Video Game Remakes Are in a Golden Age. That Could Be a Bad Thing

When the demo for the remake of Resident Evil 4 dropped in March, one presiding concern stood above all others: Would Leon say "Where's everyone going? The line comes early in the game, right after our coiffured all-American hero has seen his police escort burned alive. Leon is about to be butchered by pitchfork and chainsaw-wielding Spanish farmers, but then a tolling bell suddenly psychically summons them away. The line is amazingly stupid, and if he doesn't say it, I thought after seeing news of the demo, I'm joining the mob outside the Capcom offices. The culture industry loves a remake; it also loves a reboot, a remaster, a sequel, a prequel, a multiverse, and a cinematic universe.