Resident Evil 2 fans rejoice! Capcom finally got the message and decided to give us the remake we’ve been begging for since 2002… but what direction will it take? The Resident Evil remake on the GameCube remained incredibly faithful to the original, but Resident Evil 4 later introduced an all-new style which catapulted the series to new popularity. Now, Resident Evil 7 seems poised to go in another direction — even while Capcom embraces the past. While we await any potential news on this exciting remake, we here at Warp Zoned have compiled a list of updates we would love to see! Don’t be afraid to read more…
Revised Plans
Resident Evil’s GameCube debut set a high bar for remakes, thoroughly updating the game while still retaining its essence. Although the iconic setting of the Spencer Mansion was kept, new rooms were added, others were altered considerably, and fresh puzzles were dreamt up by the development team. This is a perfect template to follow for the Resident Evil 2 remake.
Personally, I wouldn’t mind if new rooms were added to help lend a more accurate feel to the Raccoon Police Department. Reference photos of American police precincts were difficult for Capcom’s Japanese employees to attain during the original development cycle, and so they created a more museum-esque atmosphere instead. With Google (or Bing, if that’s your thing) at everyone’s fingertips, that can now be rectified to some degree.
Tattered Heroes
The original Resident Evil 2 famously went through numerous iterations before release. One key feature present in only one of those discarded prototypes was real-time battle damage, wherein Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield would find themselves scarred by every scrap with undead foes. Clothing would tear and stain, while cuts and scrapes remained visible on their skin — and that’s something that could really add some flare to the remake, mostly because modern hardware can actually handle it without, you know, breaking the game.
Zap To It
For those unaware (or whose brains succumbed to the T-Virus), Resident Evil 2 boasted one particularly noteworthy feature — the oddly-named “Character Zapping” system. As dual protagonists Leon and Claire were separated by two different discs, their interactions within both stories were kept brief… but not entirely inconsequential.
Claire and Leon could interact with each other through indirect means across a single save file. Upon finding a locker in the RPD armory, Claire was faced with the choice of taking a small side pack to carry more items, or a fully automatic submachine gun with surprisingly ample ammunition. Whichever item she left could then be found by the other character on disc two.
Such moments were limited to only a couple of instances, but the remake could truly expand upon this mechanic and make it something great. Just look at what Until Dawn’s Butterfly Effect accomplished on the PS4!
Evolutionary Theory
Just as the Resident Evil remake was given a new enemy type, the terrifyingly quick Crimson Heads, I would hope the Resident Evil 2 remake follows suit. Unlike the Crimson Heads, an ideal candidate has already appeared in a previous title — Resident Evil: Outbreak’s Suspended, AKA the Regis Licker. Named for the hotel in which it was encountered, the Regis Licker was an undead female who appeared to be caught partway in the transformation from Crimson Head to RE2’s iconic Licker.
Still equipped with a mostly humanoid physique, yet outfitted with a deadly razor-edged tongue, imagine how traumatic it would be to find one of these things running at you! Or worse yet, multiple! True, this enemy only hung from the ceiling in its one and only appearance, but there’s no reason to think others couldn’t walk or sprint. This could be the extra dash of spice needed for a return trip to well-trodden territory.
Another Rogue for the Gallery
What’s even better than a new type of cannon fodder? A new boss! Just as Lisa Trevor was added to the overall series lore within the GameCube remake, there is a great opportunity here to add both a new, thrilling fight as well as a tragic subplot. Stay with me here, because I think I have a candidate:
Mayor Warren’s daughter, who suffered a terrible fate at the hands of a trusted authority figure. She is never encountered alive during the original RE2 — you merely hear the final screams before her murder, having been hunted down like an animal as a trophy. For such a darkly memorable storyline from the game, there really wasn’t much emphasis placed on this character. We don’t even know her name!
We DO know that her killer had a fairly sizable torture chamber, one lined with shelves holding jars of mysterious objects and chemicals. This killer also had limited access to Umbrella facilities and employees, so… what if he wasn’t done with her after death? Her body disappears after a certain point, after all.
A file found in Resident Evil: Outbreak further elaborated that she was only the latest in a string of similar-looking young women hunted down. Knowing this, what if the killer realized she was his final victim and wanted a second stab? Messing with things he couldn’t understand, perhaps the killer accidentally turns her into something new… and she escapes to do battle with our heroes? Seems like a decent addition to the game, and doesn’t alter the primary plot in any way.
A Walker’s Story
As you may or may not know, Claire Redfield wasn’t always intended to be the second protagonist in the game. The earliest prototypes of RE2 featured a character by the name of Elza Walker instead — a motorcycle enthusiast with no ties to the previous game, modeled (surprisingly enough) after Alicia Silverstone.
Just as the original RE2 featured unlockable side stories featuring characters like HUNK and Tofu, perhaps the remake could have a new scenario based around Elza? Nothing major — a quick jaunt through the streets of Raccoon City would be enough, maybe fighting through slightly expanded areas visited by Leon and Claire. Either she’s a resident of Raccoon City trying to survive, or a concerned friend of fellow biker Claire who followed her into town. Either way, I would love to explore this forgotten character… and perhaps witness her final moments, potentially being the only playable character to die in the city.
Seeing from Both Perspectives
It is no secret that Capcom split its fanbase right down the middle when Resident Evil 4 released. A new audience fell in love with its action-packed set pieces and arsenal of weaponry, while many series veterans decried its focus on intensity over jump scares and a new personality for Leon. The fans are also divided in regards to which camera style is preferred — RE4’s intuitive over-the-shoulder perspective, or the cinematic “security camera” approach taken by the classics.
Well, what if Capcom presented us with the option of using either one? Imagine that! Those of us with an old school mentality could get our static angles and tank controls, while everyone else has access to the modern scheme made prevalent during the last decade. It’s win/win… unless you’re one of those schmucks who feed off the unhappiness of others, like whoever decided to shelve Mega Man for so long…
Regardless, these were just a few ideas we would love to see implemented in the brewing revisit to one of survival horror’s most treasured titles. What do you think? Is there anything we missed, something you wish to see when the game releases? Tell us what’s on your mind!
