That was quick. The gameplay video that started doing the rounds this weekend as a leaked look at Resident Evil 4 HD on Xbox 360 is looking a lot less like a leak and a lot more like a home brewed makeover of the PC version.
The clip, posted to YouTube by a user called blaytron, shows Leon in crisp high definition with Xbox 360 button icons on screen, which is exactly what you would expect from Capcom’s announced Xbox Live Arcade release. But eagle eyed viewers were quick to point out that the Windows version of Resident Evil 4, released back in 2007, can produce much the same result. Game Informer, which ran the video on Saturday, added an update noting that readers had identified the footage as a mod of the existing PC release. That version supports Xbox 360 controllers, and it can be tweaked to display the matching button prompts, so the telltale on screen icons are no proof of an official build at all.
Why The PC Version Explains The Footage
Nobody has claimed the video is a deliberate hoax, and the uploader may never have meant it to be taken as Capcom’s work. Either way, it is a good reminder of how fast a few sharp looking minutes of footage can become a leak once a story starts spreading. Capcom itself has not commented on the clip, and there is still no official footage of the remastered game.
The PC version is a slightly odd candidate to stand in for an HD remaster. When it launched it drew complaints over its controls and the quality of some of its visuals, and fans have since spent years improving it with community made fixes and texture work. That effort is presumably what gives the video its polish. It also suggests that whatever Capcom ships may not look dramatically different from what a determined PC player can already achieve, although the real test will be the finished product.
Capcom’s Real HD Remasters Are Due This Fall
The genuine article is still on the way. Capcom confirmed on March 24 that Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil Code: Veronica X are coming to Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network with visuals upgraded for HD displays, and its announcement of the two downloadable remasters set them for a fall release. They are being sold as separate downloads in North America, while Japan is getting both games together on a single disc. There is no word on pricing yet, but Capcom has confirmed that Resident Evil 4 will support trophies and achievements and include its bonus content, Separate Ways among it.
Resident Evil 4 remains one of the most celebrated games Capcom has ever made, so it is no surprise that people are hungry for any glimpse of it running in HD. Code: Veronica X, meanwhile, will be making its first appearance on either current console after originating on the Dreamcast.
For now, if you want to see Resident Evil 4 in high definition, the PC version and a bit of patience with mods is apparently the way to do it. We will bring you official footage of the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions when Capcom is ready to show it.