The Weight of the World

A quick render I did to remaster the Ashley Instruction Manual you receive after finding her in the church (SEE BELOW. This camera angle is impossible to obtain in-game).

Hello everyone. I just wanted to share with you that I finally finished Chapter 2-1 (!!!)

It’s not that I need to justify the wait, but I want to explain a bit so all of you can understand why sometimes some things take much more time than expected to be done.

In this case a lot of things happened in the last month (both personal and technical matters).

The personal part is that I’m moving right now. This is a good thing for me because I’ve been suffering some anxiety problems the last 2-3 years and I wasn’t able to handle major changes in my life. I’m working on that, and I’ve improved a lot the way I manage my thoughts and the way I see all the things that happen around me. It’s not easy, but it’s possible!

I’d be lying if I said the last 2 years weren’t bad and almost terrible sometimes for me, and even then I’ve been able to continue with the project. I guess this is good proof that there’s no way we’ll stop until it’s fully complete!

That is the main reason the post has this title. I guess some people will understand me. If not… lucky you! ;P (Also, it references the weight Leon has to suffer every time Ashley is unable to climb down a ladder XD ).

The technical reasons have been… the damn cut-scene models!! You can’t imagine how time-consuming it was to find out what the problem was when I edited Ashley’s model. This game is terribly restrictive! I’ll delve into this in the video I’ll post next week. 😉

Have a nice Sunday/Monday!!

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57 responses to “The Weight of the World”

  1. EPD Gaffney says:

    Just wanted to say I do understand you. Right down to the needing to move house to solve a lot of my problems. This combined with modding a very restrictive game (in my case it’s Fallout New Vegas) can be really stressful, because your creätive outlet, which is your escape, can start to be its own source of stress. Well done not giving up. I’m excited to play RE4 again whenever you finish. Congratulations on the move. Hope it fixes things for you.

    • albert says:

      Yes, It’s quite complicated to do not cross that red line that makes a hobby another stress source as you mention. If you feel you are about crossing that line, just stop and continue when your head begs you for more modding work!
      Thanks a lot for your message! :))

  2. Dan Salemme says:

    Always look forward to hearing more updates, it is really great replaying an updated RE4. 80+hrs in since you first resparked my interest in playing through RE4, yet I still can look forward to more playthroughs.

    • albert says:

      Thanks! I hope I can upload the next video filled with refinements and enemies and characters remasters this week! I can’t wait to share the results even it’s just in video form for now 🙂

  3. Lucifronz says:

    Good for you. And thanks for keeping up work on this. I know modding can be such a thankless hobby, at least usually, so I don’t want to go without saying how much I appreciate projects like this. You’re doing great.

    • albert says:

      Thanks!
      And yes, modding can be really frustrating. Fortunatelly we’ve learned to mod some things in this game that we never thought it would be possible and it compensates those small details we can’t fix!

  4. Frank Nitty says:

    Hate to hear what you’re going through. Hoping everything works out, I’ll keep you in my prayers

    • albert says:

      Thank you Frank! Fortunately the worst has passed and I’ve learned a lot about myself the last years. It’s all under control! ;D

  5. Rafael says:

    I wish you all the good in the world, man, it’s amazing that you’re doing this amazing job almost for free. You should take all the time you need to do this, and even take a break if it’s being too stressful.

    • albert says:

      Thanks!
      And no worries. It always feel good to do some work on the project. I don’t like to do things with pressure. If I feel pressured I stop, see a series or a movie and I continue the work when the inspiration comes back!

  6. anonymous says:

    I’ve been following the project for years, and I’ve also had many problems in my life during this time. The worst are those who depend on someone else and not only on you… But if you are in control of the situation, you have the power to change anything. I wish you all the best!

  7. Rich Ashlie says:

    Take however long you need. Resident Evil 4 has already shined so much brighter than it has before thanks to your efforts. Seriously, bless you. Always take care of A #1 (yourself). 🙂

    • albert says:

      Hehe thanks!
      This project is a nice escape mechanism sometimes. But I started it and I’m still doing it as a hobby and expression of love for this game 🙂

  8. mofail says:

    You had noisy neighbours or something? Well good to know you’re doing well & good luck.

