It has recently been revealed that the new VR version of Resident Evil 4 removed some inappropriate content from the original title revolving around the character of Ashley Graham. Resident Evil 4 VR launches October 21 and seems to remain largely unchanged from a gameplay perspective when compared to the 2005 original.
Whenever classic video games are remade for modern audiences, some changes are inevitable to make a title work better with modern technology. The Resident Evil franchise features a prime example of this that achieved massive success with the release of the Resident Evil 2 remake back in 2019. While the VR version of Resident Evil 4 may not be as thorough of a remake as that, it still has been altered to not only fit the VR hardware but also to remove some relatively minor yet still inappropriate story points from the title
UploadVR confirmed after playing through this new version of Resident Evil 4 that several lines of dialogue, as well as some animations revolving around the character of Ashley Graham, were indeed removed from the game. These changes were not publicized prior to the title's launch and were only discovered after in players' possessions. A notable example of these changes is the cut moment where the camera focuses on a specific part of Ashley's body after another character comments on her appearance. Many similar instances were removed throughout the title and a Facebook spokesperson addressed these changes in a statement.
“Oculus Studios, Armature, and CAPCOM partnered closely to remaster Resident Evil 4 from the ground up for VR. This includes immersive environments and high-resolution graphics. It also includes select changes to in-game dialogue and animations that we believe will update Resident Evil 4 for a modern audience.”
Unlike Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3, the fourth installment has yet to receive a true remake in the way the former two titles have. Currently Resident Evil 4 VR is for Oculus Quest 2 only with no indications of a version coming for current-gen consoles. If a true remake of Resident Evil 4 is in the works, it is unclear if the minor changes made in the VR version will carry over.
For any player that is unhappy with these changes, there are still plenty of Resident Evil 4 versions that exist where they are not implemented. Their removal, however, was necessary for most instances and demonstrates how little they contributed to the overall structure of the game. The strangest part about these changes comes more from the indirect language Facebook uses to address them by implying it was more the player base's doing than its own judgment. Regardless, players who boot up Resident Evil 4 on Occulus Quest for a nostalgia trip will have a different experience than their original playthrough.
Resident Evil 4 will launch on Oculus Quest 2 on October 21, 2021.
Source: UploadVR