Editorials
Capcom is Putting the Future of ‘Resident Evil’ in Our Hands
Earlier today, Capcom revealed a HD REmaster of the Resident Evil REmake that released on the GameCube way back in 2002. On the surface, this move looks like simple fan service, a way to give longtime fans of the survival horror genre and the series that helped make it popular something they’ve been clamoring for since Resident Evil was taken in a wildly different direction in 2005. In reality, it’s so much more than that.
With this game, Capcom is effectively putting the direction the franchise takes in our hands.
Because this re-release will have an effect on the direction Resident Evil takes with the next installment in the main series, if you count yourself among the many fans who aren’t happy with the more action-oriented sequels that followed Resident Evil 4, this will be an opportunity to give Capcom some “feedback.”
The publisher has said they’re planning on rebooting the franchise, again, with the next game, which sounds like a possible return to the series’ roots in survival horror. But Resident Evil 7 is likely still a ways off and video game development is shifty. This is a fast-paced industry that’s always changing and evolving, so games change all the time mid-development. This includes Resident Evil, as both Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 4 saw numerous iterations before Capcom found the “right” one.
Recent efforts to expand on the franchise with games like Resident Evil Revelations, Operation Raccoon City and Resident Evil 6 have been met with mixed results. Revelations was received well, but didn’t sell as well as Capcom would’ve liked. Operation Raccoon City sold better than expected, but was almost universally panned by critics. Then there’s Resident Evil 6, which both sold well below the publisher’s expectations and wasn’t terribly well-received. This means the stakes are higher than ever and Capcom needs a win.
With the upcoming HD remaster of the Resident Evil REmake, Capcom is essentially testing the waters. Obviously, much of the game’s success rides on how much time and effort they invest into this latest iteration. If it’s not worthy of the original game’s legacy — or our money — than it’s not our fault if it doesn’t perform well. But if it’s good and no one buys it, that leaves little incentive for Capcom to take the main series, which is still a huge money maker for the publisher, back to its roots.
It’s not really even that simple, there are a few other factors to consider here.
When the REmake first released back in 2002, it undersold, motivating Capcom to “reboot” the series with Resident Evil 4. Now that horror is seeing a substantial resurgence, Capcom is using the REmake to see if the same renaissance that’s currently being enjoyed by indie developers of games like Outlast, Amnesia and The Forest also means games like the original Resident Evil trilogy are what genre fans want.
Then there’s the matter of remake/remaster fatigue, especially with Capcom, which has already given us HD remasters of Devil May Cry and Resident Evil. If this is perceived as “just another port” with only a few improvements, that will keep many folks from dropping their money on it. But unlike Resident Evil 4, a game that’s been ported more times than I care to recount, the first Resident Evil hasn’t seen the same level of “milking”. There’s also the fact that it released over a decade ago, meaning there’s a large audience of horror fans who likely haven’t played it.
Like I said, it’s not simple. So that leaves us with a question.
How will the world, which has gone for some time now without many mainstream, “old school” survival horror games, receive this game? We won’t know until “early 2015”, but if you’re a fan of the series, than this is something to think about. The fate of one of gaming’s greatest and most influential franchises, horror or otherwise, is being put in the hands of us, the consumers. What happens next is going to have a monumental impact on the path Resident Evil takes.
So with that said, what do you think?
Editorials
‘Leprechaun Returns’ – The Charm of the Franchise’s Legacy Sequel
The erratic Leprechaun franchise is not known for sticking with a single concept for too long. The namesake (originally played by Warwick Davis) has gone to L.A., Las Vegas, space, and the ‘hood (not once but twice). And after an eleven-year holiday since the Davis era ended, the character received a drastic makeover in a now-unmentionable reboot. The critical failure of said film would have implied it was time to pack away the green top hat and shillelagh, and say goodbye to the nefarious imp. Instead, the Leprechaun series tried its luck again.
The general consensus for the Leprechaun films was never positive, and the darker yet blander Leprechaun: Origins certainly did not sway opinions. Just because the 2014 installment took itself seriously did not mean viewers would. After all, creator Mark Jones conceived a gruesome horror-comedy back in the early nineties, and that format is what was expected of any future ventures. So as horror legacy sequels (“legacyquels”) became more common in the 2010s, Leprechaun Returns followed suit while also going back to what made the ‘93 film work. This eighth entry echoed Halloween (2018) by ignoring all the previous sequels as well as being a direct continuation of the original. Even ardent fans can surely understand the decision to wipe the slate clean, so to speak.
