At the tail-end of last week, Capcom delivered a multi-platform release of the Resident Evil 2 Remake - the so-called '1-shot' demo that gives users just 30 minutes to play a very small portion of the full game. It's shaping up to be a beautiful game that sees the consoles push higher-end features of the foundation RE engine for the first time, and it also sees the developer make some fascinating technical choices for both the vanilla and enhanced consoles. Meanwhile, the PC version opens up a vast array of possible settings, but based on the experience the demo delivers, the top-end experience does require some meaty hardware.
So just how does the remake push the RE engine harder than before? All versions of the demo showcase a filmic per-object motion blur, each surface that is smooth enough receives screen-space reflections, and the game makes extensive use of volumetric lighting and a bokeh depth of field. We'll be looking at the final version more closely to fully confirm this, but the lavish volumetric effects look quite a lot like the frustum voxel aligned type we have seen in many games this generation, giving any and every light a chance to illuminate the fog.
When all of those effects are combined together, we are looking at a highly atmospheric and smooth-looking game - and that is just the environments. Character modelling is also top-notch with realistic animations both in and out of cutscenes, and a lot of weight and physicality - from the way zombies react to the velocity of your gunfire, all the way down to the subtle animation on Leon's hair as he trudges down the dark hallways. There are other technical tricks designed to showcase the high fidelity assets: when you bring the camera on around Leon up close, the game spawns a tight shadow-casting light directly above his head, following the camera. It may not be physically correct, but it serves to highlight the lifelike details of the player model - another neat trick for the smoke and mirrors that is real-time rendering.
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Leave it out, Leon. Call it a day, Claire! We all know the true heroes of Resident Evil 2 - and now Capcom has finally let us see them in all their remastered glory.
It's only Hunk and Tofu!
Yes, Hunk - the permanently masked mercenary who has popped up throughout the series, and whose identity has always remained a mystery.
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When Capcom announced the Resident Evil 2 demo was a "1-shot" with a 30-minute time limit, many complained about not having long enough to try the game out.
Capcom has announced a demo for the Resident Evil 2 remake - and it lasts for just 30 minutes.
Resident Evil's best character? Maybe you believe it's Leon Kennedy, the floppy-haired fop, or perhaps you think it could be enigmatic badass Ada Wong. Well, I'm afraid you're entirely wrong. The best character from throughout Resident Evil's history is, without a single doubt, the Raccoon City Police Station.
Capcom's revealed the gubbins in the deluxe edition of the Resident Evil 2 remake - and it includes some cool fan service.
Capcom had teased a new look for fan-favourite character Ada Wong in the Resident Evil 2 remake. Now, to coincide with the Tokyo Game Show, the company has pulled back the curtain on her design for the upcoming game.
The Resident Evil 2 remake features new looks for all the major characters, including Leon Kennedy, Claire Redfield, Sherry Birkin, Chief Irons and of course fan favourite spy Ada Wong.
If you've seen the recently-released Resident Evil 2 remake gameplay showing Claire Redfield's playable section, you might have noticed Sherry is more than a little different compared to her incarnation in the original.
The YouTube channel of Japanese publication Dengeki Online has published a four minute video showcasing gameplay from the Resident Evil 2 remake - specifically the playable Claire Redfield portion of the game.
The video, below, shows Claire exploring the Raccoon City police station. There she finds Sherry Birkin cowering in the shadows, before she's attacked by a horribly-mutated figure (we won't spoil the nature of the monster, for those who haven't played Resident Evil 2).
The gameplay sees Claire trying to take this monster down with a raft of weapons, including a handgun, an Uzi and a grenade launcher. Nothing seems to work!
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Capcom has confirmed the existence of a fancy (if familiar) Resident Evil 2 Collector's Edition for PS4 and Xbox One in the UK - which contains, among other things, a poster, some keys, and a 12" Leon.
Capcom's selling an official Resident Evil 2 typewriter-style keyboard - in Japan.
Capcom has shown off the new design for Claire Redfield in the Resident Evil 2 remake.
Fans of faintly absurd bonus characters can breathe a sigh of relief today; Capcom has confirmed that both Hunk and Tofu will be returning for the Resident Evil 2 remake on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
Yesterday at E3, Aoife got to try out the Resident Evil 2 remake which had been unveiled with a spectacularly good trailer at Monday night's PlayStation showcase. The trailer didn't lie - this is shaping up to be a fantastic and terrifying reimagining of the horror classic.
Capcom's remake of Resident Evil 2 will launch for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on 25th January 2019.
A fresh trailer with our first proper look at the game was just demoed during PlayStation's bizarro E3 2018 press conference. We saw a darker take on the game as people get flesh ripped out of them, rats getting turned to zombies and Leon once again looking handsome.
Both Leon and Claire will have their own, separate campaigns.
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While we wait for Capcom to release the long-awaited Resident Evil 2 remake, we have its official board game to look forward to.
Resident Evil has a long and sometimes proud history. I think it's fair to say that the first couple of Resident Evil games were genre defining, which makes it all the more tragic to contemplate the state in which the series currently exists.
A third CGI Resident Evil film has been announced. This one's called Resident Evil: Vendetta.
Animation studio Marza Animation Planet (Harlock: Space Pirate) revealed the upcoming film, which is due in 2017.
The follow-up to Resident Evil: Degeneration (2008) and Resident Evil: Damnation (2012), Vendetta will star series stalwart Leon S. Kennedy.
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The Resident Evil series turns 20 years old today.
Resident Evil 2: Reborn, a fan-remake of Capcom's 1998 survival-horror classic, has been shut down despite the fact that only last month developer InvaderGames said it would be ready this summer.
This is because Capcom has recently announced its own official remake of Resi 2.
Rather than simply slap InvaderGames with a cease & desist, Capcom has invited the fans behind this project to come meet the developers of the official remake and discuss its development further.
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Capcom has officially announced that it's remaking Resident Evil 2.
The project was unveiled via a T-shirt / YouTube video of Capcom producer Yoshiaki Hirabyashi sporting a top proclaiming "We do it!" while standing next to a TV displaying a makeshift Resident Evil 2 Remake logo.
"You've been telling us for years that you want Resident Evil 2 to be remade, and we haven't been able to make it happen... until now!" Hirabyashi said.
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