Summary
Resident Evilhas been riding a wave of success ever since Capcom reinvented and remade its long-running survival horror series a few years ago. Starting withResident Evil 7in 2017, the developer took steps to bring its flagship franchise back into the genre’s (and gaming’s) forefront. It was widely agreed to have accomplished that, asRE 7broughtResident Evilback to its rootswhile modernizing it in multiple ways. It recaptured the essence that fans had been wanting fromRE (and that many felt it veered away from in latter entries like5and6)and Capcom continued to up its efforts with each subsequent title.
Along the way,RE’s combat was also polished in familiar and fresh ways, and though never its main focus, there is one combat component inResident Evilthat’s been in it throughout.REhas consistently had close quarters capabilities to compliment its shooting. These have varied in complexity, but were always present in some capacity, and in recent games there has been an increasing number of them. With Capcom currently cooking up the next title, it’s possibleREwill lean into CQC gameplay more than ever in the future.
Resident Evil’s Next Big Gameplay Shift Might Already Be Obvious
Resident Evil’s CQC Through The Years
Resident Evil’s core combat looprevolves around resource management, most often for an array of traditional firearms. Whether in fixed-angle, third, or first-person view, players will usually be shooting the horrors unleashed by Umbrella’s greed, corruption, and incompetence. However, there have been at least some CQC or melee moves in the mix. EarlierREgames contained equippable defensive items to protect against a close-up attack. They were limited use, but could come in handy in tough situations, or be sacrificed in the service of saving ammo. AsREevolved, so did its CQC abilities. While not comprehensive by any means, below is a list of some ofRE’s CQC, melee, and defense options:
1 HD
2002
Flash grenade
1 HD, 2 Remake
2002, 2017
1 HD, 2, 3, and 4 Remakes, 7, 8
2002, 2005, 2017, 2020, 2021, 2023
1999, 2012, 2020
2005, 2023
5, 6
2009, 2012
6
2012
7, 8
2017, 2021
2023
The Next Resident Evil Could Focus More Heavily On CQC
The CQC mechanics inResident Evilstretch back decades. Though not usually the go-to choice, the option was there to some degree. But the biggest leap in CQC was inRE 4,which gaveprotagonist Leon Kennedythe most moves seen in the series up to that point. The layer they introduced added an entirely new dynamic to fights, particularly with the combat knife, giving players more ways to defeat enemies aside from guns.
“Knife-only” playthroughs ofResident Eviltitles are a popular practice in the player community, although portions ofREgames require firearms to proceed.
RE 7and8’sfirst-person perspective saw further iterations of CQC abilities, with a shove and block/kick combo being added to the repertoire.RE 4Remake included all the CQC from the original and introduced a parry that also deflects projectiles. With the breadth of existing moves and their expansion in recent games, particularlyRE 4Remake’s knife parry mechanic, it might be an indication that more CQC is forthcoming inRE. Whether in anRE 5Remake or the speculatedRE 9,Capcom putting a greater emphasis on CQC could be a viable direction. Going that route would be an excellent way of giving players greater freedom and versatility regarding combat in the next entry.
