Summary
Resident Evil 9is shrouded in mystery and has been the subject of great speculation, especially as it pertains to its rumored open-world. Indeed, it’s interesting to ponder what direction Capcom will takewhen it comes toResident Evil 9’s mechanics, setting, and even its camera perspective, as the game is caught between the third-person style of the remakes and the FPS framework of the new, mainline entries. It’s impossible to say whatRE9will look like, but it may benefit from someRE2inspiration, like howVillagedrew fromRE4.
Though they don’t share the exact same setting, the similarities betweenResident Evil VillageandResident Evil 4are hard to ignore. Both take place in an unspecified European location characterized by Gothic architecture and antiquated living, and both seem to favor wide outdoor areas over the cramped corridors and dingy interiors of their predecessors. In terms of gameplay, bothVillageandRE4fall on the ‘action-survival-horror’ end of theResident Evilspectrum, and they are the only games in the series to have proper in-game merchants. All in all, it’s clear thatResident Evil Villagedrew a good bit of inspiration fromRE4, and it would make sense to pay the same respect toRE2.
Village Tackled the Countryside, Now Resident Evil 9 Can Get Back to Civilization
It makes sense thatResident Evil Villagewould be inspired byRE4, as the latter is perhaps the series' most widely praised entry. Sitting right behind it, though, isResident Evil 2, which is generally considered to be in the upper-echelon ofREgames. So, it stands to reason thatResident Evil 9would take a few cues from it, especially when it comes to its setting.
Resident Evilhas been removed from civilization for a while now, withRE7,Village, and theRE4 Remakeall taking place in remote or rural areas. But ifResident Evil 9drew fromResident Evil 2and took place in a city, it could breathe new life into the franchise, letting players explore more modern environments similar to something like the RPD or orphanage. This could be especially interesting ifResident Evil 9adopts an open-world formula, as rumors have suggested; players could explore a large-scale, urban map built around survival-horror gameplay, making for a wholly new sort of experience for both new and veteran fans of the franchise.
Learning from Resident Evil 2 Could Mean the Return of Multiple Campaigns
Resident Evil 2is famous for having multiple different campaigns, each with two different versions, or “scenarios,” as they are called in the original 1998 release. Players can choose to play as either Claire or Leon, who both star in radically different adventures with distinct weapons, side characters, and areas to explore, but that run parallel to each other and merge at the end. To get thetrue ending ofResident Evil 2, players have to complete both of these main campaigns. They can then choose to complete the alternate scenarios, though these only offer minor departures from the core campaigns.
Aside from setting, this would be another great note thatResident Evil 9could take fromResident Evil 2. Multiple playable characters is a staple of theResident Evilfranchise, but most entries limit these alternate characters to specific chapters, like Mia’s flashback/video recording sequence inResident Evil 7. InResident Evil 2, Claire and Leon felt like equals in many ways, as they each had dedicated stories to play through, which makes the game more compelling as a whole. IfResident Evil 9could do something like this, especially if itbrings back classicResident Evilcharacters, it would be a great homage toRE2and a sensible choice in its own right.
Resident Evil 4
WHERE TO PLAY
Survival is just the beginning.Six years have passed since the biological disaster in Raccoon City.Agent Leon S. Kennedy, one of the survivors of the incident, has been sent to rescue the president’s kidnapped daughter. He tracks her to a secluded European village, where there is something terribly wrong with the locals.And the curtain rises on this story of daring rescue and grueling horror where life and death, terror and catharsis intersect.Featuring modernized gameplay, a reimagined storyline, and vividly detailed graphics, Resident Evil 4 marks the rebirth of an industry juggernaut.Relive the nightmare that revolutionized survival horror.
