Future Resident Evil Games Must Uphold Their Antagonist Formula

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home December 25, 2024 3 Views 6 Min Read
Future Resident Evil Games Must Uphold Their Antagonist Formula

Resident Evil is a series that, more than anything, loves to defy traditions and begin anew at any given moment. This has led to a severe lack of closure for its legacy characters, much less a lack of cohesion in its storytelling, but it’s also allowed the franchise to refuse going stale and risk reaching an untimely expiration date. That said, Resident Evil seems committed to its biggest attempt at a dedicated throughline in a while lately via Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village with Resident Evil 9 expected to follow that throughline. Therefore, because Village supposedly concluded the Winters family’s saga with Rosemary’s Shadows of Rose DLC, it’s logical to assume that Resident Evil 9 would star Chris Redfield in Europe despite what a handful of leaks have suggested recently.

Regardless, Resident Evil’s antagonists have always been as iconic as its protagonists and Resident Evil 7 and Village even tip the scale in the villains’ favor for once. That’s not to say Ethan is a horrible protagonist, especially after such a gripping twist involving him in Village, and yet both of the Winters saga games feature some of the franchise’s most charming and haunting antagonists. A new trend seems to be forming where players are met with exceedingly large groups of main villains and, if Resident Evil 9 perpetuates it, the ninth entry should be packed with lovable and detestable antagonists galore.

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Resident Evil 7’s Baker Family is an Unforgettable Horror Trio

The best character in Resident Evil 7 is arguably the Baker estate itself. Still, it could’ve felt empty and unintimidating if the family who owned it weren’t as animated and scary as they were. The Bakers—Jack, Marguerite, and Lucas—are all victims of the Mold and assume the sadistic, sinister characteristics of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’s Sawyers in a decrepit home caked with rot.

Jack is a persistent threat who unfailingly respawns; Marguerite transforms into a terrifying insectoid; and Lucas, whose antics lean more toward Saw or Hostel in their graphic, torturous nature, is essentially a grating maniac. Evelyn is technically the real villain in Resident Evil 7, but it’s these three who perfume and sustain the whole seventh mainline installment. If Resident Evil 9 is more horror-oriented than Village, taking as many notes as possible from Resident Evil 7 would be a massive boon.

Resident Evil Village’s Entourage of Villains is as Zany as It is Thrilling

While Resident Evil 7’s villains are rooted to the Baker estate (regardless of how sweeping and horrifying that Louisiana land is), Resident Evil Village giving each of its main antagonists their own distinct regions is a blessing for level design and overall fantastical immersion. Each landscape is a signature of its respective antagonist between Lady Alcina Dimitrescu’s Castle Dimitrescu, Donna Beneviento’s House Beneviento, Salvatore Moreau’s Reservoir, and Karl Heisenberg’s factory, let alone the eponymous village players can explore.

  • Castle Dimitrescu, which was explorable in an early demo of Village, is only one chapter of a huge story and includes three boss fights against Dimitrescu’s three vampire daughters.
  • House Beneviento is an abrupt plunge into survival horror in the franchise’s most salient descent into terror in decades.
  • The Reservoir is a spectacle as Ethan wades through filthy water while trying to evade a giant fish-like Moreau.
  • Heisenberg’s factory pits Ethan against soldat cyborg experimentations.

It’s easy to pick favorites of these villains and a big portion of why one character may be favored over another is likely due to the region players explore before they even encounter them. House Beneviento’s Angie boss fight isn’t nearly as engrossing as the eerie, subversive house’s basement level, for instance.

But, not unlike Resident Evil 7, Village’s eccentric villains are compelling and charismatic in every cutscene. Resident Evil 9 doesn’t necessarily need another handful of antagonists in order to be as strong narratively, and yet it’s been terrific to see such diversity in personalities and characters. Denying the upcoming ninth mainline installment of multiple villains would mean that its sole protagonist would have unfathomably big shoes to fill, though continuously coming up with highly likeable and memorable villains is surely unenviable, too.

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