The 2002 remake of Resident Evil is often considered one of the greatest (and most faithful) video game remakes ever made. But is it really as faithful as its reputation suggests?
In this episode of The Remake Trials, we compare Resident Evil (1996) with Resident Evil (2002), explore the strange development history behind both games, examine how the remake transforms the original’s horror, discuss tank controls, Crimson Heads, Lisa Trevor, B-movie filmmaking, authorial intent, and the changing identity of Resident Evil. And at the end, we place REmake on our Remake Fidelity Matrix.
Is Resident Evil Remake still the gold standard for faithful remakes? Maybe, but it’s more complicated than we thought.
Time Codes:
(0:00) Intro
(1:31) The Remake Fidelity Matrix
(3:42) Welcome to The Remake Trials
(5:35) Was Resident Evil Supposed to Be Campy?
(11:41) The Strange Story Behind the Voice Acting
(13:06) Shinji Mikami on Horror and Comedy
(19:28) Resident Evil vs. The Evil Dead
(23:39) The Remake’s Biggest Change: Tone
(29:18) What Was Resident Evil Trying to Be?
(36:05) Was the Campiness Intentional?
(44:35) Why Capcom Wanted to Remake Resident Evil
(49:54) Who Owns a Work After It’s Released?
(58:23) Making Resident Evil “Scarier”
(1:04:08) B-Movie Horror vs. Gothic Horror
(1:15:54) Lisa Trevor Changes the Story
(1:18:42) How a Remake SHOULD Change Things
(1:23:14) Crimson Heads and Surprising Returning Players
(1:25:23) Why Tank Controls Actually Work
(1:29:36) Resident Evil’s Japanese Horror Connection
(1:33:30) The Three Types of Camp
(1:36:18) The Resident Evil Remake Paradox
(1:38:12) So How Faithful Is REmake?
(1:44:18) What Is the “Spirit” of a Work?
(1:51:12) Comparing the Gameplay
(1:56:25) How Resident Evil Changed as a Series
(1:59:29) The Lost Style of Classic Survival Horror
(2:03:19) The Death of B-Movies and Mid-Budget Games
(2:10:04) Final Verdict: The Fidelity Matrix
Sources For Further Reading:
Lynne Harris Interview: https://www.gamesradar.com/making-of-resident-evil-shinji-mikami-interview/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Shinji Mikami Interview: https://www.gamesradar.com/making-of-resident-evil-shinji-mikami-interview/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Kenichi Iwao Interview: https://www.crimson-head.com/interviews/kenichi-iwao-interview?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Original Developers Interview: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/resident-evil-creator-shinji-mikami-reflects-on-th/1100-6435918/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Hiroyuki Kobayashi Interview: https://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/7017/bexclusiveb-res-producer-speaks-out?utm_source=chatgpt.com
REmake Mikami/Kobayashi Interview: https://survivhor.biohazardfrance.net/morbidcreations/re_behind/int_remake/int_remake_1.htm?utm_source=chatgpt.com
