Resident Evil 4 remake devs hint at return of an infamously silly controller

The Resident Evil 4 remake is just over a month away, but Capcom has hinted at its interest in bringing back a particularly memorable piece of the game’s history.

Resident Evil 4, heading to PS5, PS4, and Xbox Series X|S on March 24, is a reimagining of the beloved 2005 classic. But Capcom could also remake the game’s infamous chainsaw controller if the opportunity arises, as hinted at by producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi in an interview with Game Informer.

“We wanted to do one,” Hirabayashi said in response to whether or not the novelty chainsaw controller will return. “But we are already putting everything we have into development of the game. Maybe we can look into that some other time if there’s a future opportunity.”

And when I say ‘chainsaw controller,’ I mean it. The unwieldy peripheral is lovingly crafted to mimic the chainsaw carried by iconic enemy Dr. Salvador in the game. Albeit with a vague controller layout with analog sticks, face buttons, and triggers.

You even hold the thing as you would a chainsaw, and there’s a dedicated motor pulley to spin the saw’s blade. It’s a ridiculously ambitious controller in terms of design. But in practice, infinitely frustrating to play with thanks to its awkward button and stick layout.

Dr. Salvadon’t

It’s certainly cute to see Capcom remember the oddball chainsaw controller and even have considered developing a new version of it for Resident Evil 4’s remake. However, I’m doubtful that Capcom will indeed make one, and it definitely wouldn’t make the list of the best PS5 controllers or best Xbox controllers.

I’m lucky enough to own the PS2 version of the Resident Evil 4 chainsaw controller. And it is a thing of beauty, stored in a thematic glass box, likely to sway players from actually playing the game with it.

As cool as the chainsaw controller is, its button layout leaves much to be desired. So much so that you’re making games deliberately more difficult by using it. It’s certainly a common specimen for challenge runs, particularly for Resident Evil 4. But it most definitely has limited appeal thanks to its open rejection of sensible ergonomics.

Would I like to see the Resident Evil 4 chainsaw controller return for the remake? Of course. It’s undeniably stylish and would make a fantastic collector’s item. Still, I imagine it’d be pretty expensive and limited in its availability. But if Capcom’s selling, then I’m most likely buying.

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