Resident Evil 2 Remake, how would you like yours?

[News Bot]

They've been consistent for a long time. Making the scenarios in Umbrella Chronicles and Darkside Chronicles character perspective-based re-tellings rather than outright remakes/retcons is part of their desire to maintain the originals as they are, likewise with brushing off Operation Raccoon City as "what-if" trash. They don't need remade. They are fine and still hold up very well today. Like Mikami said, people will complain about changing or not changing things. The BH1 remake was good because Mikami had a clear goal from the outset, making BH1 the way he would've made it at the time. He openly told non-hardcore fans to fuck off and made something survival horror fans would enjoy. That is not something CAPCOM are able to do today, their entire ethos is centered on mass-appeal. You will not get a dedicated, well-thought out and faithful remake.

Also, the series has used the original games as the foundation for its entire mythology. If they remake them and suddenly change a lot (temptation to do this is far too great for someone who wasn't involved in the original), then that entire foundation crumbles and becomes a complete mess. This is another reason why the BH1 remake just worked, it was created by the same people who created the original and knew exactly what to do with it.

[randomwab]

There has been an idea of a different, non "REmake 2" Resident Evil 2 remake in my head since I played Demon's Souls in 2009 that hasn't gone away and has slowly expanded in concept. It's largely influenced by Demon's/Dark Souls and Resident Evil 2, 4 and REmake. I think it's a rad as all fuck idea and I will try my best to detail it, with what I assume will be little success and a ton of negative "This is not a good idea, you total idiot" feedback. I look forward to that.

Firstly, start with the Resident Evil 4 gameplay as a base. Over the shoulder, don't move and shoot, all that jazz. Not Resident Evil 5 or 6 though. It needs to be 4; the game excelled in weapon feel and weight and an overall balance where 5 and, from the looks of things, 6 do not. 4 plays very deliberately. It's required for everything I want to do to work.

Next, revamp character progression. The idea of upgrading guns I love and want to keep in the 4 style, but I want to change it up so it fits with the narrative. You're exploring an overrun police station in a dead city, so a merchant hovering about is out of the question, as is the treasure and monetary system. Instead, have them scattered around the environment, with the majority either hidden or as rewards for optional puzzles or exploration. This would allow the player to progress at a balanced level, easily pulled off because Resident Evil 2 is so heavily gated thanks to locked off areas and natural progression through each area you discover. With this, you can put the better upgrades behind harder puzzles or in areas that the player won't be able to reach until later.

That said, the whole upgrade system wouldn't be necessary to advance in the game. Obviously they would really help you out, but I'm all about balance, so if players miss any upgrades or choose not to use them, then the game will adjust accordingly in regards to how much ammunition that player will find. It can fit narratively too, in my head at least. You're in a police station that was in the pocket of this dodgy pharmaceutics giant, so the upgrades for each character being located in these places seems sound in my mind.

As for the upgrades themselves, I want them to be different for each character. For Leon, focus on upgrading the three main weapons he has rather than giving him an expanded arsenal. I think there's something really effective about Leon only having three weapons in Resident Evil 2 (not counting the SMG or special weapons), and that all three can be upgraded. So run with that, but instead of one time massive upgrades for each weapon like in the original, create incremental upgrades throughout the game which affect different aspects of each weapon. An upgrade for the trigger mechanism that allows you to fire faster, a better barrel which gives a higher shot impact, a new frame for higher accuracy; that kind of thing for each weapon but a ton more and more varied.

For Claire, I think it would be interesting to focus on upgrading the ammunition side of things. So where Leon got weapon upgrades, Claire can find various items, tools and documents that allow her to change things like the damage and effects of her grenade ammo, the types of bow she can craft and fire and the damage output and area of effect for the Sparkshot. Realistically, these would be doing the same things as Leon's upgrade, but I like the narrative difference between the two.

Now for the combat, I would absolutely want zombies as the main set of enemies. This is Resident Evil 2; we need them. That said, with Resident Evil 4's gameplay as the base, you need to revamp the combat somewhat to make this work, so here are my main ideas. Put heavy focus on aiming and enemy hit detection, and combine that with low ammo and health and large numbers of enemies within tight spaces and corridors forcing players to really make every shot count. The main issue here is how you deal with headshots, the thing I want to make a requirement for killing zombies. If you make the aiming too loose so that it's harder to hit them precisely, then that feels bullshit for the player. At the same time, you wouldn't want them to enter a space and easily dispatch four or five zombies with headshots without breaking a sweat. The middle ground that I think could work is to make aiming at a distance harder (you could borderline snipe with the handgun in RE4) and force multiple headshots to permanently drop a zombie. That way, if they land the first shot, the zombie will either fall or stumble enough that it effectively resets their aim. If you add random behaviour to the zombies; stumbling and tripping with constant movement of the head, reacting to each other and the possibility that if you knock one zombie down, it will knock others down or push them back, then it could add enough of a challenge when presented with of a good number of these guys coming at you.

