Capcom is on a winning streak with Resident Evil. With the return to the roots of 7 and 8, and the excellent remakes of 2, 3, and 4, they have managed to win back the fans in a way that seemed impossible less than a decade ago. The problem is that now Capcom is facing a precipice. Because the next remake they would tackle would put them back in the position where they lost the fans’ trust in the first place.
Resident Evil 5 is a strange game. Much more focused on action, a cinematic tone, and abandoning much of what would be the distinctive ideas of the franchise, it is not a game that is very beloved by fans. Hence why it is a somewhat problematic remake. Especially considering the success of its return to its origins.
The solution to this would be to ignore the fifth and sixth installments and focus on the game that truly deserves a remake: Resident Evil: Code Veronica. An excellent game that is considered by most fans to be the real Resident Evil 3, and is now practically inaccessible. Furthermore, continuing with Resident Evil 0 would be equally natural after it, avoiding the biggest problem of the franchise after Resident Evil 4: it doesn’t feel like Resident Evil at all.
In any case, they can always take risks. Make a Resident Evil 5 more focused on survival horror, closer to what Resident Evil 4 Remake is. Something that would require making a very different game from what we knew, which may not even be possible. But if there’s one thing Capcom has shown us, it’s that they can make the impossible possible, perhaps even turn Resident Evil 5 into a survival horror.
