TheResident Evilfranchise was busy in 2021, which comes as no surprise given it celebrated its 25th anniversary. Apart from the successful launch ofResident Evil Village, the franchise also saw the premiere ofResident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, afilm reboot loosely adapted the first two gamesin the video game series.
Capcom has also seen great success with its remakes of pastResident Evilgames, most notably 2019’sResident Evil 2.WhiletheResident Evil 3remake disappointed some fanswith cut content and its short length, Capcom still considered it a success, surpassed the original game in terms of sales. Although the firstResident Evilgame already received a remake in 2002, Capcom should revisit the Spencer Mansion again in this style.
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A Resident Evil Remake Would Allow Players to Re-Experience the Glory
The 2002 remake ofResident Evilis widely considered one of the best entries in the series. Not only was Capcom able to embrace the core concept of the original, the studio was able to add new layers of fear not present in the 1996 version,such as the Lisa Trevor storyline, Crimson Head zombies, and more. Most veteranResident Evilfans even consider the 2002 remake the definitive version of the first game given all its significant improvements.
One similarity the remake had with the original is using pre-rendered backgrounds instead of fully 3D environments. In 2002 the use of pre-rendered assets wasn’t a bad thing, given that it allowedthe developers to pour details into the Spencer Mansionthat made it hauntingly beautiful to this day. However, given Capcom’s excellent recreation of the RPD and Raccoon City inResident Evil 2remake, it would be nice for the studio to do the same thing to the Spencer Mansion.
Another similarity the firstResident Evilremake had with the original is tank controls and fixed camera angles. While many hardcore fans consider these mechanics essential for a classic survival horror game, modern players are often turned off by clunky controls and limited views. While the remake does offer alternative controls, there are instances where controlling characters feel clunky. LikeRE2andRE3remakes,the use of a third-person over-the-shoulder perspectiveallows players to have more control over their characters and absorb every detail of the games' environments. Spencer Mansion could be appreciated the same way
Resident Evil: Welcome To Raccoon City Has Sparked New Interest
Although fans of the video game franchise are divided on whetherWelcome To Raccoon Cityis a good adaptation, those who haven’t touched aResident Evilgame would probably be interested to know how video games told the story. When Netflix released its adaptation ofThe Witcher,CD Projekt Red saw a significant increase inThe Witcher 3’ssalesgiven fans were curious about the game.
Similarly, theResident Evilvideo game franchise may have a new audience interested in starting their journey from the start after watchingWelcome to Raccoon City.Yet the originalResident Eviland its 2002 remake may not appeal to modern players, given they use pre-rendered backgrounds and tank controls. Having a new remakesimilar to the approach used in theResident Evil 2may be a better option for newcomers. However, one crucial thing Capcom should keep in mind if it decides to remakeResident Evilagain is to not change the story to bring it closer toWelcome to Raccoon City.
Changes in the plot are inevitable for remakes, but the original remake became a hit due to its faithfulnesswhile adding new elements to keep the experience fresh. If Capcom is going to introduce changes toResident Evil’sstory, the studio could fix the plotholes ofResident Evil 0and have a better explanation of the story of Rebecca Chambers and the rest of the Bravo Team.
