Resident Evil 2 | January 25th for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

[Shadow Fenix]

I have three copies of RE4 haha, managed to snag a steelbook of it on PS2, the GCN version used in really good condition, and technically it's not mine but I've have the Wii version borrowed from my friend for years now haha. Would probably say the Wii version was my favorite surprisingly.

 

[Max]

I agree, the Wii version of RE4 was also my favorite. I actually really enjoyed the Wii controls and had a lot of fun with it.

 

[Magnus]

The Ultimate HD Edition for PC is the way to go, if not for the higher framerate and resolution then for mods like this:

[video=youtube;Gq2rjSYX8gY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gq2rjSYX8gY[/video]

It's difficult not to be impressed by that!

 

[Shadow Fenix]

I have seen that HD project around before. Shows the pretty lazy effort Capcom did with the PC port. Reminds me of Nintendo and the new TP port on Wii U

 

[Magnus]

I wouldn't call it lazy per se. RE4HD on its own is the original game in HD. They improved some textures, mostly on character models. But for the most part, it's as bare bones as an HD remaster can be. But on the other hand, it also plays great. While I shouldn't have to list that as a plus, the sad reality is that so many HD remasters are quick cash grabs with zero quality control (Silent Hill HD Collection being the go to example but far from the only one). If an HD remaster doesn't introduce any new glitches or other problems not found in the original releases it's a win. But what irks me is that the PC version is called "Ultimate HD Edition", because that's what's really implying they put in some additional work into it, when they clearly just did a good job of releasing a bare bones but glitch free HD remaster.

The RE4HD project is amazing though. So much dedication and effort going into it. Capcom actually supports the modding community, as long as people don't abuse it (for example, re-creating DLC material and releasing it for free is obviously a no go). They don't even seem to mind nude mods (and there are plenty of them out there!). I really hope that once it's finished, Capcom will pick it up, pay the guys behind it and release it on consoles.

I'm not really a PC gamer, but I've got a new computer on the way and given how terribly optimised Capcom's console ports are these days I decided to get a Steam account. Luckily, we still get boxed copies of PC games here in Europe, so we'll get physical releases of upcoming games like SFV, Dragon's Dogma and RE Origins Collection for PC. I'll still continue to be a console gamer for the most part, but in cases where the PC ports are just superior to the console ones (and not just the same + slightly better shadows or higher resolutions than 1080p) I'll go for the PC versions.

RE Origins Collection is 30 fps on all consoles! 60 fps on PC. Of course, both PS4 and XO can do 60 fps for these games. Capcom claimed it was due to parity issues they went with 30 fps, but that's just bollocks. They clearly don't care about optimising console ports, especially not on Sony consoles.

RE Revelations 2 dipped to 30 fps on PS4 prior to getting patched and now it's still 45-60 when it should be locked to 60 (come on, it's not a demanding game).

Also, some of the music in REmake HD is played in the wrong pitch (and also sped up). This is not something Capcom cares to fix, but that's what's so good about the RE modding community! And I also sort of look forward to the day when modders try to update all of the ugly textures in Revelations 2, which has gone on to become one of my favourite RE games!

On a different note, I really wish they would just reboot the franchise once they're done with remaking RE3 (which I'm sure will be next). Do a reverse with the reboot and call it Biohazard in the west and Resident Evil in Japan. I've always liked Biohazard more.

 

[Shadow Fenix]

The title Resident Evil stopped making sense after the first game haha, not sure how I'd feel about a full reboot. I can't completely recall how RE6 ended but I think it had enough left open for at least one more sequel. Then maybe give it the axe. But that's odd you point out they're losing interest in optimizing for the console ports? It originated on the PSone, you'd think they'd have some sort of affinity toward its origin. But given their history with mods, it'd be fun to see them do what Bethesda is doing and have mods be available on console.

 

[Magnus]

It's a problem with their MT Framework engine. It's made with PC in mind, and Xbox ports usually get the upper hand over PlayStation ports because of this (even if the console isn't as powerful).

To be fair, Resident Evil was always multi-platform. It was originally released for PlayStation, but a PC port came out the same year and a Saturn port was released one year later. They quickly realised this would become a popular franchise and acted accordingly to make as much profit as possible.

As for my idea about a reboot, I was thinking they could just wrap things up in RE7 and Revelations 3. The plot in RE6 was rubbish though. It would seem that RE6 has been rated for PS4/XO and while it's probably not the case, I would love Capcom if they just remade the entire game. I mean, not from the ground up but just changing the gameplay, remove the overwhelming amount of QTE's and re-write the story to not be as over the top would go a long way to fix the game and actually make it good. Or just come out and say RE6 isn't canon and that Revelations 3 will replace it in the canon timeline.

