Capcom has confirmed that they are making a new Resident Evil game.
As reported by Gematsu, director Koshi Nakanishi made the announcement in yesterday’s Capcom Next Summer 2024. He said:
“We’re making a new Resident Evil. It was really difficult to figure out what to do after [Resident Evil 7 biohazard]. But I found it, and to be honest, it feels substantial. I can’t share any details just yet, but I hope you’re excited for the day I can.”
Rumors about a new Resident Evil being in development had been floating in recent weeks, most notably from Dusk Golem. However, it seemed that he did not have a direct source, as he was not exactly sure about what this upcoming game will be. Capcom making the official announcement seems to indicate that they have progressed on at least one such project far enough that they’re confident they will be able to deliver it.
Nakanishi worked on several games in the Resident Evil franchise, but the most notable among these were Resident Evil: Revelations, which was designed for the 3DS before being ported across multiple platforms, and Resident Evil VII Biohazard.
Resident Evil: Revelations was the first game Nakanishi headed as director. At this point, he had reviewed the franchise’s history, and realized that the fourth to sixth games veered away from the survival horror genre it started up with, to become more action oriented. As a result, he sought to make Resident Evil: Revelations a scarier, more atmospheric experience.
At this point, Nakanishi worked within certain parameters, that perhaps helped him better realize a more modest vision, and make this effort successful. Resident Evil: Revelations had to be designed around the 3DS, so the playable character takes up a lot of the screen, and the control scheme had QOL enhancements, such as a quick turn. Nakanishi also stuck to the now popular Resident Evil cast.
For Resident Evil VII Biohazard, Nakanishi was given free reign by Capcom to take the franchise in a new direction yet again. As explained in this GDC, this was the reason they moved away from the popular Resident Evil cast, and built a new story from the ground up. This game was also inspired by horror movies, notably Evil Dead and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
But Resident Evil VII Biohazard was not just going back to the survival horror gameplay of the first Resident Evil games. It did have some action elements, and more importantly, it diverged from all the other games before it by using a first person perspective.
Since then, we had seen the releases of Resident Evil Village and a host of remakes of the first games. With Nakanishi at the helm of this new game, we may look forward to another original scenario, or he may try to surprise us once again. Either way, the current Resident Evil team is at the franchise’s peak, and we can’t wait to see what they have planned next.
