Summary
- Capcom should focus on the main characters and provide more backstory and depth to their experiences, allowing players to learn more about fan-favorite characters.
- The next installment should continue the storyline from previous games, following the success of Resident Evil 7 and Village in creating a connected narrative.
- While it may be difficult to include intense horror elements for characters like Leon, Chris, and Jill, Capcom should address this challenge to benefit the story of the next title.
With a great deal of success and positive praise Capcom has gained since Resident Evil 7 and the inception of the RE Engine, its ninth entry may very well be the subject of a profound change. Given the implementation of the first-person perspective in both Resident Evil 7 and its sequel Resident Evil Village, following the Winters family's story, it is highly likely for Capcom to introduce a new aspect for their next installment.
For most fans, the region that needs a more significant improvement is the story, more specifically with the franchise's main characters many players are accustomed to such as Leon, Chris, Jill, and many more. As both Resident Evil Village and the recent Resident Evil 4 Remake have made efforts to draw players' attention to their stories and characters more than ever, it would be no surprise to see the next title follow suit.
5 Greater Focus On Main Characters
While many of the established Resident Evil main characters have already had the basic details in regard to their backgrounds and backstories revealed in each installment, there have rarely been any Resident Evil titles that contain a great focus on their experiences in the past that come into play with the main story. With the Resident Evil 4 Remake, Capcom was clear to highlight the importance of Leon's encounters with Krauser and Ada once again, with the dialogue between the characters revealing more lore and information on Leon's past.
Whilst this is the case, these have only been built up on the back of previous renditions in the instance of Resident Evil 4, specifically with Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil Darkside Chronicles which includes Operation Javier, standing as the backbone of those aforementioned encounters. For a new installment, it would be great to learn more about fan-favorite characters, by introducing never before seen figures who the main characters once knew before the outbreaks.
4 Continued Storyline For Each Game
Considering the revitalization of the franchise that has stemmed from Resident Evil 7 and Village as two directly connected titles, Capcom's next move for Resident Evil should take notes from its predecessors. Aside from the two aforementioned entries, there has yet to be a set of mainline games that maintain the same storyline as a continuation of the last game or the same characters for any form of progression.
With the format proving to be successful with Resident Evil 7 and Village with Capcom leaving players anticipating what would come next for Ethan and Mia, its next installment should very well do the same. If Capcom decides to focus much further on the narrative side of the franchise, this would be the most suitable method, as seen with titles such as Santa Monica Studios' God of War split up into two games.
3 Horror Focus
Whilst it is important to mention that the Resident Evil 4 Remake has been an incredible success for Capcom, with suggestions of it outdoing the original, a variety of fans felt as though it was lacking in the aspect of horror. In Resident Evil 7 Capcom's attention to detail in horror was clear to see, with its eerie and quiet atmosphere and first-person perspective, giving players a true feeling of terror in its survival horror experience while still being able to defend themselves.
Given the high levels of requests to see fan-favorite characters return to the franchise's forefront, it may be very difficult for Capcom to include horror elements that reach the same levels as the 7th installment. This is specifically due to the levels of capability within characters such as Leon S. Kennedy, Chris Redfield, and Jill Valentine, and how this would be juggled with genuine survival horror and the action fans' have become accustomed to. If Capcom could address this, it would certainly benefit the story of the next title.
2 Greater Stakes
Speaking of the Winters family saga, both recent mainline brand-new titles managed to allow players to become attached to characters, but while also having some of their lives at stake, particularly Ethan. As the main character of the overarching story, many players may not have expected to witness his demise by the end of Village, which was revealed to actually occur at the beginning of Biohazard, and this created an extended level of suspense across both games.
Although this does not mean one of the beloved main characters of the franchise must die in order to achieve this, Capcom should make it imperative that players feel that there is a lot at stake during story arcs, especially since this is a pivotal part of survival horror.
1 Serious/Grounded Tone
When looking at the original Resident Evil 4 back in 2005, fans will instantly recognize the B-movie tone and more cheesy dialogue which played the most important part of its success. With the Resident Evil 4 Remake, the change toward a far more serious, and grounded-in-reality tone, led to arguably a better Resident Evil experience than its original and other entries such as 5 and 6.
In order for Capcom to double down on its stance of keeping the franchise within its back-to-its-roots format, then maintaining the more mature and realistically terrifying journey that characters in Resident Evil 4 experience, then it will create greater continuity allowing for more directly connected storylines with sequels.