Capcom's Resident Evil franchise is the epitome of the survival horror genre and has significantly evolved throughout generations. With so many successful entries in the series, Resident Evil has become of the best-selling video game franchises in the world, and it's no surprise that Capcom wants to continue making more Resident Evil games.
Resident Evil 7 was a turning point for the series with the introduction of a first-person perspective and a new protagonist. The game was also a commercial success, indicating that the series can stand on its own without the support of its staple characters and the infamous evil Umbrella corporation.
Resident Evil 7 introduced Ethan Winters, whose story is set to continue in the upcoming Resident Evil 8. However, if a recent rumor is any indication, Ethan's story will not conclude until Resident Evil 9. Notable leaker Dusk Golem suggests that Capcom would move on from numbered entries after Resident Evil 9 and focus on telling self-contained stories with future entries. Such a move, although surprising, makes sense for the future of the Resident Evil franchise.
Annual Releases
If Capcom's recent maneuvers are any indication, Resident Evil is becoming an annual franchise. Capcom has released a Resident Evil game every year since 2019 and is seemingly continuing the trend with Resident Evil 8 in 2021. Most annual franchises tend to feature brand new stories with new protagonists in every subsequent entry to keep things fresh and make them accessible to new players. In other words, they are not direct sequels.
For Resident Evil to become an annual franchise, telling self-contained stories seems like a plausible move, as it would not only make every standalone entry feel unique with a new premise and new protagonist but also serve as a perfect entry point to new players who haven't had the time to explore the previous entries in the franchise. So far, recent Resident Evil remakes have done a fine job for newcomers to experience the earlier Resident Evil games, and the rumored Resident Evil 4 Remake wouldn't be any different. As such, it makes even more sense for Capcom to evolve the franchise with new entries by focusing on brand new characters, portraying different themes, introduce new gameplay elements, all the while retaining the essence of the past games.
Longer Campaign
Resident Evil games don't have the meatiest campaign by modern standards. Resident Evil 7 takes just over seven hours to beat. Resident Evil 3 Remake, on the other hand, takes barely six hours to finish. Many fans were also disappointed with the game's lack of content for the $60 price tag. Fortunately, the upcoming Resident Evil 8 is rumored to be the longest RE Engine game, though it's still too early to say how massive it would be. On the other hand, telling self-contained stories could result in a more fleshed-out narrative and character arcs that begin and end in the same game. As such, it could lead to a meatier, more fulfilling narrative experience that would have otherwise stretched itself out too thin over multiple sequels.
Resident Evil 8 is shaping up to be the most ambitious Resident Evil game in a while, featuring a more open-ended setting and unique enemies never before seen in a Resident Evil game. Whether it would conclude Ethan's arc is still a mystery, though it would be interesting to see where the series heads next.