Some cool 1.5 exclusive screenshots (**As seen on TV!**)

[Rick Hunter]

If you say so. If the devs responsible for RE6 told you they made an excellent game, you'd take this as a fact to back up your opinion that the game is indeed excellent, if you like that game?

I still don't see that as a good argument, and I sadly don't think we're ever going to agree about that concerning this particular game.

[News Bot]

Well no, because I can observe that BH6 is mediocre at best and has problems with its gameplay, design and writing, just as I can observe that 1.5 is also average with problems in its gameplay, design and writing. I'd be inclined to agree with them only if I could see that their statements held some truth, which in 1.5's case, they do. The BH6 developers also admitted they would've liked to work on the game more and that the amount of content would've led to some sacrifices, so they'd get points for honesty. Before passing judgement on my argument, I'd advise you to actually follow it first.

I don't need you to agree with me, but at the very least you'll be able to see where your reasoning falls a bit short.

[Kegluneq]

On that note, the attack on Birkin was NEVER the cause of the outbreak in Raccoon City. The cause of the outbreak was the virus leaking into the city sewer system via the mansion, that is the "cannibal disease." The attack on Birkin only caused a spike in infection that then led to the city's football stadium being overwhelmed and the resulting horde flooding the streets. The city was screwed either way, the latter was written more for drama than to actually explain how the virus infected the city.

I thought the official explanation to the outbreak in Raccoon City was the increased levels of toxic waste generated in the Incineration Disposal Plant P-12A:

Preempting this assault, Dr. Birkin increased the amount of toxic waste generated by his research facility to such levels where it overwhelmed the waste treatment plant creating a state of biohazard. The biohazard conditions ended up unleashing the T-Virus zombifing the employees and researchers working within. The damage didn't stop there and the infection quickly spread throughout the city, transforming the place into an inhospitable zombie wasteland. Successfully holed up within this biohazard zone, Dr. Birkin negotiated with ranking officials within the United States government, requesting protection in exchange for providing the G-Virus and its research data.
Yasuhisa Kawamura Interview (February 2012)

August 17
Bizarre cases have occurred one-after-another recently.
They say that unseen monsters appeared at midnight in most parts of the city.
Umbrella must have begun their activities again.
BioHazard 2 File: Chris Diary

September 5th
I recently talked to the old man who works in the scrap yard out back. His name is Thomas. He's a quiet man and really seems to enjoy chess. He even went so far as to design a special key and lock engraved with chess pieces on them for one of the doors in the disposal yard. We made plans to play chess tomorrow night. I can't help but wonder how good he is. One thing that's been bothering me about him is the way that he's always scratching himself... Does he have some sort of skin disease or he is just rude?
BioHazard 2 File: Watchman's Diary

I'm repeating what the dev's once said because they were right and I have actually done a fair amount of research into it. The general layout of the scenario is similar, that's quite true, that's because the stage progression was never the scenario's problem. The story simply wasn't very good even in an unfinished state.

It's difficult to determine if the story wasn't very good in its unfinished state because.. it's unfinished. But this could be answered, to a certain extend. Do we have any idea how much of BioHazard 1's storyline was completed at its 80% development stage? If it was still largely filled with holes, then it's not inconceivable to believe that Kamiya would have plenty of time to polish the narrative.

They couldn't have existed in the 1.5 world because if 1.5 got released, Noboru Sugimura and FLAGSHIP wouldn't have been around to create them. You're dealing entirely in whicky-dicky hypothetical situations with no logic. Once more, I never said it would invalidate "good" sequels, only that these sequels would not have matched the quality of the series as it exists today. In the end, BH1.5 was an inferior product for many reasons and it was rightfully scrapped.

Given the shitty job that Noboru Sugimura and FLAGSHIP did with Code: Veronica and 0, I'd have preferred to see BioHazard 2's Scenario designed by someone else. Subsequent games that had the involvement of FLAGSHIP become riddled with ret-cons. Kawamura did BioHazard 3: Last Escape without the help of FLAGSHIP and he did a phenomenal job with its scenario. Umbrella Corp. was fleshed out without the need of an extensive, confusing and contradicting background. The setting was superbly crafted with the use of in-game files that detailed the events of survivors in the numerous locations we visited.

