Summary
Capcom’s seminal survival horror seriesResident Evilhas undergone many changes over it’s nearly 30-year history. Evolving and mutating likeResident 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, notablyResident Evil 5and6, were accused of letting the horror take a backseat at the expense of erodingRE’s core identity, resulting in a mixed reception and a drop in interest.
The recent resurgence of theREfranchise can be credited to two major factors: the duo ofResident Evil 7andResident Evil: Village,along with theremakes ofResident Evil 2,3, and4. 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. WhileRE2through4all had brief moments of levity, for the most part they kept to serious survival horror.RE7andVillage,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.
RELATED:The Next Resident Evil Game Should Focus on One Thing Above All Else
Resident Evil Embracing Whimsical Tropes Is A Good Choice For The Series
Resident Evil 7 & Village’s Offbeat Campiness
Capcom describedResident Evil 7at the time as a series reboot and a return to its roots.RE7was a slower, smaller scale tale featuring a new protagonist, Ethan Winters, set in a reimagining of what was essentially the Spencer Mansion fromRE1. Though it definitely had a prevailing creepiness to it,RE7contained many humorous moments and scenes. There were recognizableelements of The Texas Chainsaw MassacreandEvil DeadinRE7that 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: Villagefollowed in the same vein. WhileVillagealso 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 Dimitrescuhas 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 asRE:Village’s merchant added another layer of bizarre comic flavor. BothRE7andVillagewere 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
InResident Evil 7andVillage, 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 rejuvenatedREoverall. Keeping this design philosophy in mind, and the fact thatResident Evilhas so much material to draw fromin 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 someResident Evilcharacters 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 inRE7andVillageso far, it can continue to create uniquely satisfying experiences with the perfect amount of humor and horror.
