by Danreb VictorioIt’s something that’s gone over in a question later in this piece, but Capcom has simply been on a generation run as a developer and a publisher. I say “Capcom doesn’t miss” on social media and to my peers in the industry all the time, and it’s true. Lately, they just haven’t.
So when it comes to our SGF planning, I always make it an effort to make Capcom be the first appointment I make every year (assuming they’re there). This year, they were back again with a behind-closed-doors theater presentation of Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and a secret, unannounced game.
That secret, unannounced game turned out to be Resident Evil: Veronica, one of the biggest announcements at SGF the day prior. It was definitely something I didn’t expect, thinking it was too early in the game’s development, but instead of a full theatrical showcase of a demo or something, it was really just a press conference with Veronica producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi.
Before that, a video pretty much summarizing the events in Resident Evil 1-4 and slightly touching upon Resident Evil Requiem, which was pretty well done. The questions and answers provided didn’t feature a huge scoop, but it was a fine Q&A nonetheless.
Media: Why did you remake Code Veronica? What did you wanna change or add while remaking it?
Yoshiyaki Hirabayashi (YH): We saw what happened to Leon in the remake of Resident Evil 4, so we wanted to see what happened to Claire. As or changes, we are trying to be closer to the remake of Resident Evil 2 and expanding upon it.
M: In terms of design elements, do you take any feedback from the Resident Evil 4 remake and use it to improve Veronica?
YH: Yes. We’re always aware of player feedback. Resident Evil 4 remake was very specifically Leon’s adventure, so we can’t just take the same approach and put Clare in the middle of it. This is a separate experience, so don’t imagine that we’ll just copy what we did there. We take feedback seriously and reference it in the development of all our games, not just Resident Evil.
M: Is Capcom taking the opportunity to revise the plot in this remake?
YH: Good question. We made Resident 2, 3, 4, and now Veronica and modern games. We’re gonna make some changes to have some continuity in the larger universe that the games share.
M: Can we expect this remake to have more volume than in the original, similar to the other remakes?
YH: First off, I don’t think more volume or a longer game make games better as a whole. That said, I do believe it’ll have a satisfying amount of volume for the remake.
M: If you were talking to a friend who has never played Code Veronica yet, would you recommend playing the original and then playing the remake? Or just wait?
YH: You don’t have to play the original game to enjoy the remake. It can be enjoyed completely standalone. IF you’re looking to get a deeper experience out of the remake, I’d actually recommend playing the other entries in the series for a “fuller” experience.
M: Can we expect the game to be in first-person?
YH: It’s a third-person game. The trailer does have first-person parts, but we designed it to surprise and delight players and leave you on the edge of your seat.
M: Any comment about Dino Crisis?
YH: (laughs and shakes head) No comment.
M: What about Claire resonates for you in this story?
YH: I enjoy Claire’s strong sense of humanity. We wanted to create a portrayal that’ll make audiences feel that as well.
M: I don’t know if I’m allowed to ask this, but how many different teams making Resident Evil games are there in Capcom?
YH: That’s a secret (smiling). But we’ll tell you that the developers involved helped with Resident Evil: Veronica helped with the remakes for Resident Evil 2 and 4, and it was a separate team that did Resident Evil Requiem.
M: I was curious about the length of development on this game. When did you start remaking Veronica? Also, my friend wanted me to say you guys are on a generational run!
YH: After Resident Evil 4 settled down, we started developing Veronica. Thank you on the generational run comment. It makes us incredibly happy and motivates us to continue to do even bigger and better things for our fans more.
M: Resident Evil 2 to the remake of Resident Evil 2 represented a drastic change. Do we expect the same change with Veronica?
YH: Simple answer is yes. The priority of the development is to respect the memories and the love fans have of the original game. The second priority is to make a game that will have people enjoy.
M: Any insight on comment for Switch 2? Can we hope for a Claire Redfield Amiibo?
YH: (Laughter for a good amount of time). About the amiibo, I would love a Claire Amiibo but there’s nothing I can say about that. I don’t know what’s going to happen, so that’s all I can say for now.
Thank you to Capcom for giving us some time to check out the new things they have at SGF!
Resident Evil Veronica
