I Just Don't Care About The New-Gen Resident Evil Games

Capcom is opening up the Hive once again, as the long-running Resident Evil series is getting a fresh coat of paint. Since 1996, we've had eight main games, numerous spin-offs, and more ports than we'd care to count - we're looking at you Resident Evil 4. However, instead of looking forward to the confirmed Resident Evil 9, Capcom is looking backwards.

Following the release of Village as one of 2021's biggest games, things have been a bit quiet on the Resident Evil front. The zombie shooter has been shuffling toward something, and it turns out it's new-gen upgrades for 2017's Resident Evil 7, 2019's Resident Evil 2 remake, and 2020's Resident Evil 3: Nemesis remake. Giving the franchise's newer games an injection from the T-Virus to bring them up to date, these revamps should have us more excited than Mr. X in a long coat shop. Instead, I find myself angrier than Chris Redfield at a boulder.

What Are The New-Gen Resident Evil Releases?

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About a month ago, Capcom ended its period of radio silence by confirming the three Resident Evil games were all getting a new-gen update in 2022. Although there's still no concrete release date, we know each game will come with some beefy ray tracing options, improved frame rate, and 3D audio and haptic controller feedback implementation for PlayStation 5. 

Resident Evil Village supported ray tracing on PC, so it's good news that Capcom is sticking with this advancing tech. There's also a big win that saved data will carry over - as well as any DLC you've bought. As a final thumbs up, the new-gen upgrades are coming this year to anyone who already owns RE2, RE3, or RE7. It's a surprise drop that proves Capcom isn't giving up on the Resiverse.

A Twitter thread from Capcom confirms: "PS4 and Xbox One discs, and all PS4 and Xbox One digital editions of the game, will also be eligible for an upgrade." Given backwards compatibility, it means PS5 and Xbox Series owners should be fine if they have their discs, but what if you downloaded the Digital Version? There's no mention of these titles, and given that Capcom also reiterated there are no plans to release physical versions of the new-gen upgrades, there's a danger you'll have to part with your cash again.

Shouldn't We Be Over The Moon About A New-Gen Resident Evil?

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Without sounding like a spoiled brat, it's true that you should never look a gift horse in the mouth. Capcom is clearly putting time into new-gen versions instead of working on the important stuff, and namely, where is that promised Village DLC? The developer has repeatedly been called out for a lack of updates on how the gothic horror's story will continue and whether it'll be an actual sequel story like RE7's DLCs delivered or something like a Lady Dimitrescu prequel.

Playing RE2 and RE3 for a whole new generation of consoles was great, but in particular, Nemesis was dragged for being a pretty average affair. For those new to this trilogy of titles, it's another way for Capcom to milk the cash cow. Given Resident Evil 7's age, we can understand wanting to give the acclaimed title a makeover, but for the rest, we could take them or leave them. There were talks about the so-called Nemesis Edition of RE3, and let's be honest, who wouldn't prefer that to a repackaged version of the base game?

Finally, let's remember we STILL haven't got that long-mooted RE4 remake. Even though the COVID-19 pandemic might've got in the way, many expected a new version of the beloved 2005 GameCube game to make its debut in 2021. All these months and leaks later, Capcom is still yet to unveil a souped-up version of Ramon Salazar. You can also presumably kiss goodbye to any hopes of a Code: Veronica remake, as Capcom looks destined to find a new way to flog its recent releases. As a final middle finger, it's not even like the new-gen Resi games will offer anything more like Rockstar at least tried to do with the Expanded & Enhanced GTA V. 

While the Resident Evil name is far from dead and buried, the jury is out on whether new-gen releases are a faithful way to reinvent these fan-favourites for (another) new generation or whether it's dollar signs ringing in Capcom's eyes. Namely, I'd just like someone to get off their backside and give us some sort of Ada Wong DLC for Village. To be honest, you can keep your new-gen versions and the ray-traced sweat shining off Carlos Oliveira's furrowed brow. I'd rather wait and see how the Winters Trilogy ends.