Man, I loveResident Evil.The announcement ofResident Evil Requiemwas a highlight for me this past weekend, and I am fiending to play it and learn more.
So much of my identity as a gamer is tied toResident Evil.Some of my earliest memories are watching my uncle playRE1on PS1 before I ever had my own. And then for my ninth or 10th birthday, I asked for a PS1 of my own and just one game:Resident Evil 2. And I got them, and so a survival horror fan was born.
I didn’t end up beatingRE2until many, many years later (as a kid, the scene with the zombies crashing through the glass at Kendo’s Gun Shop made me turn off the console and subsequently have nightmares for weeks). But I’ve since tackled just about everything else in the franchise since then, and I’m always excited to play and see what’s next. I consider it in my “big three” of franchises I’ve been a fan of since childhood, along withMetal Gear SolidandFinal Fantasy.
And so I’ve seen just about every twist and turn the series has gone through. From tank controls and fixed camera angles, toResident Evil 4’srevolution of the third-person shooter, toResident Evil VIIandVillagebringing everything into a claustrophobic first-person perspective.
Previews ofResident Evil Requiem, orRE9, hit the internet this morning (I sadly did not attend Summer Game Fest). Those who saw a demo of the game confirm how you’ll be able to freely switch between first and third-person. And thank goodness.
Resident Evilhas gotten so good at both perspectives, withRE7andVillagecreating tension in first-person, while the remakes of2,3, and4are a master-class when it comes to third-person action horror. And now, we get the best of both.
Previews from outlets likePC GamerandInsider Gamingconfirm attendees were shown gameplay of new protagonist Grace Ashcroft wielding nothing but a lighter and her wits as she navigates a dark, horrifying hotel as a grotesque creature stalks her. Perfect. But that’s not all.
Being able to switch to third person is an excellent option for those who maybe don’t love first-person perspective or get nauseous from it. But I don’t think this is just an accessibility feature. I think it’s a necessity for when the game ramps up the action with an assumed second protagonist that gamers have known and loved for nearly 30 years.
It’s only a matter of time before Capcom reveals Leon S. Kennedy is the second character inRE9. Leaks point to that, the inclusion of a return to Raccoon City hint at it, and his action hero gameplay style not seen sinceResident Evil 6will be best suited for the third-person perspective. And of course, if this is truly going to be an end of the “OG” storyline and jumping-off point for something new, Leon needs to come back.
Leon isResident Evil’smost famous character, along with Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield, and Claire Redfield. Leon hasn’t been seen in the games since 2012’sRE6, so it’s high time for him to make a return as a grizzled, veteran secret agent badass to bring everything to an explosive finale.
Resident Evilhas succeeded as both a first-person survival horror game and a third-person action horror game, and I’m expecting this title to be a little of both. Grace is an FBI agent but likely inexperienced when it comes to combat as she’s described as an analyst in the reveal trailer, so she will take center stage in the cramped hallways andP.T.-like atmosphere of the hotel.
And then, eventually, our boy Leon will come in, guns blazing, roundhouse kicks flying, and killing whatever needs to be killed. And so in this case, I thinkResident Evil’sidentity crisis is a boon to the series and an excellent thing forRequiem.I believe we will get the best of both of the franchise’s playstyles in this game.
So far, Capcom is just showing Grace’s gameplay in a small teaser.RE9will be playable at gamescom later this summer, so players will be able to try it themselves in Cologne, Germany. The only question for me is if the publisher will use that event to confirm Leon’s return. We all know it’s coming.
And when Leon does arrive in both marketing and the game, the choice between first or third person will become very clear for long-time fans of the franchise. Let us see our bad-ass kicking heads off and saving the day one last time.
