The Resident Evil 2 remake gave the mayor's daughter Katherine Warren an actual character. The original Resident Evil game began development as a remake of Capcom's survival horror title Sweet Home, where players guided a documentary team around a haunted house. The concept was eventually reworked, with the new story following a special forces team fighting zombies and other monsters in an abandoned mansion. The core mechanics were taken from Sweet Home, however, including puzzles, item management and the story unfolding through diary pages.
Resident Evil became a huge, unexpected smash hit for Capcom, leading quickly to a green light for Resident Evil 2. Development on the sequel would prove troubled, as one version was scrapped by the producer for not being scary. The reworked Resident Evil 2 is considered to be the peak of the franchise, and one of the best survival horror games of all time. The series has evolved in unique ways since then, spawning movies, animes, comics, and other merchandise. The games have moved from horror to action and back again.
Recent entries like Resident Evil VII: Biohazard and the Resident Evil 2 remake have been acclaimed for embracing the horror roots of the series. The remake updated the 1998 original for a modern audience, adding new takes on classic characters, locations, and enemies like Mr. X. The game also gave the mayor's daughter Katherine Warren a character - including giving her an actual name.
In the original Resident Evil 2, the mayor's daughter is found dead on the desk of police chief Irons. He explains he was supposed to protect her but failed. It later becomes clear he murdered her and intends to turn her body into a trophy. She isn't given a name, though a Japanese manga tie-in called her Amy Chan and revealed Irons killed her with a pike in his taxidermy room.
The Resident Evil 2 remake names her Katherine Warren, though sadly her fate isn't much different during the main story, with players finding her body and Irons planning to make her a trophy. It's also revealed she's in a relationship with reporter Ben Bertolucci. The Ghost Survivor's DLC provides an alternate ending for deceased characters from the game, including Robert Kendo and Katherine Warren.
Katherine's "Runaway" scenario in Resident Evil 2 reveals she killed Irons in self-defense and takes it into her own hands to save Ben in the police station. She grabs a revolver and players guide her through a gauntlet of Raccoon City's horrors before she frees Ben and they escape together. Granted, she doesn't get much in the way of development in this short scenario, but "Runaway" at least gives Katherine - who was known only as the mayor's daughter previously - some dimension. It also gives her a happy ending, even though it's a decidedly non-canon one.