So if I were to remake the Resident Evil franchise, either forgetting about everything already done, or have things happen in a different place, I’d forget everything. I’d wipe the slate clean to make it easier to follow. I’d start with a new character and build from there. It’s worth noting that I will be pulling from things I would have done differently in other RE games as well.
1. New character.
We need someone different. No one can replace Leon or Claire or Chris or Jill. We need new people to fill their own roles. Here’s what I would do: Start with a character that’s not even close to previous characters. Japanese (maybe half American) man living in Japan who knows english well enough, but who obviously likes the japanese language more and uses it throughout when he is scared/angry/happy/etc. This will help build depth in him. I would then make him either an ordinary citizen who lived in America for a while with some relatives (who immigrated to) in Oklahoma and hunt or something and while there he got into using guns and hunting, even though it was hard for him to pull the trigger on an animal knowing he held it’s life in his hands. I think someone like Daniel Dae Kim would do pretty well in terms of looks. He has that intensity of being able to fight and be angry while still being able to draw people in by being close and subtle. He doesn’t look like the Hulk (CHRIS) either. He would do well (even though he’s not Japanese) for the basis of this new character. What about a name…how about…Akio. Short simple, and has a strength to it.
2. Weapons
Lets keep it simple for once. It’s kinda dumb to work for half the game to get my pistol all maxed out just to realize I could sell it and buy another that’s better that I have to then upgrade all over again. Let’s use a system where we meet someone who can mod our weapons to upgrade them with whatever we find and maybe some of the things we find are usable in either pistol OR shotgun OR Machine gun and so on. Let me make choices based on what I WANT to shoot. Some things of course will have enough parts for both, and anything I sell can be bought back from this “merchant”. Maybe multiple types of pistols that you can save up and towards the end of the game have enough pieces to trade the merchant for a whole gun of that type. So what weapons would I put in the game?
Knives/Swords: Let’s face it, the knife sucks. It can’t be thrown, or even stab at zombies rather than slashing. It’s only for opening barrels than those times you’re completely out of ammo. I would make it useful. give Akio a machete type weapon and let him slash AND stab. This is the weapon we will upgrade a lot. But not forcefully. You may choose to not
upgrade or keep all upgrades and only use the one you prefer. Some will have a better critical rate (for instakilling) and some will do more damage, and other will be faster/slower. Eventually he’ll get a katana that he will have to sharpen every so often or the damage will reduce to be very little.
Pistols: Yes more than 1, because I would also like a feature that lets me dual wield them, and because you’ll be picking up pistols off zombie policemen and other citizens for parts. I start with the SIG P230 (which is used in Japan right now) and give the player parts to another couple weapons like:
COLT .36 Caliber revolver
COLT 1911 A1 .45 caliber
DESERT EAGLE
SHOTGUNS: A must have for these games. It’s SOO good because it works against the player. When I get it I want to feel invincible for a while, but then something will pop out and when I shoot it I’ll get a surprise…shotgun doesn’t kill it. Then I’m scared again, having to use my pistol or knife. What would Akio find first…I’m thinking a good starter is just a simple 12 ga. pump Remington 870. Something someone could buy for protection or for hunting. Later you would find other combat shotguns like:
Bernelli Supernova
Sawed-Off Shotgun
Riot Shotgun (or something else powerful)
RIFLES: I don’t see the purpose looking back in the games. I mean, the most I ever used the rifle was shooting emblems in RE5. In 4 I only get it for the Regenerators which are 10 feet from me most of the time (OH GOD WHY?!) There is no reason for the rifle unless I’m aiming at something far enough away. I.E. no tight spaces…which is what RE is all about. I will replace this with…
MACHINE GUN: Even though no sane person would shoot 50 bullets in 5 seconds with zombies able to come from everywhere, it might be needed in some cases. It can hit multiple targets and if it’s a headshot then that’s all I need. Now what’s a good Machine gun?
