Heavily inspired by early horror movies, the Resident Evil franchise has always had a B-movie charm about it. From hilariously bad voice acting in the first Resident Evil to the absurdly outlandish plots in the sequels and plenty of stereotypical character archetypes, the Resident Evil series is schlocky horror through and through, and the best games in the series are fully aware of that fact, using it to their advantage.
It's often the case that the best Resident Evil games are those that have a more tongue-in-cheek tone. This means that although these games can still be absolutely terrifying, they're not afraid to poke fun at a situation or certain tropes in the game's story or characters. It's also often the case that this tongue-in-cheek tone comes hand-in-hand with a suitably over-the-top villain, and Albert Wesker is usually the man for the job. But with Wesker nowhere to be found in recent entries, it might be time for a new villain to fill those shoes.
The Resident Evil Franchise Needs Another Albert Wesker
Every canonical Resident Evil game is connected to one another, though this connective tissue isn't always overly obvious or clear. In some cases, a Resident Evil game's story will be connected to the rest of the series in a fairly apparent way, such as using the same type of enemies, or using the same legacy characters as playable protagonists. But a lot of the time, a Resident Evil game's connection to the wider universe is much more vague, occasionally boiling down to just an optional note collectible that connects a character to a previous event in the timeline, such as Luis Serra and the Nemesis program in the Resident Evil 4 Remake.
But one of the most effective connective threads through the vast majority of the Resident Evil franchise is the character of Albert Wesker. Making his debut in the very first Resident Evil game, Wesker is originally introduced as a fellow member of the S.T.A.R.S. taskforce sent to investigate a series of mysterious murders in the Arklay Mountains, before revealing himself to be a double agent towards the end of the game. After this initial betrayal, Albert Wesker crops up across the timeline as a minor antagonist, lurking in the shadows and collecting enough assets to one day strike, leading to a big climax in Resident Evil 5 where he finally becomes the main antagonist.
The last few modern Resident Evil games don't really have an Albert Wekser of their own, though they've come close. With Resident Evil 7 acting as a soft reboot of the franchise for modern audiences, a new set of characters and antagonists are introduced, most of which aren't connected at all to the rest of the series. Resident Evil Village picks up a few years after the events of Resident Evil 7, and though it carries over characters like Ethan, Mia, and Chris Redfield, it's a largely standalone experience, at least until the end of the game.
Right at the end of Resident Evil Village, it's revealed that the events of Resident Evil 7 are more closely connected than they might first seem, with the Mold actually originating underneath the castle in Village. It's also revealed that a century-old being known as Mother Miranda had been in control of the Mold the entire time, manipulating Ethan so that she could use his baby to resurrect her own lost child. While the connection between the two games does make sense, it feels a little rushed in the moment, and a lot of the reveal is waved away with the usual Resident Evil documents that explain the entire backstory of the character and their connection to the wider universe. The next Resident Evil game would benefit greatly from having a new Albert Wesker-type villain, being gradually built up over the course of a few games before becoming a primary antagonist.