So, here we go. After several years of speculation, hope and more than a little whining on internet forums, the Resident Evil 2 remake is finally on its way. It’s going to be something special for franchise fans. Maybe a little too special. Over in Japan, the collector’s edition is changing the game forever.
A lot of gamers, as we all know, tend to be collectors as well. There’s a certain level of commitment you need to have to get Kratos, Samus or Master Chief tattooed on your shoulder, and that’s no problem at all for some of us. If you consider yourself a dedicated gamer, you’ve probably got at least a few figures, posters, tie-in books and soundtrack CDs on shelves somewhere.
It’s in our blood. This is why Amiibos, Totaku and the like exist. It’s also the reason for the popularity of collector’s editions of games. These will differ wildly from title to title, in terms of contents, pricetag and whether the two actually add up (Okami HD for Switch has a neat-looking one), but there’s always somebody who takes things just a shade too far.
While Resident Evil fans have been hoping for the second game to be remade for some time (since the magnificent REmake), not many are going to be keen to shell out $900 for it. Nevertheless, over in Japan, that’s the asking price for a very special Collector’s Edition.
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What do you get for that super high price? A Bluetooth typewriter, that’s what you get. It’s modelled, naturally, on the very same typewriters that players use to save their progress in the series. There’s also an Ink Ribbon thrown in with the package, even if it is just masking tape.
The typewriter alone, according to Metro, costs around about $675, or you can buy it with the game for about $750. To arrive at the final $900 total, you’ve got to buy the Premium Edition, which is the game and typewriter plus the extras from the US ‘Z Version’ (an art book, item box and statuette of Leon S. Kennedy). There’s no word yet whether the same Z Version will release in Europe.
So, there you go. If that sort of thing is your bag, you hop onto Capcom’s Japanese store and open your wallet.
There’s one other caveat, though: according to a canny Metro reader, the typewriter is just a subtly reskinned QwirkyWriter S Typewriter-Inspired Mechanical Keyboard (as made by Qwerky Toys). It may not be as exclusive as you'd think. And twice the price.