[News Bot]

The increased toxic waste didn't exist until BH3, and even then, it simply contributed. The main cause was always from the mansion.

Kamiya didn't enjoy writing 1.5 which no doubt didn't help.

I don't think FLAGSHIP or Sugimura did a bad job with CV or 0, both of those seemed to suffer from poor presentation which is a result of their problematic development and a certain thing the Japanese video game industry suffers from. FLAGSHIP were pretty meticulous about retcons and ensured they were never really an issue. For example, the cause of the virus leak in the mansion was devised by Kenichi Iwao in BIO1, but he never left any notes on it. This is why the cause isn't directly addressed in BH0 aside from "Marcus did it." They didn't want to mess with what was already established. Wesker wasn't really a retcon, just a convenient plot device that was most likely meant to tie-in with a few other plot threads that were being devised (Progenitor and G).

[Marvin]

I have stated this some time ago and seems it deserves stating again.

1.5 in its all available media is concentrated more to survival game than retail. It is scarier, modern, more recognizable than retail. When I go to my local police department, I have 1.5 feel in. And the fact that police station has overrun with zombies is scarier than some mansion in forest (although I admit I adore resident evil 1). Yes, you could say, same overrun occured in retail, and operation reports where awsome to read [you believe I still read those when I replay the game?]. But the "nice" and "safe" music with, yes time to time scary, not so scary. Take the 1.5 Main Lobby music for instance. Its multitude tunening to your ears give seldom feeling for loneliness, hopless, but at same time scary. Timeless masterpiece.

The atmosphere: 1.5 atmosphere compared to BH1 and BH2 is being perfected to final of that era game. The Art Museumb building of retail is somewhat very detailed but lack of 'atmosphere' layer of new areas give hints about 3d background designer change. As lab is a lot left same as in 1.5 one can clearly see atmosphere layer I am speaking of.
Our mystery team made this new Claire-Is-Missing hallway; now as it is perfect in sense of light and 3d stuff its atmosphere and detailism (read: plant that is, yes, in corner) is 90% close to BH3. A wonderful hallway. Love it. But no 1.5 atmosphere very much. I can say Dino Crisis has a 1.5 atmosphere within it; of course our 3d designer designated there as I once investigated.

One might think I am being letting 1.5 to get too much under my skin. True. But with careful selections. There are areas of 1.5 I don't like at all. There are certain locations I love more in retail. But that is not important. I just wanted to revitalize the thinking material of label called 1.5 Atmosphere. And within it I doubt the lack of poor plot existed. Years after years when I reconstructed the plot I see a lot of things probably few only noticed. The Ada(Linda)-Leon love exists in 1.5, moreover there are supportive evidence of this in latest footage as well. Bretty much copy paste in retail. At first somewhat negative. I presume end was more positive. Birth of love in survival situation is common in both life and in literature. Secondly the nicest thing about 1.5 plot I do love was fact Elza being student. Very nice. A common down. With common people.

About the plot: News Bot, correct me If I am wrong, but was there any additional plot information available after scrapping "80%" build. I don't remember such; otherwise I see no factual data underlying your statement of plot being greater folly than retails.
The game was near complete, and I see no indication scrapping reasons to give for a weak plot, but rather gameplay and that being similar to BH1.


And to mark the end of one of the longest post I ever made; here is the first part of my 1.5 book I started composing many years ago; it carries the 'atmosphere' I so clearly, perhaps mistakenly; within my sick mind, see and recognize.

[bare the Atmosphere in mind]


Biohazard 2 Prototype Book

By Marvin


Elza Walker is riding on her bike towards Raccoon City. Its almost midnight.
She already sees city lights. Bike is in good condition and she smiles because of that. Elza speeds up as it is last chance to do it before driving
into city area. No other vechicles on road. She is good to go!

