No, you’re not the only one who didn’t expect to see such a headline.
Capcom’s morbid survival horror series has little in common with Disney’s reputation for providing family-friendly entertainment, after all, but it turns out that the House of Mouse’s approach to reimagining classic films indirectly impacted the latter’s design choices for two critically acclaimed remakes. Released in 2019 and 2020 respectively, Resident Evil 2 and 3 (the former, in particular, is considered by most to be as good as perfect) have since achieved combined sales numbering in the millions, single-handedly proving, yet again, that the developer is unrivalled when it comes to recreating fondly-remembered classics.
Is there a secret ingredient to success at play here, or are both titles simply the result of a team of incredible talent? The answer, of course, is a little from column A and a little from column B.
Speaking to Gamesindustry.biz in a recent interview, Capcom Europe COO Stuart Turner divulged some fascinating insight behind the pair’s creation process, including the revelation that Jun Takeuchi (executive producer on both projects) and his team took inspiration from Disney’s successful formula for translating old animated movies into live-action installments.
“Takeuchi-san viewed Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 exactly the way Disney does with its remaking of old movies — to keep them feeling fresh, new and relevant,” says Turner, adding that in this instance, at least, getting rid of old constraints in favor of modern game design practices was critical to ensuring that veteran fans and newcomers alike were able to enjoy the return to Raccoon City. For better or worse, it’s that perfect blend of old and new that has subsequently become the bar against which all similar future attempts will be compared, including, if the rumors are true, a revisiting of Resident Evil 4.
Excited by the prospect of more remakes, or would you rather Capcom focus its efforts on telling new stories? Let us know in the usual place below!