Resident Evil 2 Remake producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi has said Capcom is hoping to recapture the spirit of the original 1998 survival horror classic.
Speaking with VideoGamer, Hirabayashi-san said that work is progressing on the hotly anticipated project, although he couldn’t offer anything in the way of a release window or an idea of when we could expect to see the remake in action.
The did, however, assure gamers that the team is "working hard on the game at the moment and there are some reasons why I think we can recapture the spirit of the first game.
"As you mentioned, the first game’s remake is held up as proof that a remaster can recapture the original game," he continued, "and as it so happens, the RE GameCube remake was my first project at Capcom. I was able to learn from more experienced colleagues and see with my own eyes how they translated their efforts into such a masterpiece that built on an already well-received game. It was an incredibly valuable experience for me.
"Also, Resident Evil 2 was the first Resident Evil I played. Everyone’s experience is different but I remember how it felt to play it for the first time, and the task of bringing that to the fans all over again is a cause of daily headaches for me (laughs). Work is progressing on the game and all I can do is ask the fans to wait patiently and excited."
Resident Evil 2 Remake was announced in August 2015, coming shortly after Capcom requested that the fan-made Resident Evil 2: Reborn be shut down. Platforms were not confirmed at the time, but it’ll presumably release on PlayStation 4, PC and Xbox One.
It’s also not known if the project will adhere to the ‘classic’ Resident Evil template of fixed camera perspectives and tank controls, or offer a more modern gaming experience ala Resident Evil 6.
Despite this, it’s clear that Capcom has been taking feedback on board following the polarizing reception to the sixth entry in the long-running series.
"Every title brings with it learning experiences," said Hirabayashi-san, "and of course I saw a lot of the feedback on Resident Evil 6 and have taken on board everything I’ve heard from the fans about the game and I want to show you what it taught me with through the next experience I’ll be bringing to you."
Resident Evil celebrated its 20th anniversary on March 22, 2016, so there’s no better time to catch up on the series with our detailed ‘History of Resident Evil‘ feature.