Capcom took to the stage at Sony’s pre-Tokyo Game Show 2015 presser a few weeks back to announce an all-new entry in its multi-million selling Resident Evil franchise. Much to the shock of fans, this wasn’t the seventh numbered instalment in the venerable horror series, but rather, a new shoot-’em-up titled Resident Evil: Umbrella Corps. While we can’t speak for everyone, there was a chorus of unanimous sighs here at PSU Towers, as we were reminded of the disaster that was Resident Evil Operation: Raccoon City back in 2012.
We won’t beat around the bush: we’re not a fan of this action-oriented direction of the series, spin-off or not, and think Capcom could put its resources into something much more suited to the franchise’s roots.
Here’s 3 Resident Evil games we think would be miles better than Umbrella Corps while we wait for the inexorable Resident Evil 7.
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A prequel featuring the S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team
Yes, Resident Evil Zero is a prequel, and technically it involves the Bravo Team. But it’s not the game it could have been. During development, the idea was to focus on all the ill-fated members and reveal their fates in detail, not just focusing on Rebecca’s journey with the escaped convict, Billy Coen. Enrico, Kenneth, Forest and Richard all went their separate ways, and while various releases have touched on their demise, we still think that they deserved their own, playable experience. Imagine an authentic survival horror experience where you control one of the lesser-known members, exploring the spooky, mist-covered grounds of Raccoon Forest, an area that has yet to be fully explored in a Resident Evil title. You could also visit the Mansion and its grounds, or explore the rest of the forest. Co-op would be a nice addition too, as you could team up with another Bravo member to help fight off the zombies and other creatures that have infested Raccoon’s picturesque mountain area. The whole reason Bravo were there in the first place was to search for the missing hikers, so this could tie in nicely with the action.
Resident Evil Outbreak: File 3
If Capcom wants to indulge in some online-based Resident Evil, then why not give the Outbreak series another shot? Sure, it was flawed in places, but if you had a good team and a solid Internet connection, Resident Evil Outbreak and its sequel proved to be a compelling slice of survival horror punctuated by some great teamwork play. As many probably know at this point, Capcom actually cut a lot of content out of the two previous Outbreak games, so much so that they had enough for a third title. As such, it probably wouldn’t take much effort to cobble together a third instalment in the series for PS4 and Xbox One. The extra horsepower of current-gen consoles would really benefit the Outbreak template, offering more characters, detailed locations, tons more enemies on screen, not to mention a stable online infrastructure.
Resident Evil: Revelations 3
Resident Evil: Revelations is probably the most interesting thing to happen to the series for years now. The original reunited Jill and Chris once again, but moved the franchise closer to its stomach-knotting, horror-flavored roots by setting the action on a spooky cruise ship populated by ooze-like creatures. The brilliant combination of puzzles and exploration through the claustrophobic environments channelled classic Resi more than 5 or 6 managed to, something which carried over to the sequel, which brought back Barry Burton and Claire Redfield after more than a decade hiatus. As such, we’d love to see a third outing released to capitalize on the success of Revelations 2, preferably one that brings back more forgotten characters from the Resi universe. How about Rebecca Chambers, Carlos Oliveira or Billy Coen? None of these faces have appeared canonically in years, particularly Chambers, whose whereabouts after Resi 2 have been a mystery since 1998; she’s long overdue for a comeback, and we’d love to see what she’s been up to now she’s all grown up and more experienced. Not only that, but we’d like to see Revelations to dip further into some of the series’ classic enemies. Revelations 1 saw the return of the Hunters, while 2 (kind of) featured zombies in the shape of the ‘Rotten’ foes. How about a Licker or Tyrant? Hell, maybe something more obscure like a Brain Sucker or Bandersnatch? Come on Capcom, you know you want to.