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Resident Evil Veronica is the fifth remake in the series, and probably the game that needed a remake the most. While I appreciate it finally being a reality after years of rumors, it feels too late. There have been another three Resident Evil remakes in recent years, and three original games in the same span of time. Seeing how successful they are and how Capcom constantly relies on remakes, it makes me wonder what does the future of the series look like. If we’re to believe rumors, a second remake of the original Resident Evil might be a possibility. But what would be next? How many remakes is too many remakes, and when will it be enough?
At this point, a remake of every remaining mainly Resident Evil game wouldn’t be too far-fetched. Resident Evil 5 is the highest selling non-remake game in the series, not seizing the opportunity would probably be unwise. But a part of me wishes that we never get to that point, and that the remakes end with RE Veronica.
Remakes can be cynical. They’re often made to bank on nostalgia, safe bets to generate revenue on popular names. But remakes can be interesting when they do one of two things; improving on the original, or trying something radically different. To me, the recent Resident Evil remakes do neither. Resident Evil 2 remake is a respectable attempt at adapting a game from 1998 for younger players, and Resident Evil 3 remake is a very compromised version of a game that was originally more experimental. These remakes introduce some complications from producing the game at such a scale and having to update them to modern standards. But Resident Evil 4 remake is where Capcom truly lost me.
I know I’m in the minority here, but Resident Evil 4 remake feels like a game trying to solve problems that didn’t exist in the original game. The sort that are introduced trying to overcorrect a game with very precise design. Mechanics like parrying, knife durability, stealth kills, crafting, and even a modern control scheme. None of these are what makes the original Resident Evil 4 interesting, but they are what a modern game is supposed to look like.
What really peeves me about the state of the series is that these remakes are supposed to take over the originals. They’re now the definitive versions, while the originals are the games with the year next to it. That’s how you know they’re old and “outdated.” I would have vastly preferred to have more original Resident Evil games rather than safe remakes. While I’m not fond of the Ethan Winters duology, I respect them for actually trying on their own merits. And I really clicked with Resident Evil Requiem. It’s not without its quirks, and at times feels like the halves of two games stapled together, not fully realized. But I think it’s the most interesting game in the series since Resident Evil Revelations 2.
And, on the topic of Resident Evil spin-offs, what happened to those? I loved the Revelations games! It’s baffling that there hasn’t been a new one in over a decade. It’s also shocking that Capcom hasn’t made a new entry in the style of Resident Evil Outbreak in the age of the “friendslop” game.
I think it’s inevitable that those remaining Resident Evil remakes will eventually happen. But hopefully, if Resident Evil Requiem is anything to go by, maybe we’ll get more variety on the way there.
