Zach Cregger’s live-action Resident Evil movie is officially a massive commercial hit. The film debuted over a month ago and quickly surpassed $361 million globally at the box office. Now, this positive audience reception has inspired a highly ambitious fan project. An indie game developer, Julian Zamora, is actively transforming Cregger’s cinematic Resident Evil movie into a retro video game.
Zamora recently shared a gameplay teaser for the project, titled ‘Resident Evil: The Movie The Game’. The footage showcases the film’s protagonist, Bryan. Initially, Bryan sprints away from a terrifying infected dog. Subsequently, he attempts to take shelter inside a barn. Furthermore, the character pulls out a gun and fires it. However, achieving this combat sequence currently requires a developer pause of the active environment.
The teaser heavily leans into classic 90s survival horror aesthetics. Zamora perfectly captures the era by utilizing obvious PS1-style graphics. Additionally, the developer incorporated the iconic fixed camera angles that older fans deeply miss. Currently, Zamora is building the game in the Godot engine. Moving forward, the developer aims to implement the pre-rendered backgrounds found in the original Resident Evil titles.
Unsurprisingly, early community reactions are overwhelmingly positive. Fans heavily appreciate the faithful use of fixed camera angles. Capcom notably abandoned this feature in its recent franchise releases. Interestingly, Zamora is not the first fan to bring Cregger’s film into the gaming space. Previously, another creator modded a playable Bryan skin over Leon in the Resident Evil 2 remake.
Despite the excitement, some fans remain cautious. Many players voice concern over potential licensing conflicts. Obviously, major distribution companies like Sony Pictures hold the rights to the film. Therefore, legal hurdles could eventually threaten the complete fan adaptation. Nevertheless, the community remains hopeful that Zamora can finish this massive project.