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Resident Evil 2 has been back on our radar recently thanks to some impressive fan projects. Today, though, it’s the professionals who’re shining the spotlight on the second installment of the series, as developer Capcom has officially announced that it’s remaking the survival horror classic.

Like the zombies that feature so prominently in the franchise, multiple titles in the Resident Evil family have risen again with new versions for more powerful hardware. The latest chapter to get this treatment is Resident Evil 2, which was first released for the PlayStation in 1998. Breaking the news was Resident Evil producer Yoshiaki “H” Hirabayashi, who appears in the English-subtitled announcement video.

While Hirabayashi doesn’t specify a release date or platform for the new Resident Evil 2, there’s still plenty for fans to be happy about. For starters, he tells viewers that development is going to proceed while taking into consideration feedback from gamers themselves. What’s more, it doesn’t look like Capcom is limiting its definition of “feedback” to reactions inside Japan, as throughout the video Hirabayashi refers to the game and series by its internationally used name, Resident Evil, instead of its domestic one, Biohazard.

There’s also the fact that Hirabayashi uses the term “remake” in talking about the Resident Evil 2 project, in contrast to the upcoming Resident Evil 0 “HD remaster” he also mentions. The difference in terminology seems to imply that the Resident Evil 2 remake is not just the old game with a new wardrobe of modern graphics, but that it will also include an update and streamlining of its nearly 20-year-old gameplay systems.

And then, of course, there’s Hirabayashi’s obvious enthusiasm for the remake.

Linguist’s note: The Japanese language doesn’t differentiate between “We do it,” “We’re doing it,” and “We’re going to do it.”

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Hirabayashi signs off by promising to keep fans updated as development continues, and given the special place Resident Evil 2 has in the hearts of so many, we’re sure plenty of people will be waiting.

Source: Jin
Images: YouTube/Resident Evil