When Resident Evil 6's over-the-top action-horror endeavor didn't fare well with an abundance of veteran Resident Evil fans, Capcom decided to shake things up with Resident Evil 7 by going back to its survival horror roots and introducing a fresh new perspective to its long-running series.
Resident Evil 7, in more ways than one, served as a soft reboot to the Resident Evil franchise. Rather than experiencing the storyline from an over-the-shoulder perspective of a charismatic military-trained personality, players were put into the shoes of a seemingly normal guy named Ethan Winters. With its two highly successful entries, The Winters storyline does establish a connection with past Resident Evil games. However, 2021's Resident Evil Village, despite its success, leaves an inexplicable void that Resident Evil 9 needs to fulfill.
Resident Evil 9 Needs to Fill in a Big Void
Since Resident Evil 7, the franchise has found ways to explore the various sub-genres of horror while also plausibly connecting it to the broader Resident Evil universe. Resident Evil Village dips into gothic horror and is arguably the most confident entry in the Resident Evil series though just like its predecessor, it does a poor job of reminding players that it is a Resident Evil game.
Resident Evil Village smartly ties to the events of the original Resident Evil and also calls back to classic Resident Evil games in interesting ways, but a lot of it feels forced. Chris Redfield returns but feels like an entirely different character from the one fans may remember from Resident Evil 6. In Village, Chris is more style over substance, his role reduced to that of a poster boy. Through most of the campaign, Chris is surprisingly absent, and the slight interactions that Ethan does have with him are the ones that were present in the game's various trailers before launch. While he does get a little spotlight in the closing hours of the game, it isn't enough to justify his presence in the Winters' storyline or the overarching Resident Evil universe. A lot of it is because of the immense focus Capcom gives Ethan, though this isn't a reason to downplay one of the most notable characters in its universe.
While a more personal storyline of the Winters is a breath of fresh air, Resident Evil need not forget its global and political nature, which involves evil corporations fighting for power and control. Resident Evil 9 needs to strike a balance between portraying a more personal tale of the Winters family and its ripple effects on the Resident Evil universe. It also needs to do so without a convoluted exposition dump in the final hours of the game, and it should introduce more than one fan-favorite character that doesn't feel disjointed like Chris Redfield does in Resident Evil Village.
Resident Evil 9 needs to embrace its past as much as its embracing its present. It needs to harness the 25 years history of Resident Evil and bring closure to some of the most beloved characters in the RE universe. Jill's connections to Chris, Leon's whereabouts since the events of Resident Evil Damnation, and Jake Muller's disappearance after Resident Evil 6 are just a few things that Resident Evil fans want addressing in the next Resident Evil game. Even small references and appropriate cameos would suffice. By doing that, Capcom would not only be acknowledging Resident Evil's long legacy, but also assuring veteran fans that Resident Evil exists outside of the ongoing Winters' storyline.
By the looks of it, Resident Evil 9 will conclude the Winters' storyline. However, if it continues down the exact same road as Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village, it may also carry the same disconnectedness that these games can't seem to shake, continuing to divide Resident Evil fans as a result.