The nextResident Eviltitle is still some ways off, even as leaks regarding its existence continue to pile up. Allegedly,Resident Evil 9is an open-world game using the same technology that went into makingDragon’s Dogma 2andMonster Hunter Wilds, although for whatever reason Capcom seems content to give both games plenty of space.Resident Evilis no stranger to larger gaps between its mainline games, but with nothing to follow 2024’sResident Evil 4remake andOnimusha: Way of the Swordlaunching in 2026, it feels likeResident Evil 9is a particularly long way off.
Since the game hasn’t even been announced, there isn’t much else that’s concrete to go over. According to more leaks,a youthful Jill Valentineand appropriately aged Leon S. Kennedy will take the protagonist chair, this time joined by fellowREveterans Chris Redfield and Barry Burton as support. It sounds promising, even if an open-worldResident Evilis a drastic departure from the series’ norm that doesn’t play to its usual strengths. Even so,Resident Evil 9could still succeed if it takes lessons from the modern open world powerhouseThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, particularly regarding its most controversial mechanic.
Breath of the Wild’s Weapon Durability Was A Bold, But Risky Endeavor
Why Other Games Are Hesitant To Copy Breath of the Wild’s Durability
Anyone familiar withBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdomknows that thoseZeldagames made a lot of hotly debated changes to the series' core formula, but none more so than weapon durability. Even a whole console generation and tens of million sales later, some players still can’t stand the limited weapon durability thatBreath of the Wildintroduced, and don’t considerTears of the Kingdom’s Fuse powerto be a sufficient bandage for it. The fanbase will likely remain split over this system, but like it or not, it is core toBreath of the Wild’s identity.
The largest reason for the feature’s existence is how it infuses the game with a sense of variety, even if one might protest that it’s artificially induced. Constant weapon shatters, which serve as extra-powerful attacks if thrown, means that players always need to be on the lookout for new weapons, shields, and bows to replace their old ones. Even ifBreath of the Wild’s more powerful equipmentoften comes with higher durability, players can’t rely on any tool forever; managing their limited inventory space adds another layer to the system, and incentivizes looking for Koroks.
Resident Evil 9 Could Pair Its Open World With Weapon Durability
Still, the system undeniably has room for improvement, and a different game will have to handle such a volatile mechanic in its own way.Resident Evil 9could reap significant rewards by successfully implementing weapon durability alongside its open world, especially sinceResident Evil’s built-up armorysynergizes with durability points in a surprising way. The survival horror franchise is already well known for its limited inventory space, and its bevy of guns, grenades, and knives could be spread out over an open world, with durability forcing players to take on different, or similar, encounters in drastically different ways.
Durability in Resident Evil Must Be Balanced Carefully
It helps thatResident Evil 4’s remake experimented with knife durability already, but extending the system to guns presents some new issues. Special, limited items like grenade launchers and rocket launchers could simply be used up after firing their usual small payloads, but regular guns still need ammo of varying types.Resident Evil 9’s inventory managementwill need to make a tough choice between limited weapon slots and an attache case. Weapon durability is always a risky proposition if it’s prominent, butResident Evil 9could thread the needle and make one ofZelda’s least popular mechanics work in its favor.
