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Resident Evil Village barely came out a few days ago, and the game has already been called out on social media for allegedly stealing a design concept from an independent artist.
According to Richard Raaphorst, Resident Evil Village plagiarized a creature's design concept without his permission, and no credit was given for the same.
The Dutch film director took to LinkedIn to share this message:
"In 2013, I directed my film, Frankenstein's Army. It's a crazy monster movie filled with my own creature designs, one of which has been used completely without authorization or credit in the newest Resident Evil game."
Richard Raaphorst is a long-time independent film director, well known for his works, such as Children of The Moor, Higgs, Paris I'll Kill You, and Frankenstein's Army, the movie from which the alleged creature design was stolen.
Did Resident Evil Village steal a creature design from Frankenstein's Army?
In the LinkedIn post made by Richard Raaphorst, he alleges that the creature in Resident Evil Village is similar to his creature design and was used without authorization.
"This is shameless," one user said in the post, while another advised Richard Raaphorst to seek a good lawyer, stating:
"Seriously, just (get) a good lawyer on it. Best result. It is indeed shameless."
While it's unclear if the design was stolen, there are striking similarities between the two creatures. The one from Frankenstein's Army is the original, having been showcased in 2013, while the creature in Resident Evil Village is more recent, showcased in 2021.
Both creatures feature what presumably looks like a small plane engine, with its propeller running, and the unit has been strapped or modified to fit on the creature's face and be used as a weapon in close-range combat.
Also read: How to get all weapons in Resident Evil Village
It's unclear whether CAPCOM took inspiration from the design or blatantly plagiarized it, as Richard claims.
One Twitter user seemed to think that the one in Resident Evil Village was more of a similar idea rather than a copy, saying:
"This honestly seems more like a 'similar idea' thing than actually stolen."
As the debate rages on, it's unclear as to what happens next. Based on the evidence at hand, it could be possible that the concept was stolen, as stated by Richard. Or, as suggested by some users, it was similar ideation that drew inspiration from the movie.
Nonetheless, CAPCOM is yet to address these allegations.
Also read: Did Resident Evil Village's post-credit scene hint at a sequel with Rose being the protagonist?
