It's undeniable that a game from 2005 would feel dated today. In general, the ongoing slew of remakes coming from various studios evokes a divided response; some find these remakes unnecessary and want new games instead, while others revel in the nostalgia of getting to play their favorite old games in higher definition and with new/better controls. Capcom has established a reputation for creating well-received remakes in its monumental Resident Evil series. However, the recent remake Resident Evil 4 VR has caused somewhat of a stir based on its changes to one of the most popular games in the franchise.

Facebook, which has partnered with Capcom to release this game for the Oculus Quest 2, responded to concerns by stating that the changes were made to make the game more suitable for a modern audience. The translation of this is that the changes were made to remove any content that might break immersion for players due to seeming unnatural by today's social standards. In this case, the specific cut content largely concerns sexually implicative dialogue and animations about Ashley. It's likely the companies involved in development also want to avoid any potential scandal or negative reaction to these lines. While the more purist fans of the game might argue that these changes somehow ruin the experience, the reality is that the changes are very minor and the more important aspects of the game, like narrative and gameplay, are true to the original experience.

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The Cut Content

resident evil 4 Leon and  Ashley

The news of these changes originally leaked to the internet before the release of Resident Evil 4 VR. According to the leak, flirty dialogue between Leon and Ingrid had been removed in one scene, and the post-credit scene in which Leon asks, in vain, for Ingrid's number was similarly gone. The actual words that are missing are very few, and the only one of any consequence early in the game is a line in the original where Leon states he thought Ingrid would be older. While these changes do have some implications for the relationship between Leon and the relatively minor character, Ingrid, they bear no greater implications for the plot of Resident Evil 4.

Furthermore, a line where Luis comments on Ashley's breasts and the camera lingers on her chest for a moment has been removed. Players can also no longer attempt to look up Ashley's skirt, either. Again, these changes are of very little consequence for the gaming experience of Resident Evil 4, especially in VR. The specifics of the other dialogue changes are still being confirmed as players make their way through the game, as the cut content is so minor. Game modes such as Mercenaries Mode, Assignment Ada, and others are missing in the remake, likely due to practical reasons. Ultimately the VR remake of this game remains faithful to the original, but some of the rough edges of this port have led to most fans acknowledging the VR version was always going to be a very different experience.

Censorship Versus Editing

resident evil 4 leon kennedy graveyard

While the small controversy surrounding these changes implied that they were the result of censorship, in reality, it is more likely just part of the natural editing process that happens with remakes. While video games have historically evoked an unnecessary moral panic that has influenced legislation, censorship refers to the suppression of information due to its content being deemed unacceptable. The previous versions of Resident Evil 4 are still widely available to play, and so this content is not really being suppressed. The involvement of Facebook via Oculus, which has a largely negative reputation concerning appropriate content, does feed the idea that these changes might be the result of suppression, but ultimately Facebook is just helping to port this game to VR.

The Resident Evil series has certainly amassed many dedicated fans across decades worth of games, and naturally, these fans feel a strong affinity to the games in their original form. The underlying fear around this type of apparent censorship is that it will ruin the experience of re-playing the game. However, all remakes are inherently changed on a fundamental level, and while it's impossible to recreate the experience of playing Resident Evil 4 for the first time in 2005, the remake is contributing to quickly developing VR technology, which has a lot of exciting potential for gamers.

Resident Evil 4 VR is available now for Oculus Quest 2.

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