The Original Resident Evil Needs A Remake In 3rd Person
A Brief History
The original Resident Evil was released by Capcom in March 1996 on the Playstation. The game was produced by Tokuro Fujiwara, indeed it was based on Fujiwara’s previous game Sweet Home, and directed by Shinji Mikami. And although it has since been remade and then remastered I think another remake in 3rd person would be awesome and welcomed by Resi fans around the world.
Resident Evil was initially conceived for the SNES back in 1993 and then as a first person shooter for the Playstation in 1994. It eventually got released in 1996 as the survival horror classic we all know and love today.
The game was designed using 3D character models placed against pre-rendered painted backdrops with fixed camera angles. This allowed the developers to really build tension and insert numerous jump scares throughout the game. The player never knew what was around the corner until the camera shifted to the next point of view. It worked extremely well and coupled with the audio it provided a genuinely frightening experience.
The Birth Of A Franchise
It was both a huge critical and commercial success that spawned a massive multimedia franchise for Capcom. Movies, comics, novels and of course a host of sequels and prequels were all made possible thanks to the ground braking experience and success of Resident Evil. The series has sold around 95 million copies for Capcom down the years and the movies have grossed about $1.2 billion. It is without question the most successful game to movie franchise on the planet.
The original was ported to the Sega Saturn, Windows PC and the Nintendo DS before been remade in 2002 for the Nintendo GameCube. The GameCube version added new areas, updated visuals, audio and some dialogue (Jill sandwich anyone). But it maintained the pre-rendered backdrops and fixed camera angles of the original. The GameCube version of Resident Evil was then remastered in HD for the Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3 and 4, Switch, Windows PC and Nintendo Wii.
Why I’d Like To See It Remade
As you can see from above, Resident Evil has been given a lot of love by Capcom. It has been playable on many different formats over the years but the game has remained pretty much the same experience since its 1996 debut.
The main reason I’d love to see it remade in 3rd person is down to last year’s release of Resident Evil 2. Having just finished my first playthrough I can honestly say that it is a breathtaking and completely refreshing experience. After finishing Resi 2, I fired up the original on my Xbox One and started a new game. While it’s still fun to play, and I still love playing it, the game is beginning to show its age. The controls are clunky, combat is slow and the dialogue has become laughable at best.
Resi 2 was released back in 1998 and it shared the same fixed camera angles and play style of the original but the transition from that, to a 3rd person camera on modern hardware has completely changed the feel and tone of the experience. It even achieved this by leaving much of the game’s layout and story intact. It is phenomenal.
Like the Resi 2 remake I believe the original would work just as well from a change of perspective. The layout of the Spencer mansion wouldn’t need much tinkering. The puzzles and pacing are already perfect in my opinion. Weapons, enemies and item placements could pretty much remain in place too.
Sure, certain aspects of the experience would need an overhaul. The voice acting for one, and the cinematics of course. Crafting and mods could be added, maybe some new weapons too. Building the game again for modern hardware would also enhance the look of the game obviously, no matter where you turn in the Resi 2 remake it looks beautiful. And terrifying.
Modern lighting and shadowing techniques would add to the scare factor and the claustrophobic feeling of the original. Although the original pushed the Playstation pretty hard back in the day, the pre-rendered backdrops caused any 3D items left inside them to look grossly out of place. And to top it all off, putting the camera behind the player, like in last year’s Resi 2, it would change the tone and overall experience of the game for the better. It would really put you in the shoes of Jill and Chris as they explore the Spencer estate.
Don’t Be Afraid Of Change
I know many people out there would like the original left as it is and that’s fine. But I’m writing this as someone who thinks that Resident Evil is one of the greatest games ever made. The Playstation version is probably my favourite game of all time. I was only 16 years old when I set out to explore the Spencer mansion for the first time. The game will always hold a special place in my heart.
But another remake, for existing fans and newcomers to the series would sell bucket loads in my opinion. I mean, I’ve already bought the original three times. On the Playstation back in 96. Again on the GameCube in 2002 and on the Xbox One a few years ago. I’ve no problem forking out for it a forth time and given the overwhelming success of last year’s Resi 2 remake and how stunning the upcoming Resident Evil 3 remake looks, I think others would snap it up to.
But what do you think Resi fans? Would you like to see it remade for modern day machines and what ideas/changes would you like to see? Please sound of in the comments to let me know.
Images nfornerds.com, gameinformer.com, amazon.com