If they're smart they'll just downplay the events of RE6 and go with what they set up in Revelations 2, which seems way bigger than the possible outcome of RE6 as far as RE lore goes. Have you beaten Revelations 2 yet?

 

[Shadow Fenix]

Yeah makes sense there, and given the connectivity with Xbone and windows 10, I'm sure the upper hand can increase even more.

It was, yeah. And then they had a fling with the GameCube for awhile too. Majority of the series is on the system anyway, aside from RE5-6. And I guess Revelations as well, shame they shat on the Wii U for Revelations 2 too. I know a lot of people were upset from that given its 3DS origin.

I don't get the hate for RE6 though. It's terrible as an RE game, makes sense to me, but as a game on its own I thought it was pretty good and a lot of fun; they even labelled it was an action horror, not survival horror. I ended up getting the platinum for it too. But in regards of where to go from there, I think there could be a way to blend Revelations 3 and RE7 into one game, just for a more streamlined progression given the series' pretty scattered past.

And I did beat it, only things I have left to do in the game is go back and do all the insane modes. I enjoyed overall, much more in its roots than RE6.

 

[Magnus]

RE6 is such a mixed bag. It's not a good RE game. Neither was RE5, but the difference is that the latter was a great game in its own right whereas RE6 is just decent at best as far as being an action game goes. Everything is just so over the top. Not even a Michael Bay movie comes close. The plot in RE5 is actually fairly decent since it's a follow up to the new virus plot introduced with RE4. The plot in RE6 is just terrible. Here's a video that shows what's wrong with the game. It's quite entertaining to watch:

[video=youtube;95RnVxtx8jU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95RnVxtx8jU[/video]

It doesn't matter how decent the gameplay is when the game brings the entire lore of the franchise down in flames like this.

I honestly think the main reason why the Revelations subseries is heading in such a good direction is because it's not AAA. As technology has improved, more and more developers seem to have felt a need to bridge the gap between Hollywood and video games. No one asked for that. Unless you're someone like Hideo Kojima with a very specific vision for your games, don't try to make a game feel like an interactive movie!

I watched the making of RE5 the other day and they even went to Hollywood to produce large chunks of it there and get inspiration from Hollywood professionals. They talked about Resident Evil being like a blockbuster movie as if it was a good thing. You could clearly see signs that RE6 would turn out the way it did. They seem to think that the more expensive a game is, the more cinematic and Hollywood like it needs to be.

Revelations is more like RE5 in a different setting and with less cutscenes, with a few stand-out chapters featuring Jill on the boat that are reminiscent of the Lost in Nightmares DLC for RE5. As a handheld title it obviously couldn't achieve the same kind of over the top results as RE6, so they sort of had to backtrack with this one.

It seems they actually listened to the feedback they got, because Revelations 2 took yet another step back. It plays more like what you would expect a sequel to RE4 would. And it has the same kind of atmosphere as Code Veronica. Most of its flaws are budget related. The graphics being the most obvious one. They're okay, but could have been better. On the other hand, if this game had an AAA budget they might have messed it up and made it more like RE6.

I don't want them to go back to tank controls or even fixed camera angles. I want more gameplay like that in RE4 and Revelations 2, but with the atmosphere, pacing, item conservation and heavy focus on puzzle solving from the classic games. Remove co-op, give us fewer but more menacing enemies.

The one thing RE6 did right was the atmosphere of Leon's campaign. It was still a bit too much action at times, but the settings were great.

 

[Shadow Fenix]

Yeah I enjoyed RE5 very much too, definitely more than RE6 though. I've always had a soft spot for Leon though, he's been my favorite throughout. But then, so has Jill ha, but I agree with the Micheal Bay stuff though. Who on earth could ever imagine that the first game would eventually grow into this horror blockbuster. And damn, I love the sins videos, but that's so long. I'm a few minutes into it while typing this right now and already it's entertaining. Never knew they had a gaming sins series, I always look for the cinema sins.

I don't think the lore was destroyed. It changed a lot when it went from a standard zombie virus to the mutated stuff from RE4 and on. Its evolution was really awkward but kept it fresh I guess since I'm sure people would have gotten tired of just zombies over and over. And it worked, people are now requesting zombies back for the next one. The response for RE2 remake proves that.

Well, to be fair, Uncharted kind of put gaming into that Hollywood-esque style. Tomb Raider is following suit now. And it seemed somewhat natural for RE to do that, given its cinematic history at this point. A third CGI movie is even coming out and the live action series is on its last one finally (read: thankfully).

