Between the announcement of a remastered Resident Evil remake and a sequel to Revelations — both due early next year — this is a fine time to be a fan of one of gaming’s oldest horror franchises. We had the opportunity to briefly pick the brain of Yoshiaki Hirabayashi, Producer on the HD remake to see what we can expect from the game.

BD: How much of a straight-up remake will the Resident Evil Remake HD be? Will it be along the same lines as the Resident Evil 4 Ultimate HD Edition, in terms its improving upon the base game, or is there more to it?

The goal of this new edition of Resident Evil is to allow players to enjoy the thrills of the original GameCube version with improved visuals and sound. In that sense, I would describe it as similar to the recent PC version of RE4. We’ve taken the game apart and adjusted all the assets one by one to ensure high quality improvements to the visual and auditory experience.

BD: Could you give us a rundown of its major features?

The game will be available for download on PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC in early 2015. The PS3 and Xbox 360 versions display in 720p, while the PS4 and Xbox One iterations output in 1080p. The framerate is set to 30FPS. Resolution and frame rate info for the PC version will be discussed at a later date. As you know, the original game output a 4:3 aspect ratio, but we’re enabling this new version to play in 16:9 as well. In that mode, the screen scrolls up and down as needed in relation to the character’s movement and location.

BD: We know the game will include an option to play it with an updated control scheme or the original “tank-like” layout – are there any other features that will be added to entice veterans of the series?

For starters, there is the new control scheme option that allows players to take more direct control over the characters. Neither control scheme offers any advantage or disadvantage and which one you prefer largely boils down to a matter of taste. You can switch between the two control schemes in real time, so players who may be having difficulty with one method can try the other as the mood strikes. We have also added widescreen compatibility and remastered the audio to 5.1 standards.

BD: For those who played the GameCube REmake, will this edition get any new content that wasn’t in the GC version? Stuff like new areas, weapons, puzzles, etc.

The original GameCube version of the game is so good that we wanted to stay true to the core content. There aren’t any new enemies or story additions for that reason. However, the widescreen compatibility, new control scheme, and other features certainly bring something new to the table.

BD: How many achievements/trophies are we looking at? The HD ports of Resident Evil 4 and Code: Veronica each had 12, but Revelations had 50 – which end of the spectrum will this game land on?

The volume of achievements is much closer to what Resident Evil Revelations had to offer. We’re trying really hard to offer compelling and challenging achievements for this title.

BD: Has a price point been determined yet?

This is still TBD. Obviously, we’ll let you know as soon as we’re able to confirm.

BD: Are there any plans to integrate ResidentEvil.net support so fans can unlock exclusive concept art or in-game items as they do with Resident Evil 6 and Resident Evil Revelations?

This is still TBD. We’ll let you know as soon as we’re able to confirm more details.

BD: Many fans see this as an important step in returning Resident Evil to its roots in survival horror; has this game (or will it) influence the path the next Resident Evil takes in terms of it’s being more action or horror oriented?

I’m focused on this title for now so I can’t really see into the future to see what effect this title may or may not have on future developments of the series. What I can say is that the survival horror element has always been and will doubtless continue to be a hugely important element to the series. I think the audience of RE fans has grown a great deal since this title initially debuted. This remastered version should provide a great opportunity for users to relive the horror that spawned the series.

We’d like to thank Yoshiaki Hirabayashi for taking the time to chat with us. The new-and-improved Resident Evil REmake is slated to release early next year, alongside Resident Evil Revelations 2.