Summary
Resident Evil 7was a new landmark installment for the franchise and where it ended seemed fairly definitive, meaning a subsequent game was open-ended with what it wanted to do. It’s surprising that Ethan Winters was brought back on, in fact, since that helicopter ride into the sunset with Mia could’ve easily been the last time players saw them, and the awkward reveal of a face-liftedChris Redfieldhinted at him potentially being where the franchise’s future was headed. That turned out to be sort of true with him as a side character inResident Evil Village, and he’s now set up to be a protagonist once more.
Resident Evil 7may not have had a succinct cliffhanger to follow through on, butResident Evil Villageabsolutely does. Chris is now expected to head over and infiltrate the BSAA headquarters in Europe; meanwhile, there is speculation thatResident Evil 9could leap all the way ahead nearly two decades later to concentrate on Rose, with that being less likely due tothe Winters family saga allegedly being concluded. However, even if the story does followVillage’s Chris cliffhanger, it’s possible that it could still lean into survival-horror elements rather than generic action.
Resident Evil 9 Could Recycle RE1’s Stranded Haunted Mansion Premise
Resident Evil 9 Subverting Expectations Would Be to Go Full-Blown Horror
Chris’ gameplay in the main story ofVillageturned the game into an action shooter for the brief period of time he appears. Players are gifted with an abundance of ammunition, grenades, and other offensive resources to mow down lycans in the village, abandoning all sense of dread and survival horror the game previously had outside of maybe the epic and bombastic Heisenberg boss fight.
If Chris is now the lead inResident Evil 9, it would make sense to assume that the same sort of action would be peppered throughout it as well. However, the ninth installment will hopefully marinate longer in the unique fantastical horror thatVillageand its Shadows of Rose DLCdid, particularly their House Beneviento sequences.
Chris hasn’t been seen in a purely horror-oriented landscape since arguably the originalResident Evil, andResident Evil 9could hopefully change that by tapping into what made the first game so special in the Arklay Mountains. Either way, putting his guns down or having them forcibly stripped away and enduring half of the terrors that Ethan or Rose do would be a refreshing change of pace.
Resident Evil 9’s BSAA Headquarters Could Be the Spencer Mansion All Over Again
If theHouse Benevientosequence was extrapolated into a full game, that is essentially whatResident Evil’s initial title was. It would be extraordinary to see what Capcom could do with the premise of a haunted mansion setting once more, filled with creative enemy types, elaborate and archaic traps, and an assortment of gnawing puzzles to solve to progress further within.
The House Beneviento sequences in recentResident Evilexperiences are more attuned to a haunted house where there isn’t too much in the way of interactivity. Puzzles made these sequences stressful while players awaited some awful fate if not a jump scare, presenting some of the most harrowing and memorable moments from the franchise lately.
Marrying the tropes and motifs of theSpencer Mansionwith House Beneviento could makeResident Evil 9wonderfully unique and frightening, all while possibly featuring Chris as the protagonist least likely to be equipped now for such an adventure. Chris might not have any trouble getting around a brawl or shootout as evidenced in recentResident Evilgames, but putting him through a granular, haunting psychological trip could be precisely what is needed to make him a robust character in the franchise once more.
Resident Evil Village
WHERE TO PLAY
Ethan Winters finds himself in an entirely new nightmare in Capcom’s latest installment of the acclaimed Resident Evil franchise. Whether you’re defending against Lycans in the grim dwellings of the village or exploring the lavish Castle Dimitrescu, the meticulously designed environments immerse you in this eerie world, powered by Capcom’s proprietary RE Engine. Run from, hide or face off against a diverse cast of terrifying village inhabitants in dream-like - no, nightmarish - situations and fight your instincts to push through classic horror-based sequences. Also, be sure to check out “The Mercenaries” that unlocks once you’ve finished the campaign, a fast-paced and arcade-like game mode which challenges players to blast away enemies against the clock.
