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AI and Games: The Challenge of Remaking Resident Evil 2 & 3 | Design Dive

IbizaPocholo

NeoGAFs Kent Brockman


In this third episode of the Design Dive series 'Revisiting Evil', we look at the remakes of Resident Evil 2 and 3: two games that have effectively rekindled 'classic' survival horror games for a modern era. We explore the challenge of bringing them back to a modern audience; establishing what makes them so compelling as they adopt elements from previous games, as well as the limitations that somewhat stifle the experience.

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Chapters
[00:00] Intro
[01:16] Revisiting Evil
[04:46] Welcome Back
[07:33] Reanimation
[09:50] The Three C's
[11:34] Bioweapons
[14:16] Mr X
[17:19] The Nemesis
[20:50] The Future of Survival Horror
[22:41] Closing & Credits
 

cireza

Banned
It could have been a masterpiece, but the cut content and very short run time knocked it down to just very good. If anything, they should have added some stuff like RE1 remake.
It was actually perfect in my opinion. The kind of game where you want to make several runs because of how fun and intense it is.

In my opinion, Resident Evil 2 was a bit too much anchored in its old mechanics and there was too much back and forth.
 
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Soodanim

Member
It was actually perfect in my opinion. The kind of game where you want to make several runs because of how fun and intense it is.

In my opinion, Resident Evil 2 was a bit too much anchored in its old mechanics and there was too much back and forth.
I feel the opposite. RE3 was held back by cut content and by being too linear. The original gave you options at every step of the way, and the remake went the opposite direction. The opening area (which the demo used) was misleading, because it's the most open the game is. Outside of Carlos in the hospital, everything else is a straight line that ignores everything that made the original so good.

They didn't include Mercenaries, they didn't release DLC to expand or fix anything, and their difficulty modes with all the changes stopped changing anything past a certain point. The game screams "unfinished" at so many points, which is a damn shame because it could and should have been better than 2. Nemesis alone is a giant red flag, they turned him into Birkin's phases from 2 and even copy pasted a boss fight. Mr X's use in 2R made it a better 3 than 3R was. You can see they tried to be somewhat creative with the unlockables, but it wasn't enough. And that's representative of the whole game: there's good, fun stuff in there, but it isn't what the game needed.

I enjoyed it, but it should have been so much more. I'd have happily waited a year or two.
 

Valt7786

Member
RE2 is an absolute masterpiece, its only downfall being the crap b scenarios. Everything else is 10/10. Even Mr. X. He's not hard to deal with and he's not even annoying. If he makes you feel pressure and making things difficult for you, he's doing his job.

RE3, whats there is mostly great. Nemesis is very poorly integrated though and the lack of events and choices and weapon drops etc really hurt it. Also, the fuck did they do to Jills STARS uniform, those shoulder pads look ridiculous.
 

cireza

Banned
I feel the opposite. RE3 was held back by cut content and by being too linear. The original gave you options at every step of the way, and the remake went the opposite direction. The opening area (which the demo used) was misleading, because it's the most open the game is. Outside of Carlos in the hospital, everything else is a straight line that ignores everything that made the original so good.

They didn't include Mercenaries, they didn't release DLC to expand or fix anything, and their difficulty modes with all the changes stopped changing anything past a certain point. The game screams "unfinished" at so many points, which is a damn shame because it could and should have been better than 2. Nemesis alone is a giant red flag, they turned him into Birkin's phases from 2 and even copy pasted a boss fight. Mr X's use in 2R made it a better 3 than 3R was. You can see they tried to be somewhat creative with the unlockables, but it wasn't enough. And that's representative of the whole game: there's good, fun stuff in there, but it isn't what the game needed.

I enjoyed it, but it should have been so much more. I'd have happily waited a year or two.
I totally disagree with you :)
 

Soodanim

Member
For me, adding MR X in both runs of RE2 was annoying to say the least. I prefer the originals twist on the second run.
I do think it would have been nice if X only showed up in scenario B. I get that they only added B after feedback/demand and that's why they're largely the same as the As, but that's their fault for trying to betray the original.
I totally disagree with you :)
Fair enough! Out of curiosity: how do you feel about OG 3?
 

SeraphJan

Member
I do think it would have been nice if X only showed up in scenario B. I get that they only added B after feedback/demand and that's why they're largely the same as the As, but that's their fault for trying to betray the original.

Fair enough! Out of curiosity: how do you feel about OG 3?
OG3 was good that it introducing Nemesis, but also fell short due to Nemesis, the control was never design for intensive action, however fighting Nemesis required exactly that, thus creating an uneven experience, running from Nemesis was intense, however when actually fighting him was the worst part of the game.
 
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Soodanim

Member
OG3 was good that it introducing Nemesis, but also fell short due to Nemesis, the control was never design for intensive action, however fighting Nemesis required exactly that, thus creating an uneven experience, running from Nemesis was intense, however when actually fighting him was the worst part of the game.
I would agree if there wasn't a dodge mechanic, but I think it's just fine. Running away is also an option a lot of the time, and if you do stay to fight there's always the classic method of dodging by running on the inactive limb side. Mandatory encounters often had environmental help too, like the acid taps towards the end.
 
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