Best part of RE5: when Chris punches boulders /s

The first Revelations was very well done, the main thing that held it back was the hardware being on the 3DS, yes. Everything was definitely a breath of fresh air. It wasn't standard zombies, but it wasn't some complicated thing either. And Lost in Nightmares was amazing and criminally short.

I've sadly never played Code Veronica, only seen a playthough online. I actually just found a copy though so I may check it out. Unlikely though ha. Revelations 2 was probably the best game in the series since RE4, the only thing that held it back were the graphics and the idiotic episodic structure. I didn't like that, but I'll give them props for trying something new.

I'd honestly love fixed camera angles to come back, gives it that great atmospheric setting that made the first few so great. Tanks controls would bury it alive though if those were brought back. And yeah, co-op isn't working for it. It didn't make Dead Space 3 work (I still loved the game, but easily the weakest of those three), and it's not working here. Puzzles I agree should be brought back.

Leon's campaign was hands down my favorite of the four, Helena was a nice character to me too. Though Ada's was pretty good too, brought back single player for once. Chris' made me die a little inside and made me forget I was playing a RE game, while Jake's I liked too. Thought it was nice bringing Sherry back and any Troy Baker is good Troy Baker.

 

[Magnus]

I liked Helena too. Definitely looking forward to the next CGI movie. Liked the first two.

Both Leon and Chris were pretty miserable in RE6 though. Of course, Chris never really had a personality to begin with lol, but what happened to the Leon from RE4? I really liked him in that game.

If I have to pick a favourite character from the entire series it's easily Ada. She needs to have her own game. A stealth based spin-off perhaps?

Don't mind Tomb Raider becoming more blockbuster-y though. It was originally based on Indiana Jones, after all. The cinematic flair works for that series as long as you get to raid some tombs (which I've been told you get to do a whole lot more of in the sequel).

 

[Shadow Fenix]

I heard Rebecca is coming back for the third CGI movie too. Still no Billy though haha

Didn't they replace Leon's voice actor? Could be that. And yeah Chris was always the generic mercenary kind of guy. Jill, Leon, and Clare have probably had the most growth over the series.

I could see that. Ada has always been an interesting character, knowing more about her could make for a good game. Or just ruin that mystery aspect about her.

Right. And I've just finished watchng that sins video and damn, hit a lot on the nose. Purely entertaining though but the video does make valid points. I think the main thing now is that I'm almost positive Capcom is aware of the desire to tone the series down, even though RE6 is their highest selling game. So I can imagine things going uphill from here for the series.

 

[Magnus]

I think the video highlights how they ruined the plot. It was never amazing or anything, but it sort of made sense within the context of its own bubble so to speak. RE6 is just full of so many ridiculous things that are poorly explained or void of logic, and then there's all of those explosions, vehicle crashes and what not that the characters always manage to survive, scratch free even. I'm not against using this kind of over the top stunts to create a climatic moment per se, it's just that if you use it more than once in a game it becomes anti-climatic.

 

[Shadow Fenix]

That's just kind of what happens in any of those sins videos. Cinema sins pick apart all sorts of amazing movies and shows the littlest flaws. It's purely entertaining and I enjoy it, it's meant to be fun. That said, yeah watching the video made me realize how ridiculous it was. It's honestly in the same vein as the Transformers movies now, which is devoid of logic. It just amazes me how its humble beginnings landed it to where it is now. The missile survival rate was especially humorous. The vehicle sections again just made me question the fact I was playing an RE game too

 

[robvandam111]

My first Resident Evil game was 4 and thoroughly enjoyed 5. I got into the series from them too and from that point I knew Albert Wesker was such a badass villain.

 

[Magnus]

[video=youtube;ZJHTD4AhWaI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJHTD4AhWaI[/video]

 

[Shadow Fenix]

I'm honestly blown away by how beautiful the remaster looks, and I just played the original remake a few years ago on GameCube, so you can bet I'm hyped for the new remasters. The modern controls are enough for me.

 

[Magnus]

The thing is, it seems they actually kept the original HQ assets for RE0 but not for REmake, which would explain why one remaster looks drastically better than the other. Still, they've put a lot of work into this one too. You can see lots of added details and things like reflections of the characters in metallic surfaces that used to just be static before.

 

[Shadow Fenix]

The REmake remaster still looks damn good though, that's interesting. But I can see a slight edge to RE0. Even the slight rain patterns on the outside of the train are really detailed.

 

[Magnus]

They had to clean up the 480p assets from the Wii version of REmake for the HD remaster. They did a good job considering the limitations of the source material.

I just bought Deadly Silence, by the way! Easily the best version of the original RE1.