Resident Evil 4 has long been rumored to be getting a remake, and the original game’s creator wants to see it improve on his story, which he says he was forced to write in just three weeks..
During an interview with VG242, Shinji Mikami said that “fans will most likely want [a remake], and so that’s a good thing.”
“It would be great if Capcom could do a great job and make the story better,” he added, “and put out a good product.”
Mikami – who created the Resident Evil series, directed and wrote Resident Evil 4, and left Capcom in 2007 – revealed that he wrote the Resident Evil 4 story in just three weeks. According to the former Capcom director, this was out of necessity more than anything. It seems he’s less happy with that narrative than the game itself.
The Resident Evil 4 remake has been rumored for some time, with leaked documents reportedly from Capcom suggesting a release date was at one point planned for sometime later this year, in Q4 (October-December).
Further reports say the remake apparently changed hands early last year after development team M-Two wanted to remain “too faithful” to the original game. It’s said that Capcom preferred to take inspiration from the original game, much like its remake of Resident Evil 3, while introducing new elements and features.
They even tweaked the story to some degree, with STARS agent Brad dying off-screen, turning into a zombie to then infect Marvin Branagh shortly afterward. They may sound like small tweaks but they can make a big difference to the overall story.
It sounds as though Mikami wouldn’t mind a similar approach to Resident Evil 4.
Either way, it sounds as though Resident Evil 4 will have to deviate from the formula to some degree. The Resident Evil 3 Remake’s take on Nemesis tied it even more closely to Resident Evil 4 – And that’s something we’ll likely see continue in the upcoming Resi 4 remake.
Elsewhere, Resident Evil 4 has been turning heads with its recent VR port, bringing with it some major combat improvements. Check out the first 16 minutes of Resident Evil 4 VR on the Oculus Quest 2.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
