The Resident Evil franchise is one of the most popular and acclaimed in the video game industry. With numerous entries released in the series since the original game back in 1996, each gamer is sure to have a personal favorite. While each game does bring something unique to the table that appeals to a variety of tastes, many would argue that the most unanimously beloved installment is Resident Evil 4. It has been ported and remastered for multiple generations of consoles, with no sign of that slowing down as Resident Evil 4 VR is available now to all players.
As the name would suggest, this virtual reality edition of the game literally adds an entire new perspective to the horror and action. Reviews for the title have praised Resident Evil 4 VR for its new first-person point of view, bringing a whole new layer to the experience. However, the series has gone first-person prior to this, with the latest mainline installments Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village being first-person games. Considering the success of Resident Evil 4 VR, it may be a lucrative pursuit for Capcom to consider a similar perspective change, namely to third-person, for these newer titles.
The First Person Effect in Resident Evil 4 VR
Resident Evil 4 has already achieved critical acclaim for its relentless pacing, and thrilling set pieces. While some have cited complaints towards the game for it being arguably less scary than others in the genre, Resident Evil 4 was still a master class in suspense. However, for those who may have agreed with the aformentioned perspective that the game wasn't that scary, seeing this world in first person may help put silence to those claims.
Much like how Half Life: Alyx brought an entirely new layer of immersion to that game world thanks to being in VR, Resident Evil 4 now shares the same transformation. There is just something far more immediate and menacing in seeing a swarm of Ganados rushing directly at you, as opposed to being displayed on a television screen.
A New View on Terror
This new VR perspective for Resident Evil 4 wouldn't be the first time that the series underwent dramatic shifts in the way players see the action. In fact, Resident Evil as a whole is known for constantly re-inventing the wheel over the course of its entire lifespan. In the beginning, it functioned within fixed camera angles and tank controls. From here, Resident Evil 4 implemented its over the shoulder aiming. After this, and most recently, the series has swerved into first person, following in the footsteps of influence that P.T. had on horror games.
For this reason, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch for Capcom to experiment with other games in the franchise, and offer a new perspective to play them in. Resident Evil 4 has now proved it can work in both its standard form and as a VR experience. Therefore, there is a chance that both Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village could achieve the same level of success.
How Third-Person Could Benefit Resident Evil 7/Village
Although developed as first-person experiences, some slight changes on Capcom's end could be made for recent Resident Evil games to function just as well in a third-person perspective. For one, seeing the game in third-person can possibly offer a greater field of view, giving players a better understanding of the environment. During more tense encounters, it may becoming disorienting for some to have to franctically panic to get a feel for the surroundings. In third person, whether that be fixed camera or over the shoulder, a larger view of the area would be immediately present at all times.
In many respects, Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village, although tonally different to past games, still very much follow a similar gameplay structure. Exploring a hostile environment, solving puzzles, acquiring objects to unlock doors, and suspensful gunplay are present in all installments of the Resident Evil franchise. For this reason, a change in perspective wouldn't be that much of a change to the game itself, but simply offer players a new alternative should they choose to use it.
How Third-Person Can Harm RE7/Village
While Resident Evil 4 VR has proven to be a sucess, things could have very well gone the other way and backfired, altering the original experience too much. While this doesn't seem likely, since a shift to third-person would make these games no different than the recent Resident Evil 2 remake, there is still a chance this simple change can hurt the game in other ways.
Just as many felt Resident Evil 4 was a departure from the series roots years ago, removing the first person element from Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village could potentially have the same effect. So many of each game's pivotal moments, jump scares and immersion was crafted around the idea that it would all be see from the eyes of Ethan Winters. Removing that aspect of the game wouldn't necessarily ruin the game, but it would dampen the original vision for how the terror would be presented.
Resident Evil 4 VR is available now for Oculus Quest 2.