    I lived in a bad area once, lynch mobs mostly teenagers throwing bricks at my home every week for no reason, that was a shitty time. Some people….I laugh about it now though at the time it was a nightmare. What a bunch of inbred wankers. It was like the R.E 4 Ganado for real.

    Well looking forward to that video lol keep up this great work!

  9. Sameer Ali says:

    Well not a lot of good people are left in this world. I just want to say “THANK YOU” for the amount of hard work and effort you’re putting in this project. This is my all time favorite game. A lot of memories are associated with it. Anyways, I pray that everything becomes right in your life and stay happy and blessed.

    PS: I see what you did there with “Weight of the World” xD

    • albert says:

      I think there are more good people than we think. It’s just we don’t understand some of them. I like to think this 🙂 Maybe I’m wrong XD
      Definitely oneof the best games in history IMO!
      Thanks a lot for your message! 😀

  10. V I D A L says:

    Blows my mind that you are also remastering manuals.
    Take care of yourself my friend. Don’t overdo it.

    • albert says:

      Thanks!
      Of course! Everythin blurry must be re-created XD
      Don’t worry. I’m taking it easy 🙂

      • V I D A L says:

        Speaking of which.. did you know the Separate Ways pre render cutscenes now can be remastered?
        Thanks to the sorcery of a new tech know as Neural Upscaler, or AI upscaler, or Gigapixel one thing or another.. basically the AI Machine Learning upscaler some results straight from CSI can be achieved. Check this out:
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSX4w8qUzMM
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEFUtNGdkbA
        RE2 intro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP4aYnr6yMI
        Seems like the same guy who done this is already working on the Separate Ways if you scroll through the comments. I figure this should absolutely be added up to this project in some sort of partnership.. then again, as long as he make the files available in a format the game supports, everyone can use all the same. Check it out.

        • albert says:

          Oh yeah! I saw these videos some weeks ago. They look really impresive! Too bad Separate Ways videos are filled of compression artifacts. It would be needed an specific AI software/algorithm that takes into consideration previous and following frames to generate really decent results. AFAIK right now he’s only upscaling frame by frame and some Separate Ways framse are a real mess no AI upscaling process can improve.
          Also, the game only suports the outdated smd video format with even more updated codec it uses and it’s locked to 512×336 pixels. Anything bigger gets zoomed in…
          Raz0r trainer allows bigger resolutions but the codec and bitrate limitations are there anyway.

          • V I D A L says:

            Oh well.. Yeah they are pretty garbage… but guy has been remastering CGI intros from PS1 era that were in CD with pretty impressive results. Surely he can get some good improvement out of a PS2 era DVD based videos. He is on the case.. I’m looking forward to see what come out of it. Can’t get any worse… so any improvement is welcome.

          • albert says:

            Yep! I also want to see what can he get! 🙂

  11. Gonzo says:

    Hola Albert! No estas solo, yo tengo el mismo problema desde pequeño. No se de que tipo tienes pero creeme que se puede vencer. Mi recomendacion es terapia, porque es todo mental y cuanto mas sepas sobre la ansiedad, aprendas sus mecanismos, y mas te desahogues con profesionales mejor te vas a sentir. Yo tuve una epoca horrible con mareos por culpa de ella y al final se me fue cuando comprendi el proceso por el cual la ansiedad me los causaba. La ansiedad tambien puede ser una señal de que necesitas un cambio en tu vida, el cerebro te avisa de que algo no esta bien o estas infeliz y te esta avisando. Analiza un poco tu situacion y elimina lo que te haga daño, estrese o te haga infeliz. En cualquier caso no quiero darte la chapa aqui tampoco pero vamos que no te agobies, que la ansiedad te hace creer que estas metido en un pozo sin salida pero es solo una ilusion, no estas en ningun pozo.

    Animo con el grandisimo trabajo que estas haciendo, yo estoy esperando como un niño pequeño a que acabes esto porque Re4 es uno de mis juegos favoritos y jugarlo con ese lavado de cara que le estais metiendo me hará muy feliz.

