The Resident Evil series is twenty years old this year. Whilst this may make some of us feel very old indeed, this anniversary could make some of us feel young again.
Capcom recently released their financial figures for the year ending March 31st. Buried within the depths of fiscal monotony, two things became clear: Capcom has made a lot of money this year, and something big is coming for fans of survival horror. Some of us are still locked firmly inside our irradiated vaults, daring not to peep out after Resident Evil 6 was dropped on us four years ago like the poor denizens of Raccoon City. This could be our time.
The report read: “Resident Evil Umbrella Corps” (for PlayStation 4 and PC) of the “Resident Evil” series, which marked its 20th anniversary in March 2016, as warm up to the full-scale offensive planned for the second half of the year.”
Now this full-scale offensive almost definitely refers to the planned re-releases of Resident Evil 4, 5, and 6 for PS4 and Xbox One – 6 being out already, and 5 and 4 soon to follow. But it may also mean something else. The twentieth anniversary of a game franchise is no small marker, and this could mean Capcom is referring to either the much-vaunted Resident Evil 2 remake, or it could the next main game in the franchise. Whilst the remake of the series’ second and perhaps greatest game will be enough to sate franchise fans –and would be a glorious way to celebrate two decades of gaming excellence – we need to know what plans Capcom has for the series’ next core installment.
The main question that is on lips of loyal fans is the direction the series is going. Many clamour for a return to a more traditional Resident Evil, and few can deny that whilst 5 and 6 may well have been fun in their own right, they were not Resident Evil in the way Resident Evil once was. They weren’t frightening. Do we want a full-on reboot, as this seems to be en vogue at the moment?
With the electric triple just around the corner, we surely won’t have to wait long for Capcom to show their hand.
