Summary
There isn’t much ground left thatResident Evilhasn’t already trod on in the blurred survival-horror and action-oriented genres it’s inhabited.Resident Evil’s renewed horror direction was phenomenal for a franchise that seemed to stagnate in co-op action for a while, andResident Evil’s remake continuity has allowed it to revisit classic mainline entries in wholesale reimaginings.Resident Evil 9has had many alleged leaksclaiming to know what enemies and ambiance persist in it, but the only legitimate inference that can be made is Chris being its protagonist due to the cliffhanger premiseResident Evil Villageteases.
Either way, the franchise could likely be sustainable on its own merit with few changes to its formula. But instead, Capcom has gone out of its way to not create facsimiles of its gameplay formula in each entry, though they boil down to being fairly similar.Resident Evil 3’s remake had a dodge mechanic that was inherited from the original, for example, andResident Evil 4’s remake debuted a parry mechanicthat quickly became definitive of the reimagining. The dodge didn’t have an obligation to return inResident Evil VillageorResident Evil 4’s remake. Still, it would be exceptional to see it and the new parry mechanic be brought together forResident Evil’s next game.
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The Resident Evil 3 Remake Has an Excellent Dodge Mechanic
TheResident Evil 3remake’s claustrophobic corridors and alleyways seem purposefully architectured to makeJill’s dodge mechanicthat much more perilous and mandatory. There is hardly an encounter where players can circumvent enemies without employing this dash in a panic, let alone the successful somersault and invincibility frames that come from a perfect dodge.
Perfect dodges also allow players to quick-turn auto-aim on the enemy in slow motion, which is still only minorly useful when zombies can sustain damage from an abundance of bullets. It makes sense for Jill to have this dodge in both the original and the remake due to how many enemies need to be avoided at any given moment, but for Jill specifically to have a tactical dodge makes sense because she isa skilled STARS Alpha Team operator.
The dodge is satisfying, and it actually lends itself toward how horrifyingResident Evilcan be since it requires precise timing, and it is in that tense accuracy that gameplay becomes most engaging. In order forResident Evil 9to feature its own dodge mechanic, the game would need to enable a third-person perspective, whichResident Evil Villagedid in a post-launch update.
However, it would also seemingly need to have a protagonist who could feasibly perform these dodge rolls as someone who was trained to do so. These somersaults may not be the most physically impressive feats that anyResident Evilcharacter has demonstrated, but imagining Ethan rolling around with as much grace as Jill would be absurd.
The Resident Evil 4 Remake Broke New Ground with Its Parry Mechanic
Not unlike Jill, it is believable thatResident Evil 4’s Leoncould perform suplexes, backflips, and all sorts of acrobatic maneuvers. Leon himself doesn’t have a dodge, but the remake does take monumental creative liberty in giving him a knife parry. This parry is crucial to the remake’s essence as it becomes the primary way Leon counters incoming attacks and is also integral to the new design approach for his duel with Krauser in the absence of prominent QTEs.
Interestingly, the originalResident Evil 4did not have this parry, and therefore it was a massive departure to include one. It is unknown if aResident Evil 9would reprise it since Capcom is not necessarily known to replicate new mechanics for the sake of already having them designed—otherwise,Resident Evil 4’s remake would’ve surely had theResident Evil 3remake’s dodge or any of the supplementary crafting items Ethan has inResident Evil Village.
But ifResident Evil 9does want to break molds again while remaining formulaic, combining the dodge and parry mechanics in a single entry could be terrific. Someone of Chris’ reputation would certainly be able to execute both mechanics with ease between hook punches, but if the franchise’s mainline future follows an ordinary citizen it would be difficult to expect them to roll around and parry enemies.
Resident Evil 9is rumored to be in development.
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