I'm not gonna bang on about this much more, as we're getting a bit wide of the thread topic, but I do want to address the whole "dumbing-down" gripe that a lot of people like to make.
I can guarantee you that there have been multitudes of people in every generation, going back many, many centuries, who have regarded the gradual evolution of their language as some vile thing that must be stopped at all cost. Preservation of the 'purity' of one's mother tongue has always been something that people have fought for (though they may not have phrased their cause exactly that way). Here's the thing, though: you can no more stop a language from growing and changing naturally than you can stop a child from growing up and growing old. At least, not without putting it (the language, not the child) in a vault where no one can tamper with it, sully it with their impure mouths. This is basically what the French Academy is still trying to do, and it is mostly failing (naturally). It is, to some extent, also what happened to Classical Latin: the old version of the language was mummified, spoken only for official purposes, but the common people carried on speaking it how they pleased, and, long story short, we wound up with the Romance languages. Which are living languages. Latin? Not so much.

What it comes down to for me is a question of clarity, of ease of communication. When it comes to language, does any given traditional rule help with clarity (or at least readability)? That's what language really comes down to: getting one's point across as easily and unequivocally as possible (unless one's point is to equivocate ;) ). Most rules do help with this in one way or another. So does standardized spelling. But if a rule was unilaterally conceived three hundred years ago by one lone man who thought that Latin was The Bestest Language Ever and that English should try to be more like it (even in ways that made no sense), and that rule is impeding clarity and concision for no benefit, then it deserves to die. (Sorry, but I split infinitives...and like it. >:D )

Well...unless you're speaking of someone who literally says "Yay!" all the time, the word is yeasayer (or yea-sayer). That's yea as in "yea or nay" (yes or no). Still pronounced the same as yay, though. (This is also probably why the spelling of yeah became standardized the way it did -- though I still see tons of people write "yea" when they mean "yeah").

I agree, that's really a lousy deal for owners of the original version. And i'm not a fan of remakes or "redux" versions anyway so i'll pass.

Thank you so much! Words of wisdom. I'm irritated by the negativity here. A lot of work went into this new version, and the price is absolutely fair.

Thanks for giving some actual insight into the differences. That is the hugest part of my issue here, the release of this reads like: "Buy this, it's wayyy better than that other crappy version that was made which we want nothing to do with nor will we make money from (which is really our biggest issue but we don't want to say so.)"

There is ONE redux that I like. Apocalypse Now Redux. But, it IS enhanced by having watched/knowing the original release of the movie, I think. Quite the impressive job they did on that Redux, so it's not like it can't be done.

Having said that, I really don't like the art style AS MUCH in this redux as the original version, and having not played the original version, I have no idea if I'd be interested to play the redux, and I am not going to play the redux before playing the original, and now my only option here is to buy the redux. What if I bought the redux, played the original, and didn't like it? Then I've spent the higher price on the redux and I wouldn't even play it. But hey, I can't buy it anyway, so the point is moot for me personally, but it's the idea and I'm sure it applies to others.

Add the original version as a freebie on GOG, maybe.

I just checked my library and saw that i own the original version - totally forgot about it. :D

So PM me if you want my discount coupon for the redux version.

69XD4C95AF3C678XXF

Get your 50% discount before the bots do!

Xs are actually Es. You're welcome.

As posted above, the original is now free from the developer's website. So you can just play it, and then decide if the remake is worth it for you.

I discovered that Downfall 2009 was available for free while still being sold on GOG. That's all I will say about that other than that it, in combination with some other things I've discovered/witnessed in the past year or so, has really soured me on GOG. I still firmly believe that GOG/CDPG is better than Steam/Valve but I am now much, much less confident that GOG is being fair to their customer base.

When I purchased Downfall (2009), not knowing that it was available for free elsewhere, it came with the soundtrack for the game. micAmic did the soundtrack and it was phenomenal, just like the rest of the work he's done for Harvester Games. Was this included with the Downfall (2009) free bonus when purchasing the new title? At first it wasn't clear, only much later on release date was the game's store page updated to show that the original wallpaper, game and original soundtrack were all included where before it only said "Downfall (original version)". Is the soundtrack for the new game available? No, it seems not, even though it's available via Steam and the Humble Store. I am very fortunate that my copy of the game came included the soundtrack.

But back to the point.

To be perfectly frank, I've been looking forward to Downfall (2016) ever since I knew it was happening, not too long after I played the original and The Cat Lady in early 2015. I received a copy on 14 February 2015 and beat it that very night. My review of v1.0.3 can be found in the hyperlink below.* Yet, the game being as good as it was, I followed my original plan to purchase it on GOG, even though I didn't have to, because I wanted to show my support -the game is genuinely that good. I highly recommend picking up a copy of the original game from Screen 7's site** and seeing what the original was all about, then going after the reboot. It really is worth it irrespective of where you choose to buy the game, but have a first step inside Quiet Haven Hotel before taking the plunge.

____
* http://steamcommunity.com/id/The_Bitterness/recommended/364390/
** http://www.screen7.co.uk/#!/free-games (link to the download page)
http://www.screen7.co.uk/games/download/Downfall1.4_Free_Setup.exe (link to direct download)

Bought it (with the 50% discount). I'm fine with them not offering the remake completely free for existing customers, their decision, but good that I got at least a good discount on the new version.

If they hadn't offered any extra discount to existing owners... that would also have been their prerogative, but I admit then I would have felt a bit betrayed. A "loyalty discount" is good enough for me for not to feel betrayed, especially considering the original version is not that recent, but from 2009.

I also don't mind them offering the 2009 version free for everyone (on their site) if I understood right, that's kinda cool actually even if I personally don't benefit from it. Hey, I didn't complain that Consortium also was offered for free, while I had paid for it.

ok, people are mad and angry around here... :)

but even though I don't really like the NEW Downfall (I think the original was much more gruesome and psychedelic, and just evil to play), I bought the new one too

the reason is that both the old Downfall and The Cat Lady are some of the best games I've ever played in my life (I just love games like Sanitarium, Harvester and such), so I'm looking forward to the new take on Downfall

plus, it's going to be a trilogy apparently, so I simply must play it :D

and for luck's sake, the original game was free elsewhere and you had to buy it for 5 bucks here? first world's problems :) the dev deserves the money, even if it goes through not so great publisher

Thank you for the links. I will try the freebie on the dev's site first before to think about the reboot !

Now I see where this is coming from.

Be aware though that those games I have mentioned are not a "simple" upgrades (especially the saving system in Shadowrun Returns - they had to completely redo some parts of the code just to fullfill the wishes of the players - the engine they made was not ready for save-anywhere approach).

All right then, after you explained the differences between first game and this one, I can see why they charge money for it.

Complete ignorance is a bit of a harsh statement - especially in the light of the games I have provided as an example.

But enough of that - bought :)

The original Downfall has been free on the developer's site since at least 1-2 years IIRC. I was always wondering why GOG is selling it although you could just download it for free legally from the developer.

nice game so i checked youtube first, this is more like the games i like, but i already have the cat lady, a weird game i still haven't finshed, and this is to creepy so i have to pass it.
I be watching the Shardlight game closely, i already have the other wadjet eye games.

Damn. I was hoping your original statement was correct, as I was going to hold out until the last minute and then complain that it doesn't run on Windows 18. ;)