WithResident Evil 3currently making a massive splash with both fans of the series and newcomers alike, it seems many are wondering where the iconic survival horror franchise will go next. Some have leaned towards new remakes, withCapcom itself hinting at more reimaginings in a recent survey, while others seem to prefer the idea of the series returning to its mainline entries and delivering something entirely fresh.
Regardless of where the series goes next, a major discussion that’s been spreading around theResident Evilcommunity is the idea of the franchise becoming annual. WithResident Evil 2hitting shelves last year,Resident Evil 3launching last month, and the rumored release ofResident Evil 8allegedly coming in 2021, it seems a yearly release schedule might be the plan Capcom is currently pursuing, yet many are rightfully wondering whether that’s the best move for the series.
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Looking at the yearlyCall of Dutygames, 2K sports titles, and the original release schedule forAssassin’s Creed, it’s clear releasing a new title in a franchise once a year has been both a smart and disastrous decision for several major properties. After all, while the relentless release cycle ofAssassin’s Creedmade it into a household name, it also fatigued the franchise to the point where Ubisoft had to take a break and re-evaluate what made the series special.
Resident Evil 3 - 2020
So, would this strategy best fitResident Evil?In truth, there are two glaring ways to look at this potential distribution schedule, and in a lot of ways,Resident Evil 3is the best example of why both have merit.
The first is that a yearlyResident Evilrelease simply means more of the franchise, which is far from a bad thing. It may seem obvious, but with theResident Evilcurrently enjoying such a monumental resurgence in the public eye, it can’t help but feel like a fantastic idea to capitalize on that success and give fans what they’ve wanted from the franchise since it down spiraled in the late 2000s.
It’s for this reason that the announcement and subsequent release ofResident Evil 3has gone down so well with audiences. While they’re usually accustomed to waiting years to see a new game in theResident Evilfranchise, they’re finally getting the things they’ve been asking after for years in an incredibly short period of time. Sure, inResident Evil 3’scase,it’s a relatively short experience, but it’s exciting to imagine so much content directed at diehard fans of the series releasing so frequently.
Resident Evil 8 - 2021
There’s also the fact that - unlike the repetitive nature ofCall of DutyorAssassin’s Creed -what makesResident Evilso diverse as a franchise is that it can be reimagined in a number of different formats. While the remakes have begun to play around with a modernization ofResident Evil 4’sover the shoulder combat, the rumoredResident Evil 8will supposedly return to the first-person viewthat was introduced in the 7th game. Perhaps if Capcom were to change the types of experiencesResident Evilfans were enjoying on a yearly basis, it could avoid fatigue and become a consistently exciting and surprising staple of the gaming calendar.
What’s more, an annual release schedule isn’t completely alien to the series. Following the release of the originalResident Evil 2in 1998, there was a yearly addition to the franchise in some form up until the release ofResident Evil 4in 2005. Better yet, many of the titles released in that period are known as some of the most iconic the series has ever produced, includingResident Evil 3: Nemesis, Resident Evil: Code Veronica,and theResident Evilremake in 2002.
However, in the eyes of many, quantity doesn’t always equate to quality. While many would no doubt love an expansive, twelve-hourResident Evilrelease coming at them on a yearly basis, the fact of the matter is that the hurried schedule means that could be an unrealistic expectation.Resident Evil 2was praised for its incredible attention to detail, its loving reworking of the game’s mechanics, and its incredible pacing. As fans came to see with titles likeAssassin’s Creed UnityandWWE 2K20,a faster release schedule usually leads to cut corners, which likely means a lot of these finer details could be rushed to hit deadlines.
Resident Evil Remakes, Release, New Content, and The Future
Sadly, this was the source of a lot of criticism levied towardsResident Evil 3. The game was much shorter, with critics seemingly agreeing that it felt rushed to strike while the iron was hot, while many agreed that the game’s core focus,Nemesis, wasn’t utilized nearly enough. While the game still managed to work on a lot of fronts, it’s clear that this wasn’t exactly the incredibly considered and passionately remade experience thatResident Evil 2was, especially as major parts of the original experience were cut entirely.
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Although that might just have been down toNemesisalready being a shorter game thatResident Evil 2,it begs the question of whether newer titles in the series will suffer the same fate if released so quickly. WhatResident Evilneeds right now are significant experiences that feel fully-fledged, considered, and full of finely crafted detail. Rushing to release as many games as possible in the shortest period of time feels like the complete antithesis of that sentiment, and while players no doubt want more of the franchise, they’ll be happy to wait if the experiences that come out the other side are ofthe same quality ofResident Evil 2.
While an annual release schedule does make sense in a lot of ways, it appears to be something of a double-edged sword when considering what it could mean for the franchise. Naturally, fans are already crying out forResident Evil 4andResident Evil: Code Veronicato be remade, while others wantResident Evil 8sooner rather than later. However, while now feels like the time for Capcom to pull the trigger on bringing all these projects to life, they also have to spend a great deal of time making each into a fully-fledged new release. Regardless of whether they launch games on an annual basis or perhaps take some time off to revaluate followingResident Evil 8,there’s no denying that theResident Evilfranchise is bound to have an interesting next few years.
Resident Evil 3is out now for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
