Resident Evil fans are currently waiting to see what’s next for Capcom’s survival horror franchise, and every possible direction sounds promising. Leaks have painted Resident Evil 9 as the most ambitious title in the series yet, revisiting some classic characters while pushing into a new, more open format. Meanwhile, Resident Evil‘s remakes have finished adapting Resident Evil 1 through 4, so the next remake could tackle RE5, RE0, or even CODE:Veronica. Thanks to years of accumulated hits, Resident Evil can afford to take whatever path forward it pleases.
Having no obvious next step has its upsides, but also its downsides. Resident Evil 9, whatever form it takes, feels like an inevitability at this point, but it would theoretically only take it and Resident Evil 10 to tie up all of RE’s loose plot threads. Then, there’s the matter of Resident Evil’s remakes not having much worthwhile ground left to cover after adapting some or all three of the previously proposed trio. Resident Evil‘s recent spin-offs haven’t seen much success, so there’s nothing to play off of there, either. It feels like Resident Evil is approaching a point where the only option left is to return to the beginning.
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2024 is the End of an Era for Resident Evil
Unfortunately for fans of the survival-horror franchise, 2024 marks the end of an era for Resident Evil.
Why A Resident Evil Reboot Is Necessary
Once the current storylines involving Chris Redfield’s anti-bioterrorism operations are concluded, potentially with the rumored return of Albert Wesker happening along the way, the Resident Evil franchise should be free to reboot itself. That may sound drastic, but at this point, Resident Evil has developed its world, characters, and B.O.W. monsters to the point where they’re simultaneously pushing the franchise to take major risks in developing novel game ideas, while also binding Resident Evil to its complex history. It’s handled the strain so far, but Resident Evil 6 has already shown the dangers of letting these traits run unchecked.
Resident Evil Is Going To Show Its Age Soon
Wrapping things up before launching a reboot should help Resident Evil transition into a new era. The benefits of a full reboot should bring it the rest of the way, as Resident Evil has a lot of baggage to cast off. Synchronizing in-universe years with mainline Resident Evil games’ release dates has helped fans chart the events of its alternate Earth, but it leaves a lot of gaps in the storytelling, and among Resident Evil‘s veterans, only Jill Valentine has an excuse to stay young after three decades. Combine that with the increasingly complex lore and divergent monster concepts, and it’s easy to see how a reset will help.
How Resident Evil Can Reinvent Itself
An Entirely New Take On Resident Evil Can Keep The Series Alive
Coming into the reboot itself, a fresh start for Resident Evil doesn’t need to discard its entire mechanical and narrative identity, but a lot of it can go. Unless Capcom has a bold new vision for the franchise, refocusing on the confined location of “Resident Evil” and the straightforward threat of a “Biohazard,” like Resident Evil 7: Biohazard attempted, is the best bet. It can’t just be a carbon copy of RE1‘s Spencer Mansion or RE7‘s Baker Estate again, but following their guidelines shouldn’t lead a Resident Evil reboot wrong.
Once this Resident Evil reboot has established its new core, preferably with new characters and a new situation, it can move forward from there. Avoiding direct competition with its old self would be wise, as Resident Evil‘s best entries are so iconic and influential that their comparisons could eat a new effort alive. The reboot could take its pick from the old series’ many gameplay styles, and could even justify bringing fixed camera angles back into the AAA space. Future titles would take it from there, slowly building up a new and hopefully promising series under the old Resident Evil banner.
Survival Horror
Survival
Horror
- Released
-
May 7, 2021
- ESRB
-
M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language