Summary
At the moment,Resident Evilfans are waiting to see what the survival horror franchise does next.Resident Evil VillageandResident Evil 4’s remake have both finished their post-launch updates, withRE8also wrapping upRE7’s Winters family saga. Common theories for what’s next includeResident Evil 9, aCODE:Veronicaremake, or anRE5remake, and some rumors have suggested that a return to mainline games is next.Resident Evil 9has many options ifRE7andVillage’s first-person perspective doesn’t return as its main gimmick, and a credible leak has singled one out.
Known Capcom leaker Dusk Golem, going by AestheticGamer1 on Twitter, has made a couple of statements aboutResident Evil 9over the past year, building a picture of it being the largest and most expensiveResident Evilyet. “Largest” is key here, as Dusk Golem’s late-March 2024 tweets claimed thatRE9was greenlit close toDragon’s Dogma 2andMonster Hunter Wildsas projects expanding the open-world functionality of Capcom’s RE Engine. Dusk Golem added that each game would maintain its series’ distinct DNA, suggesting thatResident Evil 9could use its risky open-world ventureto magnifyResident Evil’s existing strengths.
How Resident Evil Has Handled Its Characters So Far
This might come as a surprise givenResident Evil’s monster fixation and rotating human cast, but the franchise is heavily character-driven. From the very first game,Resident Evil’s goofy charm is often expressed through its protagonists, supporting cast, and villains, with a lot of incidental lore and collectibles fleshing out their place in its setting. Keeping track of it all has become a mess asResident Evilramped up its spin-off production, but recurring faces like Jill Valentine, Albert Wesker, Barry Burton, and more have endeared its zombie-fighting action to countless fans.
Resident Evil’s Characters Typically Just Grow Through Seniority
Resident Evil’s focus on gameplay over intricate storytelling is usually to its advantage, and recent entries have enhanced characters further through extra dialogue tied to in-game events like Mr X’s debut in theRE2remake. However, this also means thatResident Evilprotagonists often fall back on common action lead stereotypes to keep gameplay moving forward. Franchise icons like Chris Redfield and Leon S. Kennedy have had enough screen time to escape this to some extent, but newcomers likeResident Evil 7’s Ethan Winters, and the various one-off characters fromResident Evil 5and onward, haven’t had the room to make as strong of an impression.
A Massive Resident Evil 9 Could Support A Greater Character Focus
If its rumors hold true,Resident Evil 9could finally buck that trend. An open-world might risk upsetting the careful balance of resource management, navigation, and horror thatResident Evilhas built, but it also offers plenty of chances to characterize its major players.Resident Evil 9’s campaign will presumably be longer than average, giving the game’s cast more time to open up, develop, and bounce off each other. ShouldResident Evil 9introduce another round of heroes and villains, this extra space to grow could be vital for endearing them to fans and integrating them intoRE’s universe.
Giving Resident Evil Characters Room To Breath Should Help Them Shine
Even ifResident Evil 9turns out to feature a returning protagonist like Chris Redfield, more room for character work could still benefit them. Much likeThe Evil Within 2,RE9’s open-world could include various distractionsand survivors for player characters to interact with. That’s not even getting into what a largerResident Evilgame could do with documents and other collectibles, with players potentially spending hours inRE9finding extra lore or hidden rooms accompanied by commentary from the living cast. Pivoting to an open-world is a gamble, butResident Evil 9and its characters could make the format work for them.
