Highlights

  • The recent success of the Resident Evil franchise can be attributed to the combination of serious survival horror and absurd humor in games like Resident Evil 7 and Village, which breathed new life into the series.
  • Capcom should continue incorporating whimsical elements and bizarre comic flavor in future Resident Evil games, as it adds a unique and enjoyable experience for players while maintaining the perfect balance of horror and humor.
  • The potential for slapstick elements mixed with straightforward scares and the exploration of new dynamics, such as romantic partnerships between characters, could create interesting scenarios and satisfying experiences in future Resident Evil games.

Capcom's seminal survival horror series Resident Evil has undergone many changes over it's nearly 30-year history. Evolving and mutating like Resident Evil's own horrifying monsters, the franchise experienced a roller coaster of fan reception with each new release. While the originals were responsible for inventing and codifying the genre, as the series progressed, it branched out from tightly contained, claustrophobic experiences to high-octane action. Later titles, notably Resident Evil 5 and 6, were accused of letting the horror take a backseat at the expense of eroding RE's core identity, resulting in a mixed reception and a drop in interest.

The recent resurgence of the RE franchise can be credited to two major factors: the duo of Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil: Village, along with the remakes of Resident Evil 2, 3, and 4. Capcom alternated releases between new entries and trendsetting quality remakes of beloved earlier games. In doing so, it put the series back on the map, pleasing audiences across the board. While RE2 through 4 all had brief moments of levity, for the most part they kept to serious survival horror. RE7 and Village, in contrast, tended to lean into more absurd and humorous territory alongside the scares to great effect. Capcom thus has a chance to capitalize on this aspect of them by continuing to incorporate their weirdness going forward.

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Resident Evil Embracing Whimsical Tropes Is A Good Choice For The Series

Lucas smiling into a camera in Resident Evil 7

Resident Evil 7 & Village's Offbeat Campiness

Capcom described Resident Evil 7 at the time as a series reboot and a return to its roots. RE7 was a slower, smaller scale tale featuring a new protagonist, Ethan Winters, set in a reimagining of what was essentially the Spencer Mansion from RE1. Though it definitely had a prevailing creepiness to it, RE7 contained many humorous moments and scenes. There were recognizable elements of ​The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Evil Dead in RE7 that gave it a similar charm to those properties. The antagonistic Baker family, while terrorizing Ethan, also amused players with their often over-the-top antics.

As a direct sequel, Resident Evil: Village followed in the same vein. While Village also had genuinely frightening portions, its eclectic cadre of villains (particularly Heisenberg) seized every opportunity to chew scenery, arguably surpassing the Bakers in their farcical performances. RE: Village's Lady Dimitrescu has since become a memefied mascot for the series, and a caricature of the classic vampire seductress.

In addition to its collection of misfit miscreants, The Duke serving as RE: Village 's merchant added another layer of bizarre comic flavor. Both RE7 and Village were well-received, with the above aspects noted as one of the biggest reasons why they were able to breathe fresh life into the series .

Capcom Should Continue Resident Evil 7 & Village's Strange Silliness

In Resident Evil 7 and Village, Capcom struck a fine balance of excellent horror and surreal humor, with neither overpowering the other. Indeed, they blended together seamlessly to create an enjoyable experience that rejuvenated RE overall. Keeping this design philosophy in mind, and the fact that Resident Evil has so much material to draw from in general, Capcom could explore further down this road. It has a wealth of options at its disposal, should it choose to do so. With such a range of possibilities, the potential for Capcom to include slapstick elements mixed in with straightforward scares allows for some interesting avenues and experiments in future games.

One thought is perhaps finally letting some Resident Evil characters have a romantic partnership. This would introduce a previously unexplored dynamic, wherein the presentation and exchange of banter between main characters and their villain foils creates even more amusing scenarios between tenser moments.

Though it may run the risk of wearing out its welcome, if Capcom can replicate the formula that has succeeded in RE7 and Village so far, it can continue to create uniquely satisfying experiences with the perfect amount of humor and horror.