Early video of Resident Evil 4; we barely knew ye
by Christopher Grant 
{ Feb 6th 2006 at 4:15PM }
Check out this incredible video of early footage from Resident Evil 4, before they reinvented the series! What is on display here confirms the incredible change the series undertook with the latest version. While the environments are fully 3-dimensional, the puzzle look the same, and the camera is still (mostly) static.
Watching the player run from "shot" to "shot" hoping for a decent angle to shoot from not only re-awoke the frustrations of playing earlier games, but highlighted the elegance of the over-the-shoulder approach. In the screen above, you can see they experimented with this approach early, and rightfully reimagined their entire game around it. Resident Evil 4's button-based minigames are here, as well as the title's gorgeous graphics, but the environment and enemies are all different.
Good job, Capcom! Instead of releasing the same old game with a fresh coat of paint, you trashed most of what you had, thereby reinventing a stale franchise and reinvigorating a stagnant genre, and you were rewarded for it!
[Thanks, Timpac]
Keep reading for the video.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Rare Hare @ Feb 6th 2006 4:32PM
wow.. very different. i have to say that i'm certainly glad that they chose the path they did for the story, but i think this early version would have better appeased diehard RE fans.
Back_Lit @ Feb 6th 2006 4:33PM
Wow...that is simply amazing. The level of detail is incredible, I mean look at the way Leon's jacket wrinkles with movement and how he walks. Also, notice how movement and flashlight direct are independent, which to me says that you move with the right analogue and change the flashlight direction via the C-stick. The game looks pretty cool but the movement is very outdated. The only reason I almost prefer this build of the game is that its scarier than the RE4 I know and love.
snarfoogle @ Feb 6th 2006 4:33PM
Old. And I'd rather have this version if they could just make the controls a little better.
fawazr @ Feb 6th 2006 4:35PM
They should've kept that static effect and the swinging drapery on Leon's jacket. The flashlight movement is a bit annoying in the early version, but the clip-on flashlight in the final is way too understated. More secondary movement all around would have been more appreciated too. Oh yeah, and the inclusion of melee moves was terrific in RE4. The series should place more emphasis on melee moves from now on. Isn't HUNK's neckbreaker move the shit?
RageOverdose @ Feb 6th 2006 4:41PM
snarfoogle:
Then you would have the current RE4...
Unless you mean the world he is in now. I wanted to fight that dude, even though he was annoying just watching.
Also, this isn't a news update. They are basically reminiscing(spelling?) on what RE4 was going to be, and how it changed over time. I do that with childhood, but them I'm only 15.
Before anyone else bellyaches, Joystiq is a blog-site about gaming in general. It doesn't have to be PS4 or Nintendo GameDodecahedron or even news for that matter. Jeez.
C. Grant @ Feb 6th 2006 5:03PM
Thanks, RageOverdose. You may be 15, but you get it. We're a gaming blog, not a gaming news site. If you've seen the post before, read the next one.
benhc911 @ Feb 6th 2006 5:04PM
I feel that the camera angles give this older version a more cinematic feel, but ruin a level of the immersion. From what little you can see in this version, I'd have to say i prefer, by a decent degree the newer version. I never did enjoy the difficulties associated with aiming in the older version, and prefer the ability to pull of headshots.
2kings @ Feb 6th 2006 5:07PM
sweeet video
seems more traditional to the RE series
Platypus @ Feb 6th 2006 5:07PM
From what I saw in this video, this version looks a bit creepier. However, it doesn't look to play as well as the RE4 we have now, which is one of my favorite games of all time. I think the change was for the good.
And yes, #2, Hunk's neckbreaker is awesome.
P.S. what's with the demonic dolls?
synergy @ Feb 6th 2006 5:41PM
how the heck do i get these videos to play? i'm using opera with latest flash player. i press play and nothing happens -_-
Belgand @ Feb 6th 2006 5:53PM
This actually looks pretty cool. They seem to have gone back to the haunted house style of the first game. Admittedly the static angles are a problem, but these don't seem quite as bad as many of the others in the series. I think that if they implemented most of the other changes from the final version of RE4 (e.g. decent supply of ammo and health, no ribbons, no item boxes) and made readying a weapon put you into the over-the-shoulder aiming position then the static camera and everything else would work. Not for an action game like RE4, but for an adventure-horror game more like the others in the series (fun, but combat was terrible).
bob @ Feb 6th 2006 6:23PM
I remember seeing the video of the little dolls, and I was dissapointed when they weren't in the game. I wish they had kept some of those little scares, however... like the deer head on the wall. But that almost seemed excessive. So much that you know in every room to expect something to pop out... it looked too much like eternal darkness. And the camera view switching (3rd person/ aiming) would have gotten very annoying.
