The Resident Evil Renaissance Continues
The Resident Evil 4 Remake has once again proved that Capcom has perfected its formula for making successful Resident Evil games in the current generation.
Ten years ago many feared that the beloved survival-horror series would fade away. After Resident Evil 6 was met with a reaction between lukewarm and negative, there wasn’t much hope for future releases.
RE6 was my first Resident Evil game. Even at the time, I could see the flaws that many longtime fans were disappointed to see. Since playing RE6, I have attempted to play the remake of the first Resident Evil and RE7. Additionally, I had the pleasure to playthrough RE4, RE5, and the remakes of both RE2 and RE3.
Like many players, I have grown quite fond of the original RE4. I own this title on multiple platforms. I look forward to playing through the remake on my PS5, and I am happy to hear that the remake is being well received.
Capcom proudly reported that Resident Evil 4 sold over 3 million units in a few days. What impresses me more than the record-breaking, stock-rising sales is how Capcom has quickly released several well-made Resident Evil games in a relatively short time.
Since the successful soft-reboot RE7 launched in 2017, the hits kept coming. The gaming community was blessed with the two classic Playstation One remakes along with RE8 and now RE4.
In today’s gaming industry, quick turnouts of games or long development times have both become frowned-upon strategies. Finding the right time to announce and begin promoting a title is tricky to pull off.
Between RE7 and the RE2 remake, DLC was released for RE7 to extend its longevity. Following RE2 was the RE3 remake about a year later. 2021 saw RE8 with dlc released in 2022 and 2023.
The only one of these titles with serious criticism was the RE3 remake. Many felt this game came out too soon after the RE2 remake. It also launched with a multiplayer mode that players did not click with.
The announcement of an RE4 remake was revealed much quicker than many anticipated. To many, this is not only the best Resident Evil title but one of the most beloved games ever.
A title that arguably did not require or even demand a remake made many fans nervous that Capcom would be releasing one too many Resident Evil games. Some fans believed that other titles such as Resident Evil Zero or Resident Evil Code Veronica made more sense for the remake.
There was some anxiety that Capcom was about to ship out a rushed Resident Evil game. What would have made it worse was that the game that broke the camel’s back could have been an unsuccessful remake of the iconic Resident Evil 4.
After the first teaser of gameplay and the chainsaw demo released to the public fans, the community was put at ease. The results speak for themselves. But what does this mean for the direction of the series? The formula works well, so if it ain’t broke why should Capcom fix it?
Based on the pattern of titles being announced we should expect to hear rumblings of a sequel to Resident Evil Village in a year or so. A hypothetical RE9 is expected to be another first-person survival horror title akin to RE7 and RE8.
Expect More Remakes
Will we see more remakes? I strongly believe that RE5 and RE6 will receive the remake treatment. The RE Engine has served Capcom well. It would make sense for all the games to be available on modern platforms with similar tones and aesthetics.
By remaking all the main games, the series will be more uniform. One can look at the logo used in all three of the recent remakes or the attempts to keep the main characters’ voice actors the same.
Looking at the character design of Chris Redfield from RE1 to RE5 and then to RE8, he looks and has three different voice actors. The same goes with Leon. He went from a rookie cop to the one-liner dropping action hero bodyguard by the fourth game.
With an RE5 and RE6 remake, Capcom would likely bring back Nick Apostolides as Leon and Nicole Tompkins as Ashley. These remakes could also bring back Jeff Schine who portrayed Chris in RE8. Making the characters more consistent in appearance and personality helps newer fans who jump into the series grow more attached to the characters.
Before RE7, the series divided fans. The first three games are considered the horror titles while the last three were viewed as the dumb action titles.
For those that think remaking two games from the seventh generation is too soon look no further than “EA’s Dead Space Remake”. This remake came out a little before RE4’s remake. The title’s success proves that gamers feel enough time has passed for their beloved PS3 and 360 games to be remade.
2008 was over ten years ago. The original RE was remade for Gamecube roughly five years after the first release.
RE5 and RE6 are not as loved by the fans. They are often pointed out as the games that made Resident Evil go too far with the action. When Chirs Redfield punches a boulder in the volcano, he might as well have been the Fonz jumping the shark.
These two titles probably deserved a remake more than Resident Evil 4. However, since the bridge was already crossed, Capcom might as well finish the job.
The plot and tone of these two titles can be adjusted to be a little less over-the-top action. Ideally, it will strike a balance as it did in RE8 and the RE4 remake.
RE6 featured three playable characters, Leon, Chris, and Jake. The three campaigns were intended to offer three styles to appeal to all demographics. Like the Sonic Adventure titles, splitting the characters up did not work. A remake of 6 can perhaps trim the fat and keep the gameplay at two protagonists like the classic titles.
RE5 was also controversial at the time due to its setting in Africa. The depiction of Africa would not fly today. If a remake for 5 is coming, efforts to rectify those poor decisions would be wise, and to some, justify the remake.
Similar controversy may be revisited with RE6 since most of the game features an outbreak in China. If there are any awkward aspects to the last two Resident Evil titles before RE7, then these remakes can serve a purpose to make them age better.
Additionally, those two games featured cooperative campaigns. These alone can make returning to those titles in potential remakes worth it.
Would Capcom make a Resident Evil Remake Remake?
What might be even more concerning for Resident Evil players than the prospect of Resident Evil 4 being remade is the possibility of Resident Evil 1 getting the treatment.
The original Resident Evil was faithfully recreated on GameCube back in 2002. It was only a few short years since the original game was released in 1996, but the graphic improvements improved the game exponentially.
Unlike the recent remakes, the first remake kept the gameplay the same. As I mentioned earlier with the Capcom RE engine, I can see how Capcom may want to go back to make RE1 in the style of 2019 RE2 and 2020 RE3. This method incorporates an over-the-shoulder third-person view.
Devoted fans have already made their own mods. The community has made the original Resident Evil playable from the over-the-shoulder perspective trademarked by RE4.
Resident Evil 8 recently received an update that lets players experience the game in the third person. This update makes RE8 similar to the remakes, further unifying the presentation of the mainline games released over the past few years.
A Resident Evil Remake Remake sounds like a lame April Foo’ls joke. However, Capcom is the same company that released four versions of Street Fighter Four. If The Last of Us can be remastered, remade, and ported in just ten years, then the prospect of a second Resident Evil remake in the modern style is not too perplexing.
Resident Evil 4’s remake has proven that the series is a reliable cash cow. Being able to thread the needle of remaking a beloved game without replacing it would embolden Capcom to keep the current pace of output.
For better or worse Resident Evil fans should continue to eat well until one of these releases ends up in an apocalyptic disaster. Luckily, Resident Evil 4’s turn in the remake has been a critical and financial success so the fans can rest easy.
Did you pick up the RE4 Remake? Is this your first experience with Resident Evil 4 ? Join the conversation in the comment section.
