Summary
TheResident Evilfranchise has had more than its fair share of excellent villains over the years.Resident Evil’s villains have come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from silent-but-deadly foeslike Mr. X and Nemesis, to more talkative adversaries like the lovably evil Albert Wesker. At their worst, these villains have always done a solid job of drivingResident Evil’s story and action forward, and at their best, they’ve delivered some of the most memorable sequences in franchise history.
Being the ninth mainline entry and the 31st game in theResident Evilfranchise, there’s a lot of pressure onResident Evil 9’s shoulders to offer something fans have never seen before. Naturally, a lot of that pressure will fall on the game’s villain, and regardless of what creature or entity it ends up being, Capcom needs to ensure that its pre-release marketing doesn’t go the same way asResident Evil Village’s.
Resident Evil 9 Can’t Repeat Village’s Marketing Mistakes
Resident Evil Village’s Marketing Caused a Lady Dimitrescu Controversy
Resident Evil Village’s announcement trailer was released back in June 2020, and it was probably the most representative trailer Capcom released for the game. This initial trailer gave players an extended tease ofVillage’s shocking Chris Redfield intro sequence, along with brief looks at all of the game’s primary villains. Of course, Alcina Dimitrescu made her debut in this initial trailer, and it didn’t take long for her to steal the show.
A gigantic 9-foot-tall vampire with some absurd body proportions,Lady Alcina Dimitrescubecame a viral hit pretty much right away. Though it took a little while for Capcom to catch on, it eventually started to lean into this viral sensation more forResident Evil Village’s marketing. The January 2021Resident Evil Villagetrailer is the perfect example of this, focusing most of its almost 3-minute runtime on Lady Dimitrescu, her vampiric daughters, and their ancient castle abode.
Though Heisenberg made some more prominent appearances inResident Evil Village’s April 2021 trailer, Lady Dimitrescu still takes up a good portion of its runtime. Capcom putting Lady Dimitrescu at the center of much ofResident Evil Village’s pre-release marketingended up giving fans the expectation that she’d play a prominent role inVillage’s story. While that’s true, Lady Dimitrescu is killed just a few hours into the game, with Castle Dimitrescu being the first major area players explore, and Lady D. being the first boss they defeat. Though her time on-screen is incredibly impactful, many fans felt as though Lady Dimitrescu met her fate too soon, and Capcom’s marketing didn’t deter those lofty expectations.
Resident Evil 9 Needs to Handle Its Villain Marketing Carefully
When it finally comes time toannounceResident Evil 9and reveal its villain(s) in all their glory, Capcom needs to keep Lady Dimitrescu in mind. To avoid a similar controversy,Resident Evil 9needs to follow one of two routes. IfResident Evil 9features just one villain, then it can feel free to put them front and center in any of the game’s pre-release trailers and posters. But ifResident Evil 9features a larger cast likeRE7andVillagedid, then it should try to give each villain its own time to shine, whether that’s through separate character spotlights, or equal screen time in each trailer.
Resident Evil Village
WHERE TO PLAY
Ethan Winters finds himself in an entirely new nightmare in Capcom’s latest installment of the acclaimed Resident Evil franchise. Whether you’re defending against Lycans in the grim dwellings of the village or exploring the lavish Castle Dimitrescu, the meticulously designed environments immerse you in this eerie world, powered by Capcom’s proprietary RE Engine. Run from, hide or face off against a diverse cast of terrifying village inhabitants in dream-like - no, nightmarish - situations and fight your instincts to push through classic horror-based sequences. Also, be sure to check out “The Mercenaries” that unlocks once you’ve finished the campaign, a fast-paced and arcade-like game mode which challenges players to blast away enemies against the clock.