I think three shots to the head is a decent number, or depending on the damage done to the rest of the body, what weapon you’re using or what upgrades you’ve found, two shot or one just to finish it off. Making the hit detection on the rest of the body work is also important to deal with multiple foes. I like the idea of keeping consistent with Leon’s opening FMV in 2 when he shoots a zombie and, while it reacts, it doesn’t properly knock him back. Add this to realtime gameplay with key areas on the body; if you shot their leg, a zombie will stumble but quickly get back to its feet. However, if you can hit the leg, and while it’s stumbling, hit the shoulder, you can knock the zombie back or over. If you shoot a shoulder, it’ll reel back, but if you can shoot the other shoulder while it’s reeling, you can knock it off it’s feet. Give the player the ability to crowd control while faced with multiple of these guys in confined spaces. That way, you can play around with enemy placement in a space or mix it up with adding different enemies among them, for example, a rogue crimson head. Having to dispatch that fast and deadly fucker while keeping everything else at bay just seems too good to me. Have a lot of environment interactivity that you can use to your advantage too, either as a means to dispatch enemies or at the very least impede them, giving you more reaction time.

I also want the other BOWs from 2; lickers and plants and spiders and such, but truthfully I haven’t really put much thought into them other than to say they’d be in greater moderation than zombies and I think they and their environments should be designed to complement each other. Lickers would be nice to include among other stuff too, forcing you to balance what's in front of you with one or two of them above or below you. Verticality in combat up in this bitch. Crimson heads I honestly would want as randomized in the game too, but also in great moderation.

I’m getting bored writing this now, as you’re probably getting bored reading it, so I’ll try and fire through my big remaining points quickly.

Each enemy should be powerful, but balanced in their speed and the ways presented to you to combat them. In essence, you should be given enough time to deal with these guys before they get close or they can do massive damage to you (‘cause they know you’re weakspot). I don’t know if an AI director like Left4Dead had would be a good idea, but it could work if it were basically sitting in the background observing how the player’s doing and making decisions based on what it sees. If a player is constantly low on ammo and health, spawn more where as a player who is rolling through would find less. If a player is confident when enemies are at a distance but more frantic when they are up close, place the enemies closer to the front of areas or spawn faster enemies amongst them.

Design boss battles around big, exciting set pieces and avoid making them bullet sponges. Expand on each location in the game with careful restrain; I’d particularly like to see the beginning section in the streets be longer, as well as the marshalling yard be expanded. In regards to the graphics and feel on the locations, keep them dark and atmospherically heavy. Play on the feeling of isolation and helplessness and emphasis that the people you meet along your journey (with the exception of Claire) cannot be trusted. And absolutely continue with the REmake theme of playing with the people who know the game best. Subvert their expectations for a remake and mess with the game they know so well like he did in REmake. That was what made it such a fantastic game.

I’m totally bored now, and the Chronicles HD games are finished downloading on my Playstation so I want to go. I will say, though, that I do think a game like this could work. The From Software Souls games have shown that hardcore games can still be successful, as Dead Space showed people still want horror and the high number of sales with something like Operation Raccoon City show that, despite an awful game attached, Resident Evil still holds weight with it’s name and people want to return to Raccoon City. If I can be bothered tomorrow, I might expand on the bits I left out. Unless Capcom hire me before then.

Coming 2015...

Resident Evil 2 remake

Director: Wayne “randomwab” Brannagan

Metacritic: 22

Hideki Kamiya’s twitter: “Oh.”

[Kaneco]

Okay, I dunno how Jon handled being a mod for so long, but for fuck's sake, both of you stop. Fighting. Now. Holy shit.

As I said in your messages, you're lucky Jon didn't see this first or one, if not both of you would be taking a nice vacation.

Just stop it. Ignore each other if you have to, that's what the function is for. But stop fighting or straight-up bans will be given out.

Edit: If you truly must continue this childish game, do it in private messages. Stop clogging the forums. That goes for both you.

Edit edit: And Dracarys, that PU comment was entirely unnecessary. That's not just insulting Paul, but everyone who has worked on it or is affiliated with it (TheBatman, George Trevor, Mr. Spencer, Neptune, Chimera, etc.) I assure you that, though not a part of PU myself, they work tirelessly at what they do and their work outshines just about everything short of going to the writers and other Capcom employees themselves (which, as a matter of fact, the PU staff generally does anyway). Whether or not you agree about the quality of content is your choice, but insulting the work that went into the site and its content is flat-out wrong.

