Summary
Resident Evilhas remained very popular for almost 30 years now, though that’s not to say there haven’t been some trying times in the franchise’s history. After becoming a bit of a sensation upon its debut in 1996,Resident Evilremained incredibly popular all the way through the PS1 generation. Then, thanks toResident Evil 4andthe very firstResident Evil Remake, the franchise stayed immensely popular for the entire 6th generation of consoles. But withResident Evil 5and6in the 7th generation of consoles, the series' popularity began to wane.
But in 2023,theResident Evilfranchisehas never been more popular. AfterResident Evil 7successfully offered something both familiar and new, Capcom delivered one of the greatest survival horror games of all time withResident Evil 2 Remake, and now the franchise has kept up this cycle of remake, sequel, remake, and things seem to be going incredibly well. It seems unlikely that Capcom will stop this cycle anytime soon, though it might want to look to games outside ofResident Evil’s mainline series for a few future remakes.
Capcom Should Remake Some More Obscure Resident Evil Games
Resident Evil Outbreak Deserves the Remake Treatment
Released in 2004 in North America,Resident Evil Outbreakis often cited as one of the most underrated entries in the franchise’s long history. Using theResident Evil Remake’s gameplay as a starting point,Resident Evil Outbreaksaw players embark on various journeys into Raccoon City during the titular T-Virus outbreak, putting it around the same time asResident Evil 2and3’s events.
But there was one big thing that setResident Evil Outbreakapart from the rest of the series, and that was its online functionality. Releasing on the PS2,Resident Evil Outbreakattempted to make use of the console’s network play feature, letting players join one another to journey through Raccoon City together. While the experience was never really smooth or consistent,Resident Evil Outbreakhad a lot of potential, potential that would pave the way for an excellent remake today.
While Capcom has tried its hand at multiplayerResident Evilgames numerous times over the last two decades, none have really managed to capture the same feeling of a regular single-player survival horrorResident Evilentry, exceptResident Evil Outbreak. With modern graphics, gameplay, and online functionality, aResident Evil Outbreakcould be a really big hit for Capcom, and would score it some major brownie points with fans. This would be especially true if Capcom also remadeResident Evil Outbreak File 2, the standalone DLC sequel that added a handful of new scenarios to the original game, some of which take place in an infected Raccoon City Zoo.
Resident Evil’s Wii Spinoffs Need the Remake Treatment Too
Normally marketed as a family-friendly console, the Nintendo Wii did have a handful of video games marketed towards older audiences, and theResident Evil Chroniclessub-series were two of those. The first game in the series,Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles, was released in 2007 for all regions. Anon-rails light gun shooter,Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chroniclessees players blast their way through a handful of scenarios, three of which are abridged retellings of previous games in the series, and one of which shows the ultimate fate of the Umbrella Corporation.
A few years later,Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicleswas released on the Nintendo Wii. A direct follow-up,Darkside Chroniclesis another on-rails light gun shooter, delivering another handful of scenarios, again featuring some retellings of past games, and one scenario that tells a completely new story. This new scenario, titled “Operation Javier,” directly ties in with the events ofResident Evil 4, seeing players take control of Leon Kennedy as he battles through a South American village with Jack Krauser. TheseResident EvilWii spinoffs definitely deserve the remake treatment too, with them having some pretty important moments that affect the series' overarching story quite a bit.
Resident Evil
A series of gory attacks in the area surrounding a remote biotech lab brings in S.T.A.R.S. (Special Tactics and Rescue Squad) to investigate. On arrival, Bravo Team communications are abruptly cut off. Now it’s up to your team.You arrive at the isolated mansion under-powered and on the run. Arm yourself with anything you can find: knives, pistols, shotguns, flame-throwers - search for hidden rounds to stay alive!There are puzzles to solve, traps to disarm and mysteries to uncover while trying to avoid a blood-bath with the freaks of nature that populate the mansion. Each lurking horror you survive will bring you closer to the source of the Resident Evil.
