Resident Evil HD: 10 Essential Lessons Capcom Must Relearn
5. Choose An Effective Setting
The Spencer Mansion is one of the most iconic locations in all of survival horror. Its labyrinthine design and old school haunted house aesthetic combine to create an environment that is both intimately frightening and daunting in scope. Its practically a character of its own. This emphasis on a single location is what makes the remake such a powerful survival horror experience. The Spencer Mansion makes you feel alone and isolated, which enhances the horror a thousand fold. Its architecture is complex but easy to remember, which makes exploring a rewarding challenge. And as you explore, the history of the mansion and its past residents is revealed, conveying to you a believable sense of time and place. Its just top-notch environmental design, and it has been missing from more recent Resident Evil games as the scope continues to escalate. Simple high-concept settings like the Spencer Mansion are far better at establishing a feeling of horror and isolation than massive cities or jungles; revisiting the remake after all this time only reaffirms this. It is absolutely imperative that Capcom start utilising compelling environments to maximum effect again.