The 2002 HD remaster of the original Resident Evil features a mod that effectively makes the character models seem like they did in 1996. Demakes of video games, in which fans transform modern games into retro-styled versions, have been popular for some time. There is the Nintendo 64 remake of Portal, for instance, and the modder who remade Elden Ring for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.
While the first Resident Evil game did not appear until the mid-1990s, the series has continued to this day and is widely credited for shaping the survival horror subgenre. Twenty years ago, on the Nintendo GameCube, a remaster was published that featured a major visual update of the original game. The remake holds up rather well despite the passage of time. However, this hasn’t prevented one person from making the game look like a throwback by combining its high-definition graphics with low-poly art styles.
DSO Gaming user beardsvcgaming has revealed to the world what the Resident Evil characters from 1996 might look like in the 2002 remake. Gameplay-wise, the HD remake is unchanged, but the visual disparity between the Spencer Mansion and its surroundings and the PS1-style forms of Jill, Barry, and the rest of the STARS team is noticeable.
It should also be stressed that the focus of this mod is not merely superficial. The designer has also changed the sound effects to the ones from the 1996 version, making for a smooth transition between the two eras.
The upcoming release of the Shadows of Rose DLC for Resident Evil Village proves that there is still much life remaining in the RE series. After the fifth and sixth games were released, the series had a bit of a slump, but with the release of Biohazard in 2017, the series returned to its roots, and things have been looking up for Capcom‘s flagship horror titles ever since.
