In recent years, survival horror has seen quite the return to form in a number of ways, from franchises both big and small. Survival horror games have simultaneously veered between heavy action elements and limited and vulnerable experiences. Very few franchises have attempted both styles, but one of the biggest survival horror franchises has done both to varying degrees of success.Resident Evilhas ebbed and flowed between action and atmospheric horror over the last few decades, through what many described as an identity crisis.
More recently the series has been able to find its footing in its roots, especially withResident Evil 2/3 Remakereceiving great praise. The general consensus ofResident Evilhorror fans believe bringing the series back to its atmospheric and vulnerable origins makes for better games. Games likeResident Evil 4/5/6have received overall mixed reception for how it significantly changed the franchise’s trajectory from subtle horror to straight-up action games. Now, presumably with aResident Evil 8on the horizon, there’s a lot riding on this game’s reception, as it may mark the next generation ofResident Evilgames to come.
Highest Highs, Lowest Lows
The reason the eighth mainlineResident Evilentry has a lot to live down is mostly because of the evolution that began withResident Evil 4. Even though in a lot of waysResident Evil 4had a heavy influence on third-person shooter games as a whole, the fourth game was the progenitor for some ofResident Evil’s least favorable games.Resident Evil 6in particular was middling at best, with all of its action-oriented gameplay reflecting a total disconnect from atmospheric horror in favor of thrilling and gorey horror.Every game sinceResident Evil 6has made great stridesto distance the series from this image, and for good reason.
Capcom and theResident Evildevelopment team recognized that fans did not resonate with this version of horror games, so the series made yet another big change. Despite the seventh entry being very different from other games in the series in many ways,Resident Evil 7notably broughtResident Evilback to its core valuesof vulnerable and terrifying horror. The remakes ofResident Evil 2andResident Evil 3: Nemesisfurther emphasized the franchise’s desire to return to form, whilst retaining the familiar third-person camera pioneered inResident Evil 4.Resident Evil 8may draw more from its predecessor, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing per se.
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Keeping the Spirit of Resident Evil
So long asResident Evil 8continues championing the revived spirit of horror fromResident Evil 7, the series will be in a good place. There’s been plenty of wild rumors about this next game changingResident Evilin strange and potentially mythical ways. Numerous rumors about the nextResident Evilgame have detailed werewolves, witches, vampires, medieval castles, and numerous other unusual elements. At least on their own, these concepts aren’t too radical forResident Evil, so long as their inclusion doesn’t unnaturally shift the game’s tone from impactful, long-lasting horror.PreviousResident Evilgames have had monsterslike mutated alligators, giant mechatronic statues of Spanish princes, towering “Tyrant” soldiers sporting trench coats, medieval suits of armor, and a number of other strange monsters or experiments.
Even if the game retains the first person perspective pioneered inResident Evil 7, it harkens back to the same argument. TraditionalResident Evilgames have either featured fixed camera angles or an over-the-shoulder third person perspective.Resident Evil 7was the first to pioneer the perspective for the franchise, and that shouldn’t turn away fans of the series either. It’s the perfect way for the series to experiment with its signature atmospheric horror whilst also developing a world from a completely different view. If there’s any valid credit that can collectively be given toallResident Eviltitles, it’s that the franchise is not afraid to experiment with its mechanics and gameplay.
That being said,Resident Evil 8will ultimately solidifyResident Evil’s creative direction heading into the new console generation. Fans appreciatedResident Evil 7’s changes to a solid degree, but how far can the franchise can stray away from its core designs before its fanbase loses interest?Resident Evil 8will inevitably answer that question, assuming the variety of rumors does ring true in some fashion.
