The Resident Evil franchise has no shortage of spinoffs. The franchise has seen light-gun shooters like Resident Evil: Survivor and Darkside Chronicles, multiplayer-focused games like Resident Evil: Outbreak and Operation Raccoon City, and plenty in between.
These Resident Evil spinoffs weren't always great, but they did add a lot of variety to the franchise, spicing up the series between classic survival horror mainline entries. But aside from a few poorly received multiplayer modes, the Resident Evil franchise hasn't produced many spinoffs in the last decade. It could be fun to see some more, and Resident Evil's Mercenaries mode might hold the key to a very unique kind of RE spinoff.
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Mercenaries Paves The Way for a Villain-Focused Resident Evil Spinoff
Resident Evil's Mercenaries Mode Lays The Foundations for a Villain-Focused Game
Since the very dawn of Resident Evil's Mercenaries mode all the way back in 1999's Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, players have been given the opportunity to play as the series' bad guys. RE3's Mercenaries mode allowed players to hop into the combat boots of Nikolai Zinoviev, Resident Evil 4 and 5 let players take control of the simultaneously cool and campy Albert Wesker, and Resident Evil Village handed players Karl Heisenberg's hammer and Lady Dimitrescu's claws.
In each iteration, these Resident Evil antagonists come equipped with their own unique set of weapons and abilities, all tailored around the movesets they use against the series' protagonists. Those who have played all of Resident Evil's Mercenaries modes already have a good understanding of what these villains feel like to play as.
The weight of their movements, the strength of their attacks, and even small things like their height in comparison to other enemies have already been figured out over the years. In delivering these playable antagonists over the decades, Capcom has laid some strong foundations for a potential villain-focused Resident Evil spinoff.
A Villain-Focused Resident Evil Spinoff Has No Shortage of Possibilities
While the concept might seem a little out of left field to begin with, a Resident Evil spinoff that puts players in the role of the franchise's most iconic antagonists could be a great way to spice up the series and keep the current cycle of mainline entries and remakes from going stale. There are plenty of different routes Capcom could explore with this general premise.
One villain-focused RE spinoff could see players taking control of Albert Wesker during the events of the first Resident Evil. A standalone Albert Wesker adventure set sometime between RE1 and RE5 could also yield some fun results, with players being able to grow his Prototype Virus powers throughout the course of the game.
Alternatively, Capcom could embrace the franchise's wackier side, and create a Resident Evil spinoff that sees players controlling the series' antagonists in a "What If?" Scenario where the villains actually win. This game could cover some of Resident Evil's most memorable boss fights, but have the player take on the villain's role, giving them the rare opportunity to face off against beloved protagonists like Leon Kennedy, Jill Valentine, and Chris Redfield.
Resident Evil 4
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 92 /100 Critics Rec: 98%
- Released
- March 24, 2023
- ESRB
- M for Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Publisher(s)
- Capcom
- Engine
- RE Engine
- Franchise
- Resident Evil
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
