If you’ve frequented Raccoon City as much as I have during your lifetime, then odds are you’re aware of how there’s enough interesting trivia pertaining to the survival horror series we’re here to discuss today to fill a book – specifically for two of its finest entries, those being Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 4. For now, though, we’re going to discuss the former because multiple details regarding the remake’s development process have just been brought to light.
For those who’ve had the privilege of playing both the 1998 original and the 2019 overhaul, they’re well aware of how it’s the same basic story and setting, yet there are drastic differences. In other words, the game lighting social media ablaze for the past month wasn’t as close to its predecessor as 2002’s RE 1 remake had been. Truth be told, that was what I’d been hoping for in this instance, but I still love the RE 2 re-imagining we received.
Believe it or not, there were several times during development when it could’ve become even more different, as revealed by a roundtable session involving the team behind it. For your benefit, we’re going to go over some of the finer points, along with including corresponding concept art in the accompanying gallery:
- A jump-scare enemy referred to as “the Condemned” was intended to be included in the Orphanage segment at one point. Personally, I’m glad this never came into being because not only was Sherry Birkin unarmed, but because the Condemned look like they were ripped right out of, well, the Condemned series of video games.
- Mr. X nearly had a more militaristic look, which kind of reminds me of the threads he wore back in 1998. This was ditched in favor of attire deemed fit for an urban environment. Still, nothing tops his getup in that “Beachboy” mod.
- There was also almost a driving sequence and a scene where cable cars descended from mountains. Boy, am I glad they didn’t incorporate the former.
- Though a fixed camera perspective was considered, Capcom ultimately settled on the over-the-shoulder third person perspective established by RE 4. Honestly, I could’ve gone for this. I don’t give a damn about what you have to say about “tank controls.”
- The encounter with the alligator was almost longer, not to mention a boss fight with William Birkin’s G2 mutation almost including “breaking pillars, electrocuting, and so on.”
Tell us, do you wish any of these alterations to Resident Evil 2 made the final cut now that you’ve heard about them? Or are you happy with the product we got? Sound off in the usual place below!