The Resident Evil franchise was busy in 2021, which comes as no surprise given it celebrated its 25th anniversary. Apart from the successful launch of Resident Evil Village, the franchise also saw the premiere of Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, a film reboot loosely adapted the first two games in the video game series.
Capcom has also seen great success with its remakes of past Resident Evil games, most notably 2019's Resident Evil 2. While the Resident Evil 3 remake disappointed some fans with cut content and its short length, Capcom still considered it a success, surpassed the original game in terms of sales. Although the first Resident Evil game already received a remake in 2002, Capcom should revisit the Spencer Mansion again in this style.
A Resident Evil Remake Would Allow Players to Re-Experience the Glory
The 2002 remake of Resident Evil is widely considered one of the best entries in the series. Not only was Capcom able to embrace the core concept of the original, the studio was able to add new layers of fear not present in the 1996 version, such as the Lisa Trevor storyline, Crimson Head zombies, and more. Most veteran Resident Evil fans even consider the 2002 remake the definitive version of the first game given all its significant improvements.
One similarity the remake had with the original is using pre-rendered backgrounds instead of fully 3D environments. In 2002 the use of pre-rendered assets wasn't a bad thing, given that it allowed the developers to pour details into the Spencer Mansion that made it hauntingly beautiful to this day. However, given Capcom's excellent recreation of the RPD and Raccoon City in Resident Evil 2 remake, it would be nice for the studio to do the same thing to the Spencer Mansion.
Another similarity the first Resident Evil remake had with the original is tank controls and fixed camera angles. While many hardcore fans consider these mechanics essential for a classic survival horror game, modern players are often turned off by clunky controls and limited views. While the remake does offer alternative controls, there are instances where controlling characters feel clunky. Like RE2 and RE3 remakes, the use of a third-person over-the-shoulder perspective allows players to have more control over their characters and absorb every detail of the games' environments. Spencer Mansion could be appreciated the same way
Resident Evil: Welcome To Raccoon City Has Sparked New Interest
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Although fans of the video game franchise are divided on whether Welcome To Raccoon City is a good adaptation, those who haven't touched a Resident Evil game would probably be interested to know how video games told the story. When Netflix released its adaptation of The Witcher, CD Projekt Red saw a significant increase in The Witcher 3's sales given fans were curious about the game.
Similarly, the Resident Evil video game franchise may have a new audience interested in starting their journey from the start after watching Welcome to Raccoon City. Yet the original Resident Evil and its 2002 remake may not appeal to modern players, given they use pre-rendered backgrounds and tank controls. Having a new remake similar to the approach used in the Resident Evil 2 may be a better option for newcomers. However, one crucial thing Capcom should keep in mind if it decides to remake Resident Evil again is to not change the story to bring it closer to Welcome to Raccoon City.
Changes in the plot are inevitable for remakes, but the original remake became a hit due to its faithfulness while adding new elements to keep the experience fresh. If Capcom is going to introduce changes to Resident Evil's story, the studio could fix the plotholes of Resident Evil 0 and have a better explanation of the story of Rebecca Chambers and the rest of the Bravo Team.