TheResident Evilfranchise has entered a short lull between the Winters' Expansion forResident Evil Villageand the much anticipatedResident Evil 4remake. Fans probably have a few years to wait beforeResident Evil 9drops, but they should be busy until then.Resident Evil Village’s DLC has added a ton of replay value to the game, possibly even more than that ofResident Evil 7 Biohazard’s DLCthanks to the third-person campaign. The improved Mercenaries content should set the stage for the inevitable return ofResident Evil 4’s own Mercenaries mode, and the game’s replay-encouraging combat options look to be preserved in the remake.
However, fans still can’t help but wonder what’s next for theResident Evilfranchise. The past two numbered games have wrapped up Ethan Winters’ story arc, and it’s unclear how far the remake line will go afterResident Evil 4.Resident Evil 9should be the next major stop for the series, possibly with another side game in the vein ofResident Evil Re:Versealong the way. However, there aren’t many clues as to what the game will be about. The fact thatResident Evil Village’s epilogue takes place sixteen years after the initial game plays fast and loose with the timeline, and doesn’t address some of its hanging plot threads. The only surefire thing that can be said about the next modernResident Evilis that it will follow its predecessors in de-emphasizing the number in its title.
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Titles and Gameplay Both Changed with Resident Evil 7
Resident Evil 7and8have marked a sort of rebirth for theResident Evilfranchise. AfterResident Evil 4became a runaway success that redefined third-person shooters,Resident Evillost its original identity. In an attempt to recapture the magic ofRE4, Capcom diverted the series from survival horror-action into horror-themed action. A heavy emphasis on multiplayer elements also emerged, and the lion’s share ofREspin-offs became cooperative or competitive titles instead of typicalResident Eviladventures. This was not what fans wanted, and the whole franchise suffered from this direction.
Resident Evil 7was intended to get the series back on track, and it did so with flying colors. Returning toResident Evil’s mansion-based horror roots, players got the chance to explore the Baker family estate. Just to emphasize how different this entry was,Resident Evil 7employed a true everyman protagonistwith no combat experience, and shifted the whole game into first-person. For its final differentiating detail,Resident Evil 7became the first entry sinceResident Evil 3: Nemesisto adopt a subtitle, that beingResident Evil’s Japanese nameBiohazard. It did, however, make a point of hiding the Roman numeral for seven in the “vil” part of “Resident Evil.” This was a fresh take on the classic horror franchise, and its success meant that fans hadn’t seen the last of its unique traits.
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Resident Evil Village Crystallized The Change to RE’s Name
Next cameResident Evil 8, which was immediately rechristened toResident Evil Village. Like in the previous game, the Roman numeral indicating the game’s place in mainlineREwas hidden somewhere in the logo. This time, the “Vill” inVillageserved as the perfect place for a Roman eight.Resident Evil Villagecarries on whatResident Evil 7did in many ways, but its title dropping the typical number in advertising is one of the more subtle. It does work to group the Winters games together, but there is a more practical reason for it.
Long-running media franchises have a tendency to start off numbering their entries, but abandon those numbers as they go on. This is meant to attract new fans, and make it appear like this new entry is a good starting point. How much that’s true can vary, but it is successful enough to keep happening. The recent pair ofGod of Wargames aretechnicallyGod of War 4and5, but they have distanced themselves enough from prior entries to ditch the numbers. TheFinal FantasyandDragon Questfranchises are the exceptions that prove the rule, taking pride in their ever climbing numbers.
How Changes To Resident Evil 7 and 8 Will Impact 9
There’s a good chance thatResident Evil 9will not return to the gameplay of the originalResident Eviltrilogy, the action ofRE4,5, and6, the remakes, or the Winters duology. With the firm statement that Ethan Winters’ story has concluded and a return to third-person gameplay in the Winters' Expansion,Resident Evil 9is shaping up to be something altogether different. It could be ahybrid ofResident Evil’s iterations, or it could try something new. Regardless, it should set itself apart from the rest of the series, and signpost that it’s doing so upfront. Masking its designation as the ninthResident Evilwith a subtitle will likely return fromBiohazardandVillage.
What that will be is a mystery for now.Capcom’sResident Evilfranchiseis ripe for expansion in any direction, with the past couple games having essentially introduced magic to the setting. The series has established itself as a globetrotting adventure, with the nearby settings of the initial trilogy quickly giving way to foreign soil. Even the return to North America inResident Evil 7shifted backdrops to the swampy southern parts of the United States.
Regardless ofwhatResident Evil 9turns out to be, its subtitle will probably foreshadow some significant part of it, in addition to having some letters in it forming the Roman numeral IX, or nine. Whether it’s a return to zombies or continuing the current narrative of biological threats resembling other monsters,Resident Evil 9and its true name should make for a novel experience.
