Resident Evil 2’s Elza Walker costume sees Claire go full-on biker fanatic

Capcom has released new footage of Claire Redfield's Elza Walker costume from the upcoming remake of Resident Evil 2.

Okay, time for a bit of a history lesson on why this costume is just a bit cool. Resident Evil 2, the original PlayStation version, that is, was originally in development from 1996 -1997, and looked very different to the final build. 

The R.P.D. had a 'modern' aesthetic (at least, modern by mid-90s standards), different enemies, and a totally new storyline featuring Leon and a biker aficionado called Elza Walker.

Elza was not in any way related to Chris Redfield, and didn't meet up with Leon throughout her adventure. She crashes her motorbike through the entrance to the police station at the start of her campaign, and meets up with Sherry Birkin and Robert Kendo along the way (he's the guy who gets munched on by zombies in the gun shop in the final version). 

Anyway, Capcom scrapped this version of Resident Evil 2 – colloquially now known as Resident Evil 1.5 – for the build we know today, replacing Elza with Claire Redfield in the process. The rest of the game was more or less completely rebuilt from scratch, save for some of the sewers and the lab.

While Resi 1.5 was never officially released, a leaked 40% build of the game ended up on the Internet about five years ago, and fans have been working to rebuild the game using all-new assets ever since. It looks rather good, all things considered.

So, Capcom's decision to include an Elza Walker costume in Resident Evil 2 is pretty neat, and a nice nod to fans who have been with the series for over two decades – even if they forgot Elza's blonde hair in the process.

Resident Evil 2 is due out on PlayStation 4, PC, and Xbox One on January 25, 2019.

Racing into Raccoon City, the "Elza Walker" costume for Claire is available in both the Deluxe and Collector's Editions of Resident Evil 2! #RE2 pic.twitter.com/FoLPUMsBd7

— Resident Evil (@RE_Games) October 22, 2018