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While Umbrella was technically disbanded around the time of Resident Evil 4, it wasn't until the concluding events of Resident Evil 5 that you might say the company, or rather its legacy was finally put to rest. From a narrative standpoint, this marks the first real "clean" break for the series since its inception thirteen years ago. Naturally, the franchise will move forward, as RE is one of Capcom's biggest cash-cows, and one with a millions-strong fanbase.
But, as Leigh Alexander has argued, the narrative isn't the reason we all love the Resident Evil franchise. And while it was interesting to see years and years of plot development unravel throughout Chris and Sheva's nightmarish trip through Africa, RE5's plot is considerably less engaging or emotional than say, Metal Gear Solid 4. The truth is, Resident Evil has never really been a series with an overall story arch you might care about. It's ridiculous, for one, and aside from a few key characters, riddled with unnecessary side-plots.
Exploding barrels, mounted guns
Even more interesting than the direction the series' scriptwriters are taking it is the seemingly action-oriented western development style in which the series' mechanics are moving. This isn't to say that RE5 was a bad game. But compared to RE4, it was a bit disappointing. Of course, it's hard, if not damn near impossible, to top the precedent RE4 set. And even before RE5's development gained momentum, it was standing in RE4's shadow. No surprise the game didn't meet expectations.
Yet, at the same time, the white-hot trend of downplaying Japanese development for a more Western approach seemed to make the development team lose track of what their original goal was. When RE5 was first announced, the game's chief mechanic was said to be a light/darkness system that utilized the blazing African sun, which would subsequently leave you temporarily blind when stepping inside. At the same time, enemies seemed to be taking on more of a mob mentality, which would heighten your sense of panic when playing.
All that had gone out the window by the time the game was released five years later, with the light-adjusting feature downgraded to an afterthought. What was left was essentially RE4 with HD graphics, this time with the Majini replacing the Ganados and with the addition of some unnecessary action-movie set pieces and mechanics. Today the producers at Capcom say future title Resident Evil 6 may become yet another attempt to address some "dated" mechanics that were still present in RE5. Frankly, that doesn't sound too good.
Back to basics?
Judging from RE5's use of mounted guns with unlimited ammo (not to mention some unneeded cover shooting), it seems that Capcom may be trying to turn our beloved Resident Evil into an action series that just happens to have monsters. But is this really what the series needs?
RE4 is a now-classic entry in the series, but, aside from the regenerators, the game does not have many true freak-out moments. Nevertheless, it maintains a horror aesthetic that's creepy in its own right and there's nothing wrong with trying to replace a slow, crawling dread with intense panic, either. But now, it almost seems that survival horror in the traditional sense may be dying. Innumerable critics complain about "dated" mechanics in the genre, whether it's tank controls (to this day, a tiresome argument—aren't gamers known for their adaptability within games?) or a slower, more methodical pace.
There's no doubt that there is room in the genre for both action-horror and more traditional, adventure-style survival horror, complete with ammo hoarding, harder enemies and, yes, even puzzles. But the Resident Evil series in particular seems in danger of trading the so-called shackles of the survival horror tradition for the looser-fitting fatigues of, well, every other shooter ever made. And for those who don't believe old-school survival horror can be scary, try playing through the Resident Evil Gamecube remake and you'll think otherwise. As it stands right now, the next RE outing, possibly even the elusive PSP Resident Evil Portable—could easily turn out to be something closer to a run-and-gun shooter with "horror elements". For any of the new throwaway IP's out there, it might work. But for a keystone in the survival horror genre? That's just wrong.
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