Shinji Mikami praises the Resident Evil 4 remake because it took 'the halfassed scenario I just wrote in 2 weeks and fleshed it out'

Shinji Mikami was the original mastermind of Resident Evil. He played a significant role in creating Resident Evil 4’s original story. I never thought a remake would be able to beat the original Resi 4. However, I was quickly humbled when I played the version we got last year. It seems that Mikami holds a similar view about the later iterations.

Mikami told IGN that he thought the Resident Evil 4 remake was well-made. "Another aspect I thought was well done was how they took my half-assed scenario, which I wrote in just two weeks, and built it up and fleshed out the story.

Mikami's thoughts on remakes and Remasters were shared as part of the promotional work for Shadows of the Damned : Hella Remastered. This project doesn't seem to be a passion, as Mikami admits that "I personally have no interest in Remasters." He can still appreciate a good remaster.

Mikami says that the most important aspect of a successful remake is the understanding of the original work. "Capcom has done a few series where that's been the case." Looking at you, Resident Evil 4.

"They showed they really understood the characters, and their interactions. They showed that they understood the core of each character. They improved not only the scenario, but also the dialogue.

To call Resident Evil 4’s original story half-assed is sacrilege, which only Mikami can get away with. But I agree that the Resident Evil 4 Remake was impressive, especially because of how it made changes with such restraint. I played the remake seven different times and it became clearer that each change was deliberate, not just to make it stand out. One aspect of the remake that I liked was how it changed Salazar from a gimmick to a more unnerving horror villain. The bizarre Facetime calls where he bullied Leon were gone, and now every appearance is more sinister, while still maintaining some of his eccentricity.
Resident Evil 4 has broken record after record. It recently achieved over 7 million worldwide sales within a year from its release. Capcom attributed its success to the "continuous support of the passionate fanbase across the globe."