She arrives into city so excited about fast driving. She stops at crossroads,
near the Drive In. Somehow everything is so quiet. Friday night and no one to seen? What's going on? Elza pushes up her helmet glass. She is
looking around. That's strange! She accelarets bike engine and smoothly
drives entrance to Drive In. She is ready to take a cup of coffee. Bike correctly
parked she goes in. Nobody again.

"Hello!?" She walks slowly.

Nobody? What a hell?

"Is anyone here?"

Suddenly she hears a sound from backroom. Someone there?...
Some one starts to roam and breaking stuff. Elza freezes. Person appears
around corner, crotesque movement in action. Elza's adrenaline is flowing trough backbone. It's a freaking zombie. So the rumors are true!

"Moaaahhhh... grrrroooam!"

Elza dashes outside the Drive In and sees other zombie near her bike. She
grabs her knife and stabs zombie into neck from behind. Zombie collapses
as Elza pulls out her knife. She jumps on bike and takes off as soon as engine
starts...

Dodging zombies in street elza tries to leave the city, but sees a truck
coming from same road she came. Driver of truck sees someone suddenly walking on street and makes a desperate turn - effect on this turn, truck loses
control and makes a hit on brick house and turns over. Other truck behind this one hits the furgon and makes another hit into parking car other
side of street and explodes. This street is now blocked. One zombie behind truck comes out burning in flames and roaming. Driver of first truck
jumps out and starts to leap away from truck because it seems that it will explode. Suddenly a dog jumps out behind corner and takes down the driver.
Screams are undescribeable.

As flames reflect from Elzas helmet she turns around. Her bike makes a high
sound as she takes off. She watches fuel meter and sees that there is not much left. No more than 30-35 km to go. She speeds up... and turns left at
Drive In. She heads to police station. Zombies are appearing from everywhere. She makes another turn to left and almost hits one zombie. See
slows down to think where to go. Suddenly from her left a dog runs out from alley toward hear... She speeds up and dumps dog far behind. As she is
watching behind she is attacked by another dog from front. At a last second she sees dog and makes dangerous turn. It is too hard to turn and too
much speed. She looses control over bike and speeds toward police station. Infront of police station she almost takes back control and drives
up police station stairs trough glass doors and breaks infront of reception. She jumps off and bike fells on side. She runs toward entrance and
hits fence button. As zombies approach fense drives down. Elza draws out her knife. Fence hits the ground and Elza turns around and sees nobody in
reception room. She looks again toward fence and sees four zombies hiting the fence and roaming in gore sounds. Two more zombies walking up stairs.
Elza turns around and starts running to office room screaming:

"Anyone here!? Anyone!?"

[to be continued]

[News Bot]

1.5 was not concentrated more to survival. It was actually even more action-packed than the final game. This is why they removed the armor, grenades and removed half the weapons. They continued making these changes right up until the game's release, such as removing the chemicals for changing grenade round types and removing extra ammo for the Spark Shot and Submachine Gun.

[Marvin]

Don't be offended News Bot; I am only wonder:
How come that 'more action' game is not survival game. Survival game does not mean only wind jacket and kitchen knife [i am refering to one of the greatest survival horror game ever, yes SH). Having chance to steal armor from rpd and perhaps umbrella units as seen in concept art and Darkness avatar, is marvelous target in essence to increase chances of survival. Survival IS action-packed?. I see no correlation of what you just said. Hmmm... The Resident Evil Gun Survivor is a lot survivol game with a lot of ammo; handgun that is being even unlimited bullets. It is still survival game with multipaths to run. I don't quite get the point

Give please explanation/definitions of Action-Game and Survival game by your words and relate them to 1.5 and retail and perhaps even other series. It is very interesting topic.

[News Bot]

It really depends on your definition. It's one reason there are such wildly varying impressions on BH4, BH5 and BH6 for being so different from previous games. It's why there's no clear-cut definition of "Survival Horror", it's a vague term.

[Kegluneq]

The increased toxic waste didn't exist until BH3, and even then, it simply contributed. The main cause was always from the mansion.

