In a recent interview, Resident Evil 3 Remake art director Yonghee Cho commented on Jill Valentine’s updated look, stating that the character’s previous ‘sex appeal’ was shelved in favor of practicality.
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Speaking with Game Informer for the cover story of their latest issue, Cho said that the sex appeal of the original Jill’s design “was not the right direction” and that her new design reflected “a certain level of practicality.”
“There were a lot of discussions internally about that direction. The original design of Jill Valentine was clearly going for sex appeal, but that was not the right direction. This is a very strong character, and it is a character that’s going through a lot of adversity, so we wanted to home in on that and make sure that there’s a certain level of believability in what she’s wearing, a certain level of practicality.”
In RE3 Remake, Jill’s iconic tube-top-and-skirt outfit is replaced with a sleeveless top, an undershirt, and full length jeans:
Related: Cosplay of the Day: Milena Vigo’s Jill Valentine from Resident Evil
Cho also commented on the new design of the Nemesis T-Type, who now sports a “body bag”-esque look instead of regular clothing.
Cho stated:
“It just felt like more of the same, so we went back to the drawing board. The first thing I saw was the clothing. It felt strange to be creating a bioweapon and have it wear clothes. Rather than having him wear clothes, we had him wear something synonymous to a body bag, something that made him feel like a restrained weapon. At the same time, I wanted to stay true to the original, so the silhouette of the Nemesis still has that iconic look.”
Hope you find your Valentine today 💖 pic.twitter.com/DayW1LZMhT
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) February 14, 2020
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Thankfully for fans who prefer Jill’s first design, the game’s “Classic Costume Pack” pre-order bonus includes a skin based on the original appearance of Jill Valentine, alongside a similar original-appearance-skin for Carlos Oliveira:
Resident Evil 3 Remake arrives on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on April 3, 2020.
What do you make of Cho’s comments?