The Resident Evil series has been running strong for over two decades and continues to enjoy popularity. Resident Evil has redefined itself multiple times, with the shift to third-person in Resident Evil 4, and then the shift to first-person in Resident Evil 7. Through all this, however, Capcom has continued a trend of remaking past games, something they still do to this day.
The recent remakes of Resident Evil 2 and 3 drew tons of praise from both critics and fans alike, but they aren't the first games Capcom has remade. The original Resident Evil was remade for GameCube in 2002, and now rumors have all but confirmed that Capcom is remaking Resident Evil 4.
It may seem strange to some that Resident Evil continues to get remakes when all that time and energy could be put into more brand new experiences. However, it's a strategy that Capcom clearly thinks will pay off in the long-run.
Remaking Resident Evil Games Is the Safe Bet
After the from Resident Evil 6, Capcom had to return to the drawing board, which resulted in the wildly different Resident Evil 7. It was a big risk, and there were tons of questions about if a first-person Resident Evil could actually work. In general, a remake of an older game is a much safer bet than trying something new. Look at the original Resident Evil and Resident Evil 2; both games are renowned as classics of the genre, and titles that helped define survival-horror.
The remakes already have that brand recognition. Players know and love Resident Evil 2, and even fans that have fallen off of the series are likely to pick it up, either out of a sense of nostalgia or a fascination in seeing how the game is redefined with modern standards. On the flip side, players have no pre-existing attachment to a game like Resident Evil 7, outside of it being in the same series. Then there's also the fact that remakes have an established core to work on. Story and character designs need to be updated not created, and locations and levels design already have a base to work from. Everything about a remake is a safer bet, and Capcom's Resident Evil remakes have kept interest in the series surging while the studio works on the next big entry.
Remakes Let Capcom Experiment More Easily
While a remake is generally a safer bet, it serves a dual purpose by letting Capcom's studios experiment a little bit. The Resident Evil 2 and 3 remakes stick close to the source material but take huge liberties in the gameplay department. Both games allowed Capcom to further refine its RE Engine, especially in of facial animations. Resident Evil 2 also introduced the terrifying AI of Mr. X, who chased and tracked players throughout the Raccoon City Police Department. It's very likely that Resident Evil Village, or a future game, could see a villain like Mr. X, and the remake was a good way to test that tech out.
These remakes also let Capcom redefine the story how they want, and make changes along the way. Resident Evil has a continuous timeline, and the storytelling quality from the first game to the latest is drastically different. The original games released at a time where storytelling in video games simply wasn't as refined, something that can be fixed with big ambitious remakes. Creating remakes of beloved Resident Evil games has been a net win for Capcom, and it's unlikely to stop anytime soon.