    Animo y a seguir adelante tio

    • albert says:

      Hola Gonzo!
      En ese proceso estoy precisamente. Al principio saber como funciona ese mecanismo puede ser hasta contraproducente porque te recreas mentalmente más en ello, pero con el tiempo vas viéndolo con más perspectiva y vas perdiendo el miedo a nuevos “brotes” porque sabes las fases por las que vas a pasar y que al final se termina y que siempre es el mismo ciclo.
      Y sí, en mi caso creo que era más bien una señal de hacer cosas que en realidad no quería hacer pero me sentía presionado a hacerlas. Es difícil identificarlas cuando llevas años con cierta dinámica y normalizas comportamientos que no son para nada sanos.

      Exacto, se pasa mal, pero es miedo irracional.
      Ánimos tu también, hay un montón de gente con este problema en mayor o menor grado. Es lo que tiene la sociedad moderna…

      Muchas gracias por el apoyo! Yo también tengo ganas de terminar el proyecto para poder compartirlo y para que Capcom nos lo compre y nos hagamos millonarios!! (… eso no pasará … XDDD)

  12. Joel says:

    You’re my hero Albert. Never give up!

  13. andres says:

    hola , que paso con los links que no me los agarra, al parecer estan caidos .. por favor vea ese tema amigo mio que quiero descargarlo si o si , por favor si puedes arreglarlo lo antes posible que muero de ganas de probar el mod ( si no es mucha molestia me podrias enviar un mail con un enlace aparte o avisandome que esta todo listo 🙂 ) muchas gracias y saludos desde chile !

    • albert says:

      Hola!
      A mi me funcionan, así que no sé cual debe ser el problema la verdad 🙁 pero nadie más se ha quejado así que deduzco que quizás tu navegador te lo bloquea por algún motivo, pero no sé darte una solución ya que no somos técnicos informáticos.

      Los únicos enlaces que seguro que no funcionan son los de MEGA, ya que me han cancelado la cuenta (no sé porqué).

      Pero las demás opciones están bien. Hay 3 links intercambiables. Son el mismo archivo alojado en 3 cuentas distintas para evitar sobresaturación. Solo hace falta que te descargues 8 archivos, uno de cada fila.
      Y además tienes la opción torrent también.

      Intenta usar otro navegador por si acaso…

      Saludos!

      • andres says:

        vamos a probar , algo debe ser el problema pero creo que viene por mi parte … GRACIAS ESTIMADO Y EXCELENTE TRABAJO AMIGO MIO !

        • andres says:

          ya!
          me baje el torrent broder y se esta bajando .. excelente !
          incluso como dato freak una de la razones por las que me arme un pc fue por que vi este mod y queria probarlo y aqui estoy jeje

  14. MrBonk says:

    I feel you on learning to control your thoughts to avoid things you know will trigger anxiety. I’ve had that problem my whole life and there have been a lot of ups and downs in learning to try and control it.
    It can be incredibly hard to control this and not be overwhelmed sometimes but don’t give up and your health is important. We all love the work you are doing! You have no idea how much i’ve been looking forward to this for the last few years. And I understand how much work it can take with something on this scale. (Having done similar creative work myself).
    Don’t lose sight, it’s done when it’s done!

    • albert says:

      Thank you for the encouraging words. We’ll keep doing our best when we can and we can’t wait to share the final results with everyone 😀
      Thanks for the infinite patience, too!!

  15. LeonVendetta says:

    Health & Family First ! my friend. TBH you guys already did the impossible and continuing it still. That’s an extraordinary achievement of your life. God Bless You! and stay healthy & prosperous we are with you. ;D

  16. mofail says:

    Is it me? Just me? OR are Ashleys boots weird as fuck? What’s with the weird belt strapped layer on them? WHoO else ever wears boo00ts like that?! EVER?

    fat cow.

  17. Nameless says:

    Hey Albert, glad to hear you’re doing better. And thank you again for soldiering on with the project through thick and thin.

    But you know what’s funny? You mentioned “every time Ashley is unable to climb down a ladder”. But I don’t know if you’re aware, near the end of chapter 3-4 when Ashley climbs the ladder just before meeting back up w/ Leon, you can actually make her **climb back down the ladder.**

    So she’s perfectly capable of climbing down ladders, I guess she’s just got the hots for Leon (overtime lol) and wants to play the damsel in distress.

