Yesterday, Capcom held a half-hour showcase featuring many exciting updates on games such as Monster Hunter, EXOPRIMAL,Dragon's Dogma, and Resident Evil. Unsurprisingly, given the hype for the recently announced remake of Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil spent most of the time under the spotlight with RE4 receiving an extended preview trailer.
Apart from Resident Evil 4, Capcom also gave fans an update on the long-awaited DLC of Resident Evil Village. As confirmed by the studio, the DLC, titled Shadows of Rose, follows the journey of Rose Winters 16 years after the events of Resident Evil Village. However, while Shadows of Rose is only a story expansion, its huge time jump may indicate the solidification of the soft reboot of the Resident Evil franchise.
How Resident Evil 7 and Village Steered the Franchise Into a New Direction
It is no secret that during Resident Evil 6's release in 2012, fans started falling out of love with the franchise. To combat Resident Evil's dwindling popularity, Capcom decided to shake things up in Resident Evil 7 by introducing a new storyline centered around a new cast of characters. While the concept of bioterrorism is still present in all Resident Evil games, the progression of the franchise's mainline story has always been from the perspective of Chris Redfield (RE1, RE5, RE6, RE7, RE Village), Jill Valentine (RE1, RE3, RE5), Leon Kennedy (RE2, RE4, RE6), and Claire Redfield (RE2, RE Code Veronica).
However, to provide players with a new experience, Capcom introduced newcomer Ethan Winters as the main protagonist for Resident Evil 7 and Village, and Chris is the only character from the old games to appear in the latest installments. With Resident Evil Village closing the story of Ethan Winters, players are curious about what will happen next. Some speculate that Capcom may be planning to bring the franchise full circle by reintroducing other characters from old Resident Evil games. However, if the next main installment in the Resident Evil franchise will follow the timeline of Shadows of Rose, then the return of these characters may be unlikely.
Why Shadows of Rose May Solidify Resident Evil's New Direction
While no one knows how Capcom is planning to treat Shadows of Rose, there are two possible scenarios on how it could affect future installments in the franchise. First, Shadows of Rose could just be a mere DLC and nothing else, and Resident Evil 9 could reunite the franchise with the characters established before Resident Evil 7. However, if Shadows of Rose is a set-up for Resident Evil 9, then it is unlikely that for the old characters to return to the story in a significant capacity.
As confirmed in the trailer, Shadows of Rose is set 16 years after Resident Evil Village. Given this huge time jump, Chris, Jill, Leon, and Claire, will all be in their early sixties. While Rose mentioned Chris in the trailer, he is likely no longer on active duty due to his advanced age. The same can be said for Jill and Leon, who work for the B.S.A.A. (Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance) and the US government, respectively.
Of course, Resident Evil continuing the path started by Resident Evil 7 is not necessarily bad, especially since the old characters have already spent considerable time under the spotlight. Not to mention, the soft reboot introduced in Resident Evil 7 that Village continued revived the franchise's massive popularity, satisfying both veteran players and newcomers. In the end, the Resident Evil franchise has always flourished by introducing monumental changes to its formula. In Resident Evil 4, the changes Capcom introduced made it a beloved entry and introduced the franchise to a new audience. Similarly, the focus on new characters and the continued evolution of the storyline may very well lead the Resident Evil franchise to new frontiers and extend its popularity for another 25 years.
Resident Evil Village is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
