the odd mix of action and puzzles but may well get hung up on some of the dated mechanics. Regardless, The Way Remastered does a fine job of helping to revitalize a deserving title that has its merits, how it is received will just likely be in the eye of the beholder. Just as an addendum until the game gets its first patch be warned that there is a significant bug that will wipe your progress and save file. There’s help for how to get through the boss fight it involves but even knowing what to do if you’re unable to execute the plan within 2.5 minutes the game will crash and you could lose a significant amount of or even all of your progress to get there (it is roughly 2 hours in). The patch is in the works and going through certification but at this time when it will release is not known.
Justin Nation, Score:Good [7.0]