Summary
Despite the year featuring several other noteworthy survival horror releases,Resident Evilremains at the top of the genre pile thanks to this year’s incredibleResident Evil 4remake and a bright future ahead of the franchise. With the series approaching its 30th anniversary in 2026, there’s an opportunity for Capcom to capitalize on the history and relevance of the series in the current gaming landscape in a big way, and perhaps no other honorary would suit theResident Evilfranchise better than another remake of a beloved title coinciding with the momentous occasion. It’s time for a remake of the 2002 GameCube reimagining of the originalResident Evil, otherwise known as theREmake.
TheREmakepredates both the originalResident Evil 4and the more recent series of franchise remakes that continue to be a critical and commercial success for both theResident Evilseries as a whole and parent company Capcom. With the release and acclaim ofResident Evil 4’s remake, the franchise has a perfect full-circle moment that Capcom should seize by updating the original game to be more in line withResident Evil2,3, and4’s remakes. And with news of a next-gen version of the proprietary RE Engine being a priority within Capcom, the second remake of the firstResident Evilcould boldly establish a new path forward for the series.
RELATED:How Capcom Has Made its Resident Evil Franchise Immune to Remake Fatigue
The 2002 Resident Evil Remake Deserves to be Brought Up to Speed
Perhaps the most impressive thing about theREmake(which has since received ports to modern consoles asResident Evil HD Remastered) is how much its tone and visual fidelity still hold up nearly 20 years later. Famously,REmakewas released at a time when the series was in desperate need of grounding following the off-the-wallCode Veronicaand helped to return the franchise firmly back to its horror roots. And, despite a lengthy gap between the remakes of the originalResident EvilandResident Evil 2, themodernResident Evilremakescarry that same tonal consistency established in the original’s 2002 remake.
The RE Engine has proven to be capable of rendering some truly impressive worlds and spectacle, transforming games that are more than 20 years old into some of the best-looking titles on the market, and the possibility of Capcom being able to breathe new life intothe originalResident Eviland bring it up to speed with the rest of the series' remakes could potentially produce the best-looking game in the series yet. The Spencer Mansion is one of the most iconic and recognizable settings in a video game, and even though the reimagined version still looks good 20 years later, a glow-up made possible by modern technology couldn’t hurt.
Beyond just improved visuals and consistency across series remakes, though, a new version of the originalResident Evilcould revamp the gameplay by removing the infamous fixed-camera perspective in each room and switching to an over-the-shoulder third-person camera like the modernResident Evilremakes. Both the GameCube version and theResident Evil HDremaster give players the option to use full-3D movement or the original “tank controls”, but the switch to a camera perspective morein-line withResident Evil 2could significantly up the tension, especially if Capcom plays with fans' nostalgia and expectations and switches up enemy placements and room layouts.
TheResident Evilfranchise is quickly approaching a major milestone that few franchises have the lasting power to achieve, making it a prime candidate for a worthwhile celebration similar to what fans would expect when other major franchises celebrate anniversaries. With the series in perhaps the best position it’s been in since its heyday in the 90s or the release ofthe originalResident Evil 4and the ensuing revolutionary impact it had on the industry, a new vision of the originalResident Evilfeels thematically prescient. The GameCubeREmakeis still an incredible game, but Capcom has a unique opportunity to make the newest remake of the original the definitive game in the franchise.
Resident Evil
A series of gory attacks in the area surrounding a remote biotech lab brings in S.T.A.R.S. (Special Tactics and Rescue Squad) to investigate. On arrival, Bravo Team communications are abruptly cut off. Now it’s up to your team.You arrive at the isolated mansion under-powered and on the run. Arm yourself with anything you can find: knives, pistols, shotguns, flame-throwers - search for hidden rounds to stay alive!There are puzzles to solve, traps to disarm and mysteries to uncover while trying to avoid a blood-bath with the freaks of nature that populate the mansion. Each lurking horror you survive will bring you closer to the source of the Resident Evil.
