Hold onto your hats, Resident Evil fans! Capcom officially revealed they're working on the next mainline entry in the long-running horror franchise. This comes after the well-received Resident Evil 4 Remake last year and with the previous mainline title, Village, launching back in 2021. It's safe to say it's prime time for a new installment to the series.
Details are scarce, but there's one key piece of information that's sure to get players excited: Koshi Nakanishi, the director behind the critically acclaimed Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, will be at the helm. Nakanishi's vision for RE7 is what brought the Resident Evil series back on the radar after the last two middling releases, RE5 and RE6.
He introduced a first-person perspective and a more confined, intense setting compared to past entries. This overhaul made the experience feel more up close and personal. With the classic Resident Evil mechanic of your bullets barely hurting the horrors chasing you and how for once you explored a twisted home where there were Residents who were evil, it was truly a thrilling revamp of the series.
Nakanishi himself acknowledged the challenge of following up RE8 but also expressed enthusiasm for his substantial new idea for the next game. He has said how he has finally found the inspiration that will be the X factor, or so to speak, of this new installment. This hints at another potential overhaul for the series, which is very exciting as a long-running Resident Evil fan myself!
There have been reports that this new entry is going to be in an open-world setting and before writing that idea off, get this: The Evil Within 2 has already proved to us that an open-world setting can work well with horror themes, and Resident Evil 4 Remake and Resident Evil: Village is also largely open, and that has not detracted from the experience one bit. As long as Capcom gets their A team to work on this, which it seems they will, and makes sure the Resident Evil vibe we know and love is present, this only forbodes good news for the series.
With protagonist Ethan Winters' story seemingly concluded in Village, speculation swirls about who will take center stage. I’m hoping to see Ethan’s daughter Rose, or maybe a series veteran like Chris Redfield, who you could play as in a certain portion of Resident Evil: Village, be playable in the sequel.
It would also be a delight to be able to play Leon Kennedy once again as I can’t seem to get enough of his campy, but badass one-liners.
While concrete details remain scant, one thing's for certain: Resident Evil's next chapter is officially in development, and it promises to be a thrilling evolution for one of the best and longest-running horror franchises. It has been a while since we have seen some new characters in the series, so I am stoked to see what Capcom has in store for us.
Ahnaf Tajwar
Editor, NoobFeed