In 1996, Capcom changed the face of horror game with the original Resident Evil, and six years later, it decided to revamp that classic game in the form of the Resident Evil remake. The Resident Evil remake was then given a new lease on life with Resident Evil HD Remaster, which modernizes the 2002 Resident Evil remake to make the game more appealing to present-day gaming audiences.
Resident Evil HD Remaster sharpens the graphics of the 2002 game, though the game was already quite impressive from a visual standpoint. But beyond just improving the visuals, Resident Evil HD Remaster takes things a step further, providing players with an optional new control scheme that does away with the tank controls that were divisive in the original release. This one change makes the Resident Evil HD Remaster vastly more appealing to many players.
While players were able to make their way through the Spencer Estate easier than ever before, Resident Evil HD Remaster was still packed with scares. The Crimson Head zombies forced players to burn the bodies of the undead, and Capcom even tweaked the zombie dog jump scare from the beginning of the game to startle veteran players. However, the scariest aspect of the Resident Evil HD Remaster is easily Lisa Trevor.
Lisa Trevor, for the uninitiated, has one of the most tragic backstories in the entire Resident Evil franchise. She was a young girl who was brutally tortured and experimented on by the Umbrella Corporation, turning her into a horrific, near-invulnerable monster. Encountering Lisa Trevor in Resident Evil HD Remaster is a heart-stopping experience, and she stands as one of the most memorable Resident Evil monsters of all time as a result.
Seeing Lisa Trevor in HD makes Resident Evil HD Remaster worth it for horror enthusiasts, but there are plenty of other terrifying sights to be had in the game. It also features a lot of content, with players able to go through as both Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield, and unlock plenty of hidden items and secrets along the way.
The Resident Evil HD Remaster from Capcom was a massive sales success, and undoubtedly factored into Capcom's decision to port as many Resident Evil games to newer systems as possible. Nearly the entire Resident Evil main series is now playable on PS4 and Xbox One, with Capcom porting Resident Evil 4, 5, and 6, and giving a similar HD remaster treatment to the once-GameCube exclusive Resident Evil Zero. Fans are still holding out for Code: Veronica, but one has to imagine that the game will get the HD upgrade treatment sooner rather than later.
Resident Evil HD Remaster is out now for PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
