Resident Evil’s unofficial lore master has weighed in with his thoughts on Resident Evil Veronica, and the five biggest questions that Capcom’s upcoming remake will need to answer.<\/p>\n
Set to launch in 2027 as a ground-up reimagining of the original Resident Evil: Code Veronica, our impressive first peek at the game felt like a statement of intent from Capcom \u2014 which now seems to be elevating this former side-story to full main series status.<\/p>\n
Of course, Code Veronica featured some of the series’ biggest stars (Claire Redfield! Chris Redfield! Albert Wesker!) in a canon story set following the events of Resident Evil 3. But the entry has always felt a little detached from the rest of the franchise’s core, numbered entries. No longer, perhaps. <\/p>\n
Still, with this stronger link to the rest of the series \u2014 and a launch long after subsequent games have already filled in some plot holes \u2014 there’s potential for Capcom to go further, and use Resident Evil Veronica to really tie the original game into the franchise’s wider narrative. But how could Capcom do this? How much will likely change? And what should stay the same? <\/p>\n
For answers, I turned to Resident Evil Podcast host TheBatman, the architect of an exhaustive timeline document that charts all Resident Evil lore (beginning around 4.5 billion years ago) \u2014 a superfan who seems to know more about the series and its characters than anyone else on the planet. <\/p>\n
Fair warning, this article discusses plot points from the original Resident Evil: Code Veronica. While these may change in the remake, anyone who wants to go in completely unspoiled should look away now.<\/p>\n
“This organisation was introduced in the original Code: Veronica and was active behind the scenes in several other games including RE4 before mysteriously vanishing,” TheBatman begins. “Since then we\u2019ve had one surprising reference in RE7 and a few teases in Requiem, but Capcom have always refrained from going into any major detail about them. Concept art refers to H.C.F. as Hive\/Host Capture Force in reference to Wesker\u2019s mission to capture Alexia Ashford and the t-veronica virus, so there is some suggestion they are a special forces team belonging to a larger organisation. RE: Veronica is the ideal opportunity to really clarify who they are and solidify any links to The Connections from the more recent games as we know they worked together on the Mutamycete project.”<\/p>\n
An international crime syndicate to which Requiem’s villain Zeno belongs, The Connections were introduced in Resident Evil 7, though retroactively revealed to have had an influence on the downfall of Umbrella, plus links to Tricell and the U.S. government. They’re currently viewed as being the series’ overarching enemies, post-Umbrella.<\/p>\n
“It wouldn’t surprise me if Capcom retcon the rival company as being The Connections all along,” TheBatman continues. “On the surface it seems logical but diving into the deeper lore that idea also creates several problems. I just hope this remake provides a clearer picture and background about who they are, why Umbrella perceived them as a such a threat and why Wesker saw the benefit in defecting over to them.”<\/p>\n
“I don’t want them to tone down Alfred,” TheBatman says. “I understand certain lines in the original localised script are unlikely to be used today, but his desire to impersonate Alexia is a key part of his character. He truly believes she is still by his side and dressing as her and mimicking her voice is a coping mechanism for his loneliness and psychosis. It was a significant plot twist in the original game so for a remake where many players will already be aware of this revelation, it will be interesting to see how Capcom plays it. Some of these elements may be scaled back but I personally hope they go all in as it could result in some really creepy and memorable scenes.”<\/p>\n
In an interview with IGN earlier this month, Capcom told us that it would be adjusting Alfred by “trying to dive a little deeper” and analyze the character “on a slightly deeper level” within the remake, though stopped short of giving further details.<\/p>\n
“I also hope the remake expands on the history of the Ashford family. They originally had ties to the Nazis, but these references were almost completely removed from the original game, so it will be interesting to see if they are reintroduced here. I\u2019d also love to see \u2013 on screen \u2013 Alexander Ashford\u2019s expression as he is subdued and looked down upon by his own children as they inject him with the t-veronica virus. That is some terrifying imagery.”<\/p>\n
“Code: Veronica takes place three months after Raccoon City but has very little build-up – it kind of just happens,” TheBatman explains. “RE3 provided epilogues for all the key characters, but ultimately they didn\u2019t really go anywhere. I hope RE: Veronica really expands on the back story in this three-month gap leading up to events on Rockfort Island. What has Chris been doing all this time in Europe? How long has Umbrella been watching him? Why didn\u2019t Jill Valentine link up with him immediately after Raccoon City? There are so many unanswered questions and now is the right time to address them. Chris\u2019s apartment in the teaser is ripe for exploration to get some of these answers, although witnessing a little old lady stealing his biscuits was not on my bingo card\u2026” <\/p>\n
<\/p>\nResident Evil: Veronica Screenshots<\/h3>\n