It looks like the UK’s Daily Star had the opportunity to reveal a little more behind why Capcom’s horror-adventure Resident Evil 2 remake, slated to release in early 2019, most likely isn’t getting a VR mode after all.
Before the E3 2018 Sony showcase reveal, many VR fans theorized that the long-awaited remake of Resident Evil 2 (1998) could possibly follow in the steps of the company’s latest VR breakout success, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (2017), which featured a much-lauded PSVR mode.
UK tabloid Daily Star sat down with Capcom producers Tsuyoshi Kanda and Yoshiaki Hirabayashi at E3 last month, revealing a little more behind the reasoning for the game’s lack of VR mode:
“We’re not thinking about VR support currently, given that the camera perspective and the over-the-shoulder choice would mean that VR is not the best way to present the game,” Tsuyoshi Kanda said. “VR doesn’t match the vision for us,” he concluded.
While it’s good the producers don’t want to implement an imperfect solution for VR gamers, it’s a sad to put a nail in the coffin so soon—especially for a game series that garnered some serious love from the PSVR community.
During the Sony conference at Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2018, Capcom revealed the the long awaited Resident Evil 2 remake with a stunning trailer that showcased the title off in all of it’s (horrific) glory. What is most interesting though about the reveal was an opening sequence, featuring first-person footage from the perspective of a rat. This, along with the success of Resident Evil 7 Biohazard in virtual reality (VR), could we possibly see a VR experience set within Resident Evil 2?
When Resident Evil 7 Biohazard was announced, it came with a big reveal of the shift to first-person rather than the traditional fixed camera of early entries in the series which later become a third-person view. The move to first-person was done to allow the title to be completely playable from start to end within VR using the PlayStation VR headset. It was an outstanding success with the title selling over five million copies by the end of March, 2018 and (at the time of writing) having been played by 450,000 VR users, as according to the titles global stats website.
This is even more impressive when you bare in mind that 88,000 of those VR players did so within the first 7 days after the title had been released. Following the release of Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Capcom announced that they would be putting a focus on VR content development as well. It is then a surprise that with the reveal of the remake of Resident Evil 2 that there is no mention of any VR support or experiences.
Going back to the showcase for Resident Evil 2, the opening moments of the rat was a nice way to build up the tension of the trailer and keep viewers guessing until the moment that series favourite Leon S. Kennedy appeared on screen. From here, it is a montage of shots that fill viewers with excitement and terror as the title is shown off within the same engine that powered Resident Evil 7 Biohazard. This is again another element that raises questions as to why Capcom seem to have opted to leave out VR in this new release. We know for a fact that the engine is more than capable of delivering an outstanding and immersive VR experience and yet, nothing.
There are many things that could be playing into this move. Firstly, Resident Evil 2 is a remake, not a new title. Capcom is not trying to do anything overly new or adventurous here. They are limited, to a degree, by the creative vision of the original release and changing to much risks putting a bad taste in the mouths of players. Second, could Capcom have just moved away from VR content development? Sony revealed in late May of this year that the PlayStation VR had performed ‘below exception’ despite the head-mounted display (HMD) surpassing 2 million units sold as of the end of 2017.
Regardless of the reason behind Capcom choosing to leave VR out of Resident Evil 2, the reveal showcase and the success of Resident Evil 7 Biohazard shows that it can be done and would look amazing. With the classic title being brought to current generation hardware with stunning visual fidelity, it is a shame that players will not be able to experience this in VR. Of course, there is still hope that a standalone experience within the title could be revealed in the coming weeks or months.
No matter the outcome of VR within Resident Evil 2, VRFocus will be sure to bring you all the latest from Capcom and their VR offerings in the future, so stay tuned for more on those and E3 2018. You can see the reveal showcase below including the opening first-person moments.
As E3 looms ever closer, the pace of rumours and leaks increases, with many suggestions and pie-in-the-sky dreaming about what the show will reveal to eager videogame fans. One leaked document from the upcoming show suggests that there are a few surprises in store for PlayStation VR fans.
A document alleged to be part of the official E3 2018 schedule for the PlayStation presentation purports to show several PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR titles that will be shown during the event, some of which have drawn surprise from commentators.
Thee document is marked ‘Internal Use Only’ along with the E3 2018 logo and the PlayStation symbol, and shows a list of videogames that will see Trailers or demos during the Sony presentation. Some of these have been widely expected, while others are a bit more from left-field.
For PlayStation VR fans, there are some big reveals if the document is to be believed, with the following titles all listed as having a ‘PlayStation VR Mode’:
PlayStation Party
Spider-Man
Resident Evil 2 Remake
Bioshock Resurgence
PlayStation Party is likely to be a virtual reality (VR) social or party game, perhaps a sequel to PlayStation VR Worlds. The Resident Evil 2 Remake had been rumoured for a while, and there was even a fan project to bring the title into VR. Bioshock Resurgence suggests that not only is another Bioshock title on the way, but also that it will be in VR, a development that is sure to excite fans of the series.
Spider-Man most likely refers to the upcoming title by Insomniac Games, who have worked on other VR titles in the past, and who recently teased that they were working on an ‘open-world VR title’. Of course, the web-slinger himself was previously the star of a short VR experience to advertise Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Sony have not confirmed any of the list as of yet, so at present the leaked list can only be considered a rumour. VRFocuswill be sure to bring you the latest updates on this story once they become available
The general reaction to the release of Resident Evil 7 biohazardwas a positive one. Most fans found the title a return to form for the franchise, with the PlayStation VR version being a defining experience for many virtual reality users. Inspired by this, some Resident Evil fans have brought franchise classic Resident Evil 2 into virtual reality (VR).
First released by Capcom back in 1998 for the original PlayStation, Resident Evil 2 was greeted with widespread enthusiasm and high praise from critics. Subsequently posted to PC, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast and GameCube. There was much excitement over new of a HD remake for the title, though that project currently seems to be stalled.
To fill the gap, Resident Evil fan and 3D CGI artist Adrius Balciunas took up the ambitious project to remake Resident Evil 2 himself. Not content with simple re-creating the title in high-definition, he instead chose to go down the same route as Resident Evil 7 and bring Resident Evil 2 into VR.
Utilising the best technology currently available, Balciunas, who is known online as CryingHorn, has used Unreal Engine 4 to begin recreating Resident Evil 2 in loving detail for PC users who have an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive.
The remake is not complete, at present only consisting of the Racoon City Police Department Main Hall area, which fans will know as the area where a certain well-known monster makes its appearance. Balciunas has not yet confirmed if there are plans to convert the entire title into VR.
You can check out a video of the Main Hall encounter in VR below. Updates can be found on the CryingHorn Facebook page.
VRFocus will bring you further information on the Resident Evil 2 VR project as it becomes available.
Hidden by all the E3 2017 news, voice actress Allyson Court has announced that she will not be reprising her role in the Resident Evil 2 Remake. Capcom will be using nonunion voice actors this for the upcoming title.
