Resident Evil 9is a title that has been on a lot of gamers' minds recently, even though Capcom has yet to offer any concrete look into what the game has in store. Right now, there is virtually nothing officially known aboutResident Evil 9apart from its director, Koshi Nakanishi, but the rest is still shrouded in a blanket of mystery.
It may not be the longest wait betweenResident Evilreleases, but it’s still a considerable amount of time, especially with no news about the next chapter. Hopes for anRE9reveal to arrive this year have been growing, especially after some fans have seenCapcom’s latestRE4sales milestone celebrationas a teaser for the next chapter.RE9has been fertile soil for rumors to grow, but as the wait between mainline chapters grows longer, Capcom may want to take note of how Konami is handling theSIlent Hillfranchise.
Resident Evil Could Benefit From Silent Hill’s Embrace of Spin-Off Stories
The Short Messagemay have failed to succeed with theSilent Hillfan base, but the idea of short spin-off games between major releases is intriguing, and could work wonders fortheResident Evilseries. Now thatTownfallis set to be the next spin-off entry, Konami has a second chance at making its side-story ambitions take off, and if successful, Capcom may want to follow suit.
WithRE7’s Koshi Nakanishi back in the director’s seat,RE9could once again be potentially leaning harder into survival horror elements. It’s also unclear ifRE9will stick to the first-person perspective introduced inRE7.
Resident Evil May Actually Be the Better Franchise to Introduce Spin-Offs
Silent Hillhas plenty of its own intriguing lore, but compared toResident Evil, the latter may have far more potential when it comes to this type of lore exploration. Over the years,Resident Evilhas left a lot of loose threads within its canon that could benefit from being tied. Whether it be Rosemary’s powers or the mysterious new crime syndicateknown as The Connections,RE9may have too much ground to cover for its own good.
Short spin-offs made in the same vein asThe Short MessageandTownfallcould allow theResident Evilfranchise to cover a lot more ground with its lore. This is likely wishful thinking, but the lore ofResident Evillends itself to deeper dives that mainline games sometimes don’t allow, since the story has to stay more focused.
Nothing has been confirmed, but this summer could potentially set the stage for anRE9announcement. Summer Game Fest airs on June 6, and there have been rumors of a PlayStation showcase.
Over the years,Resident Evilhas left a lot of loose threads within its canon that could benefit from being tied.
Resident Evil 9 Has Been the Source of Continuous Rumors
The longer Capcom goes without offering fans details aboutRE9, the more rumors are bound to pop up. Rumors and leaks have suggested everything from Leon and Jill returning to an open-world map.The legacy ofResident Evilhas made it one of the most beloved horror franchises in the industry, and that makes the promise ofRE9that much more exciting.
Considering it’s currently been four years between mainline titles, it’s far too late for Capcom to develop its own spin-off game ahead ofRE9’s eventual launch. However, it could be useful to embrace this approach in the future. As game development gets more complicated, the wait between chapters is getting longer, and having small crumbs of lore in betweenResident Eviltitles could help expand its world in a more efficient way.
