The perceived roadmap for the Resident Evil franchise may seem obvious, but not necessarily. The franchise is currently working towards remakes and mainline installments, of course, but the IP is at an interesting point in development where considerable changes might be made. Resident Evil isn't afraid of shifting its gameplay genre, and it has proven recently that it can introduce new and exciting protagonists alongside legacy characters. Resident Evil 9, for example, could be another drastic shift.
Resident Evil Village ended with what seems like an obvious sequel tease, and that tease seems more likely now that it was not followed up on in DLC. Instead, Resident Evil Village’s Shadows of Rose DLC told a compartmentalized story about Ethan Winters’ daughter that probably won't tie into Resident Evil sequels for a long time. The franchise has many questions and loose threads to address, such as if it will continue to take place in the present day or not, and Resident Evil 9 could be a much different installment than fans may expect as a result.
Resident Evil 9 Marks Another New Turning Point in the Franchise
Resident Evil 9 will be a turning point because it needs to decide a few things about the franchise’s future. Resident Evil will need to select a new protagonist or reprise a legacy character such as Chris Redfield, and decide if the game will be played from a first-person perspective, a third-person perspective, or both. What's more, it will need to decide if horror will continue to be its primary genre.
If Resident Evil 9 continues Chris’ epilogue thread, then it would technically still be a continuation of the Winters’ saga. However, it is highly unlikely that it will feature Mia due to how irrelevant she was throughout Resident Evil Village and its Shadows of Rose DLC. Resident Evil 9 gives Capcom an opportunity to branch out further with the franchise, though its direction would otherwise seem securely situated in newfound horror. It would be fantastic to see if Resident Evil returns to an urban setting like Raccoon City, or if the franchise will be rooted in domestic, remote settings for the time being.
Resident Evil 9 Might Bridge Genre Gaps Once Again
Chris Redfield’s playable sequence once again turned the franchise over to action rather than survival-horror. Further, it is not uncommon for Resident Evil games to have these sequences where players are meant to bombard enemies with the ammunition they have surely reserved throughout.
If this sequence is any indication of what gameplay in a sequel could look like, though, it may be a hint that an emphasis on action-oriented gameplay is returning. That said, it would be remarkable to see Chris in a Resident Evil that is purely centered around horror, with maybe a few more weapons or combat-ready attacks in his arsenal. That could be what the Resident Evil 4 remake is preparing for with Leon Kennedy’s new knife parry and other potential combat strategies that an untrained civilian may not be expected to perform.
If Resident Evil 9 attempts to depict another family the player is unfamiliar with, that could run the risk of having too many similarities to the Winters. Still, there's potential any new direction as long as Resident Evil’s essential atmosphere and survival-horror mechanics are sustained. In the meantime, Resident Evil 4 will scratch that itch and allow players to revisit an iconic classic in the franchise.
Resident Evil 9 is rumored to be in development.