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Resident Evil Wiki
Summary
Plot
Gameplay
Development
Marketing
Reception
Credits
Gallery
Translation errors
Further notes
BIOHAZARD REVELATIONS 2 Concept Guide - game concept art 1

Early concept art of crucified Afflicted.

BIOHAZARD REVELATIONS 2 Concept Guide - game concept art 2

The Island was a later concept.

BIOHAZARD REVELATIONS 2 Concept Guide - game concept art 3

Landfill and a railway bridge.

Work on Resident Evil: Revelations 2 began soon after the release of Resident Evil: Revelations. Produced by Michiteru Okabe and Masachika Kawata, it was envisioned as a cheaper title that would cater to the more classical game style older fans would appreciate, while the big-budget titles would continue to focus on keeping a wider audience.[1][2] The name itself was decided some time after production began, and the pitch concept art had already been presented.[3][excerpt 1] Inspired by Telltale Games' The Walking Dead, Okabe had the project developed not only as an episodic story but one that would be released in parts weekly like a real TV show to drive audience interest.[4] This would also drive sales in Okabe's mind, as non-traditional games may be tempted to test out the game by buying only part of it.[5]

Programming[]


Gameplay[]

Though it was technically possible, the developers chose not to allow online co-operative gameplay for the story mode, though did allow it as an offline-only mechanic.[6] Raid Mode, however, was allowed to have online co-op.[5] Respecting that the franchise had a diverse following, Director Yashuhiro Ampo wanted this to be reflected in the difficulty settings, with the "Casual" setting intended for fans of horror experiencing the game for its plot and "Survival" for those who preferred gameplay.[7] When the idea of an episodic story with two parts was developed, game designer Kazunori Kadoi's team decided that the events of Barry's story be shaped by the player's progress as Claire.[8] Consequently, the final battle in Episode 4 changes radically based on whether or not the player had Moira grab a gun in Episode 3.

In terms of bonus content, "The Struggle" was conceived of early in development as a mode where the player, as Moira Burton, would be forced to fend off waves of enemies.[8] Though the idea of a Natalia Korda story was around, it was much later in development that the idea of "Little Miss" as a stealth mission was developed.[8]

Writing[]

Under the proposal by Okabe, the story mode was to be written in the framework of a TV show-style narrative like Revelations. The writing team was co-led by Hiroshi Yamashita and StoryRiders' Dai Satō, a professional TV writer who had worked on Revelations. Under the two were Tomoyuki Hosokawa and Yasuhiro Seto. A story outline for the four episodes was devised early in development, and was expanded on over time as the design department came up with more ideas.[9] Okabe wanted an episodic TV show-styled story that would encourage downloads, so the end of each character's part was to stop at a cliffhanger.[9] Ampo also voiced concerns about the size of the cast, as he disliked Revelations having multiple groups of playable characters with their own subplots. The central cast was therefore capped at five: Claire and Moira, Barry and Natalia, and Alex.[7]

The writing team wanted to express the cast on a more personal level than other Resident Evil titles, and scripted in-game dialogue between partner characters to explore these elements, such as Moira and Barry's relationship.[9] The cast was, at least in some cases, proposed by the writing team themselves. Satō, himself a fan of the franchise, proposed to Okabe the inclusion of Claire and Barry, incorporating Moira due to her being an already established but unused character tied to him.[5]

Like with Revelations, literary references were heavily used as a plot device. Whereas that game relied on Dante Alighieri, Revelations 2 focused on the writer Franz Kafka, known for his surreal writings. Satō enjoyed Alex's understanding of Albert Wesker through "The Transformation".[9] Aside from Kafka, the running theme was on confronting and overcoming fear.[9] Later in production, it was decided the player would decide whether or not Moira overcame her fear in order to affect the game's ending. The writers had some difficulty finding the exact part of the story where the two timelines diverge.[9]

A number of ideas were proposed by the writing team but ultimately scrapped during re-writes. Among them was a flashback sequence exploring Neil's working relationship and trust with Claire when she was a rookie.[9]

Design[]

Character[]

The character of Gina Foley was cut short during late development of the game. It was initially planned she would accompany the survivors akin to Gabe and mutate from her t-Phobos infection to serve as a boss. The battle was scrapped after her monster form's completion, and she was instead relegated to being killed off soon after introduction.[8]

Another character that saw a noticeable transition was Natalia, who at one point was to be able to use more powers in-game, such as firing lasers from her fingers.[8]

Creature[]

Environments[]

Based on the BIOHAZARD REVELATIONS 2 Concept Guide, Sein Island didn't come into existence until after the game was greenlit, with art instead showing a large city populated by older, large buildings against a river. The Afflicted appeared in one artwork, hung to trees in a Forrest. In a third picture, a landfill was seen near a railway bridge, with the giant statue of an unidentified dictator dominating the skyline.[excerpt 2]

Cutscenes[]

Yūdai Yamaguchi, a director and writer known for his mix of horror and "goofy gore" with manga-based inspiration, was brought on to the Revelations 2 team as cutscene director.

Sources[]

  1. Excerpt from BIOHAZARD REVELATIONS 2 Concept Guide, p.51.: "本作のステージや設定を作り込み、 チーム内で共有する際に使われたイメージアートです。 この場所で暮らしていた人々の生活や、 過去に起こった出来事が垣間見える程、 細部まで描きこまれたイラストとなります。 リベレーションズ2としてチームが正式に動き出す前の段時でのイラストなので、 設定に違いがある個所もありますが、 本作の様々な設定の基盤となった資料です。"
  2. Excerpt from BIOHAZARD REVELATIONS 2 Concept Art, p.51:
    "アフリクテッドは死体を吊るしたり、 磔にしたり、 という初期案がありました。 搭から見た夜景です。 まだ舞台が”孤独” ではなかった頃の物です。 遠くに見える大掛かりなレール。 実験の末に大量の物が捨てられる廃棄場。"
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