With rumors ofResident Evil 7set to be announced at this year’s E3 event, one writer explains what it needs to do in order to win back lapsed series fans.
It’s no secret thatResident Evil 6isn’t the most popular game in the storiedResident Evilfranchise. Trading survival-horror for action-horror,Resident Evil 6was criticized by fans and critics alike, earning some of the lowest scores for a main seriesResident Evilgame. Despite this misstep, the rumoredResident Evil 7is Capcom’s chance to get things right, and restore fan confidence in the series. Here’s how I think it can be done.
First of all,Resident Evil 7must be a horror game more than it is anything else. Whether that means it still has somewhat of an action focus or if it’s a pure return to survival-horror is up for debate, but as long as it brings scares and suspense, it has a chance of pleasing series veterans.
Luckily, rumors are already pointing toResident Evil 7returning to its horror roots. I think that such an approach is the right move, and if Capcom plays its cards right, perhaps a focus on horror will even help to bring in some formerSilent Hillfans as well. After all,Konami’s cancellation ofSilent Hillshas left that fan base disgruntled, and its playable teaserP.T.has proven popular enough to inspire a legion of copycat games, so maybe Capcom could take some notes forResident Evil 7.
One could argue that Capcom hasn’t made aResident Evilwith the intent to scare the player sinceResident Evil 4, and so I think the series is long overdue for an entry with a focus on scares. However, being scary – or at least attempting to be scary – is not the only thing that’s going to be required ofResident Evil 7if Capcom wants it to be a success.
I think that ifResident Evil 7is going to win back lapsed series fans, it’s going to have to provide a true AAA gaming experience. What I mean by this is that it should be packed with compelling content – enough so that it provides true value to match its $60 price tag. I think that this can be accomplished in the same manner that theCall of Dutyfranchise does, and that is by providing players with three distinct game modes.
Besides a single player story, co-op could be a good idea forResident Evil 7. I think that co-op should stay out ofResident Evil 7’s main story, however, but a dedicated co-op mode like Mercenaries or perhaps a co-op side story could do wonders in adding replayability. The olderSplinter Cellgames had separate, smaller co-op stories that players could experience, and I think a similar approach would translate well toResident Evil.
A competitive mode is also something that Capcom should consider.Resident Evil 6’s competitive mode wasn’t very popular, but if themultiplayer-centricUmbrella Corpsis a hit, perhaps Capcom can bundle it withResident Evil 7to give fans extra incentive to pick up the game. This could also helpUmbrella Corpsmaintain a healthy community of players for its online multiplayer, and could allow Capcom to include a competitive mode inResident Evil 7without having to detract resources that could have went into developing the main campaign.
If Capcom is able to nail the story, and provide enough replayability to keep fans engaged with the product for a long period of time, thenResident Evil 7should be a surefire hit. However, one big question remains: ShouldResident Evil 7play like a classic game in the series, or should it be more in the style ofResident Evil 4?
In my opinion,Resident Evil 7should have more in common withResident Evil4than, say, the first game.Resident Evil 4is the highest rated game in the series, and one of the highest rated games of all time for that matter, yet we’ve never had a real followup to it.Resident Evil 5and6were similar, but more straight action games than anything else. Plus, we have theResident Evil 2remakeon the way as well, and I think it would make more sense for that game be more similar to the classic style ofResident Evilinstead ofResident Evil 7. This approach could help Capcom satisfy both fans of classicResident Eviland those that prefer the over-the-shoulder gameplay that was introduced to the series inResident Evil 4.
WhileCapcom’s constant remastersand mishandling of key franchises likeMega Man, andmore recentlyStreet Fighter, may upset some, it does seem as though the company is starting to listen to its fans. Perhaps that will extend to the development ofResident Evil 7, and fans can look forward to a true return to form for the granddaddy of the survival-horror genre.
Resident Evil 7is rumored to be in development for unspecified consoles.
