Capcom cut an entire chapter from Resident Evil Requiem ahead of its release, as part of a “rigorous process of selection and elimination”.
Director Koshi Nakanishi recently spoke with Denfaminicogamer about a variety of topics, including Requiem’s upcoming combat-based minigame (which we all presume to be Merceneries). During the same interview, Nakanishi also mentioned that – much like Resident Evil 7, which he also took the lead on – Resident Evil: Requiem also had a chapter that never made it into the final game.
“I’ve mentioned in interviews and elsewhere that Resident Evil 7 originally had a ‘Chapter 2’ that was scrapped during development,” Nakanishi explained (as translated by DeepL). “It was the scene where you move from the outbuilding to the main house.” While he didn’t go into further detail, he did say that as the development team finalises a game, there is a “rigorous process” which can lead to content being changed or cut altogether. This could mean moving a scene to another part of the game, or adding a “different element” somewhere.
“Of course, we don’t suddenly cut things out in the final stages of development; we often make repeated revisions during the early, rough-cut stages. In that process, it’s quite common for entire chapters to disappear,” he said. Nakanishi likened the approach to “editing text or video”.
“You gather a lot of footage, lay it out, and while considering whether your intended message comes across and how the pacing and interest hold up, you cut out anything superfluous. It’s surprisingly often the case that the overall result is better without it. Subtraction really is crucial.”
The Requiem lead noted this could be “a shame for the people who created it”, and “they might get angry”, but if it results in a better game then “everyone comes round to it” at the end of the day. “Put another way, we have to take responsibility for that result.” As to what stays and what goes, it quite simply “comes down to whether the intended user experience is being delivered”.
“When I first became involved with Resident Evil, I was told, ‘Resident Evil must look challenging, yet even casual players who don’t usually play games at all must be able to understand it’,” he continued. “Even if the story looks complex, the atmosphere conveys it, and players get a sense of understanding. Conversely, the more the development team gets worried and tries to explain things by adding bits and pieces, the more confusing it tends to become, and players end up thinking it’s a hassle.
“It’s the same with gameplay; the more things you try to include, the more the game becomes obscure and unfriendly. Even if we’ve worked hard to create something, if we judge that ‘it would be easier to grasp without it’, we choose to cut it out.”
On its release earlier this year, we dubbed Resident Evil Requiem “legendary horror at an all-time high”, praising its dual leads Leon and newcomer Grace. It has been a huge success for Capcom, becoming the fastest-selling game in the series.
Earlier this week, Resident Evil 2 director Hideki Kamiya confirmed that Resi’s buff and suave jacket-owner Leon was actually named after Luc Besson’s 1994 film, Léon: The Professional.
