Sources: Capcom has overhauled its plans for a Resident Evil 4 remake
CAPCOM DIVISION 1 BROUGHT IN AS NEWCOMER M-TWO SEES ROLE REDUCED, SOURCES INDICATE
Capcom’s in-development Resident Evil 4 remake has seen a major change of leadership due to disagreements over its direction, according to people with knowledge of the project.
New studio M-Two has seen its role significantly reduced on the unannounced project, the sources told VGC, and mainline Resident Evil studio Capcom Division 1 has been brought in to lead a new direction.
As first reported by VGC last year, the Resident Evil 4 remake has been in development since 2018 led by Osaka-based M-Two, the studio founded by former PlatinumGames head Tatsuya Minami.
Little has been shared publicly about M-Two, but people with knowledge of the company said it was partly funded by Capcom and comprised of some former PlatinumGames employees, including developers from the Metal Gear Rising and Bayonetta 2 teams.
Our original report on M-Two and Minami’s involvement, published in Dec 2019, was later confirmed by the credits of Resident Evil 3.
The company contributed to the development of 2020’s RE3 remake, with Minami taking on an executive producer role, but the start-up’s main purpose was always to lead the next, bigger remake, Resident Evil 4.
Capcom’s Resident Evil 4 remake has been overhauled, sources indicated.
However, multiple sources have indicated that, following a key project review late last year, it was decided that M-Two’s role on RE4’s remake would be significantly reduced. Capcom’s Division 1 – the internal team responsible for Resident Evil and Devil May Cry games – has now been brought in to lead the RE4 project, VGC understands.
It’s believed that the disagreements that led to M-Two’s reduced role involved the studio’s desire to stick faithfully to the template of the original Resident Evil 4, partly influenced by backlash to Resident Evil 3’s remake, which did not include significant portions of the original PlayStation game, much to fans’ disappointment.
Capcom’s production team, however, is said to prefer a direction which would see RE4’s remake inspired by the original, but with its own unique take on features, story elements and environments not necessarily confined to the blueprint of the original, similar to Resident Evil 2‘s use of Mr. X.
Sources said that the Resident Evil 4 Remake would now be partially rebooted under the new mandate, which could see its release delayed by as much as a year to 2023.
This kind of direction change is not uncommon within Capcom, the people said, and both Resident Evil 2 and 3 are said to have experienced similar overhauls during their development.
Capcom declined to comment when contacted ahead this story’s publication.
2005’s Resident Evil 4 is Capcom’s highest-rated game of all-time, according to review aggregation site Metacritic, with sales totalling 10.4 million copies across various platforms.
The horror instalment is regarded as one of the most influential games of the 2000s, with its off-the-shoulder viewpoint in particular widely adopted by many third-person shooters that followed.
Don’t know if this is troubling or not. Like the article says this isn’t necessarily uncommon and Resident Evil 2 had similar issues but that turned out to be an amazing game. I just hope that the Resident Evil 4 Remake turns out to be an amazing game as well.
@enzyme36: Well the problem with that is I don’t have a PC capable of running the game nor am I currently interested in getting one right now so the Resident Evil 4 HD mod does nothing for me. It’s definitely a great mod though for those that do.
Still disappointed that they skipped Code Veronica. That needed a remake more than RE4, which doesn't really need a remake. The original RE4 is already a GOAT and has aged very well, so you can't do much to improve on it. The only thing they can improve is to allow moving while shooting, which would mean redesigning the game around the move-and-shoot mechanics.
@enzyme36: Well the problem with that is I don’t have a PC capable of running the game nor am I currently interested in getting one right now so the Resident Evil 4 HD mod does nothing for me. It’s definitely a great mod though for those that do.
I hear ya there.... would be great if this was available to all players. These guys worked hard on a specific version of the game only on one platform, but they did some great work.
There's nothing wrong with RE4 as it is. The HD remaster on steam looks and plays fantastic. People remaking games is just so they don't have to pay a writer, pay for a new story, or market a new idea and just cash in on something that already exists with some updated graphics. It's a money grab. Perhaps Capcom should come up with a new idea that doesn't suck ass. RE7 was awful, and they're going to stick with what made it shit for RE8.
@eoten: I go back to play it from time to time and yeah it still is great to play. But, controls always take getting familiar with. They did such a great job with RE2 remake though I'd like to see RE4 get same treatment.
I'm glad that they decided to do it properly. After what happened to Resident Evil 3 remake, I want them to do a good job with 4 just like what they did with RE2 remake.
It's kind of funny how the Resident Evil 4 remake has a troubled development just like the original Resident Evil 4 did. I remember when Capcom had to redo Resident Evil 4 many times back then and it seems like it's happening again with the remake lol.
The team trying to be faithful to RE4 is justified personally. I mean RE3R development feels really rushed and the resulting backlash really felt in the division for them to try not anger the fans for their upcoming projects.
Also platinum seems to lose quite a lot of talent if the devs that came to capcom responsible for Bayonetta 2 and MGR.
Still disappointed that they skipped Code Veronica. That needed a remake more than RE4, which doesn't really need a remake. The original RE4 is already a GOAT and has aged very well, so you can't do much to improve on it. The only thing they can improve is to allow moving while shooting, which would mean redesigning the game around the move-and-shoot mechanics.
That wouldn't be an improvement.
I'll probably still play this remake, but yeah man. This didn't need a remake. Code Veronica on the other hand could've been amazing, much more deserving than Re3.
That's great. I'd like them to expand the levels as well. Would be nice to play a bunch of sections that weren't in the original. I would even prefer if this was a reimagination of the game just like FF7R instead of a standard remake.
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