Capcom Has Been 'Taken Aback' by Responses to 'Resident Evil 2'

Unsure of what types of responses the remake of Resident Evil 2 would get, Capcom says that it’s [...]

Unsure of what types of responses the remake of Resident Evil 2 would get, Capcom says that it's been "taken aback" by how well the game's been received.

Calling the new Resident Evil 2 is almost an understatement considering how much has changed from the first version. While it's regarded as one of the best, if not the best, Resident Evil games of all time, the remade version looks decidedly different from the original. An over-the-shoulder perspective gives it a look that's straight out of Resident Evil 4, while the graphics have been brought up to today's standards.

With all of these changes, Capcom was left uncertain about what kinds of audiences the remake would appeal to. Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Capcom Europe COO Stuart Turner indicated that the concerns have been alleviated now that they've seen what people have to say about Resident Evil 2.

"We were concerned internally about who RE2 would appeal to," Turner told GamesIndustry.biz. "With RE7 we had done this first-person thing, and with RE2 we've done this thing that looks great, but it's also back a step. So the response to that, the pre-orders we've seen already... we have been a little taken aback by how well it has gone down."

Saying that "the world has moved on and these players have changed," Turner added that they couldn't go back to the "tank controls" that the original game had, along with clunky controls that came with a fixed camera and limited mobility. Capcom did try several different features while deciding between a first-person, third-person, or fixed-camera perspective — different trials that marketing director Antoine Molant said were often discussed internally while wondering how players would take the changes.

"That was probably the main worry, or question mark, that we had," said Molant. "We knew there were expectations around the game, and we knew it looked great and would be a good game. But around the point of the tank controls and fixed cameras, we were worried that the fanbase would be divided. But, although there might have been some initial dissenting voices, the reaction was overwhelmingly positive."

Turner also gave some insight into how Capcom perceives the success of the game while discussing both player responses and pleasing the shareholders. Discussing the different responses to Resident Evil 6 compared to Resident Evil 7, Turner said that they'd prefer a high-scoring game with low sales than the other way around.

"And in some respects, getting some very good review scores counts as much for Capcom as a game that sells millions and millions and millions," he said. "We'd prefer a game that got a 9 and sold less, than got a 6 but sold more."

The remake of Resident Evil 2 releases on Jan. 25.

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