"Resident Evil 1.5" is the unofficial name for an early, incomplete version of the 1998 survival horror game Resident Evil 2. It was under development by Capcom for the PlayStation, and was directed by Hideki Kamiya and produced by Shinji Mikami. Beginning development a month after the completion of Resident Evil in early 1996, the game was drastically different than the completed version of Resident Evil 2. It starred a female biker, Elza Walker, rather than Claire Redfield. It ultimately reached 60-80% completion before development was restarted nearly from scratch.
With builds rumored to be circulating since the 1990s, Resident Evil 1.5 became the focus of dedicated fans and video game preservationists to obtain and release a copy to the public. Purchased by a small group of fans in 2011 from a video game collector and kept private, a half-finished version was leaked online in 2013. While a more complete version of the game is theorized to be possessed by Capcom, it has never been shared in any capacity. Despite this, the game's existence has been referenced by Capcom, who included Elza's motorcycle suit as an unlockable costume for Claire in Resident Evil 2's remake.
Gameplay
Resident Evil 1.5 played in a fairly similar manner to the eventual Resident Evil 2, but had some differences in its mechanics. It featured less puzzles, and a more standard keycard system to unlock areas. Vials of medicine replaced the series' traditional healing herbs, and players were able to equip two tiers of upgraded armor, an RPD bulletproof vest and high-tech Umbrella Corporation body armor, represented visually on their character model. Rather than a character limping when injured, their clothing would gradually become more damaged.
Plot
Characters
The story of Resident Evil 1.5 was split into two scenarios that both took place during a zombie apocalypse in Raccoon City, similar to Resident Evil 2, though, in 1.5, they never overlapped. While the actions of one character affected the environment of the other, they did not physically meet each other. The first scenario revolved around Leon S. Kennedy, who was carried over into the final game. While still a rookie police officer, rather than entering town at the start of the game, he was already on the roof of the Raccoon Police Station, attempting to defend it from undead. Leon would meet two NPCs who helped him escape, who, despite being featured in the final game, were significantly different in 1.5. Marvin Branagh, a police officer who perishes from a zombie infection partway through Resident Evil 2, was a sidekick in 1.5, surviving through most if not all of the game. Ada Wong, sent to retrieve the G-Virus, was not merely a spy, but also an actual Umbrella Corporation researcher.
The second scenario starred Elza Walker, a blonde motorcyclist who was replaced by Claire in the final game. Despite having similar traits as Claire, she was not related to any existing characters, and simply arrived at the police station after crashing her bike into its front entrance. There were three main supporting characters in Elza's route - John, a fellow civilian found in an RPD prison cell, whose role was later divided between Robert Kendo, owner of the gun store, and Ben Bertolucci, a reporter, in the finished game - Roy, an RPD officer who later became zombified, and Sherry Birkin, who was also featured in Resident Evil 2 with a similar role.
Characters who appeared in both routes included Annette Birkin, Chief Brian Irons, who was initially a helpful and professional supporting character rather than insane and villainous, and William Birkin, who was without most of his transformations.
Story
While the story of 1.5 generally resembled its final incarnation, some aspects were different. Umbrella Corporation, rather than escaping any serious responsibility for the events of Resident Evil, is instead closed down entirely based on the testimony of the surviving members of STARS. As the developers had assumed the first game would not be a massive success, it was intended to be the conclusion of the series and put all unanswered questions to rest. The T-Virus is spread throughout Raccoon City by escaped creatures from Umbrella's underground labs. After fighting through the police station, which looked more modern, as the idea to depict it as a former museum had not yet materialized, both characters then travel into the sewers in search of Umbrella's secret lab, ending up being forced to fight William Birkin. As much of the story text, as well as the game's FMVs, are missing from leaked builds, it is difficult to piece together specific details.