Resident Evil 4 had one of the most complex developments in Capcom’s memory. He went on to release four versions.
March 6, 2023, 10:00 – Updated March 7, 2023, 12:32
Capital success of the franchise in the video game industry, but history confirms that, despite the volume of titles released since its mere birth, many Resident Evils that have been discontinued. Examples stand out as the high-profile conversion of 32-bit games to Nintendo’s tiny GameBoy, a technical marvel that never materialized on the market. The case of Resident Evil Zero on the Nintendo 64 is also illustrated, a title that could show the hidden and terrifying face of those 64-bit players from Kyoto. But the one that takes the cake in terms of cancellations and policy changes is undoubtedly Resident Evil 4 .
From its mere announcement to its release on the GameCube in 2005, many Capcom artists collaborated with franchise creator Shinji Mikami to bring the fourth episode to life. Some of Capcom’s most famous creatives wanted to put their mark on what was one of the most famous installments of the franchise, but when the moment of truth came, it was cut off to restart development and receive it under new jurisdiction for the fourth time. . In this way, very interesting projects arose that did not come to fruition, but which served to create a whole new franchise and make a title that would make the end of seeing a wider light.
No, so-called “development hell” stories never end well. But Capcom’s talent and commitment to make something worthy of what then became its best-selling saga is an unforgettable game, a true and interesting story about the arrival and entry into what is, without a doubt, the most complex creation in the history of Resident Evil. Welcome to the canceled Resident Evil 4
Genesis of Resident Evil 4: Kamiya does not want Survivals
Months after the successful release of Resident Evil 2, Capcom, with Mikami at the helm, announces the development of three new Resident Evil games: the third installment to be paid for during the season, Resident Evil Code Veronica for Dreamcast and Resident Evil 4 for PlayStation II. The last note is a booklet: a picture of a zombie and promises in interviews. In the project there are developers such as the now known Hideki Kamiya, Noburo Sugimura in his story or Sawaki Takeyasu in the command of the characters. It seems that in the first bars Leon seems to be the main character, but soon everything changes and makes a 180º aesthetic, playability and narrative.
What will surprise you: the mind of the most beloved Resident Evil, Resident Evil 2, will not go to terror. This was actively and passively confirmed by Kamiya, and perhaps this fact led him to decide to follow the path of the story of Tony Redgrave, the son of the founder of Umbrella and his mission to find out what is behind the powers of the show. The bottom line is that Mikami, the producer, criticizes the game and compares it to the Resident Evil remake that was being made at the same time for the GameCube. However, there is no obvious denial: Resident Evil 4 will not be Resident Evil, but it will be a great game. Thus the Devil’s May Cry was born and thus the first game was brought up on the album.
castle and fog: Leon’s re-entry into the equation
Resident Evil 4 was supposed to come out in 2001 on the PlayStation 2, but those days have already passed and development has almost completely restarted. They had to wait until the Tokyo Game Show in 2002 to see what would be the first taste of the new Resident Evil 4 and discover the bombshell: Capcom would bring the title exclusively for the GameCube created by Production Studio 4 from Osaka. The protagonist’s quest to find the European fortress for the origin of Umbrella has been preserved, the hero’s fight against the virus with which he was infected has been added, and supernatural elements from the alien series have been added, but nothing is out of place. proposed by Kamiya.
Resident Evil 4 won’t be Resident Evil, but it’s great
Another element inherited from the demon of May Cry and the first concepts of Resident Evil 4 leaves the premise and betting in a three-dimensional environment. Many of the materials obtained during Kamiya’s travels were used to capture texts and inspirations from British and Spanish castles, which is why this version is commonly known as the “Castle Version”. The story would be done by Noboru Sugimura and Yasuhisa Kawamura, who wanted Wesker to be a direct continuation of what was told in Code Veronica. They said that the problems with recreating the main enemy (some black mist that would follow Leo through the adventures) decided to completely change the story, force the playable elements to change the work and restart the game.
Hallucinations and the undead: slow missteps
This version probably transcends most. Capcom was so convinced of the development progress led by Hiroshi Shibata that they even completed 40% of the development and brought it to E3. It did not prevent the team from carrying out the project in the fall of 2003. The reasons that led to such a sharp decision have not been disclosed to the media, but it is said that problems with the RAM prevented the paranoid visions of the Legion that it wanted. between reality and insanity in each mission, fleeing the threat of being armed with a giant hook. Thanks to the collector’s edition of the final game, we could see a part of what the title was like, which had more terror and less Ashley.
So begins the fourth Resident Evil 4: “Zombie” version and the most mysterious of all. It’s speculation, but it’s possible that the various technical issues that prevented the previous two versions from being brought to life have prompted the team to return to the origin of the saga and return to the undead realms. It is known that Kawamura and Sugimura left the ship. Mikami, convinced that zombies are boring to Resident Evil players after so much repetition, decides one last and sharp decision: “Zombie” version will be deleted and he will take care of the development that will be in the term Resident Evil 4, which will be surprising. The world is in early 2005 and will forever change the action of the third person.
If you would like more information on this subject, there is a great article from our colleagues at VidaExtra discussing this topic in more depth. You can check out this page: Resident Evil 4, or how he created the last great Resident Evil after destroying five prototypes.
