In the midst of rumors aboutResident Evil 9,Resident Evil Villagefans are currently being treated to the announcement and details of DLC.Resident Evil Village’s Winters’ Expansionintroduces new characters and features to its Mercenaries mode, a third-person mode for the base game, and a third-person narrative expansion for Rosemary Winters.
Meanwhile,leaks forResident Evil 9have purportedly shared numerous details about what players can expect from it. This information is to be taken with a grain of salt since it is unconfirmed, but it does generate more discussion about what indeed could ensue in the sequel. In spite of what the rumored leak suggests, there is still an opportunity thatResident Evil 9follows Chris Redfield’s narrative instead. If so,Resident Evil 9could pay as much homage toResident Evil 5asResident Evil Villagepaid toResident Evil 4.
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Resident Evil Village Pays Tribute to Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil Villagewas a continuation of Ethan and Mia Winters’ narratives that took them to a wholly different landscape thanResident Evil 7’s Louisiana bayou. Even though a reasonable enough excuse for their relocation to Romania was given, the actual reason why such an environmental transition was implemented was due to how comparableResident Evil Villagewished to be toResident Evil 4.
In the storied pantheon ofResident Eviltitles, many fans would likely argue thatResident Evil 4was the most impactful or seminal of the original franchise, and its inspiration is clearly illustrated inResident Evil Village’s tapestry of familiar environments and imagery. Some influences are more subtle than others, such as the player’s ability to barricade certain doorways as an enemy mob approaches, and then there are iterations on particular characters such asthe Duke obviously emulatingResident Evil 4’s unnamed Merchant.
Resident Evil 5may not have had the same inspirational effect asResident Evil 4did, but it has still managed to outsell it and beone ofResident Evil’s highest-earning installments.Resident Evil 9now has an interesting branching point ahead of it where Capcom could decide to feature a new cast of characters again as its protagonists.
Otherwise, it could choose to follow the epilogue narrative that was teased at the end ofResident Evil Village. If the latter is decided upon, Chris would seemingly return in a protagonist role, and it would be interesting to seeResident Evil 9draw fromResident Evil 5in the same way thatResident Evil Villagedrew fromResident Evil 4.
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Resident Evil 9 Could Pay Tribute to Resident Evil 5
Capcom recently confirmed its long-awaited and highly anticipated remake ofResident Evil 4. This puts it in sequential order afterResident Evil 2andResident Evil 3both received remakes of their own, but this direct continuation through the franchise’s mainline entries unfortunately does not necessarily conclude that Capcom will tackleResident Evil 5in the near future.
Resident Evil 5introduced a much greater emphasis on action-oriented gameplay through dedicated co-op, with fans either playing as Chris Redfield or Sheva Alomar.HavingResident Evil 5remade, then, would likely necessitate a drastic change in gameplay if Capcom wished to reimagine it with the same modern horror atmosphere that was offered inResident Evil 2,Resident Evil 3, and nowResident Evil 4.
But whether a remake forResident Evil 5is likely or unlikely,Resident Evil 9could still pull from its well of inspiration to create a lasting tribute to Chris as one ofResident Evil’s prolific legacy characters.Resident Evil 9would almost assuredly be an action-oriented game similar toResident Evil 5if it does go ahead with Chris’ narrative, especially since Chris’ most recent additions in gameplay have revolved exclusively around action.
If this is the intended route Capcom wishes to navigate, playing as Chris again in first and third-person could emulate some of the gameplay that fans remember fromResident Evil 5. The game may not take players back to Africa in particular, but there may be nods toResident Evil 5that offer the same sensation thatResident Evil Villageoffered in tribute toResident Evil 4.
Likewise,Resident Evil 9could pair Chris withbelovedResident Evilheroine Jill Valentineonce again. The two were last seen together inResident Evil 5, and having a continuation from that installment would bookend Chris and Jill’s narrative together perfectly.
