Much like the mutating viruses that feature heavily throughout its titles, theResident Evilfranchise has constantly challenged itself to adapt and evolve with the ever-changing times throughout its near 25 years. These new directions have had their ups and downs in the eyes of fans and critics alike, but one thing is certain: the series never stays the same for long.
WithResident Evil 8eemingly set to launch next year, it’s time to take a trip through the franchise’s lifetime and examine the transformations that the games underwent, and what changes players can expect in the series' next release.
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Humble Beginnings: Resident Evil 1 - Resident Evil 3
Capcom made a major impact on the gaming industry when it released the firstResident Evilin 1996, changing the survival-horror genre forever. The game was filled with a haunting atmosphere and startling scares, but succeeded most of all in making the player feel that they were never quite safe as they explored the halls of the Spencer Mansion. With more memorable moments than one can count,Resident Evilbecame an instant classic, with remakes and remasters of the original game, selling millions of copies to this day.
Resident Evil 2andResident Evil 3would capitalize on the first game’s success, sticking with the core formula while expanding the game’s world, withRE3only slightly changing the structure by centering on one protagonist rather than giving the player the option to choose betweentwo main characters like inRE1andRE2. The second always proved to be more popular than the third, which remains true even with the latest remakes.
Less Horror, More Action: Resident Evil 4 - Resident Evil 6
Resident Evil 4marked a turning point for the biggest name in survival-horror. Gameplay was completely revamped for the series newest entry, with returning protagonist Leon Kennedy being followed by an over-the-shoulder camera that made movement and shooting smoother than ever. In addition to better controls, the action in the game received a major shot in the arm. Instead of slowly steering through cramped hallways, Leon was now fighting off an angry mob of chainsaw-wielding villagers, riding through mine carts, and dashing and dodging throughaction-packed quicktime events.
The game wasn’t without its scares, however, as some of the seriesmost terrifying foes made their debut inRE4. The combination of action and horror was a major success, and Capcom once again chose to go all-in on the successful formula withResident Evil 5andResident Evil 6. As the games became more adrenaline-fueled, however, they began to lose the elements that made theResident Evilseries great. Heavy emphasis on co-op erased the feeling of isolation evoked by the earlier games, and changing the open, progressive structure of the world to a series of replayable missions took away all the tension. WhileRE6delivered the most action-packedResident Evilyet, it also marked the point where the series lost the adoration of many of its longtime fans.
A Return to Form: Resident Evil 7
Fans were disappointed withResident Evil 6, and Capcom listened. Instead of merely returning to the style of its earlier games however,Resident Evilonce again reinvented itself withResident Evil 7: Biohazard.Taking the series back to its terrifying roots, the game put players in the shoes of an entirely new character, trapped in a Louisiana mansion inhabited by entirely new villains. Action was subdued, with players forced to make their shots count instead of freely unloading on scores of enemies. WithBiohazard, Capcom had injected new life into a franchise that once seemed to be dying.
Improving the Past: RE2 Remake and RE3 Remake
After the success ofRE7,Capcom set itself upon remakingResident Evils 2and3. These wouldn’t be ordinary HD remasters, as these were entirely new games. Made from scratch on current-gen engines,Resident Evil 2: RemakeandResident Evil 3: Remakebrought the PS1 classics into the future, retelling their stories with all-new graphics, voice-acting, and cinematics. The gameplay was also revamped, adopting controls similar toResident Evil 6and remaking old bossfights and encounters of the new controls, the remakes sought to keep everything great about the old games, while adding improvements for the current generation.
While most gamers agreed thatRE2: Remakebetter captured the feel of the original thanRE3: Remake, both games were lauded for their polish and attention to detail. WithCapcom supposedly interested in remaking moreResident Eviltitles,the future looks bright for fans of the original games looking to jump into action one more time.
The Future: Resident Evil 8
With the remakes on hold asResident Evil 8looks to pick up whereBiohazardleft off, rumors and leaks are already swirling as to how the upcoming title will build upon the strengths of its predecessor. With everything includingwerewolves, medieval castles, and magicrumored to be in the game, time will only tell whatRE8has in store for gamers. The most verifiable leaks suggest that the game will be in first-person likeRE7and feature Chris Redfield as a protagonist, which makes sense giving how the last game ended. The rumored castle setting appears reminiscent ofResident Evil 4, which would suggest that the series is once again seeking inspiration from its past. Either way,Resident Evil 8seems geared to once again change the face of theResident Evilfranchise.
