Capcom recently announced a Resident Evil 4 remake which made its big debut during Sony’s June State of Play broadcast. Similar to Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3, the game will undergo a complete visual overhaul, including the appearance of its most annoying character.
Of course, we’re talking about Ashley Graham. Following the Resident Evil 4 remake reveal, Japan-based model Ella Freya confirmed via Twitter that Ashley’s modernised character model is based on her likeness.
トレーラーを見たとき、本当に泣きそうになりました。今は嬉しすぎます。皆さんこころからありがとうございます #バイオハザード #Residentevil4remake #アシュリーグラハム pic.twitter.com/kA7ylG7THB
— Ella Freya エラ・フレイヤ (@Eriza_Freya) June 3, 2022
“When I saw the trailer, I almost cried,” Freya said. “I’m so happy right now. Thank you everyone from the bottom of my heart […] I’m so glad to join the RE family”.
Capcom hasn’t specifically said why it chose to base Ashley’s appearance on a real-life model. However, it’s a fairly common practice and one the publisher employed during the original game’s development, previously basing the character on Brooke Elizabeth Mathieson. More recently, Russian model Sasha Zotova appeared in Resident Evil 3 as the model for Nemesis-hunting heroine, Jill Valentine.
In RE lore, Ashely Graham is the daughter of U.S. president, her kidnapping triggering the events of Resident Evil 4 as Leon Kennedy is sent to infiltrate a Spanish village overrun by cultists. What’s particularly annoying are the sections of gameplay where players are forced to escort a cowering Ashely through gauntlets of plague-ridden enemies.
Resident Evil 4 remake has a release date set for March 24, 2023, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam. Although the original game is definitely showing its age, there are some who question whether it truly needs a remake with improved, HD-remastered versions readily available. However, it looks like Capcom wants to rewrite this curveball of a chapter in its survival horror saga, tuning the gameplay and giving the visuals a complete makeover. Oh, it will also be playable in PlayStation VR 2.
Expect it to appear alongside Street Fighter 6 and other previously announced games during the Capcom Showcase next week.
