Warning: Major Spoilers ahead for The Last of Us 2.TheResident Evilfranchise seems to have found its perfect rhythm recently. After the release ofResident Evil 7back in 2017, the franchise saw a resurgence in popularity, and while it was a great return to form, it did take the series in a bold new direction, which led to many long-time fans hoping for a return to the days ofclassic third-personResident Evil. Fans got their wish in 2019 with theResident Evil 2 Remake, and since then, the series has seemingly found its groove, dropping remakes and new entries in quick succession of one another to keep all audiences happy.
But while this model seems to be working well forResident Evilright now, it’s only a matter of time before things start to come crashing down. After all, there areonly so many classicResident Evilgames Capcom can remake, and when that time comes, theResident Evilfranchise is going to need to do something bold to reenergize its audience. For that, it might want to look toThe Last of Us Part 2for inspiration.
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Resident Evil Needs its Own Joel Death Moment
The Last of Us Part 2is home to what may be the most divisive moment in gaming history. Coming right at the beginning of the sequel,Joel’s death inThe Last of Us Part 2sent shockwaves through the gaming ecosphere back in 2020. Many fans were understandably upset that such a beloved character was killed so early on in the sequel, but it was definitely the right decision on Naughty Dog’s part, with it being in major service to the game’s story and character arcs. Not only does Joel’s death make complete sense, but it also serves as a compelling driving force for the entirety of the game after that point, moving forward the plot and every character relationship, as well as the player’s own engagement in the story.
While Joel’s death was shocking, it wasn’t completely out of the realm of possibility, with it matching the series' dark and gritty tone.Resident Evil, on the other hand, doesn’t quite share that same tone. TheResident Evilfranchisehas always been fairly campy, with corny voice lines, ridiculously over-the-top action set-pieces, and protagonists that feel like unkillable action heroes. But while this has always worked forResident Evil, a tonal dissonance is starting to creep its way into the series.
Though they have their campier moments,Resident Evil 7andVillagehave a much more serious tone than previous entries. With more grounded gore, and more realistic antagonists, at least for the most part, the newResident Evilgames generally feel a bit more serious and scary, but that tone is often juxtaposed by a severe lack of stakes. Ethan Winters is constantly battered throughoutResident Evil 7andVillage, and though the reason behind his ability to endure it all is eventually revealed, the lack of immediate consequence in these moments seems directly at odds with the games' more serious tone.
If the nextResident Evilgame wants to continue the trend of having a more serious, grounded tone, then it’s going to need to look to other realistic horror franchises for inspiration, andThe Last of Us Part 2might be able to teach it a thing or two. In particular, a newResident Evilgame should borrowThe Last of Us Part 2’s most shocking moment. If the nextResident Evilgame began with a legacy character like Chris Redfield or Leon Kennedy properly dying, then it would immediately set the game’s tone, and position the titles as aResident Evilentry where anything is possible. It’d definitely be risky, but it’s a great trick for the franchise to use when things inevitably gets stale again.
