Resident Evil 8: What It Needs to Keep and Avoid From the Remakes
Resident Evil 8 has some big shoes to fill when it releases in 2021, following up on the radically different Resident Evil 7, and the hugely successful Resident Evil 2 and 3 remakes. It looks like Capcom isn't shying away from the task, however, as Resident Evil 8 is taking a very different tone and style from the rest of the series.
Resident Evil 8 is built on the RE Engine, the same engine used in both remakes as well as Devil May Cry 5. The remakes of Resident Evil 2 and 3 could very well have been testing beds for new ideas or features that Capcom wants to implement in Resident Evil Village.
With that in mind, there's plenty for Resident Evil 8 to draw inspiration from, but there are things that it should keep and avoid from the Resident Evil 2 and 3 remakes.
Mr. X is one of the most terrifying enemies to grace the Resident Evil franchise, and easily the very best part of the Resident Evil 2 remake. The villain featured fantastic AI that would stalk players throughout the Raccoon City Police Department. The adaptive AI was unlike anything the series had ever seen, and hearing Mr. X's footfalls above is utterly terrifying. Resident Evil 8 would benefit from having a similarly terrifying enemy that stalks players through the village. With the game's focus on the occult and supernatural, there is any number of options; potentially even a werewolf that stalks players by smell.
While Mr. X managed to be a terrifying and memorable part of Resident Evil 2, Nemesis in Resident Evil 3 sadly doesn't hold up the same. The big problem is that Nemesis is used exclusively for big set-piece moments and boss battles, thereby doing away with the tension that Mr. X lent to the experience. Nemesis simply doesn't have that same feeling when players know when he's going to show up, and know as soon as they get out of that area he won't pursue them anymore. With Resident Evil 8 it'd be far more interesting to see a dynamic enemy AI like Mr. X, rather than a big boss that shows up for set-pieces. Of course, there's no reason Resident Evil 8 couldn't have both.
Resident Evil games have a long tradition of multiple playable characters, and even Resident Evil 7 stuck to that tradition with a short segment where players take control of Mia. The Resident Evil 2 and 3 remakes epitomize the series' idea of multiple characters, especially Resident Evil 2 with its A and B scenarios. Capcom has already confirmed that Resident Evil 8 will star Ethan Winters again, but it's also shown that Chris Redfield will factor into Resident Evil 8's story in a big way. It'd be really interesting to see Resident Evil 8 cast Ethan as the main character but bring back another series mainstay like Chris or even Leon Kennedy for playable segments.
The RE Engine is an impressive piece of software, and Capcom has put it to great use so far. The remakes, in particular, feature detailed enemy damage that allows players to blow off limbs and bones, and blast zombies apart bit by bit. Considering Resident Evil 8 is developed exclusively for PS5 and Xbox Series X, the potential for enemy damage could be great. Resident Evil 7's combat was extra visceral because of the first-person view, and if Resident Evil 8 can combine that with the dismemberment of the remakes, it'd truly be something special.
Resident Evil has a mixed history with boss fights, as the series tends to lean too heavily on obvious gimmicks. Resident Evil 3 is a prime example of that with each of Jill's encounters with Nemesis. The second Nemesis battle, in particular, requires players to use mine grenades to blast Nemesis off of a wall, and the battle gets incredibly tedious after a short while. Resident Evil 7 helped this problem by having battle that presented players with multiple options, but it still had gimmicks. Resident Evil 8 needs to have far more interesting and dynamic boss battles, and not ones that boil down to doing one specific action.
Resident Evil 8 launches in 2021 for PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.