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Over the past 24 hours, Capcom has given the internet two partial reveals about the Resident Evil franchise: a pre-announcement for a January 21st Resident Evil Showcase and an ominous closed beta registration for an unknown Resident Evil title.
Capcom’s team for the Resident Evil series have been known to work on projects in secret, giving fans a sudden reveal for something they didn’t even know they wanted. Currently, the only announced Resident Evil project is the upcoming Resident Evil Village, but clues point to something else.
Mainline Resident Evil and the potential for remakes
The Resident Evil series is going through a bit of an odd time. Two decades ago, the series had some of the scariest horror games around, often competing with the Silent Hill series.
One decade ago, the series had made the switch from atmospheric survival horror into a full-on campy action franchise. While it still had some charm, it lost a lot of its core identity.
It wasn’t until the release of Resident Evil 7 that the game returned to its horror roots. What followed were a series of highly successful remakes of two of the most iconic games in the franchise: Resident Evil 2 and 3.
Fans of the series have been speculating about just what Capcom might have planned for the horror franchise and whether they will be remaking other entries in the series.
Why would Capcom need players to play in a closed beta?
Perhaps, the most curious part of all this is that Capcom is asking players to sign up for a closed beta to play some unknown game. The only clue as to what it could be is the tagline “Register for a closed beta test celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Resident Evil!”
This callback to the origins of the series has fans speculating that the beta is for some unannounced remake. Furthermore, because beta tests are rarely done for single-player games and much more common to multiplayer experiences, some fans believe this could be another attempt by Capcom at a multiplayer entry in the series.
Currently, the best guesses as to what this could include:
- A new entry in the Resident Evil Mercenaries series games
- A new remake of Resident Evil 1 that uses the new engine and perspective
- A remade version of Resident Evil 4
- A remake of Resident Evil: Outbreak - the first multiplayer RE title
Capcom should remake Resident Evil: Outbreak
For those unaware, the Outbreak spin-offs were a series of multiplayer Resident Evil titles wherein the player, playing as one of eight characters, joins a team of three as they attempt to complete a scenario.
This was the first game in the series to feature melee weapons as a major tool, and the main goal was often completing levels quickly as the zombies never stopped coming.
To complicate matters, each player started with a latent infection that built up over time. This infection could be stalled through in-game items or quickened by getting attacked or knocked down. This helped make sure players had to keep moving or die to the soft time limit.
The eight characters weren’t interchangeable either. They each had their own perks, advantages, and disadvantages.
For example, Mark, the security guard, is bigger and hits harder with melee weapons, but his bulk prevents him from hiding in the small spaces littered throughout the map, and his muscle means that he’ll break melee items quicker.
Outbreak came out when online gaming was in its infancy, and most PS2 owners didn’t even bother setting it up. As a result, most players only got to experience the game with AI partners.
If Capcom remade the Outbreak series with modern technology, it could be a strong competitor for the rising genre of online multiplayer horror.
The unique way it preserves the Resident Evil gameplay loop; looking for items and exploring a location while still being a fun multiplayer game, is something the series has never really been able to do.
Most multiplayer entries into the Resident Evil series are either co-op modes, where the second player tags along for the campaign, or unrelated action games set in the same universe. Rarely are they integrated multiplayer Resident Evil titles their own right.
