The classic game Resident Evil is now almost two decades old. It had some dips along the way in its middle years, but thanks to Resident Evil VII being a brave new invention of the series, it is now back on top. Let’s also not forget how successful the two PS4 remakes are.
With rumors of the next remake being for Resident Evil 4 with possible a main, eighth entry to follow, this got one wondering. What things of the past are thankfully gone now and what things do fans want to come back? Among the more obvious suggestions for Capcom are some deep dives as well.
10 Do Miss: The Horror
Since Resident Evil 4’s debut, the series has taken a more action oriented approach to survival-horror. Yes, there are exceptions like the remakes getting back to the more classic, slow zombies.
That plus the gore makes this series more horrifying in HD. Resident Evil VII was also a horror fan’s dream. Overall though there is something missing about the earlier, original PS1 releases.
9 Don’t Miss: Tank Controls
Part of that tension came from the tank controls. While the inability to move properly certainly did help make the games more tense, they are also not missed. There are better ways to make a game horrifying than relying on straight up poor controls.
That always felt like a bad excuse from Capcom to slide the tank controls under the rug as being core to the experience.
8 Do Miss: The Extra Cheese
While the stories are certainly still B-tier, the voice acting has gotten dramatically better. This is good, but also a little disheartening. That is to say there is something to be said about the bad acting in the originals.
The extra cheesy deliveries regarding stuff like “Jill Sandwiches” are part of the reason why this series cemented itself in the grander pop culture of video games. Is there a way to bring that back without trying too hard?
7 Don’t Miss: Loads
Part of the reason why the PS1 games looked as good as they did was because Capcom his much of the game behind load screens. These were cleverly disguised as doors. Going up stairs or through a door was certainly better and more engrossing than just looking at a black screen.
Hearing the creaks of squeaky doors only to be surprised by a zombie, or monster on the other side was part of the game’s haunting vibe. That said, good riddance to them in the modern era.
6 Do Miss: The Straightforward Narrative
Remember when the story in these games were more straightforward? Umbrella was a secret evil company with their hand in a lot of pies. They created a zombie outbreak and made bio-weapons.
That was all this series needed to be. Then, in the GameCube era, it got off the rails with mutant leeches and other weird parasites. Let’s also not forget about secret organization after secret organization to create unneeded twists.
5 Don’t Miss: Quick Time Events
Also in Resident Evil 4 were the quick time events. This may not be the fault of that game, or this series in particular. This was my in an era of video games where everyone was doing it as it was thought to be more immersive for players.
The first God of War is an early example. Failing random pop-ups with seconds to act, followed by game over screens was never fun though.
4 Do Miss: The Idea Of Co-Op
The last main game, or more like spinoff, to offer campaign co-op was 2015’s Resident Evil: Revelations 2. It has now been five years. Yes, multiplayer games have popped up since then like the Resistance mode in the Resident Evil 3 Remake.
However, that, and the other spinoffs, focus on creating a shooter like experience akin to Call of Duty and not one about a campaign. Let’s bring campaign co-op in some capacity for either a proper sequel, or spinoff.
3 Don’t Miss: More Limited Inventory Spaces
It still isn’t perfect but, Resident Evil VII sort of fixed the inventory problem. What it started, the two PS4 remakes made better with ample amounts of pouches to upgrade the slot selection.
Again, there is still room to improve, but what is here is much better than the old, crammed spaces.
2 Do Miss: The Weird Spinoffs
Whatever happened to the weirder spinoffs? For example, Resident Evil Gaiden was a Game Boy Color RPG starring Leon and Barry. It was rough around the edges but a true Resident Evil RPG should have fans intrigued.
Another high concept idea ahead of its time was Resident Evil Outbreak on PS2. This was a MMO-light, with players taking on the role of Raccoon City citizens from waitresses to cops while fighting the zombie infestation. Resistance, and the other multiplayer attempts, have yet to come back to this idea. Let’s get weird Capcom.
1 Don’t Miss: Saving Limitations
If there is one thing to really be thankful for it is the series giving up on saving limitations. No more worrying about running out of ink ribbons. The modern games even have some auto-save functionality with checkpoints.
Harder modes in some games do have some limitations, but again, for the most part, this crutch is long gone.