A couple of weeks ago, Capcom releasedResident Evil 4 VRfor the Oculus Quest 2, allowing fans to experience the critically-acclaimedResident Evilgame in a whole different way.Resident Evil 4’stransformation into VRshifted its third-person over-the-shoulder perspective to first-person, allowing players to feel like they’re actually in the game themselves.
WhileResident Evil 4 VRis barely a month old, it continues to receive much praise from both players and critics. It is also worth remembering thatResident Evil 7’sVR versionis often regarded as one of the best PlayStation VR exclusives, proving that theResident Evilfranchise works well within the VR format. Although Capcom still hasn’t announced any plans of bringing otherResident Evilgames to VR, many would probably agree that if the studio decides to make anotherResident Evil VR,it should be the first.
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Capcom Originally Intended Resident Evil to Be in First Person
Twenty-five years ago, Capcom releasedResident Evil,which is widely creditedto have pioneered the classic survival horror genre. At the time,Resident Evil’sgraphics were considered to be cutting edge, and this is because Capcom used pre-rendered backgrounds instead of full 3D, allowing the studio to make backgrounds as detailed as possible while conforming to the limitations of the hardware. However,Resident Evilcreator Shinji Mikami explained that the game we have today is far different from what he originally envisioned.
According to Mikami,Resident Evilwas supposed to be played entirely in first-person to capture the ominous feeling of walking alone in a creepy mansion filled with zombies and all sorts of horrors. Unfortunately for Mikami, Capcom’s limited experience with 3D modeling and the limitations of gaming hardware at the time prevented the studio from creating his first-person idea. However, while not all VR games are in first-person, it is apparent that the franchise works well in this format if executed perfectly, as seen from the success of first-personResident Evilgames such asResident Evil 7,which recently becamethe best sellingREgame in the franchise’s history. Given this, now is probably the perfect time for the studio to recreateResident Evilthe way Mikami intended it to be, and doing so in VR makes perfect sense.
Exploring the Mansion in Virtual Reality Would Be A Totally Different Experience
Apart from recreatingResident Evilfollowing Mikami’s vision, a VR version of the first game would also allow players to experience it differently. It is no secret that one ofthe most attractive features of VR games is immersion, and the level of immersion VR titles offer works well within the primary location of the firstResident Evilgame, the iconic Spencer Mansion.
It is worth remembering that both the original and remake versions ofResident Evil are played from a third-person fixed-camera perspective. Therefore, given the fixed-camera element, players cannot explore the mansion in detail and appreciate everything the developers poured into the game. However, a VR version of the firstResident Evilgame would give Capcom a chance to increase the level of horror by making players face enemies directly. Players can already preview what this could look like thanks toa fan-made game that recreatedResident Evil 1in first-person. Additionally, the VR version would allow players to examine every single nook and cranny of the mansion as if they’re actually inside the Spencer Mansion itself.
Of course, in many ways, the fixed camera angle paired with tank controls made the firstResident Evilan iconic survival horror game. As such, some will feel that the original version and its remake are perfect the way they are, but it is worth remembering that a VR version, similar toRE4, isn’t meant to replace the originals. Instead, a VR version ofResident Evil 1would only serve asa new way to get immersed in the Spencer Mansionand experience the game that started it all from a whole different perspective - a perspective that the game’s creator intended it to have.
