Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is one of the most significant games from the previous generation. Not only was it a fantastic horror game, but it also resurrected one of the all-time greatest gaming franchises. Since the release of Resident Evil 4, which many consider the best in the series, the mainline games have not reached the same level. Resident Evil 5 was decent enough but felt more like a lacklustre relative of RE4. Resident Evil 6 was one of the most bloated games of the previous decade and appeared to kill off the franchise. However, this was not the case at all.
Resident Evil 7 was released in 2017 and single-handedly reinvented and revived the franchise, restoring faith for long-time fans. It brought the series back to its horror roots with notable Evil Dead and Texas Chain Saw Massacre influences. Despite a somewhat bland protagonist in Ethan Winter, Biohazard brought Resident Evil back into the public consciousness. The sequel, Resident Evil: Village, took the foundations of RE7 and applied them to the more action-oriented gameplay popularised in RE4. Village is a great game, but the debate of whether you prefer the horror or action style is as old as time and likely will continue long into the future.
This week, news of a new Resident Evil game came out of the Capcom NEXT Summer 2024 showcase. Not only did they show off a remake of the original Dead Rising, but they also gave fans an update on the state of RE9. Biohazard's Director, Koshi Nakanishi, revealed at the end of the broadcast that a new Resident Evil game is in development and that he will be returning as Game Director. He stated that his team are working hard on where to take the next instalment, and they believe they have a clear direction. Nakanishi did not confirm that this project would be Resident Evil 9. However, it is likely to assume this news relates to Resident Evil 9, making it one of my most anticipated games for the foreseeable future.
Nakanishi's return makes me wonder what direction the franchise will go next. As well as directing Biohazard, Nakanishi worked as a Designer for Resident Evil 5 and as a Director for both Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D and Resident Evil: Revelations. The man has worked in multiple facets of the series. It makes me consider a possible hypothesis: will RE9 be a horror game or an action-adventure? I prefer the grounded, horror-oriented style for the series. RE7, in my opinion, is the scariest game in the series, and with Nakanishi returning, I believe the series will return to this style. What nightmares will Nakanishi and his team conjure up for fans in Resident Evil 9? I can not wait to find out.
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