Resident Evil 2 Remake on the Fence; Devs Asking for Fan Hype
Ted Hentschke
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Looks like your Facebook “likes” might actually do something for once. While you might not be able to stop a genocide, end police violence, or convince everyone in the world to go vegan, you could champion the noble goal of yet another Resident Evil franchise remake.
This time, Resident Evil 2 steps up to the plate, and the folks over at Capcom R&D Division 1 made a post on the official Resident Evil Facebook page to ask fans how they feel about the possibility. Check out the full post:
“Hello Resident Evil fans! This is Capcom R&D Division 1! First off, we would like to express our deepest appreciation to all Resident Evil fans, for your passion, enthusiasm and continued support for the Resident Evil brand. Enthusiasm for a Resident Evil 2 Remake is something we’ve been hearing from you over the years, and has drawn some recent attention in the media. However, as the team owns the RE brand, we’re not certain how we feel about this approach, and would like to ask your honest and frank opinion about the “Resident Evil 2 Remake” and what the brand identity is supposed to be about?”
Though the post is a bit vague, fan reception has been overwhelmingly positive. Regarded by many as the best of the fixed-camera installments, Resident Evil 2 holds a special place in my heart as the first of the series I personally played. Having run through the series several times in my later years, I always find myself impressed with the strides the franchise used to take between installments. Resident Evil 2 is no exception, and the lengths the original dev team went to improve upon the RE1 formula is what so solidly planted it in so many gamer’s hearts. That, and the giant alligator boss.
Footage courtesy of IGN:
As a personal take, I am a bit put off by this post. I’ve been vocal in my criticism of Capcom’s remake parade, noting in my review that the recent Resident Evil-HD Remaster was the 8th iteration of the title. The recent trend of one step forward with the Revelations titles and two steps back with the main series titles has taken its toll on consumer confidence, so it seems that Capcom has been eager to remind people of the glory days by parading around the titles people thought were good with maybe a new costume and a fresh coat of paint.
While I find mindless re-releases to be distasteful cash grabs, designed to siphon money out of the nostalgic like an succubus made out of N64s, I don’t mind total remakes. The GameCube Resident Evil was a total overhaul of the game, expanding to almost double the content with the core mechanics still intact. I loved the shit out of that game, and it is my retro gift of choice for my hipster horror gaming friends. While they have shown that their recent chops for action elements are a bit weak, they are still strong in the horror department, so a total overhaul of Resident Evil 2 might be just what they need to strut their stuff.
The obvious downside is that they might ruin the classic title and fail to live up to the monumental expectations of fans, but hey, at least they are trying to address the desires of the fanbase. Fans of the series should definitely check out the post, share their thoughts, then share it with as many of their friends as possible. I’ll be following the story as it develops, so check back in for updates.
Categorized:Horror Gaming News
