A sizable portion of CAPCOM's comeback streak of game releases included the Resident Evil remakes. The publisher's strategy to bring back the survival horror classics paid dividends, with Resident Evil 2 launching to critical acclaim in January 2019. The game was rated 8.5/10 by Nathan Birch on Wccftech:
Resident Evil 2 is a polished, respectful remake of a survival horror classic that probably would have benefitted from a slightly more daring approach. Hints of a braver revamp are sprinkled throughout, but it doesn’t take the risks necessary to join the canon of truly great video game remakes. Make no mistake though, if you loved the original Resident Evil 2, you’ll likely love the remake, and new players who can tolerate a few old-school quirks ought to have a gruesome good time as well.
Fans definitely agreed, with the audience purchasing over 12.6 million units of the game as of June 2023. The second of the Resident Evil remakes, Resident Evil 3 enjoyed the same score in our review when it launched in 2020, with a perhaps even more enthusiastic comment from Nathan:
Resident Evil 3 is the franchise’s best action-driven entry since the glory days of Resident Evil 4. A beautifully-balanced combination of white-knuckle mayhem and satisfying old-school tension, Resident Evil 3 is compulsively-munchable popcorn entertainment that, unfortunately, disappears all too quickly. If you’re looking for value, there are certainly meatier games out there, but few that will leave you licking your fingers as happily as this one.
This remake didn't sell as much as the previous one, though 7.6 million units is still undoubtedly a success. This year, fans were treated to the remake of Resident Evil 4. The review score was still the same, although Nathan was less excited about his time with the game:
Resident Evil 4 was the ultimate test of Capcom’s remake skills, and unfortunately, they buckled a bit under the pressure. The game suffers from minor mechanical issues and doesn’t reinvent or elevate the original material as boldly as some might have hoped it would. That said, Capcom hasn’t broken anything either as this is still a fun, inventive thrill ride that has been brought up to modern technical standards in striking fashion. The new Resident Evil 4 is well worth it for fans of the series, just keep your hopes slightly in check and you won’t be spin-kicked by inflated expectations.
What's next for the Resident Evil remakes, though? Will CAPCOM go straight to 5, or is Code Veronica being treated first? Last year, producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi said 'maybe' to the latter question. A few hours ago, a rumor about a Code Veronica remake project emerged on 4Chan.
However, renowned CAPCOM leaker Dusk Golem said it was false and told fans not to expect any Resident Evil remakes next year. As a last note, he confirmed the publisher will announce a big game before the year's end, a title due in 2024, but it won't belong to the survival horror franchise.
Could CAPCOM be preparing a Monster Hunter announcement for The Game Awards? That would be unexpected, given that the 20th anniversary of the series is in March 2024. That's when most fans believed the new game would be announced. Moreover, while CAPCOM has said it has a big title due before the end of this fiscal year (March 2024), the recent listing by PEGI suggested it would be Dragon's Dogma 2.
It won't be long before we learn more, anyway, with the Dragon's Dogma 2 showcase scheduled for tomorrow and The Game Awards airing on December 7.
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
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