Resident Evil has always been one of Capcom’s flagship franchises and for good reason. The original Resident Evil released in 1996 for the PlayStation set a benchmark for horror games in that generation with its haunting soundtrack, suspenseful atmosphere, and cleverly engineered jumpscares. On top of it, the title has also been hailed for its brave portrayal of blood and gore, something games refused to dabble with at that time.
Over the years, Resident Evil has turned into a stalwart of the horror genre, even giving way to several movies and animated shows. Meanwhile, Capom has churned out one critically acclaimed game after the other, much to the delight of fans. Although the general consensus believes the studio dropped the ball with RE 5 and 6, the devs soon got back on track, and we had the pleasure of experiencing the chilling RE 7.
In 2019, Capcom took the tried and tested route of remakes, allowing their fans to relive the nostalgia through old Resident Evil games completely built up from the ground using modern-day graphics and mechanics. At the time of writing, the publisher has released three remakes, namely Resident Evil 2, 3, and 4, all of which have received immensely positive feedback from fans. Moreover, apart from staying faithful to the old narratives, Capcom has also used this opportunity to create new storylines, like with the Separate Ways DLC featuring Ada Wong.
After the release of 2023’s Resident Evil 4, a few industry insiders claimed Capcom was not interested in releasing a remake the following year. However, that seems to have changed, as several dependable sources have since announced that more Resident Evil remakes are on the way. Naturally, this news has been welcomed by the majority of fans, although some cannot help but wonder if Capcom is taking things too far.
Is Capcom milking the Resident Evil franchise?
Time and again publishers have proved that they aren’t afraid to milk a franchise if it remains profitable. A massive example of this is Ubisoft’s treatment of the Assassins Creed series and how it drove the franchise into the ground before listening to feedback and resurrecting it with Mirage. Similarly, Capcom’s commitment to release more Resident Evil remakes made some wonder if the company was relying too heavily on its initial success and if its reputation would take a hit down the line.
However, that doesn’t seem to be the case as Capcom is not milking the franchise as of yet. The devs have always been open to consumer feedback and all of the remakes released to date have been developed with an exquisite attention to detail. On top of it, the Resident Evil franchise still has several titles that could do with a next-gen facelift, and if Capcom nails the co-op part this time around, they might just have another winner on their hands.
At this moment, only time can tell which game might get remade next since Capcom has yet to make any official announcements. However, if the past is anything to go by, the Resident Evil franchise is in safe hands, and the future does seem exciting for fans.
