Highlights

  • Resident Evil 9 could potentially adopt a first-person perspective, which has proven effective at creating horror and immersing players in the game world.
  • The use of first-person viewpoint in Resident Evil 9 would allow for more detailed environments and immersive gameplay experiences, building on the successes of Resident Evil 7 and Village.
  • While first-person gameplay has its merits, returning to a third-person perspective for Resident Evil 9 would bring back the franchise's traditional style and preserve the Ethan Winters duology's unique identity.

With the end of Ethan Winters’ story in Resident Evil Village, and the successful launch of Resident Evil 4’s remake, Resident Evil is in a good spot. There's no sign of the next entry yet, and fans aren't sure whether it's going to be Resident Evil 9, another remake, or a larger spin-off, but it isn't a concern yet. Resident Evil 9 is a reasonable assumption given the release pattern so far, but with Capcom’s packed release schedule, the next RE title can take its time getting ready.

Until then, fans are left to speculate what exactly the next Resident Evil will be like. In the franchise's past five years alone, it has experimented with survival-horror, action-horror, and everything in between. Even the protagonist is up for debate, with Chris Redfield possibly returning like Resident Evil Village implied, another veteran like Claire or Jill taking the stage, or someone entirely new like Ethan appearing. Whatever the case may be, fans will be especially attentive to where the camera is placed, as using first-person or third-person angles will determine more about Resident Evil 9 than one might think.

Leon S. Kennedy & Chris Redfield
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5 Things We Hope To See In Resident Evil 9

Given the huge success of the Resident Evil 4 remake, fans are already looking ahead to what is next for Capcom and its beloved characters.

Resident Evil 9 Could Easily Bring Back A First-Person Perspective

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First-person is great for bringing out the horror in Resident Evil. While it isn't the same as the fixed camera angles used by titles before the original RE4, first-person can effectively hide threats from players. Situations with as few as two enemies in a cluttered environment can become much more stressful in first-person, forcing players to manage their perspective while defending themselves. There's a good reason why Resident Evil 7’s VR mode is famous for being one of the most terrifying VR experiences, and itself a great argument for VR returning in Resident Evil 9.

A First-Person Resident Evil 9 Could Benefit From The Ideas Its Predecessors Pioneered

On that note, Resident Evil 9 could use a first-person viewpoint for all the same reasons it worked so well in Resident Evil 7 and Village. It literally places the player in their character’s shoes, seeing everything that they see up-close and permitting design decisions that would be rougher in third-person. Environments in Resident Evil 9 can be more cluttered, like RE7’s Baker House, with players equipped to sift through them for hidden items. RE7 and Village also demonstrate that animations concerning arms and legs have the most impact in first-person. Throw in the aforementioned VR compatibility, and Resident Evil 9 could be the next immersive AAA horror sensation.

There Are Reasons For Resident Evil To Move Away From First-Person Gameplay

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With all of that said, going first-person in the next Resident Evil would feel dangerously close to retreading RE7 and Village again. Dating back to its fixed camera days, Resident Evil has traditionally been a third-person franchise, and the RE remakes have proven that over-the-shoulder viewpoints still work for action-horror and survival-horror. First-person can be kept in the series’ back pocket to bring out occasionally, but it would be nice to see another numbered Resident Evil have third-person at launch again after defaulting to first-person since 2017.

First-Person Is The Signature of Resident Evil’s Ethan Winters

Cheapening RE7 and RE Village's use of first-person perspectives isn't an unwarranted concern, either. The Winters duology was built around the concept of the faceless Ethan Winters self-insert character. Even when third-person cutscenes occurred and the third-person mode was added to RE Village, Ethan's obscured face remained a firm element of his design. Using any other pre-established protagonist in Resident Evil 9 would be better suited to third-person cameras that allow players to see their character, emphasizing more kinetic fighters like the roundhouse-kicking Leon in the process. The topic of first or third-person perspectives could go either way in Resident Evil 9, but just because the game can work from both angles doesn't mean that designing around one first won't have far-reaching consequences.