Resident Evil Has a Brutal Mountain to Hike

The Resident Evil franchise is arguably in a better spot than it's ever been before. Resident Evil's remake series is still selling like hot cakes and performing very well critically, and fans are champing at the bit for a new mainline Resident Evil entry.

While Resident Evil has been on a hot streak before and has seen it all come crashing down suddenly overnight, Capcom seems to have learned from its past mistakes, and it's giving fans exactly what they want. Along with a new mainline Resident Evil game that's already been confirmed to be in development, it's been heavily rumored that Resident Evil 0 and Resident Evil - Code: Veronica remakes are in the works as well. The future is looking bright for the Resident Evil franchise, but it might need to make a big decision about the trajectory of its gameplay soon.

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By Amy Cowley

Resident Evil Has a Tough Decision to Make About Its Future

Resident Evil Has Been Playing It Safe

The last few games in the Resident Evil franchise have been somewhat playing things safe, at least in terms of gameplay. Back in 2019, the Resident Evil 2 remake charted a new course for the franchise, delivering a new iteration of the series' third-person survival horror formula. That same general formula was then reprised for the Resident Evil 3 and 4 remakes, albeit with a few unique gameplay additions.

Resident Evil 3 Remake added a 'Quick Step' mechanic, which delivered a modern take on the original's dodge feature. Resident Evil 4 Remake added another defensive mechanic, this time a parry feature, which allowed players to block oncoming melee attacks and riposte with a kick or punch of their own. Aside from these mechanics, Resident Evil 3 and 4 Remake played very similarly to Resident Evil 2.

It's a similar case with the mainline Resident Evil series. Resident Evil 7 put a modern first-person spin on the franchise's classic survival horror formula, and Resident Evil Village carried much of that same formula forward, adding features like weapon and inventory upgrades, as well as a tiny bit of non-linear exploration.

Resident Evil Has Two Possible Routes Ahead

On the one hand, many fans seem to be happy with the current Resident Evil formula, particularly the remake series' punchy third-person action-horror. If that continues to be the case, then Capcom might want to just stick with its current strategy, where each entry adopts the same general formula and adds one or two new mechanics to help it stand out from its predecessors.

But that might be a slippery slope for Resident Evil. One wrong move and fans might turn around and claim that Capcom is playing it too safe, and that the formula has gotten repetitive. Capcom might want to get ahead of that potential criticism and deliver a total gameplay shake-up soon, something that elevates and reinvents the series' gameplay in ways fans have never seen before.

There have been some big rumors in the last year or so suggesting that Resident Evil 9 may be doing exactly that. Some leaks have claimed that Resident Evil 9 could feature a full open-world design, which would be unlike anything fans of the series have seen thus far. This approach could be a double-edged sword in and of itself, as it could run the risk of changing the franchise's formula too much and displeasing long-time fans. Regardless of which route Resident Evil takes, it's going to be a tricky hike filled with potential pitfalls.

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