Barely ten days after Capcom confirmed that Resident Evil 4 is getting a high definition makeover for Xbox 360 and PS3, a video claiming to show the remastered game in action has turned up on YouTube. The clip was uploaded by a user going by blaytron and shows Leon Kennedy working his way through familiar territory with noticeably sharper visuals than the original release, complete with Xbox 360 button prompts on screen.
Game Informer was among the outlets to pick up the supposed leak of the HD gameplay on Saturday, and it was quick to add a note of caution. Nobody has established where the footage came from, and Capcom has not said a word about it. That matters, because Resident Evil 4 has been available on Windows since 2007, and that version can be run at high resolutions and played with an Xbox 360 controller. In other words, a convincing looking video does not by itself prove anyone has their hands on Capcom’s new build.
Capcom’s Announced Remasters Are Due This Fall
What Capcom has actually announced is fairly modest. On March 24 the publisher revealed that Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil Code: Veronica X would be released as downloadable titles on Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network, with visuals upgraded for HD televisions. These are remasters rather than ground up remakes, and in North America they will be sold separately as digital titles. Japan is getting a disc that packs the two games together. Capcom’s announcement of the HD Resident Evil titles pointed to a fall release, and no prices have been given so far.
For many fans, that news alone was enough. Resident Evil 4 first arrived on the GameCube in early 2005 and went on to appear on PS2, PC and Wii, picking up a reputation as one of the finest action games of the last console generation. Its over the shoulder camera and tense, improvised combat changed the direction of the series and influenced a wave of third person shooters. The Wii Edition added pointer aiming, but none of the existing console versions run in high definition, which is exactly the gap this release is meant to close.
Code: Veronica X is a slightly different case. The adventure starring Claire and Chris Redfield began life on the Dreamcast in 2000 before the expanded X edition appeared on PS2 and GameCube. It has never been on either current console, so the HD version will be a first look for a lot of younger players.
Real Remaster Or Dressed Up PC Footage
As for this video, it does look the part. Textures are crisp, the image is clean, and the controller prompts match what you would expect from an Xbox 360 release. Whether that is because Capcom’s remaster is already out in the wild or because someone has dressed up an existing version of the game is the question nobody can answer yet. Leaks of downloadable titles this far from release are not unheard of, but neither are fan made videos designed to look official.
Until the source is clearer, we would encourage some healthy skepticism before reading too much into it. If Capcom wants to clear things up, a proper trailer would do the job nicely.