(continued from previous page) ...‘The Cradle of the Progenitor Virus’ and ‘Possessed’ flashed on screen, implying Kennedy would in fact become infected with this particular virus (of which received mention in Resident Evil Zero, released that same year) during the course of the game. However, it was never made clear as to whether or not the mysterious fog creature was an actual manifestation of Progenitor itself, or whether Kenney was in fact battling against some unknown form of Bio-Weapon.

Unbeknownst to the gaming public, Capcom would unceremoniously scrap this second incarnation, known as the “Fog Version”, and later introduced an entirely fresh concept in 2003.

#3 – “Hook”

The next version of Resident Evil 4 to surface made its debut at Nintendo’s press conference at E3 2003, preceded by a rather memorable video message delivered by series creator, Shinji Mikami. Dressed in black and sporting a pair of dark avatar sunglasses, Mikami asserted that the game was shaping up in a particularly “scary” fashion, before promptly warning us, “Don’t pee your pants.”

This version had Leon Kennedy investigating an ominous Mansion setting echoing back to the theme and location of the original Resident Evil. However, the game appeared to have taken a decidedly paranormal twist, as evidenced by the appearance of several objects - including a mounted Deer head - that would apparently come to life and attack the player.

Furthermore, Kennedy was believed to suffer from severe hallucinations at various points in the game, and would also find himself stalked by a mysterious, human-like nemesis wielding a large hooked blade. Thus, this incarnation of RE4 was colloquially dubbed the ‘Hook Version’ by fans and media alike, and went on to become perhaps the most iconic of the four betas.

Interestingly enough, the Hook Version also appeared to combine elements both new and old to the series, featuring dramatic camera angles, along with the inclusion of the highly extolled over-the-shoulder perspective seen in the final version of the game. This amalgamation can be seen on the Biohazard 4 Secret DVD released in Japan, and showed the player switching from a traditional third-person perspective to an over-the-shoulder camera when aiming (intriguingly, the standard third-person viewpoint seen in earlier games was also used in combat on one occasion) Further similarities with the final product included context-sensitive events, requiring the player to push a button when grappled by an enemy, the ability to throw grenades, along with the appearance of suits of armour which would attack Kennedy in close proximity.

Although this version was to show up for a second time at the 2003 Tokyo Games Show, Capcom ultimately ended up cancelling the project, citing the fact it was considered too paranormal for a Resident Evil game.

#4 - Unknown Version (featuring Zombies)

Capcom surreptitiously commissioned yet another version of RE4 at some point in 2003 following the cancellation of the Hook Version; however, unlike previous betas, this one was not shown off to the press in any shape or form. In fact, details of the project did not even surface until late 2004, and even then Capcom neglected to reveal any significant information.

The only concrete details available on this version are that it allegedly contained the standard zombie enemies found in previous installments, although little else is known. Aside from this small tidbit, Capcom would only divulge its reasons for canning the project, claiming that the game was fundamentally too generic and “not scary.”

In Closing...

However, all this was set to change in early 2004, as Capcom announced would what become the final incarnation of RE4 in an exclusive scoop with US publication, Game Informer. Gone were the zombies, evil corporations, fixed camera angles and "tank controls" of old, instead replaced by a brand new perspective, human-like enemies and more action-orientated gameplay.

More importantly for Sony fans, Capcom confirmed later that year that the game would finally be making its way back to the PS2, eventually releasing on the system in October 2005, with all-new exclusive content. With Resident Evil 5 on the horizon, one can only hope that ... (continued on next page)