HardestBoss spotted a video of an early Japanese E3 build version of Resident Evil 4. These concepts were dropped from the final game because it was "too paranormal" to mesh with the game's ultimate storyline:
The Hooked Man is the most notable enemy in this version of the game, and he was intended to be a recurring enemy much like Nemesis. This version of RE4 was reportedly so scary that Shinji Mikami himself warned gamers with a famous quote “Don’t pee your pants.”
More details of strange variations and curiosities are abound on Wikipedia. Obtaining a version of this game seems impossible, as a search on sites like eBay result in hooked gingerbread man pink rugs. In other news, Sony might be influenced to announce that Gran Turismo 5 will not feature any cars because it may make the game "too drivy".
Here's to hoping that paranormal makes a big comeback on the PS3 version.
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Yeah i remember hearing about that hook guy but that's the first time I have seen him. He looks like a regular zombie 'cept with a hook. They could have got away with using him but the other ideas like the knife wielding dolls wouldn't really fit in the Resi universe so I can understand why they didn't use them.
My only problem with Resident Evil 4 was that it wasn't nearly as scary as it could have been. With this, I don't see how they thought it was a good idea to drop the "hooked man". What a badass.
Same here. The game was a masterpiece but I wonder if I would have enjoyed it more if the story was less tight and allowed for more flat out freak out moments like this one
if you guys want flatout freakouts like this BUY ETERNAL DARKNESS for the cube. you will thank me and spank me. the more you are hurt by enemies the more you hallucinate, including screen shaking, audio glitches and control "problems". freakier than re4 by a lot
I'm hoping Capcom takes some of the ideas from the leaked footage of early RE4 builds and builds a new franchise that is a lot more supernatural. Something not over the top, but solid, real and scary.
"In other news, Sony might be influenced to announce that Gran Turismo 5 will not feature any cars because it may make the game 'too drivy'."
I think you're missing the point. The Resident Evil series has always been about situations that allow zombies and other such scary things to exist in a plausible manner. The earlier games used the concept of the T-virus while RE4 used parasitic organisms (Las Plagas). Ghosts weilding hooks and little dolls don't really fit within the concept of the Las Plagas.
Although, it should be noted that the knight armor concept did make it into the final game during the short Ashley-controlled portion of the game.
Also, this version wouldve sucked. Yup I said it. SUCKED.
Ok the creepy silent hill vibe is definatly a added plus to the franchise, and it shouldve been implemented in the gameplay, but, Im tired of the same view they've used in EVERY game. I liked the 3rd person view and controls in 4, and I think thats what REALLY set it apart. The controls for that vid looked like the same ones we've always used, but rehashed. Meh.
ZealousD hit the nail on the head. The scenarios presented in the video didn't really fit the Resident Evil universe. It's understandable that they were cut.
Now, if Capcom wanted to make use of them in a different franchise, I pro'lly wouldn't complain one tiny iota.
"Here's to hoping that paranormal makes a big comeback on the PS3 version."
Here's hoping it doesn't.
I'm all for making improvements to the series, and while this old version may have had the old controls, it did look scarier.
However.
Resident Evil is not about the paranormal, it's about (fake) science and biology. There has never been any reference to ghosts or spirits, and while it was kinda cool to just see that door open, it's also horribly inconsistent with the world that has been created around the first game.
If I want a paranormal fix, I'll go play Silent Hill. Otherwise, keep your ghosts out of RE5. Capcom is free to use whatever they did to make that video a little scary, provided the source of it is not some supernatural make-believe. If anything, they should explore the idea that Leon (or whoever) gets "infected" like in the second and fourth version of RE4 (the latter of which was fairly close to the fifth and final version). If you got the RE4 demo disc for Gamecube, you can see the trailer for RE4 and see what I mean, since Leon coughs up blood and it says something like "a disease that infects the body."
Besides, RE4 didn't need to be really scary, it was too busy being awesome.
If people like that paranormal why is Fatal Frame so unknown!? Seriously! Haunting Ground & Rule of Rose both have those aspects too. Just a shame Rule of Rose's game play is poop.
I have all original RE games, and Code Veronica X (sucked) and RE 4 was one of the best gameplay wise, but for scaryness, it was either 2 or 3, Nemisis was wicked same with the mister X dude. Lets hope RE 5 incorporates everything scary and makes mixes up a wicked batch.
I really liked the use of the flashlight in the trailer. I've always wanted to play a game where a flashlight is your primary implement of destruction. You'd find flashlight upgrades, better flashlights, etc. and play the game in almost complete darkness which would ramp up the tension. Is there anything like that out there that I've missed?
tT felt awkward to me and the game play wasn't as "solid" if you will, as the previous installments. It was ok though, Gun survivor though....*shudders*
I have to say that i've not been upset by any of the Resident Evil games (not including the outbreak games and the light gun series cos i've never bothered with them) i think the most impactful one was RE 2 i enjoyed the whole Leon, clare A B thing it made you play it with both characters which i only ever did again with RE 1 on the Cube.
To anyone who said "this has a Silent Hill vibe, have you even PLAYED Silent Hill?
This doesn't have a Silent Hill vibe!!!
I was first going to put Silent Hill in a post but then I realized...Silent Hill doesn't have any ghosts! Silent Hill is just about the wierd and creepy and disturbing nature of things (and sins of man/purgatory/torture if you want to look into the story) but nothing really about ghosts. The only "ghost" is more so at how the people get to the town or maybe the scene from the trailer that wasnt' in the movie with the car. Otherwise this wouldn't fit with Silent Hill.
