Resident Evil 2 Remake producers Yoshiaki Hirabayashi and Tsuyoshi Kanda have revealed that the upcoming survival horror revamp will not include the A/B scenarios featured in the original game.
Speaking with Rely on Horror, the duo confirmed that Leon and Claire will still have separate campaigns, although the zapping system is no longer in place.
‘We still want to replicate that feeling of seeing two sides to the same story through both character’s perspective in their own way. So for that reason we have a Leon campaign and a Claire campaign, they’re separate and you can choose which one you want to play first. We did simplify it a bit and make it more elegant by eliminating the A/B distinction and sort of meshing together what happens to the character’s A and B scenarios into one story.’
For the unaware, the original RE2 featured a handful of alternate scenarios, some of which are canon.
Claire B is the Claire Redfield scenario that is unlocked upon completion of Leon A, which is the non-canon version of Leon’s story. These alternate scenarios (Claire B and Leon A) are scenarios that changed the path through certain levels in the game, based on how the initial car crash that divides Leon and Claire turned out. For example, the Claire B scenario is dependent on whether or not the police car did a 180′ before crashing.
Another insight offered by Hirabayashi-san detailed how the team considered multiple options for camera placements and control within the remake.
‘With a first person camera, you see the zombie but not yourself; and with a fixed camera you see both but it’s more zoomed out and not as intense. For me the over the shoulder camera gives you that intense struggle between both the character and the enemy.’
Finally, the Deluxe Edition of Resident Evil 2 will feature a new skin for Claire in the form of Elza Walker, the original lead of 1.5. Hardcore fans may remember the name Elza Walker, who was replaced by Claire in the released version of the game. 1.5 is the infamous partly finished version of Resident Evil 2 that never saw the full light of day.
Resident Evil 2 is due out on January 25, 2019 for PlayStation 4, PC, and Xbox One. The game will also bring back the fan-favorite mini-games built around HUNK and Tofu.
