Back in 2012, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio got its start by developingBinary Domain. As Ryu Ga Gotoku was starting work on Sega’sYakuzaline of games, it was also experimenting with this sci-fi shooter. For those who don’t remember it,Binary Domainwas a third-person shooter set several decades in the future, exploring a time when global warming has flooded much of the world and forced humanity to rely on robotics and AI more than ever. When these AI become hostile and start infiltrating human society, it’s up to Dan Marshall and the rest of Rust Crew to get to the heart of the hostile AI and save humanity.
In its time,Binary Domaingot fairly positive reviews for its storytelling, but its innovative voice command system didn’t function as well as critics hoped. In spite of somewhat mixed reviews, though, it was a fairly strong start for Ryu Ga Gotoku. Now that the studio has been working with Sega for nearly ten years, it seems like it’s about time thatBinary Domaingets a remaster.Binary Domaindirector Daisuke Satorecently expressed interest in remastering the game, and the whole game industry seems enthusiastic about remasters right now. It’s just a matter of Sega giving the game a chance.
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A Binary Domain Remaster Would Be Timely
The video game industry is pretty young as far as entertainment industries are concerned. Now that home consoles have been around for about 40 years, though, there are more than enough old but beloved video games out there to fuel a trend of remakes and remasters. The industry is taking another crack at all kinds of games, from Blizzard’sDiablo 2: Resurrectedto Nintendo’sSuper Mario 3D All-Stars.EvenNintendo Switch Online’s game librarycontributes to the trend, breathing new life into old games through gameplay improvements and online multiplayer. Considering all this interest in game industry milestones, aBinary Domainremake would hardly be out of place.
The specific themes ofBinary Domainhappen to be great for the current moment too. Thanks toCyberpunk 2077andupcoming peers likeStray,the cyberpunk genre is surging in popularity.Binary Domainparticularly deserves a remaster due to this trend on top of the remake trend. Even if there’s a lot of other cyberpunk games in the works,Binary Domainsets itself apart through its heavy emphasis on AI and its setting, which teeters on the brink of a global warming apocalypse. ABinary Domainremaster could inspire a ton of other developers and keep the cyberpunk genre active and creative.
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Binary Domain Should Get Another Chance
The game industry context aside, though,Binary Domain’s core concept was solid enough to warrant a remaster. Fans loved its trust and consequence systems, which spurred players to bond and protect their teammates whenever commanding them. What’s more, it had a voice recognition system that allowed players to say commands for their team out loud, which was a brilliant innovation in realism and player immersion. AlthoughBinary Domain’s voice system didn’t work perfectly, technology has changed a lot since then. Indie titlePhasmophobiashowcased the potential of voice recognitionin 2020, so a company as big as Sega shouldn’t give up onBinary Domain’s system. On the contrary, it should let Ryu Ga Gotoku return to the IP and double down.
A remaster would give Ryu Ga Gotoku the chance to redeemBinary Domain’s flawed voice commands while presenting the well-loved parts ofBinary Domainto a new audience. What’s more, it could open up avenues to new games. Not only did Daisuke Sato express interest in remasteringBinary Domain,but he has said before that he’d be interested in making aBinary Domainsequel. At the end of the day,the ball is in Sega’s court. Sega should strongly consider trying to reestablishBinary Domain; there’s a lot of untapped potential worth exploring.
Binary Domainis available now for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.
