Surprising no one, Capcom says ‘yes’ to more Resident Evil remakes
If it ain't broke, don't fix it...maybe just patch it up a little bit. This seems to be the mantra of Capcom, as the lauded developer has promised to give us another healthy dose of nostalgia from the undead nightmare that is Resident Evil.
Remakes are nothing new to the Resiverse, with the 1996 original getting the critically acclaimed REmake for the GameCube in 2002. There was a bit of a wait after that, and although we got many (many) ports of RE4, it was 2019's Resident Evil 2 remake that really brought the beast back to life.
While it's fair to say 2020's Resident Evil 3: Nemesis Remake fell a little short of the bar its predecessor set, we were firing on all cylinders again for 2023's full-blown RE4 remake. The game was so well received, it even earned itself a divisive place on The Game Awards' list for Game of the Year in 2023.
More Resident Evil remakes are coming
Click to enlargeCapcom would be foolish to stop here, and even though we don't think many of you are asking for a Resident Evil Survivor remake, there are plenty of classic titles that deserve a fresh dose of the T-Virus. Following Nemesis, many thought we'd go chronologically and release a Code: Veronica remake, but alas, we skipped that one.
Away from the covert dealings of whatever is going on with Resident Evil 9, Capcom has given the nod to more remakes. It just won't tell us which ones. IGN attended the PlayStation partner awards event in Japan and got the scoop from Resident Evil 4 remake Director, Yasuhiro Anpo. He simply said, "Yes," when asked about more remakes.
Capcom can clearly see the successes, with Anpo explaining, "We've released three remakes so far and they have all been received very well. Since it allows a modern audience to play these games, it is something I am happy to do as someone that loves these older games, and we want to continue doing more."
As for what comes next, he concluded, "What game we will remake in the future is something that we would like to announce in the future, so please look forward to it." Although we only waited a year between the RE2 and RE3 remakes, there was a three-year gap between the latter and RE4.
RE5 or Code: Veronica?
Click to enlargeThe question is, where do we begin? The end of the Resident Evil 4 remake and Ada Wong's Separate Ways DLC left some meaty threads that are clearly setting up a Resident Evil 5 remake, with everything from Excella Gionne to Uroboros Easter eggs. This seems like the most likely option.
Still, a lot of a Resident Evil 5 remake wouldn't make much sense without a Code: Veronica remake, meaning the beloved Dreamcast title could finally get the justice it deserves. The idea of a Code: Veronica remake in 2024 was recently debunked as a hoax, but that doesn't mean the idea is dead and buried.
It's true that the pandemic ground the industry to a halt and likely got in the way of the RE4 remake's progress, but at this point, we wouldn't mind a bit of a break. If Capcom keeps churning out remakes, it won't be long until we run out of (good) games to rerelease. Please, just not an Umbrella Corps remake.
