the But creators Shinji Mikami wasn’t too impressed with the story because he “only had three weeks to write it.”
The whole story in just three weeks – that’s not a lot of time to work out details. But it kept the story of fan-favorite Leon Kennedy going, taking him to Eastern Europe in search of the President’s daughter. In many ways it marked the shift from horror to action that fully unfolded in Parts 5 and 6. And despite that tight deadline, it introduced many other fan favorites like The Merchant, Saddler, Krauser and Salazar.
Resident Evil 4 stands almost 20 years following its release thanks to the VR port and the endless cycle of remake rumors back in the limelight. There’s nothing concrete yet, but fans are clinging to hope that RE4 will be next on Capcom’s plan for a revamp (to be included). Plus they’re not alone – Mikami would also like to see a remake of RE4, but he didn’t name any better game mechanics. Rather, he said he wanted a better narrative, perhaps one that doesn’t have a three-week deadline.
“Fans will most likely want it and that’s a good thing,” Mikami said compared to VG247. “It would be great if Capcom did a good job and improved the story.”
So far, the remakes have updated the stories to create a more cohesive narrative. Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 were already inextricably linked as they take place around the same time in the same setting – the fall of Raccoon City. But the jump to Resident Evil 4 marked a major change in the series’ history, as a new virus was introduced while Leon Kennedy went from a novice cop wading through zombie-infested sewers to an outlandish action hero on a mission for… became the President.
The RE3 remake updated the Nemesis Virus to tie it directly into Las Plagas and tie the story to RE4. Many of the new zombie visuals might then be more recognizable in Part 4 remake, and feel less like a jarring leap into a new chapter and more like a gradual continuation of what RE3 started. We can only hope that Capcom is seriously considering a remake.