Highlights
- Resident Evil 9 should feature a return to a more urban city setting, providing a welcome change of pace from recent entries.
- The future of the franchise's setting is uncertain, but leaks suggest that Resident Evil 9 may explore the mythological horror and urban legend theme started in Resident Evil 7, focusing on the legends of skin-walkers and wendigo in the American West.
- The possibility of exploring a western town and interacting with NPCs is exciting and would offer a fresh experience while honoring the franchise's roots.
Recent entries of the Resident Evil franchise have brought players around the world to mysterious locales that are isolated from the outside world. As speculation grows for Resident Evil 9, fans wonder where the next entry in the world of survival horror will go. A return to a more urban city setting would be a welcome change of pace.
With the recent release of Resident Evil 4 Remake's Separate Ways DLC, the latest installment of Capcom's survival horror franchise is made complete. Unless Capcom surprises fans with brand-new content for RE4 Remake, RE fans must now look toward the future. Rumors have been circulating for some time about Resident Evil 9 and what the future of the franchise holds, especially when it comes to its setting. As Resident Evil 4 Remake and the release before that were both set in European villages with fantasy influence, a return to a more classic urban environment could be exactly what the franchise needs.
Resident Evil 9's Mysterious New Location
If the past few years are any indication, the next RE title will be a continuation of the franchise's timeline set most likely after the events of Resident Evil: Village a.k.a the eighth "numbered" game in the series. As Resident Evil 4 Remake has just come out, it is unlikely that they will follow up with another remake. Though a Resident Evil 5 Remake has been teased in RE4 and is heavily rumored, it will likely not be on the table until after RE9 if the formula used since Resident Evil 7 continues.
With Ethan Winter's story coming to a conclusion in RE Village's Shadows of Rose DLC, the franchise can move in any direction with its next game. Resident Evil 9 has the potential to feature completely new gameplay, story, and of course locations. Fans have already experienced survival horror scenarios in all types of settings from isolated mansions, Midwestern towns, medieval villages, universities, African savannahs, and many more.
It has been quite some time since there was a Resident Evil game that was set in an urban environment that required players to navigate an intricately designed modern metropolitan area the likes of Raccoon City. A city setting would be interesting to explore again as it creates a sense of being trapped among many other people all desperately fighting for survival, which also lends itself to providing a variety of characters to meet and interact with.
Leaks about Resident Evil 9 have been present for a while now, with several leaks claiming the game is intended to be a continuation of the mythological horror/ urban legend theme started in RE7. This time around the focus would be on the legend of the skin-walkers and wendigo in the American West. As the leaks go, the setting would be a "ghost town" where players explore rivers, caves, and forests while battling the deformed creatures. Claims stated that the monsters take on the likeness of a friendly NPC to lure players into a trap by mimicking human voices. Presently none of these leaks have been confirmed, so fans are urged to take these rumors with a grain of salt.
If the leaks about Resident Evil 9 prove to be true it could be very interesting to see how they handle the environments in the game. Having a western town to explore full of NPCs to interact with would be brand-new territory for the series that would feel fresh while still honoring the franchise's roots. No confirmations have been made at this time, so players may have to wait a bit longer for an official announcement.
Resident Evil 9 is not confirmed to be in development.