In a continuation of its Resident Evil 20th anniversary celebrations this year, Capcom has spruced up its 2009 action-horror sequel, Resident Evil 5, for PlayStation 4 users complete with a silky-smooth 60fps overhaul plus all existing downloadable content for one wallet-friendly £15.99 price.
We’ve recently battled through Chris Redfield’s African excursion all over again to provide you with a definitive PS4 verdict. However, we also thought now is the optimum time to look back at Resi 5’s surprisingly muddled development history.
While Resident Evil 4 is probably best known for having gone through an arduous production cycle—see our dedicated feature for more on that—Resi 5 also has plenty of hidden secrets beneath its sun-baked, Plagas-infected exterior.
Here’s 5 things you probably didn’t know about Resident Evil 5.
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1) Chris Redfield wasn’t always the size of a double-decker bus
When a muscle-bound Redfield was unveiled to the world back in Resi 5’s 2007 trailer, fans and casual onlookers alike were understandably shocked. After all, the bloke looked like he had spent the last few years living under his bench press and adhering to a strict diet of protein and dianabol, and it showed. Chris’s biceps had biceps, and the size of the former S.T.A.R.S. operative’s considerable bulk was such that it looked doubtful anything could pose any meaningful threat to him. It wasn’t always this way, however. Early concept art and the original 2005 CG trailer depicts a more regular-sized protagonist, although it’s clear that Chris has still aged somewhat since we last saw him.
2) Zombies were originally in the game
Resi 4 is notable for eschewing flesh-hungry undead from the mix, but at one point it seemed Capcom was intent on bringing them back for the sequel—at least early on. Yep, the original version of Resi 5 featured T-Virus zombies, albeit in far greater numbers and considerably nimbler than previous incarnations. There’s even a few screenshots floating around the web depicting Chris battling with the rotting fiends during an early test stage for the game. Sadly, Capcom decided to replace the shambling hordes with Majini, thinking undead foes wouldn’t be able to produce the coordinated attacks of their parasite-infected brethren. A quick look at the AI behaviour of the finished product makes you wonder why they arrived at this conclusion…
3) Barry Burton was scripted to make an appearance
Although fans have at least been satiated with Barry’s return in Resident Evil: Revelations 2, it seems Capcom had planned to reintroduce Bazza far earlier than anticipated. Early scripts for Resi 5 suggested that the former S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team weapons boffin was going to aid Chris at some point in the game (this was at a time when Chris’s partner was undecided between Barry and Jill Valentine). Ultimately, Jill Valentine won the day and Burton was unceremoniously shoved aside, presumably for committing crimes against video game dialogue that date back to 1996. Still, Barry did get a cameo appearance of sorts, showing up in the non-canon The Mercenaries Reunion mini-game, complete with trademark magnum and complementary one-liners.
4) It was not a co-op game
While Resident Evil 5 as we know and love introduced co-op for the first time in a mainline series entry, Capcom hadn’t always planned to go down this route. Chris Redfield was originally due to carry out his mission solo, with backup sporadically showing up from various NPCs, including Sheva Alomar, who was not a member of the BSAA but rather part of a local militia. At one stage she was also lined up to be captured by Excella. It’s possible to see remnants of the single-player adventure in the 2007 and 2008 trailers, where Redfield is clearly depicted going it alone without any partner backing him up.
5) Tyrant was brought back
Umbrella’s super soldier bio-weapons have become iconic foes in the Resident Evil universe, so it was disappointing to see them absent from the likes of Resident Evil 4 and 5. However, Capcom did toy with the idea of introducing the Tyrant for Resi 5, where it was due to slaughter Excella Gionne, the then-secretary to the Tricell CEO. No footage of this hulking behemoth is available, but early concept art shows its distinctive claw and general man-mountain appearance, indicating Capcom was going back to the roots of classic Resi bosses at this point. Ultimately, the creature was dropped as the developer felt it didn’t fit in with the Wesker/Uroboros angle.
Source(s): The Art of Resident Evil 5, GamesMaster Magazine (August 2007)