GamesSurvival HorrorResident EvilWhether or not the new Resident Evil 9 rumors are real is beside the point – it’s clear what Capcom has to do nextWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesSurvival HorrorResident EvilWhether or not the new Resident Evil 9 rumors are real is beside the point – it’s clear what Capcom has to do nextWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Capcom)
There’s alwayssomethinghappening when it comes to Resident Evil 9, even though nothing has officially happened yet. The rumor mill has been abuzz for years now, rife with speculation on what the long-awaited ninth mainline entry in theResident Evil timelinemight look like. Will it follow in the footsteps ofResident Evil Villageand feature yet another member of the Winters brood? WillCapcomchoose to go in a different direction altogether, much as it did inResident Evil 7? Or, as one of the newest rumors suggests, will RE9 herald the glorious return of legacy heroes from the series' golden days?
To be honest, it’s anyone’s guess until Capcom unzips its hushed lips to announce the game and put us out of our misery. But that’s the thing: no one seems to be miserable about the prospect of a middle-aged Leon Kennedy being our leading man in RE9, as per Twitter userPRE_Alarabiya’s insider sources. The response to this latest bout of rumored leaks has been overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the importance of the developer’s next move in recapturing the attention and favor of its audience. It’s time for Capcom to do its business or get off the pot; go back to the classics, or commit to a brave new era once and for all.
Familiar faces
(Image credit: Capcom)
All killer, some filler(Image credit: Capcom)Here’s ourultimate guide to the Resident Evil gamesso far.
All killer, some filler
(Image credit: Capcom)Here’s ourultimate guide to the Resident Evil gamesso far.
(Image credit: Capcom)
Here’s ourultimate guide to the Resident Evil gamesso far.
Let’s discuss where this leak came from. I want to stress that all of the above is hearsay at best, with the rumors originally being credited to known Resident Evil insider, Dusk Golem. This waslater corrected, though that still doesn’t boost my confidence in their legitimacy since Dusk Golem has slipped up before, reminding the community in anotherTweetthat his own alleged RE9 leaks are largely from 2020 and 2021 (summarized neatly inthis Reddit post). “In terms of insider info I’m only about as good as my sources will let me,” he concedes, noting that a lot might have changed developmentally in the four years since. Another common rumor is that Resident Evil 9 will be titled Apocalypse, set some time after a global-scale crisis that has seen the world crumble to a state of veritable dystopia. Check out thisReddit postfor the gist of it.
Could Resident Evil 9 seek to learn from the mistakes of its predecessors, tweaking the formulajust soto incorporate aspects of everything that has worked best across the years – strong survival horror leanings, the success of legacy characters as per the remakes, memorable locations, iconic villains – to make classic Resi culturally relevant again?
Choices, choices
(Image credit: Capcom)
Resi fans really, really want their legacy characters back – for new games as well as remakes.
Resi fans really, really want their legacy characters back – for new games as well as remakes.
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If you want to talk numbers, consider this: last year’sResident Evil 4 Remakesold over 7 million copies in its first year alone [viaVGChartz]. Resident Evil Village shifted about 8 million units acrosstwoyears [viaGameDeveloper]. Make of that what you will, but in my mind, that says the people want them some Kennedy and company.
But what if all these rumors turn out to be false? What if Resident Evil 9 goes fully rogue, bringing in new characters entirely and foregoing anything else that came before? It’s been done in the sixth and seventh entries alike, to varying levels of success, but perhaps the lack of success comes from not running too far with either new format. Either way, I would love to see Capcom narrowing its scope considerably, distilling the best of what it’s capable of to deliver a new Resi game that is less scattershot and more tightly-focussed on its assets. If those assets happen to be a certain ex-cop and his cohort of equally traumatized, firmly badass final girls and boys, that’s a happy coincidence for us all.
Check out all theupcoming horror gameson our watchlist, from Slitterhead to Bloober’s Silent Hill 2 remake.
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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now"2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now"2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3
Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2
Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3
Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5
Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
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2
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3
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4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4
Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”