Tweet
Very much like the shambling, slack-jawed corpses that stalk its instalments, Capcom's Resident Evil series is a curiously aimless beast at present. 2012's Resident Evil 6 deviated too far from the core values of the franchise by trying to appeal to horror and action fans alike, and Capcom has since fallen back on former glories by remastering the GameCube remake of the 1996 debut title for modern consoles. Meanwhile, Resident Evil: Revelations 2 skulks almost apologetically in the shadows, hoping to offer a spin-off romp which will maintain the interest of an increasingly restless fan base until the next numbered entry in the lineage hoves into view.Resident Evil has been here before, though, and keen gaming historians will gleefully point out that such dire situations have a habit of breeding truly remarkable video games. When Capcom last found itself at similarly awkward crossroads, it pulled the sublime Resident Evil 4 out of the bag - arguably the crowning glory of the series thus far. Skilfully helmed by series creator Shinji Mikami and boasting revised controls, a new over-the-shoulder perspective and an entirely fresh enemy to be scared witless by, the 2005 GameCube classic is unquestionably one of the finest video games of its era, and it is from this memorable zenith that the franchise has since been charting its slow and agonising descent. Every game since has been cast in Resident Evil 4's shadow.
However, as perfectly-realised an experience as it unquestionably was, Resident Evil 4 could almost have been even more revolutionary. Speaking to Eurogamer, former Capcom scenario writer Yasuhisa Kawamura reveals that it had been his intention to craft a horror title which raised the bar when it came to scares; his vision was one of "pure horror" freed from the constraints of the increasingly convoluted Resident Evil storyline, which has traditionally relied so heavily on shadowy corporations indulging in illegal scientific experiments.
Read more…
More...