The Resident Evil 2 remake producer, Yoshiaki Hirabayashi, recently commented on the reasoning for Capcom’s development of the remake, and what it would take for Resident Evil 3 to follow suit. According to Hirabayashi, the Resident Evil 3 remake could happen if fans show demand for further remakes in the series, as Capcom only dedicated resources to develop the remake of Resident Evil 2 in response to fans’ persistent wishes for it.
In the interview with GameWatch, originally referenced by Gearnuke, Hirabayashi was asked if a Resident Evil 3 remake could be developed using the assets from Resident Evil 2‘s remake, given the similarities between the second and third games in the series. Only releasing a year apart, the two titles took place in the same city and used many of the same gameplay and content elements, so the Resident Evil 2 remake could have already done much of the groundwork for a remake of Resident Evil 3.
This could mean, given sufficient demand, that the development of a Resident Evil 3 remake would be quicker than the development of Resident Evil 2, which we’ve been waiting for since it was announced in 2015. Moreover, Capcom has previously said that the Resident Evil 2 remake inspired them to “explore” further remakes, similarly chocked full of new art and systems. Hopefully, Capcom is serious on these intentions, and the comments of Hirabayashi reinforce the sentiment behind them.
Rumors of a Resident Evil 3 remake have been commonplace since last December, following reputable leaks that the remake is already in development by Capcom. With this in mind, it seems Capcom could be laying the foundations for more expansive remakes of the series, likely dependent on the success of these two remakes. In any case, fans are already dedicated to finding all the hidden treasure, special weapons and unlocking the ‘best ending‘ in the Resident Evil 2 remake, so it seems like there’s plenty of demand for more remakes in the future.
