Waiting for the release of one of your most highly anticipated games may seem like an arduous task at the time; however, for many (myself included), playing the waiting game is merely an integral part of the overall enjoyment of a particular title. It isn’t just the influx of news items, images and fan conjecture that hauls you in, either; beta versions in particular have achieved a massive cult following worldwide, and can prove a compelling example of how a game evolves in the arms of its developer, from early similarities to the final product, to the elements that were ultimately scrapped, never to see the light of day.

Capcom’s Resident Evil 4 is no exception to this, having been documented at going through no less than four different stages of development over the course of half a decade with each possessing a unique concept in its own right.

With this in mind, PSU decided to take the time to dissect the development of this crucial release, and showcase the numerous incarnations that preceded the final version of the game, which would ultimately go on to re-invent a classic franchise.

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#1 – Origins

Although Capcom and Nintendo announced an exclusivity agreement in September 2001 to bring six major titles in the Resident Evil series to the GameCube, Capcom themselves had originally conceived Resident Evil 4 as a Sony PlayStation 2 title many years before the contract had even materialized.

Initial planning commenced as far back as 1999, with Capcom teams visiting locations in Spain, eventually leading to the creation of several environmental and character drafts. Much of these early designs remain unreleased to the public, although one memorable character shot did eventually surface, depicting a tall, white-haired male of noble stature, of which many fans believed to be an early conception of Oswell E. Spencer; one of three founders of the Umbrella Corporation.

Internet rumours and fan speculation ran rampant through 1999-2000, including the appearance of the now infamous hoaxed box-art for the title (taken from the movie ‘Psycho 2’), which issued the game a subtitle of ‘Umbrella Rising.’ I myself can recall numerous reports around this time of the main character being that of Hunk; the Umbrella Special Forces agent who was ordered to retrieve a sample of the G-virus during the events of Resident Evil 2. Capcom, however, were reluctant to reveal any specific plot details.

The company later reiterated plans to release RE4 on PS2 at its annual Gamer’s Day event in early 2001, although there was little information to go on in regards to how the title was progressing. The firm also announced plans to port the game to the GameCube the following year. Eventually, however, development of this version would ultimately cease, and soon enough, the title was assimilated into Capcom’s exclusivity contract with Nintendo in September 2001.

It later transpired that this initial concept was thought to be too much of a departure from the traditional Resident Evil experience; as a result, Shinji Mikami and his team would embark on a new project based on this early design of RE4, creating a fresh Intellectual Property – Devil May Cry, which was finally to be released on the PS2 in late 2001.

#2 – “Fog”

Capcom unveiled the first official incarnation of RE4, running on Nintendo’s GameCube hardware at the Tokyo Games Show in 2002. Gamers were finally able to catch their first ever glimpse at in-game footage of the title, along with official confirmation on its protagonist; namely, Resident Evil 2’s male lead, Leon S. Kennedy. According to reports at the time, the plot surrounded the former R.P.D cops attempts to penetrate the Umbrella Corporation’s secret headquarters in Europe.

The trailer itself depicted Kennedy exploring a number of environments, including an Airship and castle/mansion-like setting; complete with fully 3D rendered visuals, along with atmospheric lighting effects and real-time shadows. However, the most prominent feature showcased was a strange, fog-like entity that would pursue Kennedy throughout the trailer seemingly possessing him at its climax.

The words ‘The Cradle of ... (continued on next page)