The Residential evil franchise has evolved several times, just like one of the infamous bosses that you have to blow up with a rocket launcher. For example, while the new games come with modern camera controls, the original Resident Evil games (or is it plural Residents Evil?) had a fixed angle camera. The trade-off for the slower and more awkward gameplay was more deliberate framing of scenes, with each environment carefully set up to build maximum tension.
A new mod by alphaZomega takes over the controls and framing of the former Resident Evil 2 (1998), and recreates it using Resident Evil 2 (2017). Instead of the camera hovering above Leon or Claire’s shoulder, there are an array of 1,700 fixed cameras spread throughout the game. When the player leaves one frame, the point of view switches to another camera. It’s a new and nostalgic interpretation of the game, and it looks great in action.
YouTuber Residence of Evil filmed a 15-minute showcase of the game, which shows the merger between the two versions Resident Evil 2.
The video shows a gameplay style that is much more claustrophobic and difficult to navigate, but some fans argue that the original systems are much scarier. Luckily, players have a helping hand with this mod. The developer has also added the automatic aim from the original game, with a laser pointer that clicks on different body parts.
With a franchise as long-lasting as Resident Evil, it’s natural for different eras to emerge over time. The original PlayStation games still hold up, all this time later. There are newer and truly great games in the Resident Evil archive, but the original vision endures among horror fans.