Whoa! I just read 5 pages of useless & mostly off-topic Shenanigans while trying to catch-up with a thread I haven't read a single page of!

Thank you Canas! Thank you so much! I shall put you in my 'Love Bot' list.

@News bot. Be like 'me'. I just learn to ignore it, as much as it kills you...just ignore it.

Moving on...let's try to stay in topic, please. I don't think the thread's OP would be too pleased with all the derailment of the thread. (unless he/she likes reading drama)

I would love to have a Remake of 2 & 3 (I don't think CV needs one to be honesty) but how things are with the current Capcom, the time that has passed since the REmake & Mikami no longer in the team...I think it's practically a lost cause and a lost opportunity. At this point the Remakes of 2 & 3 would not be anything like REmake became 10 years ago.

We got lucky with getting a remake of BH1, back when Mikami was Capcom's cash-cow & top-dog of the industry.

Now that I look back, I think the reason as to why Mikami made REmake was when they moved ship to the gamecube with RE0...Could RE0, with its new engine, been the pitch-in idea for an REmake & to ret-con RE0 with the rest of the series? Wasn't footage of RE0 (GC) shown, and even announced, before REmake?...I clearly don't remember.

Your thoughts, News Bot?

[Darkmoon]

Another fight with News Bot and Dracarys at the center? Allow me a moment to slide a look of shock and surprise into place.

I am shocked, totally shocked that two long standing members could have a fight. Again. After being told to just ignore or report each other a dozen or so times. Shocked, I say.

And whichever of you two insults the other will be banned for a month. And after last time, I think we can safely say 'singling out comments and opinions for ridicule' will count towards that, just so we lack confusion. Seriously, I am fed up of two supposedly intelligent members who can't drop a fucking grudge, and the rest of the forum groaning every time you both post in a topic for the inevitable fight. I am severely tempted to ban you both for a month and give myself some lovely quiet time.

Looks like Canas would love to pull that trigger, too.

Anyway, the one thing I'm uncertain of is Crimson Heads. As far as I know they're one of the few real retcons in the series - they never show up again after the mansion (mostly because most of those games were made beforehand, sure...) but they're also very cool. And terrifying. It would be nice to know exactly when they never showed up elsewhere, though, and I'm wondering if that couldn't be included in a RE2 Remake. Unless an explanation exists and my hate filled mind can't find it.

[Smiley]

I guess we can thank Umbrella Chronicles and Operation: Raccoon City for which my overwhelming love of crimson heads can finally be re-visited. But to implement them in a remake of 2 and 3 would be.... dare I say..... fan-****ing-tastic!

[alexdz]

Anyway, the one thing I'm uncertain of is Crimson Heads. As far as I know they're one of the few real retcons in the series - they never show up again after the mansion (mostly because most of those games were made beforehand, sure...) but they're also very cool. And terrifying. It would be nice to know exactly when they never showed up elsewhere, though, and I'm wondering if that couldn't be included in a RE2 Remake. Unless an explanation exists and my hate filled mind can't find it.

According to my version of Archives (the "Caution: a Resident Evil was detected" one) Crimson Heads only happen when infected by the T-virus strand derived from the first Crimson Head, the one inside the coffin under the graveyard.

[News Bot]

Another fight with News Bot and Dracarys at the center? Allow me a moment to slide a look of shock and surprise into place.

I am shocked, totally shocked that two long standing members could have a fight. Again. After being told to just ignore or report each other a dozen or so times. Shocked, I say.

And whichever of you two insults the other will be banned for a month. And after last time, I think we can safely say 'singling out comments and opinions for ridicule' will count towards that, just so we lack confusion. Seriously, I am fed up of two supposedly intelligent members who can't drop a fucking grudge, and the rest of the forum groaning every time you both post in a topic for the inevitable fight. I am severely tempted to ban you both for a month and give myself some lovely quiet time.

Looks like Canas would love to pull that trigger, too.

Anyway, the one thing I'm uncertain of is Crimson Heads. As far as I know they're one of the few real retcons in the series - they never show up again after the mansion (mostly because most of those games were made beforehand, sure...) but they're also very cool. And terrifying. It would be nice to know exactly when they never showed up elsewhere, though, and I'm wondering if that couldn't be included in a RE2 Remake. Unless an explanation exists and my hate filled mind can't find it.

It's like everyone except you can see bullshit.