Do you have a source for this? I was under the impression that it was the other way around, even before BioHazard 3 was released. The mansion contributed to the spread of the virus (few isolated cases here and there), but it was the failed U.S.S assassination mission that ended up being the main cause of the outbreak, after the rats (and cockroaches) spread it through out the city.

FLAGSHIP were pretty meticulous about retcons and ensured they were never really an issue.

Oh, I think they were an issue. Particularly the background story of Edward and Spencer. That storyline seemed to be completely scrapped and remade with the inclusion of Dr. Marcus for the purposes of 0's narrative.

Wesker wasn't really a retcon, just a convenient plot device that was most likely meant to tie-in with a few other plot threads that were being devised (Progenitor and G).

This is something that has been bothering me for some time, now. At what point of development was Wesker brought back to Code: Veronica? I'm under the impression that was a last minute change due to the internal changes of BioHazard 4 (Devil May Cry Vers.). They kept the general scenario that Lord Spencer was looking for a successor (G or, perhaps at this point, Progenitor?) and there was no one else to fit the role but Wesker.

1.5 was not concentrated more to survival. It was actually even more action-packed than the final game. This is why they removed the armor, grenades and removed half the weapons. They continued making these changes right up until the game's release, such as removing the chemicals for changing grenade round types and removing extra ammo for the Spark Shot and Submachine Gun.

BioHazard 2 retail still included 4 different types of handguns (if you count Leon's modification), 2 different types of Shotgun, 2 different types of Magnum, a Crossbow, a Grenade Launcher, and 4 different types of Special Weapons (Sub-Machine Gun, Spark Shot, Flamethrower and Rocket Launcher). And the amount of enemies fought in BioHazard 2 retail seems to be significantly lower than the amount of enemies fought in BioHazard 1.5. Even if BioHazard 1.5 was more action-packed, the excessive weaponry and ammo was more adequate than in the final game.

[News Bot]

The incineration plant didn't exist in BH2 and neither did Birkin's attempt to defect to the U.S. government. Kawamura expanded on Sugimura's basic original outline, which was written with the leak from the mansion in mind. The U.S.S. attack caused a sudden large leak, but it wasn't really that big a deal. This leak is the one expanded upon in Outbreak and it only really has big implications once you consider that and BH3, but in BH2, it's relatively moot since the damage has already been done and the game's files make a point of monsters already roaming the city.

Spencer and Edward's background story has always been the same. CODE:Veronica and BH0 were written around the same time, but each handled a different founder. That's why official info in CV says "Spencer, Edward and others" and even including Marcus, there's still a possibility that there were others involved in Umbrella's foundation such as the Henry or Beardsley families. Spencer, Ashford and Marcus were simply the main three.

Wesker was "brought back" in early 1998, but from the start, he was never officially dead and it was unknown whether he lived or died, as the events of BH1 are entirely vague. His CV concept art is dated soon after BH2's release and he was probably written even before that. Work on CV and 0's scenarios began relatively soon after BH2's release, or even before. There was originally a reference to the Clay Virus in BH2 which was removed late in development most likely to accommodate the decision to rename it the Progenitor Virus and give it an origin story to be explored in those two games.

There are only two handguns in BH2, and it's easy to miss Leon's modification. The Browning also has less bullets. It's also very easy to miss the parts for the shotgun and magnum, and Claire doesn't get them at all. The submachine gun is designed to make you choose between it and extra item space (or both, but then you make your next playthrough more difficult) and has no additional ammo, the flamethrower is only really effective against one enemy (Ivy) and the Spark Shot also has no additional ammo. All in all, the weapons are much more balanced in BH2 than 1.5, where I think the only attempt to "balance" was that only Elza got the grenade launcher, like in BH1.

[Guest]

Hmm yeah, but that's exactly what I'm saying. More interactions between the different characters in RE1.5. Look at Marvin, Kendo, Iron in RE2... We see them less than 1 minute each.

Oh, sorry! i thought you meant between the two main characters.

