Resident Evil Was Originally Going To Be A Comedy Game
25 years after Resident Evil released, the franchise creator is looking back and has confirmed there were once ideas to make the horror game a comedy.
06th Jan 2022 15:43
Dimension Films | Capcom
Resident Evil Was Originally Going To Be A Comedy Game
25 years after Resident Evil released, the franchise creator is looking back and has confirmed there were once ideas to make the horror game a comedy.
06th Jan 2022 15:43
Dimension Films | Capcom
Despite punching boulders, Lady Dimitrescu's wicked laugh, and anything to do with Ramon Salazar, we'd like to clarify that Capcom's Resident Evil franchise isn't a comedy series. The thing is, it almost was.
2021 was a massive year for the Resiverse, as the original Resident Evil celebrated 25 years in our lives. If that wasn't enough, we had the runaway success of Resident Evil Village becoming one of the year's best-selling games. Now, the man behind the madness is looking back at the humble roots of Resident Evil... or should we say Biohazard?
How Was Resident Evil Almost A Comedy?
Speaking to GamesRadar, Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami explained how there was once a plan to ditch the horror elements when you'd played for a certain amount of time. "In the planning stage, I had come up with an idea for a method where the game could switch to being a comedy after the third week of gameplay," said Mikami.
Although Resident Evil was definitely a straight-up horror, the idea to flip to a comedy and integrate a countdown is a clever one. Ultimately though, Mikami decided it wasn't meant to be. "I ended up discarding the idea when it became apparent that it would take an unreasonable amount of time to implement," he continued.
Looking back, the franchise creator admits the genre merge came with plenty of possibilities: "I personally felt that the horror and comedy genres had many things in common and were very closely linked. I think if I'd had a chance to experiment more, the results could have been really entertaining."
Is Resident Evil A Comedy?
It's interesting that Mikami continued to work as a producer on the series, directed the 2001 REmake, and eventually parted ways following the critically acclaimed Resident Evil 4. Adult games like South Park: The Fractured but Whole and Conker's Bad Fur Day have been adult comedies, but they've largely relied on toilet humour.
Even if the first game can't be classed as a comedy, there's plenty of comedy (intentional or not) to be found to this day. Away from cheesy one-liners, there's Albert Wesker's Code Veronica laugh, the ludicrous Steve Burnside. The words "Tofu Survivor" will likely conjure up a chuckle, and also, who could forget the "Jill sandwich" from the original game's translation? Speaking of which, that forgotten live-action opening to the OG was pretty much a lesson in hilarious acting.
Looking at Village characters like Donna Beneviento and Angie the Doll are definitely NOT comedy characters, however, the oddly charming Karl Heisenberg could be one. Even Lady Dimitrescu herself is something of a parody, and when she's not stalking you around the corridors of her castle, she's a campy Cruella de Vil-type villain.
Although you can find comedy in Resident Evil, the general consensus is that things are back on track since 2017's Resident Evil 7 returned to the confines of a decaying locale instead of the big-budget stunts of something like Resident Evil 6. If Mikami ever wants to return to the Resiverse, it might be a fun idea to see him remake the first entry as a full-blown comedy.
About The Author
Tom Chapman
Tom is Trending News Editor at GGRecon, with an NCTJ qualification in Broadcast Journalism and over seven years of experience writing about film, gaming, and television. With bylines at IGN, Digital Spy, Den of Geek, and more, Tom’s love of horror means he's well-versed in all things Resident Evil, with aspirations to be the next Chris Redfield.
