We Do It! The Resident Evil 2 Remake is Coming
When I posted about the possibility of a Resident Evil 2 remake a week ago, I couldn’t say whether it was a tease or realistic pitch with any certainty. Speculation as to which it was began when Resident Evil HD Remaster producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi posted a message and accompanying image on Facebook saying he planned on pitching the idea to Capcom’s executives, following the company’s celebration of that remaster’s superlative sales. Despite its genuine appearance, I leaned towards it being a tease, since it would be unlike any game publisher to be so transparent — especially if they’re Japanese. If he really went off the cuff, the post would have been deleted quickly.
Fortunately for everyone who seriously thought this was a pitch, Hirabayashi posted a video address confirming the Resident Evil 2 Remake’s approval. He did this complete with an Engrishy “We Do It” t-shirt, which has since become nigh-memetic. (It should also be included in the t-shirt contest with Rebecca for the Resident Evil 0 HD Remaster.) There’s no way a big company like Capcom would approve a project a mere twelve days after a pitch, so they played some of us pretty good.
Nonetheless, it’s nice to see this happening, though it be a far more daunting task than the other remasters for multiple reasons. RE2 will need to be remade from the ground up, complete with a different graphics engine compared to what previous games used. Capcom was fine with the idea and was willing to allocate resources for it, despite how sales expectations for this will be much higher.
What’s more remarkable is how early this was announced, as it still appears to be in the conceptual phase. Note that no indication was given as to the direction this project would venture in, but this quick announcement gives the impression that the fanbase will guide how it develops. The announcement was reminiscent of a Kickstarter pitch, so perhaps they’re reusing the concept originally proposed with the ill-fated Mega Man Legends 3. Of course, there’s a considerably lower chance of the project being cancelled this time, since it’s part of Capcom’s biggest franchise. The original sold just under five million copies worldwide, after all.
But as I said in the excerpt: How will they “Do It?” They could go in two different directions here, but one group of fans will inevitably be disappointed with the result.
I’m sincerely hoping they preserve the old school format, similar to the first game’s remake, as it’s important for RE2’s execution. The static camera angles were deliberately placed to create a sense of tension for the player, along with its restrictive “tank” controls. The style was also done to serve as an homage to classic adventure games, albeit with a B-movie horror touch, both of which gave it a unique charm. A significant chunk of the audience for remakes consists of those with fondness for the original, and that audience shouldn’t be ignored.
That doesn’t mean they’ll definitely pay attention to them, and Capcom will make the decision that’s best for the wider audience. Unsurprisingly, most comments I’ve read from fans want this done in the style of the REmake, but does that reflect the desire of the more “casual” audience? They could go for a behind-the-shoulder style similar to Resident Evil Revelations 2, since that’s presumably the team handling this. While the end result could still be enjoyable, it would be fundamentally different than what the original game achieved — venturing into “reimagining” territory. This project was presumably green lit based off sales from REmake’s remaster, so logic suggests they’ll preserve the original format.
As mentioned in last week’s post, it’s a pity franchise creator Shinji Mikami and RE2 director Hideki Kamiya won’t be involved with this, though they wouldn’t have had a choice in the latter’s case. Kamiya mentioned in an interview with Metro (primarily about Scalebound) from Gamescom that he wouldn’t want to be involves with an RE2 remake. Kamiya isn’t a fan of survival/horror titles, which explains why the original RE2 gave the player no shortage of ammo to dump into every creature they happened upon. He’d rather work on titles in genres he prefers at Platinum Games these days.
Assuming the aspect about the game just beginning development isn’t as fabricated as the story about the pitch, don’t expect to see it any time soon. Hirabayashi told watchers to look forward to RE0 HD early next year because there’s no chance they’ll show it before then. After that releases, we should know which form this remake will take. They’ll presumably want to have it ready by 2018, a time which will fittingly mark the original title’s 20th anniversary, but it could release before then. Time will tell if the final product is a welcome tribute.
About The Author
Geoff
News Editor | Geoff is some nerd who writes for a blog and thinks he's knowledgeable. He write a lot about video games, but is capable of writing about other subjects, too. Twitter