[Kegluneq]

The incineration plant didn't exist in BH2 and neither did Birkin's attempt to defect to the U.S. government. Kawamura expanded on Sugimura's basic original outline, which was written with the leak from the mansion in mind. The U.S.S. attack caused a sudden large leak, but it wasn't really that big a deal. This leak is the one expanded upon in Outbreak.

If Sugimura's basic original outline for the outbreak was the leak from the mansion, how come none of that is ever referenced in the game's script of in-game files?

Spencer and Edward's background story has always been the same. CODE:Veronica and BH0 were written around the same time, but each handled a different founder. That's why official info in CV says "Spencer, Edward and others" and even including Marcus, there's still a possibility that there were others involved in Umbrella's foundation such as the Henry or Beardsley families. Spencer, Ashford and Marcus were simply the main three.

Yet the inclusion of Dr. Marcus is never spoken of in Code: Veronica, despite the major contribution he had in establishing Umbrella Corp. as a Bio Organic Weapon manufacturer for the U.S government. Furthermore, there is a strong implication that Sir Edward's mysterious death had the involvement of Lord Spencer, and my belief is, that this had something to do with the significant research he was doing in the t-Virus field. If that was, indeed, the original plan, then it would seem to me that Capcom couldn't find a way tell this storyline and was forced to introduce Dr. Marcus to take Sir Edward's place.

Wesker was "brought back" in early 1998, but from the start, he was never officially dead and it was unknown whether he lived or died, as the events of BH1 are entirely vague. His CV concept art is dated soon after BH2's release and he was probably written even before that. Work on CV and 0's scenarios began relatively soon after BH2's release, or even before. There was originally a reference to the Clay Virus in BH2 which was removed late in development most likely to accommodate the decision to rename it the Progenitor Virus and give it an origin story to be explored in those two games.

So the Progenitor Virus was planned that far ahead? That's interesting to know. I thought that G (functional) was the focus of the future narratives and the Progenitor was introduced as a replacement for it. But there were some significant changes made to Wesker. In the original Code: Veronica script, he displays super-human powers, but not to the extend of the revised Code: Veronica X script. Was there any explanation for this?

There are only two handguns in BH2, and it's easy to miss Leon's modification. The Browning also has less bullets. It's also very easy to miss the parts for the shotgun and magnum, and Claire doesn't get them at all. The submachine gun is designed to make you choose between it and extra item space and has no additional ammo, the flamethrower is only really effective against one enemy (Ivy) and the Spark Shot also has no additional ammo. All in all, the weapons are much more balanced in BH2 than 1.5, where I think the only attempt to "balance" was that only Elza got the grenade launcher.

There's three handguns in BH2. One is an extra (costume), but it's still there. It's fairly easy to obtain all of Leon's modifications, if we consider that the horror survival genre largely depends on the player's observation skills. There is additional ammo for the submachine gun if picked in Scenario B, but I'll concede that finding that one is quite difficult, considering that something must be done previously in Scenario A, and with the pace of Scenario B, it's quite easy to forget the room from which it can be obtained. And weapons are not balanced in BioHazard 2. A conservative player can store six to seven packs of different ammunition for every weapon by the end of the game. That's poor design choice.

[Rick Hunter]

Do you have any proof ammo for these particular weapons was intended to be collected in 1.5 at all? In which locations, what quantities? We know absolutely NOTHING about the balance of this game, that's what comes last in the development process of a game and you know it. It's pointless to talk about balance when it comes to a game that was never finished. You're comparing apples and oranges, really.

[Marvin]

anyway, my only point was the distinguishable atmosphere of 1.5 capcom failed to implement in other games of series.

and that atmosphere is the main reason I love 1.5 to its every detail.

Just compare the zombies of 1.5 and retail. amazing .

[RaccoonSurvivor]

It doesn't look like a radio at all .. more like Leon is pushing his hair away from his face..
He relaxes his leg, leaning - then brushes his hair away - I mean, his hand would be in the same place as a ''radio'', by his ear.