During the recent Capcom Next showcase, Capcom took some time to highlight the upcoming mobile port ofResident Evil 7. This meant bringing in that game’s director, Koshi Nakanishi, to offer some insight on the development of the original release. However, Nakanishi had one extra surprise to share with fans; he’s back to direct the nextResident Evilgame, presumablyResident Evil 9.
A newResident Evilwas always going to happen, but this is the first bit of official info we have about the game. It’s not much, but given the success ofResident Evil 7, knowing Nakanishi is in charge of the project (be itResident Evil 9or something else) is enough to warrant excitement. Towardsthe end of Capcom Next, all Nakanishi could say about the game is, “It was really difficult to figure out what to do after [Resident Evil 7]. But I found it, and to be honest it feels substantial. I can’t share any details just yet, but I hope you’re excited for the day I can.”
As a reminder,Resident Evil 7was a significant turning point for the franchise. A lot of fans weren’t thrilled with how the series had diverged from its survival horror roots and became more action-oriented. This came to a head with 2013’sResident Evil 6, which didn’t meet Capcom’s initial sales expectations and proved woefully unpopular with most fans. During Capcom Next, Nakanishi even admittedResident Evilwas “off-track” whenResident Evil 7entered development, acknowledging the negative fan reaction to the emphasis on action.
“In the end, anREgame has to be scary,” continued Nakanishi, which played a part in the decision to haveResident Evil 7be a first-person game as opposed to all the previous entries. Hopefully, this will mean his nextResident Evilgame will bring the scares too, and maybe serve as a counterpoint toResident Evil Village.
DespiteResident Evil Villagebeing a direct sequel toResident Evil 7, Nakanishi had no involvement with its development, with Morimasa Sato (a designer onRE7) taking over as director.Villageretained the first-person perspective and, while not without horror elements, opted to focus on action and combat once more. It still proved to be a critical and financial success, but perhaps its follow-up will swing back in the survival horror direction.