    • Dago3250 says:

      I didn’t know you are capable of making her getting down the ladders xD

    • albert says:

      Ohhh you are right!!! Or Ash simply doesn’t want to climb down anything because her father pays Leon to make the work for her!! XD

  18. Matthieu says:

    Wow ! Once again : bravo for your hard work !!! I can’t imagine the uncredible ammount of work needed for each step of this wonderful project that I’m following through the years.
    I’m just more impresssed now that I know that you did all that AND had to deal with personal problems. You’re kind of a modern hero !

    I send you a lot of courage-wibes ! 🙂

    • albert says:

      Heheh thanks for sending them!
      This project helped me a lot! So, it’s not an extra pressure but an energy source for me ^_^

  19. DiazSIchbear says:

    Men, sinceramente yo igual tengo problemas personales que van mas hacia mi parte existencial de si merezco o no vivir… soy muy depresivo y la verdad es que aveces termino valorándome muy poco pero cuando no lo soy, me doy cuenta que soy un genio y así como me doy cuenta de eso, igualmente me doy cuenta que tú eres un genio!!!… En serio, eres una de esas personas que hace cosas increíbles. He visto muchos otros mods de gráficas para este juego y hasta el momento ninguno se compara con el tuyo. Es el mejor que he visto y eso significa que eres bastante bueno en lo que haces. Por lo que si, podría decirse que eres un genio. Espero que de verdad cuando termines este proyecto tengas otro en mente y lo hagas y te salga tan o hasta mejor que este.

    • albert says:

      Muchas gracias ^^ Recuerda cuando te sientas mal, que al cabo de un rato ese sentimiento cambiará. Uno de los secretos es ese, acostumbrarte a pensar cuando estás mal que es una emoción temporal, al igual que lo es pasar por una gripe. Agárrate a lo bueno, come helado de chololate y paladéalo. Rodéate de gente positiva, no para desahogarte con ellos, sino para impregnarte de su positividad.
      Todos somos genios en potencia. Falta saber en qué campo 😉

  20. andres says:

    Edito: «cosas inadecuadas»

  21. dreadfield says:

    hi albert !!
    it seems you are more alone now, on the project , dont know..with more weight on your own , dont let your own pressure kills you , you can with everything , yeah anxiety i know that.
    You deserve and must have a clear state of mind to do art, just attack those problems whatever they are , one by one,,,
    you are an amazing person am sure you are , and take your time, you really are an inspiration to today world madness
    you have many friends waiting to make us happy!! i wish you the best!
    best regards.

    • albert says:

      Hello Dreadfield!!
      Thanks for the message 😀
      Yep, this is what I’m doing and things are going fine so far, so I’m very optimistical
      Thank you again for your wishes! And I’ll keep doing my best! 🙂

  22. Zhi Yuan says:

    Keep up the good work!

  23. Marius Johnsen says:

    I’m very grateful for your’s and Chris’ work Albert. I can’t imagine how the weights on your shoulders feel, but i’m very thankful that you’ve stuck it out with this mod for so long.

    Every time i watch my brother play RE4 on his console i think to myself i just can’t play RE4 without proper hd textures anymore. Not only that, but going through the game i always like to stop and examine objects i remember seeing in comparison slideshows cause i remember how lowquality the original models often were.

    Your mod has set a standard to how good classic games can be remastered. You guys deserve all the praise because of that, simply put. You guys rock.

    • albert says:

      Thanks!!
      This kind of message means a lot for us.
      I shouldn’t say this, but I can’t see the game without the HD textures anymore either XD

  24. Ascaron says:

    No problem man, keep your head calm and carry on with everything! Life is a constant challenge, but I bet it will get better for you!

  25. Wilkins says:

    i thought the update was supposed to be yesterday? on sunday? are you going to do it today?

    Im too excited XP

    • albert says:

      Haha yes, but I had a looot of encoding problems!! arhhhhg!
      Now I’m preparing the subtitles. So, it’s almost finished 😉

      • Wilkins says:

        Yay! can’t wait to watch…also i couldn’t help but notice the low-poly flashlight in the image above 😛

  26. Willian says:

    Albert Sou do rio de janeiro. Este trabalho maravilhoso que você faz e algo fora do comum. Algo que nem com todo dinheiro do mundo alguém poderia fazer uma obra dessas. Você merece tudo de bom que deus te abençoe!!! ESPERO muito muito muito bom

    • albert says:

      Thank your for taking the time to send this message! Don’t know if we’ll get money but at least we are having a great time hehe 🙂