Hey remember those old videos of RE4 that totally impressed a bunch of people?
With the release of RE4 in Japan, a DVD with lost footage and stuff (from the version(s) that got scrapped) was bundled with the game. All we got was like a 10 min. DVD barely-behind-the scenes clip.
Anyway, the version they show is creepy as hell. Honestly, compared to the current version, this one would probably wet your pants.
Check out the videos here: Pre-RE4

It also seems that Capcom has censored the Japanese version of the game (ex. Heads still visible and attached to the bodies when you do a headshot) and added an "easy" mode. =\

"There are terrible demons... owwwwch.."

I think there were ups and downs to this previous project. these are my initial thoughts.

-The fixed camera is good for scaring which is a plus, but it can also be very tedius when shooting and being thrown between screens.

-The Zombie Phantom thing was effing awesome, period. Though i'll take a El Gigante over a zombie phantom any day ;D

-The blue screen change = battle? I wasn't very fond of that, it takes away an element of fright when you KNOW something is happening or chasing you.

-The flashlight. I thought it was kind of cool, and i'm sure at first i would love it, though over time i would learn to hate it due to the fact it would probably result in many missed items and or ammo, even if it does flash, they tend to add little easter eggs which would make harder to find.

-Fixed aim? I couldn't tell whether it was or wasn't fixed. If it were fixed it would be just another resident evil. If not, it'd be hard as hell to aim when your looking leon straight in the face i think.

Final Analysis - I love RE4, it definetly looks like the previous story had some major depth and scares, but i think in the end, i'm happy the way it turned out

(zombie phantom was still way badass though)

Dude.
I remember seeing / reading about the new RE4 game months and months ago and thinking "It's gonna be cool as hell. Yeah!". And then, months later, hearing that they scrapped all that and were going in a different direction. Then I thought, "Hrrrm? Oh well, RE4 will still be awesome." And it is... but these old videos ....OMG!
I can only hope that someone takes what's here, finishes it, and puts it out.

Allow me to further comment on Wirru's comments -
1. Fixed Camera - I totally agree. Works great for setting a mood. Sucks it for shooting zombies.
2. Blue Screen - I actually liked this. It only seemed to happen right when the scary thing was happening. In a few sceens, it kind of looked like your vision became a bit blurred also. I know if I were to see zombie, ghosts, scary dolls and crap like that, my vision would become blurred also. Along with my pants becoming heavier - filled with poo.
3. Flashlight - Wow. This was one of the best things about this video. I LOVE the flashlight. To me, it added SO much to the overall feeling of spookiness. They also made the "findable" objects highlight very noticable so there wasn't a problem there. The easter egg thing, I don't really know about. I guess I have never found any. I bet, Wiruu, you're a better zombie hunter than I am.
4. Fixed Aim - I don't know about this one either. It looked to me like Leon was able to shoot where ever he wanted to. I do have to say that I really wasn't focused on that aspect too much though. And what do you mean about the other RE games having fixed aim? I have always been able to shoot where ever I wanted to. Unless I am not understanding what you are talking about.

My final words - I liked the old zombie approach. When I heard that they were dong away with them, I wasn't too thrilled. After seeing the new RE4 game though, I was very happy with the end product. These old RE4 videos are awesome though. I would have loved to see this game come out. I remember seeing Leon walk thru those hallways with the wind blowing on the curtains and the lightening outside and the shadows... it all looked so incredible. These videos reflect that. Now, I do get a bit of a cheesy "boo!" factor while watching these videos also. There were a few too many "bang!" something falls or "whooosh!" like with the fireplace, but it was a haunted house. So, to wrap up, love the new RE4 game. Would have loved the old version as well.

ps - Zombie phantom was way badass. 100%!

I really can't say fixed aim in the previous RE games, but what i mean is you always shoot in a straight line, so your gun fire is put on a horizontal axis at all times. So unlike RE4, you can't aim for body parts like the leg, face etc.

There is one thing i would like to add on the fixed camera though, i Think that some of the fixed camera angles are a beautiful perspective to setting the mood, like the shot where leon is walking down the hallway with the light pouring in. Its almost as if the writers of the game are giving you the exact view they saw. So fixed camera is definetly not a bad thing, but when it comes to getting action packed, it can be a pretty heavy burden.

Now that I have RE4 and have been playing it for a few hours now I feel like I can comment.

The "behind the scenes" dvd we got... 3 out of 10 stars. There was no "making of" or anything. It really seemed like a 10 minute infomercial about the game. meh... The residentevil.com site has MUCH more and better "behind the scenes" footage.

Wiruu was talking about the camera issues between the RE games. The same issues are in RE4 also. Not to the same extreme, but they are still there. There have quite a few times when a wall or something has obstructed my view of impending doom causing me to have to reposition Leon in order to get a better look. Sometimes causing me to get attacked because I was trying to see better. Also, the camera seems to be a bit too close sometimes. That, or it is pointing too far towards the ground for my liking. But these are just minor things when you look at the game as a whole.

anyways.. I got off topic...
I read a quick blurb about how the RE team has already started production on the next game. Wouldn't it be great if they used some of the early RE4 stuff in the new game? The shirt article talked about how they are going to continue along the same path of RE4 - Umbrella: gone Zombies: gone Weird Sub humans: check (I haven't finished RE4 yet so I don't know the actual ending to the story). I love the footage of the ghosts from these japanese videos. The game looks tense as hell.