Animated Resident Evil 2 in the works (fan project!)

I came across this trailer that is about a year old now, and what can I say? The animations and the visuals are pretty darn good, and it has that charming jank I love about machinimas of the past. Like many of the more intriguing Resident Evil fan projects out in the wild, the creator Atlier is making sure the atmosphere of the old PS1 & PS2 games is maintained in his vision of Resident Evil 2. What is also interesting here (going by the trailer) is that there are scenes from at least two other games in it: Resident Evil 3 and Resident Evil: Outbreak. Both of which take place during the chaos of Raccoon City. I’m curious how he will incorporate these two games (if that is the plan) into one full length movie. Ambitious, but cool!

The video is a year old now, thus, it’s fair to think the animated film is dead in the water. However, it’s not his latest video – that’s only 6 months old. So, I got faith in it, and I’m hoping it will be as good as the trailer indicates. Check it out after the jump!

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First-Person Resident Evil 2 demo

Here is something unusual. A first-person demo of Resident Evil 2 (1998 version), which retains almost everything from the original third-person experience – from atmosphere to gameplay. It’s fascinating to see the game from this viewpoint, without it having been updated to make it feel and look like a modern title. Now, this demo is not new. Yet, it’s a first for me, and it left an impression. Meaning: I had to share. I have not downloaded and tried it for myself, as the video down below is enough for me. However, I’m always amazed what hobbyists mod and game-makers create out there in the world for us to enjoy! Take a look for yourself. The YouTuber HeyDudeitsMosh provides the video. If you want to try it yourself, you can find the creator Perro Autonomo over at itch.io with links.

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Stop Killing Games – Video Games Europe response

As many of you might have noticed, the Stop Killing Games movement created by Ross Scott has reached over 1 million signatures, forcing the European Commission to take a look at the issue. The movement is altogether good, despite what certain questionable YouTube e-celebs say about it. Essentially, it’s a big consumer movement, trying to make sure we get to keep playing the games we buy, without dystopian publisher interference. Like removing access to our purchases. However, that is not my main concern with this post…

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Resident Evil: The Umbrella Conspiracy by S.D. Perry [Book Review, book 1]

As many of you know, the Resident Evil canon, and its lore is a tangled mess of epic proportions. Especially since every baseline game is getting a remake nowadays, which obfuscates the established canon even further. The book by S.D. Perry, which is essentially a retelling of the first game, is way out of date for the current timeline, since it was written all the way back in 1998. However, as I see it, it’s one of its strengths too. It builds upon the first Resident Evil title, way before the mess that exists now. That to me, makes it more pure in a way.

What is also interesting is that S.D. Perry didn’t just write this book. She wrote a novelization for all six of the initial games, with two titles that expand on the lore as original stories. So, while most of the books follow the games, there is also a lot of additional content here. Stories that I can best describe as an alternative timeline in the Resident Evil universe, which I definitely get a kick out of. It should be noted that these novels also provide a self-contained narrative that doesn’t require players to juggle multiple versions of the same events.

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The Blood of Dawnwalker – (strange) Gameplay Overview video

Boy, this is a weird one! While the game looks somewhat interesting thanks to the setting (medieval Europe setting with vampires) and it being an RPG – The Blood of Dawnwalker feels extremely derivative of the games The Witcher 2 & 3. I don’t mean tiny bits of general gameplay here. Everything feels and looks like it has been copied directly from those titles. The UI, the map, and icons, the investigation mechanics, the floaty death-of-thousand-cuts combat, Hex magic and then the visuals itself. What the hell is going on here? I have never seen a presentation like this before, where every segment of a game being showcased reminds me exactly of an older title.

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