Fatal Frame, more likely but neither Silent Hill and Resident Evil would be able to take this idea and fit it in its realm.
Uh, the monsters themselves in this video DEFINITELY fit in the Silent Hill universe, albeit they aren't as twisted as they would be in a Silent Hill game.
But "the vibe" of Silent Hill? Not even close.
That video TRIED to scare you every 5 seconds. That's not scary. That's boring and annoying.
Seriously, if you're trying to scare people, having them turn around to find the suits of armor have moved is a good start, but every other suit CAN'T attack you. And with no consequences no less. Have a few of them creak. Have a few move slightly, then, when the player thinks they're just going to get you with aural scares, drop the axe!
Silent Hill is about suspense. This clip was about a movie's worth of cheesey horror cliches crammed into a few minutes.
You want to be scared? Make it LOOK like you're going to be. Make it seem out of character that something will jump out at you. One or two freakin' awesome scares are way bettter than a dozen mild jumps.
Oh, and the hook man strikes me as incredibly lazy design.
He was just a dude with a hook. Nothing scary about him at all except that he's powerful. Or maybe not since he connected with the slice several times and nothing seemed to happen.
That would have been a great game, but definently not Resident Evil. I'm happy with what was released as RE4.
BlindsideDork, Silent Hill has ghosts and a lot of them in SH4. On all your revisits to old areas the places are swarmed with really annoying ghosts, your room gets invaded by some really damned scary weird oil grease ghost things. Lotsa ghosts. Ghosts ghosts ghosts.
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Contest:
12:57 PM on 02.13.2007
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HAHAHAHA, I wouldn't put it past them to actually do it.
flaming babies!
I think you're missing the point. The Resident Evil series has always been about situations that allow zombies and other such scary things to exist in a plausible manner. The earlier games used the concept of the T-virus while RE4 used parasitic organisms (Las Plagas). Ghosts weilding hooks and little dolls don't really fit within the concept of the Las Plagas.
Although, it should be noted that the knight armor concept did make it into the final game during the short Ashley-controlled portion of the game.
Also, this version wouldve sucked. Yup I said it. SUCKED.
Ok the creepy silent hill vibe is definatly a added plus to the franchise, and it shouldve been implemented in the gameplay, but, Im tired of the same view they've used in EVERY game. I liked the 3rd person view and controls in 4, and I think thats what REALLY set it apart. The controls for that vid looked like the same ones we've always used, but rehashed. Meh.
Now, if Capcom wanted to make use of them in a different franchise, I pro'lly wouldn't complain one tiny iota.
Here's hoping it doesn't.
I'm all for making improvements to the series, and while this old version may have had the old controls, it did look scarier.
However.
Resident Evil is not about the paranormal, it's about (fake) science and biology. There has never been any reference to ghosts or spirits, and while it was kinda cool to just see that door open, it's also horribly inconsistent with the world that has been created around the first game.
If I want a paranormal fix, I'll go play Silent Hill. Otherwise, keep your ghosts out of RE5. Capcom is free to use whatever they did to make that video a little scary, provided the source of it is not some supernatural make-believe. If anything, they should explore the idea that Leon (or whoever) gets "infected" like in the second and fourth version of RE4 (the latter of which was fairly close to the fifth and final version). If you got the RE4 demo disc for Gamecube, you can see the trailer for RE4 and see what I mean, since Leon coughs up blood and it says something like "a disease that infects the body."
Besides, RE4 didn't need to be really scary, it was too busy being awesome.
wtf?
But I wouldn't mind that version appearing on the Wii. The flash light control would be awesome.
tT felt awkward to me and the game play wasn't as "solid" if you will, as the previous installments. It was ok though, Gun survivor though....*shudders*
This doesn't have a Silent Hill vibe!!!
I was first going to put Silent Hill in a post but then I realized...Silent Hill doesn't have any ghosts! Silent Hill is just about the wierd and creepy and disturbing nature of things (and sins of man/purgatory/torture if you want to look into the story) but nothing really about ghosts. The only "ghost" is more so at how the people get to the town or maybe the scene from the trailer that wasnt' in the movie with the car. Otherwise this wouldn't fit with Silent Hill.
Fatal Frame, more likely but neither Silent Hill and Resident Evil would be able to take this idea and fit it in its realm.
But "the vibe" of Silent Hill? Not even close.
That video TRIED to scare you every 5 seconds. That's not scary. That's boring and annoying.
Seriously, if you're trying to scare people, having them turn around to find the suits of armor have moved is a good start, but every other suit CAN'T attack you. And with no consequences no less. Have a few of them creak. Have a few move slightly, then, when the player thinks they're just going to get you with aural scares, drop the axe!
Silent Hill is about suspense. This clip was about a movie's worth of cheesey horror cliches crammed into a few minutes.
You want to be scared? Make it LOOK like you're going to be. Make it seem out of character that something will jump out at you. One or two freakin' awesome scares are way bettter than a dozen mild jumps.
He was just a dude with a hook. Nothing scary about him at all except that he's powerful. Or maybe not since he connected with the slice several times and nothing seemed to happen.
BlindsideDork, Silent Hill has ghosts and a lot of them in SH4. On all your revisits to old areas the places are swarmed with really annoying ghosts, your room gets invaded by some really damned scary weird oil grease ghost things. Lotsa ghosts. Ghosts ghosts ghosts.