Since the older Resident Evil titles are old favorites of mine, I was happy to see the news that Capcom will release a remastered, high definition version of the 2002 remake of the original Resident Evil game for Gamecube. It is great that gamers will soon be able to enjoy the classic title on current and next-gen consoles. I hope Capcom follows suit with other installments in the title. The Resident Evil HD release is good news for Capcom comes at a time when the company really needs it.
I am a fan of nostalgic, HD-ports of classic game titles. It is a great way to relive classic games over again, just with a different console. Resident Evil and Resident Evil 2 were two games that got me hooked on the PlayStation console back in the 90s, and I have remained a Sony PlayStation fanatic to this day. That love affair continued once I finally got Resident Evil 4 for the PlayStation 2.
At the time, my gameplay experience for Resident Evil 4 on the PS2 was a revelation. With the additional storyline material with Ada Wong, the PS2 version of the game was worth the wait. Initially, it appeared that Resident Evil games would be released exclusively for Nintendo’s Gamecube. However, the wait for Resident Evil really paid off. I was overjoyed to see Resident Evil 4 HD released for the PS3 and Xbox 360 as well. Since Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil: Code Veronica X, another personal favorite in the series, already received HD upgrades for PS3 and Xbox 360, I hope Capcom will provide PS4 and Xbox One releases as well.
Ultimately, I would really like to see an HD upgrade of Resident Evil 2. However, it appears that Capcom has no interest in going that route. I am not even sure if an HD remake of Resident Evil 2 is feasible. That aside, a fan group called Invader Games is actually attempting to remake the game on its own. Some screenshots and videos have even been released of Invader Games’ efforts, and the material actually looks quite impressive.
Capcom should think long and hard about this project and consider working with Invader Games on this. There is a precedent for similar projects working out. The Street Fighter: Legacy short film was released and classified as a “fan film” that was merely “endorsed” by Capcom, according to filmmaker Joey Ansah. Street Fighter: Legacy later begat the incredible Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist web series, which had to be financed independent of Capcom’s efforts with the franchise.
So, if Invader Games finishes this project and does a good job, Capcom should possibly endorse it and maybe even work out a deal to release it. Why not? I once interviewed The Witcher 3 executive producer John Mamais, and he did not seem to mind the idea of an independent developer completely making a PlayStation 3 port of The Witcher 2 on its own. Invader Games could try a similar route with Resident Evil 2: Reborn HD.
Until that time, the HD remake of Resident Evil will be available for PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One and Windows PC in early 2015.