Why I'm Looking Forward to Resident Evil 9
I grew up in the era of flashing arcade marquees and chunky cartridges, and some of my fondest gaming memories come from late-night sessions puzzling through tense, atmospheric titles. Resident Evil is a series that has carried that DNA for decades: from the fixed-camera paranoia of the 1996 original to the reinventions of Resident Evil 4, 7, and the recent remakes. The prospect of a Resident Evil 9 — whenever Capcom officially announces one — is exciting because the studio has shown it can learn from its history while pushing the genre forward.
What the series has taught us
There are a few factual milestones worth remembering. The original Resident Evil (1996) set many survival-horror templates: inventory limits, resource scarcity, and environmental puzzles. Resident Evil 4 (2005) retooled the camera and combat and influenced action design across the industry. Recent entries like Resident Evil 7 (2017) and Resident Evil Village (2021) brought back horror through atmosphere and a closer perspective, while the remakes of Resident Evil 2 (2019) and Resident Evil 3 (2020) showed Capcom can modernize pacing and presentation without losing what made those games special.
Those experiments matter because they give us a roadmap of what a successful Resident Evil can be. Capcom has proven it can balance scares, storytelling, and mechanical polish — and that gives fans like me room to dream and to be cautiously optimistic.
What I hope to see in Resident Evil 9
When I imagine the next mainline entry, I think about core design choices that make for memorable horror games:
- Strong sense of place: Some of my favorite moments in the series come from locations that feel lived-in and dangerous — the Spencer Mansion, Raccoon City Police Department, the Baker house. A distinctive central setting that ties story and gameplay together would be terrific.
- Meaningful resource decisions: Scarcity is part of the tension. Whether it’s limited ammo, crafting parts, or a choice between upgrading weapons or healing items, those micro-decisions keep every encounter meaningful.
- Inventive enemy design: The best threats in Resident Evil are the ones that force you to adapt — enemies that require different tools, strategies, or environmental thinking rather than just spraying bullets.
- Puzzle integration: Environmental puzzles that complement exploration are a series staple. I don’t want filler puzzles, but lateral-thinking beats arbitrary fetch quests every time.
- Audio and lighting as characters: Good sound design and subtle lighting cues do more to create dread than cheap jump scares. Capcom has shown mastery here before; I’d love to see more nuanced audio-driven tension.
Gameplay perspective: first or third?
Capcom has successfully used both first-person (Resident Evil 7, Village segments) and over-the-shoulder third-person (Resident Evil 4 and the recent remakes) perspectives. Each brings different strengths: first-person can enhance immersion and claustrophobia, while third-person gives better situational awareness and cinematic gunplay. I’d be happy with either, provided the perspective serves the core design instead of being a gimmick.
Why I’m personally invested
As someone who’s played games from arcade quarters to digital storefronts, I appreciate when a franchise respects its past while innovating. Resident Evil 9 represents a chance for Capcom to refine what works and surprise us with new ideas. I’m excited not because I expect perfection, but because the company has repeatedly demonstrated it can deliver memorable, mechanical, and atmospheric horror experiences.
What are you most hoping Capcom brings to the table for the next Resident Evil — a return to the slow-burn tension of the classics, an evolution of the action-horror formula, or something completely new?