Shocking the World Once More with Horror Resident Evil 2

Shocking the World
Once More with Horror
Resident Evil 2

Tsuyoshi Kanda

Resident Evil 2 Producer

Joined Capcom in 2002. After being involved in domestic marketing and overseas-related business, was assigned to Capcom U.S.A. Returned to Japan in 2015 and became a producer. Worked as a producer on Resident Evil 7 biohazard and Resident Evil 2.

Capcom’s Flagship Series Boasting Cumulative Sales of 83 Million Units

Resident Evil is a popular series that pioneered the survival horror genre. Players utilize a variety of weapons and items to escape from terrifying situations. Since the first title was released in 1996, the game has garnered passionate supported throughout the world, with the series selling a cumulative 83 million units. It has also gained popularity as a series of Hollywood movies and as an attraction at Universal Studios Japan, enjoying strong brand recognition even among those who do not play video games.

Number of titles:123, Cumulative series sales of 83 million units

Expressing a Photorealistic World of Horror with the Latest Technologies

The original Resident Evil 2, which went on sale in 1998, recorded the fourth highest cumulative sales in the series with 4.96 million units, firmly establishing the popularity of "RE."

The new Resident Evil 2 revives the appeal of this title by recreating it from the ground up using Capcom’s cutting-edge development technologies. The classic zombie horror that plunged users into the depths of terror has been reimagined using Capcom’s RE ENGINE to depict a photorealistic Raccoon City, where the tragedy unfolds.


  • The zombie-ridden police station

  • Zombies attack the protagonist, Leon

  • A herd of zombies approaches

Nostalgic and New, the Legendary "RE 2" is Reborn

"The zombies are horrifying!"

"It looks so real, it’s terrifying… But I can’t stop playing!"

These were just some of the player reactions at E3, one of the world’s largest game expos, held annually in the United States. When Resident Evil 2 (hereinafter, RE 2) was announced at the conference venue, the audience erupted with cheers. Lines formed at the Capcom booth, where attendees waited to play a demo version of the game. Fans who experienced this new horror cried out, "This is the Resident Evil I have been waiting for!"

The reaction was even more positive than we expected, energizing and motivating the development team.

The original Resident Evil 2, released in 1998, is often called a masterpiece even today, 20 years on. It is no easy task to take that original title, and recreate it using current technology in a way that will satisfy both new and long-time game players.

However, it is because this was such a big challenge that our development team was all the more motivated to take it on. We launched into development of RE 2 with our minds set on satisfying the players’ expectations, and utilizing the best tools at our disposal to recreate the game anew.

Actually, around that time, many of us were working on Resident Evil 7 biohazard (hereinafter "7"). Survival horror game fans have more than one need. 7 attempted to provide the ultimate horror experience with an overwhelming sense of immersion using VR. RE 2 aims for horror and entertainment, a game that is both scary and exciting. Each pursues a different way to enjoy the game. I think the diversity of this series, while always centered on horror, is very appealing.


  • Raccoon City, the game’s terrifying setting

  • Horror lurks in the darkness

Sight and Sound: Depicting Horror by Appealing to the Senses with Overwhelming Realism

With this title, it was important to respect the original while making the newly rebuilt RE 2 enjoyable. To this end, in addition to the story, game system and visuals, we focused on the audio.

In terms of the story, we followed the original while creating an even stronger sense of drama. For the game system, to maximize the fear of being eaten by zombies, we employed an over-the-shoulder third-person perspective, enabling the user to see both the character they are playing and the attacking zombie.

For the visuals, we used our proprietary RE ENGINE to create a photorealistic world of horror that could be mistaken for live action.

In terms of audio, we used Capcom’s dynamic mixing stage, a newly built 3D audio booth in our R&D building with 7.1.4 channel Dolby Atmos.

This enables changes in sound in real time using binaural technology, enabling realistic audio that makes players feel as if they are actually there. Zombie moans can be heard to the right and left, in front and behind, affecting not only the sense of sight but of sound to make users experience a greater feeling of horror.

Going forward, we will leverage the marketing expertise we’ve accumulated thus far to promote the game in major regions ahead of launch, primarily at major events, in areas such as North America, Europe, Japan and Asia, as well as in the rapidly growing South American market. I hope everyone is looking forward to the rebirth of RE 2, which is both nostalgic and new.


  • Booth at E3 recreating the world of Resident Evil

  • Newly built dynamic mixing stage

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