Scorpion Evo II
H&K MP7
M4 Carbine
GRENADES: Of course we’ll find grenades, but probably not incendiary ones. I’d only put in Flash and regular death bombs.
MAGNUMS: It’s good to have a gun you can depend on only needing 1 shot for most things…this is that gun. Akio would find it mid-game sometime or assemble it if he’s good at finding parts.
MONSTERS: You can’t have a good RE game without dangers that are more than just zombies. You need something primal, that can hunt you. Lickers are good at that…
I think having Monkeys become lickers would make more sense than people…they seem closer to transforming into them, and monkeys are already pretty smart. Maybe the outbreak takes place near a zoo? That could be VERY creepy to walk through…I like it.
So now we have guys like this…where did he get that axe? He had to have made it from an anvil or something…half a plow? It’s threatening yeah, but part of my brain questions why he has it. If he can lift it just give him a sledgehammer and let him swing it like a bat. It’s doesn’t really matter what my enemies hold as long as it makes sense for them to have. Just don’t do this…
Or this… ESPECIALLY THIS! If you read my first post a year ago then you know I HATED this guy. He served no purpose just like Chris and Sheva’s need to stay in the Humvee while having rocket launchers….SO dumb!
RE4 did the same thing with the lake monster (I dunno it’s name), but it was much more immersive and simple. I avoid the monster till I can throw a harpoon, then I stop and look for monster till he surfaces again, and don’t get knocked out. It’s simple, but not too easy. It’s not perfect, but it’s better to throw a javelin than waste ammo on him when it probably won’t pierce his skin.
Ok so the story. Here it is. Akio is taking a vacation to some hot springs…maybe away from the police force or just the city, he leaves Tokyo and heads north to a small village he’s been to before (none of that new city with psychos that somehow no one noticed crap). He talks to some people there he’s made friends with, nice people. He gets a massage from a nice lady who talks with him about his life (got a girlfriend…how are his parents…the city, etc). He is a tad shy to talk about some things like his social life (girlfriend) but does anyway. He falls asleep and wakes up to find out that she’s gone and he’s alone in the room. He looks around, calls out, decides he should put his clothes on and when he walks out the door he is scared by…the lady who was just going to the bathroom. just something to let the player know this is how it’s going to be during the game.
He goes outside and sees an ambulance pull up to the hospital down the road and overhear them talking about bites or animal attack. He thinks that’s a little strange, but goes back to his room. Later he looks out the window to see a fancy truck pull up with a very familiar red and white symbol on it and they take the guy away. He figures they are transporting him to the city…must have been serious…but they go the opposite direction. The next morning he wakes up to the sounds of screaming in the streets. People running from others and seeing some eating animals and even other people! He decides it’s time to get out of here! He packs his carryon quickly and runs out to find there are people shambling in the hall…and they all have blood on them…some shot, some have knives in them or fingers missing…what’s going on!? He rushes back inside and collects himself. This is where he decides to either makeshift some weapons or go out the fire escape.
Choice is another thing I want to setup if I were to change the game. Give the player an option to take a safe way or a dangerous way. Maybe they will have the option of going both ways. For instance, Akio could go out the fire escape and back up to his room or vice versa, but sometimes he may go up a flight a stairs instead of going around the building and the atairs may collapse behind him so he can’t go back that way. Other places may have counters that let the player travel over them 2-6 times before breaking and forcing Akio to get creative. Most ways will be irreversible as much as needed though as it gets annoying to backtrack too much.
So the idea is that the virus was an experiment umbrella uses on some animal or insect that gets loose and bites other animals which leads to people which leads to chaos. Akio has to take charge of this matter when people, including his masseuse and significant other(?) is taken for experimentation…
There’s a lot of room to grow his character and it’s a different spin on the entire series. It feels fresh without changing EVERYTHING or letting zombies shoot me back and all that other unneeded stuff.
