1996's Resident Evil Is Getting Another Remake
Things are getting a little "itcy, tasty" over in the world of Resident Evil, as Capcom's shooter series is ready to come to a whole new generation. While most of us are looking to 2023 and Capcom's official new-gen remake of the GameCube's Resident Evil 4, others are working on an Unreal Engine 5 remake of the 1996 original.
It's been 26 years since we first creaked open the doors to the Spencer Mansion, and while gaming has come on leaps and bounds since then, you can trace most horror titles back to these decaying roots. Outside of the ongoing Resiverse - and upcoming Resident Evil 9 - everything from Dead Space to The Last of Us are homages to the OG Resident Evil.
What Is The Resident Evil Remake?
Over on YouTube, there's an impressive trailer for an Unreal Engine 5 remake of 1996's Resident Evil. Although we get the same tank controls and fixed camera, this is a far cry from the Resident Evil from all those years ago. Making the most of dynamic lighting and graphical capabilities, the Spencer Mansion has (oddly) never looked so inviting.
Sadly, there's no news on a release date for this Resident Evil remake. The project is called Biohazard: RE1 Classic Edition and looks like a faithful adaptation of the game that game before it. From zombie dogs jumping through windows to Yawn the attic snake, it's all here. Jill Valentine is sporting her classic uniform and making her away this crumbling corridors, and yet, it's something new.
Of course, you'll know this isn't the first time Resident Evil has had a remake. By the time we got to 2002, the franchise was already going strong and had released three mainline games alongside Code: Veronica. The same year we got Resident Evil Zero, we had the GameCube-exclusive REmake.
What's Next For Resident Evil?
Resi fans can't get enough of the remake, however, some warned that the dev team will have to be careful with copyright. We covered the HD remake of Resident Evil 4 that got the support of Capcom, but that was only because you needed to already own the original to play the remake. Given the fact the 2002 remake still holds up pretty well, most agree that we probably don't need a new-gen one in the vein of Capcom's Resident Evil 2 (2019) and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (2020) remakes. This one still looks like a lot of fun.
There's plenty to look forward to anyway, and as long as things go to plan, we'll be taking a floppy-haired Leon S. Kennedy through the nightmares of rural Spain for the RE4 remake next year. More than just a straight-up remaster, we're told it will be more of a reimagining. This has given rise to wild theories it'll be more directly connected to Resident Evil 9 - which had its own RE4 Easter egg. With the Resiverse continuing to expand, we're sure that there will be a remake of the REmake one day. In the meantime, make the most of this fan's Unreal Engine 5 nightmare.