What happens when Capcom runs out of Resident Evil games to remake?

The first Resident Evil game was remastered back in 2015 and brought a fresh coat a paint to the game. It basically updated the essentials, things like camera controls, textures, widescreen support, and many bugs. This is about as far as what's different from it's original counterpart and is now the mainstream version to buy and play the game. It's decently priced given the games age (the game originally releasing in 1996). It may not bring any modern-day game mechanics to the table but that would soon change with the remake of Resident Evil 2.

With the Resident Evil 2 remake, Capcom sought to reinvent the wheel of the original and bring forth some much-needed quality of life improvements. From things like remaking the entire game on a completely different RE engine, too moving the camera to over the shoulder. The game itself plays entirely different from its original. Yet, it still matches the aesthetic of the original and even enhances it. The exact same thing can be said for it's sequel, being an exact parallel in gameplay design and aesthetic. It too is one that reinvents the original game mechanics while sticking to it's original art direction.

The latest of their remakes to be released is Resident Evil 4. Releasing March 24th, 2023, the game was met with critic success scoring a 93 on Metacritic. Like the previously mentioned remakes, Resident Evil 4 went through the same coat of paint as did both RE2 and RE3. This time, the pressure was on in crafting an authentic experience that would entice new fans of the series and rekindle old ones. Here is a basic list of changes that have come about in this remake.

Pros

• Modern controls

• Updated graphics/textures

• Reshot perspective in cutscenes

• Advanced buddy and enemy AI

• Bonuses (attache case and charms)

• Bearable QTE's

Cons

• Performance issues (pc related)

• Breakable knife

• Recast of Ada Wong

• Pay-to-win mechanic

How long can they keep this up exactly?

One day Capcom will catch up to the sequels of the game and be left in a standoff. That is, if they cannot keep up with these future releases then everything would be fine. Enough time would have passed to warrant a remake that would prove beneficial to the original and not detrimental. That also bring to question, what does the future of the Resident Evil series look like?

I think the future of the Resident Evil series should go back to the action-oriented plot and dynamic of Resident Evil 4. Granted, we've only got two games to really push a more classic horror experience in the series (that being RE7 and RE Village). I can't help but shake the feeling that more people played the RE4 remake than they did the latest original title. At least, people that talk about RE4 anyway. Either way, I don't think the remakes are going anywhere. They are here to stay and Capcom would be wise to follow through with more sequels before the remakes catch up to them.

Sources:

• Destructoid. (2023, April 10). Everything wrong with resident evil 4 remake. YouTube. Retrieved April 14, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4NAHjyUrSc