Gameplay from the PlayStation 2's Piglet's Big Game went viral for its surprisingly effective survival horror-inspired design, and the original developers have revealed they intended the game to keep kids uneasy throughout. The mostly forgotten Piglet's Big Game resurfaced online thanks to clips of the beloved Winnie the Pooh character traversing environments that could fit in Resident Evil. Now, the director of the 2003 PS2 game has shared that Resident Evil was actually an inspiration for the kid's game.

As spotted by inspired by Resident Evil, the main reference for the devs. Here's what Pascal wrote in the original pitch document from 2002:

It will be very important to balance moments of tension with moments of relaxation and genuine laughter, at this alternation — along with elements of discovery and challenge — will create the game's addictive quality and keep players wanting to continue.

A 'Cartoon Resident Evil' With Staying Power

Piglet's Big Game Is Having A Moment The Devs Are Enjoying

In Pascal's shared documents, Piglet's Big Game was called a "kind of cartoon Resident Evil dealt with in a comic way." This is clear when watching clips of the gameplay that include the signature fixed camera angles the survival horror classic pioneered. The documents also show that the dev team kept the game focused on fear by making Piglet's health a "frightening gauge" they didn't include on screen. Instead, Piglet had 3 levels of fear: a normal state, a worried state, and a panic state, in which Piglet would react to his fear in a cartoonish way before the player was sent to the previous checkpoints. In essence, he was frightened to death without the dying part.

The developer's commitment to a horror comedy experience that was still unnerving has led to some examining how Piglet's Big Game makes the most of limited hardware, like how the Silent Hill games did on PlayStation. Pascal has also provided a wealth of behind-the-scenes documents, including concept art for the grimaces poor Piglet would make throughout as the Hefalumps, the monster enemies in the game, scared him. Enthusiasm for the game has even led to original PS2 copies of Piglet's Big Game running up as high as $300 on eBay, according to Game Rant. It's a moment Pascal is sharing with many of the other devs on the game who are still in the industry.

Our Take: It's Good Retro Games Aren't Forgotten

Piglet's Big Game Is A Strange Game That Should Be Celebrated

It's a wild concept to let kids guide Piglet through a horror-inspired version of the Hundred Acre Wood, but it fits when you consider Piglet is defined by anxiety. Horror is the perfect genre to confront anxiety, and the game allows kids to overcome their fears in a safe virtual environment. It also shows that retro games still have design elements that are still. impactful

It's great that Piglet's Big Game is being rediscovered by a wider audience that appreciates it not only for its meme potential but also for its quality that harkens back to the lost era of tie-in games on the PS2. Pascal should take this victory lap with pride, as the team made something that ed the test of time.

Sources: GamesRadar+, Twitter, Game Rant