Resident Evil, the horror action series that first began in 1996, has had an impressive streak of successful games in the past few years. While the series has gone forward with new plotlines and characters ever sinceResident Evil 7introduced players to Ethan and a new moldy plague to battle against, Capcom has simultaneously gone back to its classic games for current-generation remakes.A game that hasn’t received the remake treatment is the very firstResident Evil, which is now long overdue for a modern update. Since Capcom has yet to announce what its nextResident Eviltitle is, now would be the perfect time forRE1to receive a remake.
While not all classic games need an update to appeal to modern audiences,Resident Evil 1definitely deserves it after the massive success of theResident Evil 2, 3,and4remakes. Technically,Resident Evil 1has already received a remake by Capcom, but since that remake is older than the originalResident Evil 4by three years,it’s safe to say enough time has passed to justify another. The biggest change a new remake ofRE1can do is provide a third-person camera experience in the iconic mansion, just likeResident Evil 2’s remake gave players a third-person experience in Raccoon City.
Capcom Has Remade Almost All The RE Classics
Every Remake Has Come Out To Critical And Commercial Success
Resident Evilas a serieshas been in a golden era since the release ofResident Evil 7in 2017. The introduction of a first-person perspective, a new set of protagonists, and even a new strain of mold-based infection to trace back to the Umbrella Corporation all came together for an unforgettable horror experience in the bayou. Followed by another visit to a spooky, vague rural Eastern European area inResident Evil Village,the series is on track for another horrifying entry. Not long afterRE7, Capcom released its first modern remake:Resident Evil 2in 2019, kicking off a separate branch of remadeREgames.
Instead of starting at the beginning withResident Evil 1, Capcom instead decided to remake the second in the series with new graphics, a third-person camera, and a more modern combat system.Resident Evil 2was a resounding successupon its release, earning near-universal praise from major gaming publications. Even without the trappings of the original, mainly the fixed camera angles,Resident Evil 2’s remake managed to pay homage to the original while giving a fresh and modern horror experiencein Raccoon City with rookie cop Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield.
Utilizing those same design choices, Capcom also remadeResident Evil 3andResident Evil 4, which each came out to equal critical and commercial success, especially the latter. Safe to say,theResident Evilremakes have been a win for Capcom since 2017, so the question remains why the company still hasn’t gone back to the original for a modern remake.
Resident Evil 1 Needs A Modern Remake
The First Remake Came Out In 2002
There’s no question that the first everResident Evilis an iconic game. The unique combination of strange puzzles and zombie-based horror, alongside a fixed camera angle, created a new type of horror game that spawned a decades-long series. In fact, not long into the series,Resident Evil 1received a remake by Capcom in 2002. This remake perfected the game’s rough edges and fine-tuned its gameplay. Years later, theRE1remake received an HD remaster in 2015, which came out to critical acclaim once again for its updated graphics and polished gameplay.
Normally, that much attention to a single game would be more than enough. However, after the remakes ofResident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3,andResident Evil 4, leaving the original behind with a 2002 remake doesn’t make sense. It’s been over twenty years since the first remake, and though the 2015 remaster was well received, it doesn’t seem like enough when otherREremakes have gotten such amazing modern remakes. The remakes ofResident Evil 2andResident Evil 3proved that a more modern camera angle and combat system works astoundingly well for the older entries in the series.
There’s no reason to believe that the firstResident Evilwouldn’t also benefit from this type of remake, especially since more faithful remakes already exist for longtime fans of the series to enjoy. While good gameplay is always the most important part of a game, updated graphics are also an important factor. Graphics have come a long way since the firstResident Evilremake and its 2015 remaster, which can be seen byplaying the game’s original version on PC.
Changing The Fixed Camera Angle Would Make For An Interesting Experience
A Fresh Experience For A Classic Game
The staples of earlyResident Evilgames are zombies and fixed camera angles. Those two elements in combination are what madeREsuch a standout series from the mid-1990s to mid-2000s. WhenResident Evil 4came out and changed not only the series, but action games as a whole,the fixed camera angle became a thing of the past. While the ever-changing camera angle does seem inseparable from the first threeResident Evilgames, Capcom has already proved that it’s possible to make a fantastic remake with a now standard third-person over-the-shoulder (OTS) camera.
InResident Evil 2’s remake,the OTS camera was used to great effect without compromising the claustrophobia players feltwhile dodging zombies and mutated dogs in the maze-like police station. Any modern remake ofResident Evil 1would be able to leverage the same strengths asResident Evil 2, since the environment of the mansion is functionally the same asRE2’s police station.
The best thing a modern remake of the first game could do is give players a fresh experience in the mansion that started it all, and the modern OTS camera angle would achieve that beautifully alongside updated graphics. Thankfully, any longtimeResident Evilfans that prefer the fixed camera angle can enjoy the 2002 remake and its 2015 remaster. But to continue the hot streak of remakes, it would be a missed opportunity if Capcom didn’t bring the originalResident Evilinto the modern era.
