The Resident Evil franchise, despite its status as a beloved and well-crafted horror franchise, is a bit light on truly terrifying, psychological horror elements. This is especially evident when the series is compared to other famous, more character-driven survival horror franchises like Dead Space and Silent Hill, which manage to illicit a wide range of emotions from their audiences thanks to their focus on themes like trauma and guilt. For Resident Evil to truly grow and mature, it should start to focus on similar storytelling elements.

Resident Evil games can vary greatly when it comes to overall tone and style, with Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village taking the greatest steps away from series' conventions. In these games, instead of playing as highly capable, fearless, action-star heroes, players assume the role of Ethan Winters, an average man whose only goal is to save and protect his family. How well Capcom executed this new narrative direction is a subject of debate within the fan base, but it's clear that the inclusion of Winters made for more intimate and personal storytelling, which is something that the franchise could use more of.

Related

Sheva Alomar Can Be Resident Evil 5 Remake's Carlos, Luis

Assuming Capcom moves forward with a Resident Evil 5 remake, Sheva Alomar could be revamped in a similar manner as other Resident Evil characters.

How Resident Evil Could Benefit from Darker, More Character-Focused Narratives

It's hard not to love the inherent charm of Resident Evil's irreverent, blockbuster approach to action-horror, but many long-time fans of the series, as well as gamers who may have bounced off the franchise for one reason or another, are likely looking for a bit more at this point. Resident Evil is full of great characters, intriguing mysteries, and disturbing monster designs, but most of the games in the series lack the emotional depth of other, seminal horror games.

Resident Evil Shouldn't Shy Away from Cruelty

While the franchise shouldn't become disturbing or dark for the sake of shock value, it could certainly be a bit bolder when it comes to character development. Key Resident Evil characters are put through the ringer several times, experiencing violence and horrors that would traumatize most people, but they tend to just shrug these events off, always ready for their next adventure or wisecrack. This approach has the benefit of keeping the tone of the franchise light, but it can be a roadblock to deeper, more multifaceted storytelling.

If Resident Evil allowed its characters to be truly and deeply affected by traumatic events, both during and before the games they appear in, then the series could explore fresh narrative ground. Instead of simply expanding Resident Evil's lore, which is already extensive and, arguably, overly convoluted, the series could explore the psyches of its characters, leading to more impactful horror and emotionally resonant stories.

Psychological Horror Could Improve Resident Evil's Characters

By the end of Resident Evil Village, Ethan is emotionally battered and drained, going through an incredible amount of torment and trauma only to discover that he actually died long ago and is merely an inhuman reconstruction of the original Ethan. This is fertile ground for complex storytelling, but there are two main problems: Ethan is deleted from the story before his trauma can be fully explored, and he is, unfortunately, not the most interesting character to begin with. Luckily, the next Resident Evil could bring back iconic characters like Leon, Jill, or Chris, and build on the psychological foundations established in RE7 and Village to explore their trauma. For example, instead of giving players yet another cool, jokester portrayal of Leon, RE9 could explore an older, more thoughtful version of the character, one who is grappling with the complicated events of his past.

While it's important for Resident Evil to retain its identity and not try to emulate franchises like Dead Space and Silent Hill, it could also learn from their more emotionally complex narratives. Exploring subjects like trauma—something that basically every Resident Evil character should have in abundance—would be an effective way to deepen the series' stories.

Resident Evil

Resident Evil is a long-running survival horror franchise developed by Capcom. Spread across numerous mainline and spin-off entries, the series is known for it’s third and first-person action horror, zombie-related monsters and references, and challenging puzzles.