Resident Evil has been on a tear these past few years, consistently impressing with releases like Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and the Resident Evil 4 remake. And while the franchise stumbled ever so slightly with the Resident Evil 3 remake, at least in terms of critical reception, there's a general expectation that it will continue to impress when Resident Evil 9 finally hits the shelves.
That said, virtually nothing is known about Resident Evil 9 at the time of writing, adding to its substantial allure. While it's natural to get excited about a new game in a popular franchise, RE9 is particularly captivating because of the context of the series' overarching story: Resident Evil Village marks the end of the Winters' saga, meaning that a new (or old) hero is going to need to take the helm moving forward. Of course, this wouldn't be a first for Resident Evil—the series is defined by its ever-changing protagonists—but the present state of its world means that, whoever the new lead is, they will have a major impact on the story and gameplay of the next entry.
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Resident Evil 9's Protagonist Will Be Capcom's Most Crucial Decision
The Future of Resident Evil Will Be Shaped by RE9's Main Character
As great as the Resident Evil remakes are, they don't do much to move the needle on the franchise's narrative. This is something of a blessing and a curse, as they don't have to contend with messy continuity or expanding the franchise's already-cumbersome story, but they also don't have the privilege of doing so; the remakes can only go as far as offering slight reinterpretations or additional context. They can't actually change anything or implement major surprises.
But the new, original Resident Evil games have both the honor and the burden of expanding the franchise's lore and narrative. This daunting prospect was approached deftly in 2017 when Capcom introduced Ethan Winters, a far more stoic and relatable protagonist than Resident Evil fans were used to, and a fitting lead given the series' shift to the first-person perspective. Ethan represented a fresh start for Resident Evil, and with him out of the picture, Capcom's at a crossroads.
Chris Redfield is the only legacy protagonist that audiences have seen in the newer Resident Evil games so far, so it's been speculated that he could lead the charge in the next game. If this is the case, then he can be expected to play remarkably differently than Ethan or Rose, as he's a highly trained operative with years of experience and distinct natural talents. By that same token, if yet another new protagonist were introduced, then RE9 would have to be designed around their motivations, background, and abilities, while also focusing on establishing them within the greater context of the series. The confluence of all these factors would mean necessary impacts on both gameplay and narrative.
The Likely Protagonists of Resident Evil 9
Resident Evil 4's version of Leon Kennedy feels great to control, and a big reason for this is a narrative one: Kennedy has received years of special training at this point, and his previous experience with biohazards means that he is unflappable in the face of rampant zombie hordes. It's a great example of how a game's story can inform its gameplay, leading to satisfying, complex, and logical mechanics.
If Capcom wants to double-down on robust gameplay with Resident Evil 9, then it might be wise to opt for a legacy character like Leon, Chris, or Jill, rather than another everyman like Ethan Winters. This would widen the player's in-game toolkit, likely granting them more options while also being more narratively efficient, as there would be less of a need to introduce them to the RE canon.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 84 /100 Critics Rec: 92%
- Released
- May 7, 2021
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Publisher(s)
- Capcom
- Engine
- RE Engine
- Franchise
- Resident Evil
Experience survival horror like never before in the eighth major installment in the storied Resident Evil franchise - Resident Evil Village.
Set a few years after the horrifying events in the critically acclaimed Resident Evil 7 biohazard, the all-new storyline begins with Ethan Winters and his wife Mia living peacefully in a new location, free from their past nightmares. Just as they are building their new life together, tragedy befalls them once again.
First-Person Action – Players will assume the role of Ethan Winters and experience every up-close battle and terrifying pursuit through a first-person perspective.
Familiar Faces and New Foes – Chris Redfield has typically been a hero in the Resident Evil series, but his appearance in Resident Evil Village seemingly shrouds him in sinister motives. A host of new adversaries inhabiting the village will relentlessly hunt Ethan and hinder his every move as he attempts to make sense of the new nightmare he finds himself in.
- Platform(s)
- PS5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Microsoft Windows, Xbox
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
