Do you remember back in the original PlayStation days when we were graced with the presence of Resident Evil? This survival horror gem took us by surprise and made us hide behind our blankets more often than any scary movie. As the series continued we kept playing and we kept running home to mama as nothing else seemed to stand up to the franchise. But then everything changed as we were introduced to Resident Evil 4. Many people dispute that this is the best game in the series but it changed the series so much. It took some survival horror aspects and introduced new action elements that were very much welcome. But was Resident Evil 4 the game that cursed the franchise?

This is when we were introduced to Resident Evil 5, with the long-awaited return of Chris Redfield. Was it well received? Well from what I have seen there is a definite split. Some love the game as it takes the series to a new direction, whilst others hated it due to how far it seems to space itself away from the genre of survival horror. As for Resident Evil 6, a lot of fans suddenly decided that the end was nigh. The game was not received well by the fans of the series and new players were just not satisfied with the overall experience. Resident Evil showed signs of drying up. The horror was now all gone and replaced by an action title that was choosing to rival Call of Duty.

Great graphics can only take a game so far.

So the big question for Capcom and Resident Evil as we enter the next generation is where do they go next? Do they re-think their tactics and come up with something completely original? Or do they go back to basics and release a game that stays true to the original? There are a lot of ways that the developers can go down but one that may be interesting is a route originally planned for Resident Evil 4.

Let me introduce to you Resident Evil 3.5. This was the original plan for Leon’s adventure. Instead of a village you are in a mansion, similar to the original. Instead of a cult driven horde of village people, you face an assortment of super natural beings. The game seems to take a completely different turn in the series and seems just as scary as any other Resident Evil title. Imagine walking down a tight corridor with the sounds of someone following you, only to find that you are being stalked by a ghostly apparition wielding a scythe. Changing the undead theme may not cater to every fan out there, but it would have the opportunity to expand on the series. Maybe a hybrid version of the virus was being worked on in this mansion, causing all inhabitants to become shadows.

Imagine moments like this brought to the PS4 and Xbox One.

Another alternate route that the franchise can go down is to go back to the original. Remember when the original Resident Evil was updated and rereleased on the GameCube? If not then it’s not your fault, It’s Capcoms. Capcom believed that the game failed due to the lack of interest in the genre, but in fact it was a matter of marketing and advertising. The remake was barely advertised and not many fans knew of its existence. If it was advertised as well as Resident Evil 4, the title would almost certainly have been a great success. As for the developer’s comments on the genre not being in demand, fans are currently creating an updated HD version of Resident Evil 2. Maybe going back to the beginning doesn’t seem like a bad idea.

Capcom need to think of a way to combat the coming of The Evil Within and many other games in the genre that are coming to next gen.  With the arrival of the HD edition of Resident Evil 4 on Steam, fans will start to relive the great moments with Leon and begin to think about the future. Are the times gone where fixed camera angles and engaging sound can create an atmosphere that rivals an over-the-shoulder experience? We will have to wait and find out.

What do you think about the future of Resident Evil? Should Capcom look into their past or could we expect more of the action based titles?