Summary
Resident Evil Villageconcluded the saga of Ethan Winters in 2021, sending him to a remote European settlement controlled by a cadre of creepy characters that he faced off against to rescue his family. The latest mainline entry proved largely popular, and left fans eager for what would come next for the franchise. Since then, though, there has been little in the way of significant news or updates aboutResident Evil 9, and this year has been equally quiet so far. Previously, developer Capcom confirmed thatRE 7director, Koshi Nakanishi, is in charge of the next numbered entry, but few other details are currently known regarding it.
Resident Evil Villageconfronted fans with a demented “family” of antagonists, and while this was a big part of its charm and effectiveness, it raises the question of if, and how, Capcom will attempt to recreate something similar down the line. It’s something of a tricky situation in light of the way each boss inVillagewas presented and dealt with, especially contrasted againstResident Evil’s iconic stalker-pursuer enemies seen in many other entries. And repeatingVillage’s boss encounter design would likely come at the cost of the latter type.
While neither have been officially confirmed, previousleaks claim that aResident Evil 0remake is currently in development,as well as aCode Veronicaone.
Resident Evil Village’s ‘Family’ of Foes Presents an Interesting Conundrum for Future Games' Enemy Design
Resident Evil Village’s Fearsome Foursome:
AlthoughVillagegave each one their share of screen time, and as memorable as they were, all were contained within their respective regions, and were basically one-and-done fights. Once each was eliminated in a set piece battle, players moved onto the next one’s zone, and none appeared again to surprise or pursue them in the way that enemies like Mr. X and Nemesis do. Of them, Lady D essentially served as theclassicResident Evilstalker, though much more limited in comparison to the other two examples. Her castle section is the first that players visit, and there aren’t any stalker-type enemies or scenarios following it (though House Beneviento comes close to one.) This presents a significant choice for Capcom going forward if it wishes to recapture the feel ofVillage’s eclectic coterie.
Contrasted with the claustrophobic elements of the precedingResident Evil 7, where Jack and Marguerite Baker (and Lucas, to a lesser extent) hound Ethan throughout in increasingly disturbing forms,Villagewas more generally open. While much remains unknown at this point, persistent but unconfirmed rumors suggest thatResident Evil 9may be fully open-world.This creates an interesting avenue for how Capcom might approach boss design in it, and if it will lean towardsVillage’s villain ensemble or pivot back to stalkers akin toRE 7andNemesis.
Given that relentless pursuers are an ingrained and often expected part of theResident Evilexperience, it might seem natural for one to be the focus in the next title, as both a change-up and a return to classic stylings afterVillage. But on the other hand, Capcom has never been afraid of experimenting with the franchise, andResident Evilmight consider taking a break from stalker enemies, especially given the popularity ofVillage’s collection. It could then just as easily decide to iterate on that structure forRE 9.
However, ifRE 9is indeed going semi or completely open world, this might allow Capcom to potentially split the difference between the two styles for a best of both worlds scenario. A larger world could accommodate another antagonist collective, having one or more act as traditional pursuers, while others might be more likeVillage’s one-off encounters. Encompassing both boss types in one bigger title would mark another step inResident Evil’s evolution, leveraging the advantages that each offers, and providing further ground to incorporate and improve upon them in the future.
