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Capcom may be planning a new remake of the very first Resident Evil, according to a new announcement.
According to an announcement on the Justia website, a new version of the first Resident Evil game is in the works, suggesting it could be a full-blown remake. Resident Evil has previously been remastered with HD textures and other graphical enhancements. However, it was not a remake in the same vein as the Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 remakes.
A high definition version, Resident Evil HD Remaster, was released for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox 360 and Xbox One in January 2015. The HD version features support for 5.1 surround sound, 1080p resolution, and a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio. The backgrounds were originally pre-rendered in 4:3, but the designers chose not to redraw them in 16:9 as this would allow players to see more of the surroundings than intended and reduce immersion and danger.
To accommodate the remaster’s widescreen aspect ratio, the developers have added vertical scrolling to backgrounds that respond to character movement. Thanks to the new control system, players were now able to move their characters in the direction of the analog stick.
The remaster was a commercial success, breaking sales records. It became the biggest game to launch on the PlayStation Network and Capcom’s fastest-selling digital game in North America and Europe. By April 2015, the remaster had sold over a million copies, according to Capcom. Resident Evil Zero also received a similar remaster in 2015 as a result of the commercial success of Resident Evil HD Remaster.
The remaster received mostly favorable reviews from critics. However, some critics noted that some aspects were not well sustained, such as the inventory system and the requirement to revisit previously explored areas. At the same time, the new control scheme was found to be more convenient and intuitive, especially for new players.