Resident Evil 4 Remake’s opening moments could have played out much differently if Capcom had not opted to cut an opening referred to as “Chapter 0,” in which players would have controlled Ashley and witnessed her kidnapping at the hands of the Los Illuminados. At least, that’s according to datamined files spotted by an eagle-eyed fan.
Using leftover pieces from “Chapter 0” found in the game’s files, YouTuber Thekempy has pieced together what the game’s lost opening might have looked like in a recent video. Players would have controlled Ashley alone in a forest at night as she encountered a Los Illuminados ritual, something which can actually be briefly seen in a story trailer for the game released in October 2022.
After witnessing the sacrifice, Ashley would have made her way to the center of the game’s village, potentially having to use the light of her phone to navigate and sneak past deadly enemies like the Ganado. Her running would become more frantic as the chapter continued, eventually witnessing a Ganado kidnapping another character, Luis Serra.
While the cutscenes for the cut chapter aren’t found in the Resident Evil 4 remake’s files, there are some leftover enemy spawn locations, scripted events triggers, auto-save locations, and even off-limit areas that help give an idea of what the chapter would have looked like.
It’s unclear why this opening chapter, something that doesn’t exist in the original Resident Evil 4, was cut prior to launch. Thekempy speculates Capcom’s decision may have been related to pacing, as an opening chapter focusing on Ashley hiding and sneaking would have slowed down a game known for its non-stop action.
Capcom is far from finished remaking Resident Evil games. Reports have indicated remakes of Resident Evil Zero and Code Veronica may be coming in the next few years, with the Resident Evil 0 remake reportedly looking to further flesh out characters and plot details only alluded to in the original game.
The next mainline entry in the series, Resident Evil Requiem, will bring back Resident Evil 4’s Leon S. Kennedy and see players return to Raccoon City, where the most pivotal events of the first few games in the series took place. Resident Evil Requiem will be released February 27 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, and PC.