Last week's huge PlayStation 5 event revealed quite a number of games that players can expect on the next-generation console. From Horizon: Forbidden West to Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, it appears that the lineup of games coming to the PS4's successor is pretty promising. However, one of the biggest revelations at the event is the confirmation that Resident Evil 8: Village is officially in development.
Of course, the announcement of Resident Evil 8 is not at all surprising, thanks to the massive amount of leaks that surrounded the game prior to its official unveiling. Resident Evil 8's debut trailer also showed fans what to expect in the upcoming game, but in usual Resident Evil fashion, there are small details in the preview that may have a deeper meaning upon closer look. Now, here are some details that fans may have missed in Resident Evil 8's first trailer and how they could impact the overall story of the longstanding survival horror franchise.
Someone's Story Will End
Resident Evil 8's trailer opened with a cryptic statement that read, "His story comes to a close." Unfortunately, Capcom did not identify who "he" is, but given that there are only two male characters who are confirmed to be returning in Resident Evil 8, it isn't really that difficult to pinpoint who the trailer is referring to. Of course, the character whose story would end in Resident Evil 8 is either Chris Redfield or Ethan Winters.
Throughout the trailer, it was shown that Resident Evil 7 protagonist, Ethan Winters, is back in Resident Evil 8, and will once again experience the horrors he thought he left behind in the Baker Mansion. However, given that Ethan is just a newcomer to the franchise, and his impact is not that great in the overall plot of Resident Evil, it is unlikely that he is the one that the trailer is referring to.
Now, there is a strong possibility that the preview is hinting that Chris Redfield's story would come to a conclusion in Resident Evil 8. Although this may be hard to accept for some fans of Chris, it does make sense to end his story now, especially since Chris has been the face of the franchise ever since the first game. Of course, it is hard to tell how Capcom plans to end his story, but one could only hope that it would be a satisfying conclusion especially after all the heroic efforts and sacrifices Chris made to make the world safe from the threat of bioterrorism.
Ethan and Mia's Baby
In the trailer, players will hear the voice of a woman, who is telling a creepy story, that sets the tone of the rest of the debut. It is widely believed that this woman is none other than Mia Winters, and it is implied that after the events of Resident Evil 7, Ethan and Mia settled down to pursue a normal life. Moreover, leakers are claiming that some time in between Resident Evil 7 and 8, Ethan and Mia had a baby, and this infant would play a vital role in the upcoming sequel.
Due to Mia's infection in the last game, many speculate that the rumored baby could be a bioweapon and is the primary reason as to why Ethan and Mia are returning to Resident Evil 8. Of course, none of these details were confirmed by Capcom, so players should take it with a grain of salt. But hopefully, as Resident Evil 8's 2021 release date approaches, Capcom would shed more light on the general premise of the upcoming game, and how it is tied to previous installments in the franchise.
The Return of Umbrella
In Resident Evil 7, players were surprised when Chris Redfield appeared towards the end of the game donning a uniform labeled with the Blue Umbrella logo. In the Not a Hero DLC, it was revealed that Blue Umbrella is a reformed subsidiary of the original Umbrella Corporation but now serves as an organization focused on developing weapons against B.O.W.s to atone for the sins of its predecessor. However, Chris Redfield shared his doubts about the company, and many speculate that Blue Umbrella might be hiding a darker agenda than what it portrays to the public.
Throughout Resident Evil 8's debut trailer, players will spot the logo of the Umbrella Corporation. As of this moment, it is still unknown whether Blue Umbrella is genuine in its efforts to combat the threat of bioterrorism. It wouldn't be unlikely, though, for the company to still be engaged in the original Umbrella's illegal bioweapons research, and it may even be Resident Evil 8's primary antagonist.
Is Luis Sera From Resident Evil 4 Returning?
All throughout Resident Evil 8's trailer, several new characters were shown, but their involvement in the game remains a mystery. One particular character caught the eye of many fans, and some wonder whether this particular gentleman is Luis Sera from Resident Evil 4. Of course, this scenario is a little bit of a stretch, given that Luis technically died during the events of Resident Evil 4, but with Resident Evil being Resident Evil, it wouldn't be unlikely if Capcom found a way to bring him back to the game.
Is Chris Redfield Corrupted?
The trailer ended with a mysterious interaction between Ethan Winters and Chris Redfield. Towards the end of the preview, Ethan encountered Chris who told him, "Sorry, Ethan" before he turned to an unidentified person and shot them point-blank. At the moment, no one knows who Chris killed, but judging from Ethan's reaction, it is obvious that he wasn't supposed to kill that person.
This led to speculation on whether Chris has now crossed over to the dark side. Of course, given that Chris is the primary protagonist of the Resident Evil franchise, this scenario is highly unlikely. However, some players believe that Chris may have been infected by a new virus or parasite, which is also what one of the key artworks of Resident Evil 8 depicted. Another possibility is that Chris may be working undercover and is pretending to be a bad guy to expose the truth about something, which is likely the true intentions of Blue Umbrella. Hopefully, Capcom would shed some light on all these mysteries as Resident Evil 8 approaches its release date.
Resident Evil 8: Village is currently in development and is set to release to the PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X sometime in 2021.