Leprechaun Returns “continued the [franchise’s] trend of not being consistent by deciding to be consistent.” The retconning of Steven Kostanski and Suzanne Keilly’s film was met with little to no pushback from the fandom, who had already become accustomed to seeing something new and different with every chapter. Only now the “new and different” was familiar. With the severe route of Origins a mere speck in the rearview mirror, director Kotanski implemented a “back to basics” approach that garnered better reception than Zach Lipovsky’s own undertaking. The one-two punch of preposterous humor and grisly horror was in full force again.
With Warwick Davis sitting this film out — his own choice — there was the foremost challenge of finding his replacement. Returns found Davis’ successor in Linden Porco, who admirably filled those blood-stained, buckled shoes. And what would a legacy sequel be without a returning character? Jennifer Aniston obviously did not reprise her final girl role of Tory Redding. So, the film did the next best thing and fetched another of Lubdan’s past victims: Ozzie, the likable oaf played by Mark Holton. Returns also created an extension of Tory’s character by giving her a teenage daughter, Lila (Taylor Spreitler).
It has been twenty-five years since the events of the ‘93 film. The incident is unknown to all but its survivors. Interested in her late mother’s history there in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota, Lila transferred to the local university and pledged a sorority — really the only one on campus — whose few members now reside in Tory Redding’s old home. The farmhouse-turned-sorority-house is still a work in progress; Lila’s fellow Alpha Epsilon sisters were in the midst of renovating the place when a ghost of the past found its way into the present.
The Psycho Goreman and The Void director’s penchant for visceral special effects is noted early on as the Leprechaun tears not only into the modern age, but also through poor Ozzie’s abdomen. The portal from 1993 to 2018 is soaked with blood and guts as the Leprechaun forces his way into the story. Davis’ iconic depiction of the wee antagonist is missed, however, Linden Porco is not simply keeping the seat warm in case his predecessor ever resumes the part. His enthusiastic performance is accentuated by a rotten-looking mug that adds to his innate menace.
The obligatory fodder is mostly young this time around. Apart from one luckless postman and Ozzie — the premature passing of the latter character removed the chance of caring about anyone in the film — the Leprechaun’s potential prey are all college aged. Lila is this story’s token trauma kid with caregiver baggage; her mother thought “monsters were always trying to get her.” Lila’s habit of mentioning Tory’s mental health problem does not make a good first impression with the resident mean girl and apparent alcoholic of the sorority, Meredith (Emily Reid). Then there are the nicer but no less cursorily written of the Alpha Epsilon gals: eco-conscious and ex-obsessive Katie (Pepi Sonuga), and uptight overachiever Rose (Sai Bennett). Rounding out the main cast are a pair of destined-to-die bros (Oliver Llewellyn Jenkins, Ben McGregor). Lila and her peers range from disposable to plain irritating, so rooting for any one of them is next to impossible. Even so, their overstated personalities make their inevitable fates more satisfying.
Where Returns excels is its death sequences. Unlike Jones’ film, this one is not afraid of killing off members of the main cast. Lila, admittedly, wears too much plot armor, yet with her mother’s spirit looming over her and the whole story — comedian Heather McDonald put her bang-on Aniston impersonation to good use as well as provided a surprisingly emotional moment in the film — her immunity can be overlooked. Still, the other characters’ brutal demises make up for Lila’s imperviousness. The Leprechaun’s killer set-pieces also happen to demonstrate the time period, seeing as he uses solar panels and a drone in several supporting characters’ executions. A premortem selfie and the antagonist’s snarky mention of global warming additionally add to this film’s particular timestamp.
Critics were quick to say Leprechaun Returns did not break new ground. Sure, there is no one jetting off to space, or the wacky notion of Lubdan becoming a record producer. This reset, however, is still quite charming and entertaining despite its lack of risk-taking. And with yet another reboot in the works, who knows where the most wicked Leprechaun ever to exist will end up next.
Horror contemplates in great detail how young people handle inordinate situations and all of life’s unexpected challenges. While the genre forces characters of every age to face their fears, it is especially interested in how youths might fare in life-or-death scenarios.
The column Young Blood is dedicated to horror stories for and about teenagers, as well as other young folks on the brink of terror.
You must be logged in to post a comment.