Resident Evil 9 Wish List
Remakes Are Great, but What is Next for a Main Line Resident Evil Game?
The Resident Evil franchise has had quite a half-decade or so. Between releasing remakes of Resident Evil 2, 3, and 4 and expanding the main line with Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and Resident Evil Village (Resident Evil 8, stylized as Resident Evil VIIIage), the franchise has produced a lot of content over the last six years.
With the three remakes and Biohazard/Village all receiving mostly favorable reviews (acclaim in the case of remakes of 2 and 4), it is time to ask, what is next for one of the founding franchises of survival horror? Although many fans are looking for a remake of Code Veronica, let’s talk about a wish list for the next mainline entry into the storied franchise.
SPOILER WARNING - this article contains spoilers for Resident Evil 7 and 8 as well as the Shadow of Rose downloadable content (DLC).
Wish List for Resident Evil 9
Finishing the Winters’ Storyline
An argument could be made that Resident Evil works in trilogies for the mainline entries. The original three were core survival horror games that involved making use of limited resources and solving puzzles. The first three games take place in and around the fictional town of Raccoon City where a virus outbreak caused by the Umbrella Corporation turns people into zombies. These three games introduce us to the “Core Four” characters of Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, Claire Redfield (Chris’s sister), and Leon Kennedy.
The next three mainline games (Resident Evil 4,5, and 6) take up a more action-oriented approach (especially 6) and the scarcity of resources and puzzle-solving elements are phased out more and more as the trilogy unfolds.
Resident Evil 7 reboots the franchise in a way. For the first time in the series history, the game was played from a first person perspective instead of third person. This carried over into Village as well. Both games also had a more atmospheric horror element to them. This felt like a callback to the Spence Mansion, and Raccoon City setting in the original trilogy.
A new main protagonist Ethan Winters along with his wife Mia and eventually their child Rosemary (Rose). Ethan and Mia go through some extreme experiences in 7 that bleed over into 8 that involve the rescue of their child.
With the next game, a conclusion of the Winters’ trilogy would be a satisfying main story arc for the ninth main entry.
Rose Deciding Her Fate
The ending of Village along with the Shadow of Rose DLC shows Rose harnessing the powers she gains due to the events of Biohazard and Village. With Ethan dead, Chris Redfield recruited her and helped train her as part of his Hound Wolf Squad.
Through the Shadow of Rose DLC, we find out that Rose has become a social outcast due to her special abilities. That mixed with the grief of losing her father and being separated from her mother makes her resent her powers. She even hints that she has power Chris doesn’t know about to one a member of Chris’s team. By the time the DLC wraps up, she seems to have a change of heart after revisiting the horrors of the village and being guided by Ethan’s spirit. However, being a teenager means she may change her mind again.
Regardless of the plot of Resident Evil 9, an inner struggle with Rose deciding if she wants to stick with Chris, or find a way to rid her powers and live a normal life would be a great subtext. This can all play out as she harnesses and expands her powers throughout the game.
Final Villain Tying the Trilogy Together
The ending of Village tied Mother Miranda together with the events of Biohazard and the larger franchise. Ethan defeats her at the end of the game, saving Rose in the process. If Resident Evil 9 is going to truly be a finish to a trilogy, an overarching villain that ties into the Biohazard/Village would complete the game and trilogy.
It was revealed that Miranda used the mold research that Ethan fights against in Biohazard and Village to aid the Umbrella Corporation in creating the T-Virus. This tied not only the two games together but tied them into the larger Resident Evil franchise.
If Rose takes on more power in Resident Evil 9 it presents a perfect opportunity for an overarching villain to try and stop her 16 years after Ethan saved her and thwarted Mother Miranda’s plans. With Mother Miranda being tied into the overall franchise, there is some room to work with to add an overarching villain to not only the trilogy, but the series as a whole.
Return of Classic Characters
Chris Redfield appeared at the very end of Biohazard and was a crucial part of Village. Having a classic character return and fit into the storyline was great, but there is room for more familiar faces to cap off the storyline.
The obvious choices would be either his sister Claire or his longtime partner Jill. That being said both Biohazard and Village broke some new ground for the long-running franchise. An appearance from Leon or other characters such as Rebecca Chambers or Barry Burton would be a welcomed surprise.
Rebecca was introduced in the original Resident Evil as a biochemistry expert. With her experience, who better to help Rose control or get rid of her powers that are caused by a biochemical mold?
Barry has a protective father element about him. This is heavily played out in Resident Evil Revelations 2 as we learn about his complex relationship with his daughter Moira and heads to Sein Island to rescue her. Along the way he meets a young girl Natalia who he protects throughout his time on the island. With Ethan being gone, and Rose having a complex relationship with Chris and his team, Barry can take the role of a moral compass for Rose.
It is worth noting that Rebecca and Barry were both part of STARS alongside Chris (and Jill). Integrating them would bring things full circle much like the revelation of Miranda’s connection to the Spencer Mansion did in Village.
Hopefully, we get a new mainline Resident Evil game for this console generation. A conclusion to the Winters’ story arc would be satisfying, and based on the ending of Village it seems we are headed that way. One thing we can count on with Capcom, is they always have a trick up their sleeve to give gamers a surprise (and a jump scare or two).
What do you want to see in a new Resident Evil? Sound off in the comments.