I would hope that RE5 would take place in a haunted house like this... but it doesn't seem like it from the trailer.
AND TO THE JOYSTIQ EDITORS: Since at least one person flips out when you post an article that isn't "news," I think you should should rub it in their faces. For example, make an article entitled, "Sega to become third-party?" or "Commodore 64 sales on the increase" (maybe not that far back but you get the idea)
Maybe for April Fool's...
C. Grant @ Feb 6th 2006 6:50PM
I like the way you think Bob!
Also, did you guys hear about Sony making an add-on for the Super Nintendo?! Should be pretty cool.
April Fool's jokes are SO OLD though! I saw one last year... maybe even the year before that!
Goober @ Feb 6th 2006 7:18PM
This is like what they did to RE2 as well, anyone remember THAT one? Harder to find info, but it's out there and pretty substantial. That game also got a complete overhaul from the early depictions.
I love seeing games evolve over time like this, anyways, and I'm very glad they went in the new direction as far as gameplay goes. Content wise I'm sure I'd be happy either way, but I assume once they figured out new control schemes, they couldn't not throw hordes of "zombies" at us all at once, with the new ease of use and aiming. Those old camera angles already made me sick in that video. Good job on the change Capcom.
thisisjimmy @ Feb 6th 2006 8:01PM
wow, as much as i love the current version of RE4 the build shown in this video blows it away, i have seen related footage before from this lost early version but never game footage like this--great find. And the graphics, they look more next gen than anything currently out on the 360, and to think that might have been running on a gamecube.
Nolan D. @ Feb 6th 2006 8:02PM
I like the enviroment of this level better than the ones in the final RE4, cause they're creepier and draker. The only thing to me in RE4 that is creepy is the cult leader in the robe. The zombie-ish people look like people and don't seem so edgy too me.
bd @ Feb 6th 2006 8:15PM
This game looks much better (or at least scarier) than the released version of RE4. They should have released this, but with the control updates.
Navstar @ Feb 6th 2006 9:39PM
Can you please link to a downloadable Quicktime? This embedded Flash junk is impossible to save.
vakerorokero @ Feb 6th 2006 9:56PM
I wish they did the same for Megaman & Street Fighter. They sure are Big Franchises...
PayTheMan @ Feb 6th 2006 10:11PM
although this version has some cool elements in it, i was already annoyed by the control scheme. it's basically RE1 with RE4 graphics, which is why im glad capcom made the final version what it is today.
ndreamer @ Feb 7th 2006 12:23AM
re4 was the first resident evil game i actualy finished the rest just got a bit boring after a few hours in.
they should have of made resident evil 4 a spin of series. it's going to be a bit werid going from the new game play seen in 4 then back to resident evil 5 which is going back to being more like resident evil 1.
Zero_ @ Feb 7th 2006 12:41AM
These games seems to be more of a 'fright and boo!' horror game, as opposed to the action final release. I'm glad they changed it, but I like that haunted house style of atmosphere. That's cool, way better than the castle.
zorniki @ Feb 7th 2006 2:32AM
Certainly old! But still, it was an impressive insight into the powerful graphics engine they built up from sratch to really be able to scare the crap out of anybody. I mean the lighting still stuns me!
Stoof @ Feb 7th 2006 5:52AM
This rendition would have better suited the scariness of the game. I loved the hue when there was something attacking you because of the bleakness that set in. Also, that ghost that could skip several steps and slice you...wow...a definite eye-popper and underwear-stainer.
Kalps @ Feb 7th 2006 7:26AM
That footage was brilliant!! Would have loved to have fought the chained night-stalker dude. It was ever so spooky!!
- Kalps
Jim @ Feb 7th 2006 1:55PM
I like the video, has been available from gametrailers.com for many months...
sdwells @ Feb 7th 2006 2:18PM
i must agree, chained night stalker that skipped steps was freaky, would love to see that kind of uncertain terror in future RE'lls
Ravuya @ Feb 9th 2006 11:41AM
The lighting and "ghost" shader effects were awesome. The only time I saw this sort of shader effect in the release version of RE4 were the water effects: it was much more subtle in other places (like the fire room).
I still prefer the release version, though. I wouldn't have finished this, just like I never finished RE0, RE1, RE2, RE3 and RE:CV.
Chrismzmz @ Mar 8th 2006 10:23PM
Wow, very cool info and feedback about the game, I likes!!