Biohazard 2 Misc Section # 3
Interview With The Creator
So what did the creators say about version 1.5 before they scrapped it? Pretty interesting to read actually. This is an Interview with Biohazard 2 (1.5)'s Producer Shinji Mikami.
GP: How did you want to make BH 2 different from the first game?
Shinji Mikami: Biohazard was such a success that in creating the sequel we set out to enhance what we believed made the first game so popular. Our first goal was to recreate Biohazard's sense of horror and the player's sensation of actually being inside the game's environment. In BH 2 we're trying to make the environment even more true to life.
GP: Give us a brief walk through of Biohazard 2.
Mikami: BH 2 begins two months later in Raccoon City where Umbrella, Inc., has been closed down for conducting illegal biological experiments. A strange skin disease suddenly starts spreading from unknown origins. It spreads incredibly fast, and those it kills become the walking dead, hunting their next victims. Raccoon City Essentially becomes a dead town. Located in the center of the city is the police department where rookie copy Leon Kennedy finds himself surrounded by zombies and monsters. University student Elza Walker runs to the Police department seeking protection from the evil that hurts her. BH 2 is the story of Leon's and Elza's survival. The tension in the game is built with the growing realization that the entire city is overrun with zombies. Not even the police can help. As the player in BH 2, you try to help Leon or Elza in what is an increasingly helpless situation.
New For Biohazard 2
GP: Are there new weapons in Biohazard 2?
Mikami: We've added some new weapons to those from the first game, including an explosive new weapon, but I don't want to give anything away yet.
GP: Any new monsters?
Mikami: Besides zombies, there are many new monsters who "change" in the game. We don't wan't to spoil the surprises, so you'll have to play the game yourself to understand what happens to these monsters.
GP: Why aren't Chris and Jill the main characters?
Mikami: We wanted to create the same level of horror in BH 2 that the first game achieved. Chris and Jill have already overcome the terror they experienced, so it would be impossible for them to be as terrified in BH 2. Thus the new story required a new cast.
GP: Describe the setting of the game and explain why you chose it.
Mikami: In BH, we chose an old mansion because we could make it remote and hidden away deep in the mountains. We did that to create horror in a place where you couldn't easily run away for help. In BH 2, we wanted a different setting but one with a similar enclosed environment. Also, we wanted to create the sensation that these events could happen to you tomorrow, so we made BH 2's setting more modern. We decided to start the game in the police station, because that's a place where you're supposed to feel protected. But Raccoon City's police department soon loses it's ability to function as a save place. Once again you find yourself surrounded by an evil terror.
GP: What advancements were made to sound and graphics?
Mikami: If you listen carefully to the sounds, you'll notice that the background music changes in real time depending on what's happening in the game. Thus the music is more like a movie soundtrack than traditional video game music. Graphically, you'll notice changes in the backgrounds as events occur during game play. In BH 2, what's going on in the background has more impact than in the first game.
More Gore
GP: Did you get any criticism over the amount of blood in the first game?
Mikami: No. In fact, we believed that one of the reasons Biohazard came so popular was because of the game's gore. The blood helped establish the voilent, dark world of Biohazard.
GP: Is Biohazard 2 Bloodier than the first game?
Mikami: In BH 2, we have taken the same approach as in Biohazard - we do not show any extreme voilence without a reason. But you have to remember what type of game this is. If we need to represent horror, we wont hesitate to demonstrate the carnage onscreen.
GP: What are you proudest of in Biohazard 2?
Mikami: The high standards. All of the game's features help BH 2 exceed even the quality standards set by movies.
GP: Are you working on Biohazard 2 for any other platform?
Mikami: No, althought we are working on Biohazard for the PC and the Saturn.
GP: Will there be an Biohazard 3?
Mikami: This has yet to be determined.
Summary: What can I say, it seem like Mikami really liked how Biohazard 1.5 played/looked at the time this interview was written.
Go to: Misc Section # 4
Back to: First ever Biohazard 2 images