Capcom’s Greatest Resident Evil Game Almost Didn’t Exist

Resident Evil is perhaps the series developer Capcom is recognized the most for, rivaling Street Fighter and Monster Hunter for the company’s biggest IP. Games like Resident Evil 2, 4, and eventually RE 7: Biohazard and RE 8: Village have been widely successful, with one even being in many conversations as one of the best games ever made. However, despite the obvious smash hit that was Resident Evil 4, its creation gave rise to something completely different.

From the earlier Resident Evil games, RE4 was a huge change in direction. Instead of an asymmetric view of characters from fixed camera angles, RE4 adopted an over-the-shoulder 3rd person aesthetic that would become standard in its following games. This emphasized more action in gameplay, but still retained the claustrophobic horror of the series by restricting the player’s view to what was in front of them. Fans fell in love with RE4 for this change, and would later see that style return in remakes for Resident Evil 2, 3, and 4 again.

Devil May Cry Was Originally Supposed To Be Resident Evil 4

Fans of Capcom’s other big franchise, Devil May Cry, may be surprised to learn that the action game was once a discarded prototype of Resident Evil 4. Almost acting as an early build for the next RE title, the original vision for Devil May Cry incorporated many of the features from past survival horror titles, including the signature fixed camera.

Originally, Devil May Cry was intended to feature protagonist Tony Redgrave in a gothic setting, slaying undead and virus-infected enemies with more gusto than in past Resident Evil games. Yet, as development for this intended sequel went along, it strayed further and further from the roots of Resident Evil, becoming something new in the process. The notoriously long and innovative development of RE 4 included the dismissal of the DMC build, but allowed it later to become its own distinct game.

Tons of innovations in Devil May Cry made Capcom consider it for a separate game in their library. For starters, the gameplay of the DMC build was extremely fun, allowing players to juggle enemies and use supernatural abilities to do what no Resident Evil protagonist had ever come close to doing. In fact, an argument can be made that the superhuman feats of Leon in RE 4 are partly inspired by Redgrave, later to be renamed Dante, and his exploits.

Resident Evil 4’s Development Ended Up Going In A Completely Different Direction

Clearly, Resident Evil 4 would have been a much different game had it remained to use the Devil May Cry build later used for the start of that series. The gothic fantasy direction may not have gone over well with hardcore RE fans, whose interest in the series was more connected to its survival horror roots than anything else. With Tony Redgrave originally designed to be Leon with super powers, Capcom could have created a disastrous controversy within their fan base.

It was likely better for everyone that Devil May Cry and Resident Evil 4 were so different from one another. RE 4‘s injection of greater action into its horror still remained, but never overwhelmed fans to shift the game’s genre entirely. That being said, both franchises have seen future iterations take inspirations from one another to this day, leading to more successful Capcom games.

Horror Roots Are Clear To See In Devil May Cry Throughout The Series

The first Devil May Cry game was far more lighthearted than some Resident Evil titles, but it kept many aspects of its horror roots than fans might expect. The first DMC is full of gothic dread, with a massive medevil castle serving as its main setting. This castle could easily be pulled straight out of a RE game, with demons and action set pieces replacing undead monsters and typewriter save spots.

Even as the series became more lighthearted from Devil May Cry 3 onward, it still retains shreds of RE within its sequels. For example, the stoic demeanor of Dante’s brother Vergil has some echoes of Wesker, a recurring RE villain. The designs of DMC enemies have the same monstrous quality as Umbrella abominations like Nemesis, with some bosses taking the same queues too. While the first DMC had the most similarities to Resident Evil, the two franchises have always shared an unspoken connection.

The fact that Capcom turned a “failed” prototype of Resident Evil 4 into an iconic action series speaks volumes about why the company is still beloved today. Devil May Cry may not have existed without Resident Evil, but future Resident Evil games may not have gone in their current direction without DMC being made.

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