Crimson Heads are created with a specific mutant strain of the t-Virus which wasn't used in Raccoon City. You can't have Crimson Heads and Lickers with the same strain.

[Mr. Spencer]

Paul's worked tirelessly on PU. More so than any of us who work on the site. If you had an understanding of the amount of time and effort he has put into that site, you wouldn't be so keen to slag him off at any opportunity you get.

[randomwab]

It's like everyone except you can see bullshit.

Crimson Heads are created with a specific mutant strain of the t-Virus which wasn't used in Raccoon City. You can't have Crimson Heads and Lickers with the same strain.

I thought crimson heads were a pre-licker mutation state, were they not? And wasn't part of Raccoon's infection caused by the mansion leaks filtering down through the Arklay mountains as well as Birkin spreading it through the sewers?

[Smiley]

It's like everyone except you can see bullshit.

Crimson Heads are created with a specific mutant strain of the t-Virus which wasn't used in Raccoon City. You can't have Crimson Heads and Lickers with the same strain.

But ORC? If a base in Russia could have a strain, and now the mansion incident.... Why can't Raccoon City? I want my Crimson Heads back!!! I want them back DAMMIT!!!

[News Bot]

I thought crimson heads were a pre-licker mutation state, were they not? And wasn't part of Raccoon's infection caused by the mansion leaks filtering down through the Arklay mountains as well as Birkin spreading it through the sewers?

Crimson Heads are created by a similar process to the Lickers and have similar attributes, but the mutations are completely separate. A Crimson Head will never evolve into a Licker, and the "Suspended" (or Regis Licker as it's incorrectly known) is not an actual Licker, it's a freak mutation. Outbreak's boss enemies were originally meant to be freak mutants such as the Giant Leech, Two-Headed Zombie Dog, Megalodon Neptune and so on.

Very little of the infection actually spread from the mansion. Traces of the virus leaked into the sewer from the mansion (the mansion, hospital and laboratories are all connected via the sewer system, which is in turn connected to the underground carrying-out tunnels) and infected a few people within the vicinity, but the infection wouldn't have spread. The cause of the zombies which appeared in August came from the leak caused by Birkin at the abandoned plant, and these ones began to spread very slowly. It was the attack on Birkin on September 23 that caused a huge leak and was ultimately responsible for the city's destruction, which was made worse by the fact that most of Raccoon City was in one place at the time: the stadium. It became a zombie domino effect at that point.

But ORC? If a base in Russia could have a strain, and now the mansion incident.... Why can't Raccoon City? I want my Crimson Heads back!!! I want them back DAMMIT!!!

It's not impossible but it is very, very dumb if you try to explain it away in the plot, in my opinion. It worked in the BH1 remake, it wouldn't work with any other visit to Raccoon City since we've seen enough of it already and they have refused to use Crimson Heads. It would seem tacked on at best. The Crimson Heads in Umbrella's End are there because the strain was most likely sent there. Research in Raccoon City was focused on Birkin's refined strain that created Lickers, Tyrants and Hunters, while the mutant strain was shipped elsewhere to be cultivated for, presumably, mass-production (which is what the base in Russia was explicitly for). Since Arklay (according to BH1 remake) focused heavily on the Crimson Heads and initially discovered them, samples of the mutant strain were still there, which is why it spread when the Queen Leech attacked.

The mutant strain is however purchased from Umbrella and used by Javier to create the faster and stronger "Javier Zombies" in Darkside Chronicles. These weren't true Crimson Heads apparently since their state of suspended animation was artificially induced. Actually receiving damage seems to make the mutation more aggressive, which makes sense since the V-ACT process reconstructs tissue.

EDIT: Of course I'm talking from the perspective of a new game based in Raccoon City, rather than a remake. It could work in the latter but good luck trying get even remotely the same quality as the BH1 remake. The time for remakes of any of the older games has long since passed and nothing good will come out of remaking them now.

[Smiley]

Nothing except $$$

[MiLØ]

I'd sell my last pair of drawers and give Capcom all my money if only they did this remake... the right way

[randomwab]

Does PU have a timeline that covers the various incidents that occurred leading up to the Raccoon outbreak? It might be selective memory, but I honestly can't remember anything about two seperate leaks by Birkin.

[News Bot]

Does PU have a timeline that covers the various incidents that occurred leading up to the Raccoon outbreak? It might be selective memory, but I honestly can't remember anything about two seperate leaks by Birkin.

We have the Chronology of Evil I wrote but I'm not sure if I extensively covered them enough. I am currently working on a major revision of that timeline and will have them included soon, though. We just keep discovering new things to add or change.