Summary
Making its triumphant debut all the way back in 1996, theResident Evilfranchise, much like any other popular gaming franchise, has evolved a great deal over the last few decades.Resident Evilhas also developed its own set of traditions and tropes in that time, again like other franchises, some of which are intentional and others not so much. WhileResident Evil 9could end up breaking a few long-standing franchise traditions, there are others that definitely shouldn’t touch the cutting room floor.
While a good portion ofResident Evil’s long-standing tropes could, and probably should, be cut so that the franchise can take another leap forward, there are a handful of traditions that simply can’t be cut from the series, as their removal could jeopardize the very core ofResident Evil’s identity. One such vitalResident Eviltradition is puzzles, an element that’s taken more of a backseat in recent years, but one that should rise to prominence once more inResident Evil 9.
Resident Evil 9 Needs to Bring the Focus Back to Puzzles
Puzzles Have Always Been a Resident Evil Staple
Theoriginal 1996Resident Evilwould end up cementing the vast majority of the franchise’s overarching traditions right from the get-go, and that includes the series' penchant for puzzles. The originalResident Evilwas as much of a puzzle game as it was an action title, with players spending most of their time searching for various puzzle pieces around the labyrinthine Spencer Mansion. From making the J-Volt solution to solving the puzzle in the portrait gallery to playing the Moonlight Sonata on a grand piano,Resident Evilset the tone for just about every franchise puzzle that would come after it.
As the series continued, puzzles remained a pretty major part of the franchise, with the originalResident Evil 2and3featuring some of the best in the franchise.Resident Evil 2’s chess puzzleis still talked about all these years later, as isResident Evil 3’s water puzzle. But as the franchise moved into its next generation, its puzzles took a bit of a step back.
Puzzles Are No Longer The Most Important Resident Evil Feature
While the originalResident Evil 4still had plenty of puzzles throughout, they were definitely much more simplistic, matching the game’s overarching attempt to be more accessible. From here on out, puzzles also took more of a backseat to the franchise’s action gameplay, withResident Evil 5and6essentially being action games first and foremost with just a puzzle or two thrown in to appease long-time fans.
With theResident Evil 2 Remake, the franchise’s puzzles made a triumphant return, with many of the remake’s puzzles being deemed even better than their original 1998 counterparts. Unfortunately, whileResident Evil 2 Remaketook two big leaps forward for the franchise’s puzzles,Resident Evil 3 Remaketook those leaps right back, having even fewer puzzles than the original and making them much more streamlined. The same can be said forResident Evil 7and8, with the former putting more of an emphasis on classicResipuzzle design, while the latter traded them out for more of an action focus.
Resident Evil 9 Should Bring Puzzles Back in Full Force
While there’s nothing wrong withResident Evilwanting to lean more into its action gameplay, Capcom shouldn’t forget that puzzles are a core part of the franchise’s identity, and they’re often the element that separates a goodResident Evilgame from a great one. It’s been a while since fans have had a truly great puzzle in a mainlineResident Evilgame, butResident Evil 9can finally break that trend. There doesn’t even need to be more puzzles inResident Evil 9, they just need to be more memorable and fleshed-out than those in the last few entries.
Resident Evil
Resident Evil is a long-running survival horror franchise developed by Capcom. Spread across numerous mainline and spin-off entries, the series is known for it’s third and first-person action horror, zombie-related monsters and references, and challenging puzzles.
