The Resident Evil franchise is on fire at the moment, in a good way. Not only has Requiem been a massive hit, but Capcom is also putting out banger after banger with the remakes of older games. Sure, the RE3 remake was way too short and was missing parts from the original, but it was still brilliant.
Capcom is inevitably going to run out of Resident Evil games to remake, though. After the stellar Resident Evil 4 remake, it was natural for thoughts to turn to RE5. However, that game is problematic for Capcom, and even if it were remade, it would need to be a very different experience to work.
Resident Evil: Veronica is now confirmed for 2027, and Resident Evil 0 is also rumored to be coming next. At least, that’s according to AestheticGamer, aka Dusk Golem, a well-known leaker. This makes a lot of sense, as both games are set before RE5, so the time to remake them really is now. But these aren’t the only games Dusky has mentioned.
Resident Evil 1 is also apparently being considered for a second remake, an idea that’s proving controversial among some fans. You see, Resident Evil 1 was already remade, back in 2002 on the GameCube. Since then, the game has been ported and remastered for modern systems and arguably still holds up well today.
The game is truly survival-horror perfection, but even with its quality-of-life improvements and updated graphics, the experience is still a GameCube game at its core. And while it’s still brilliant, this becomes more apparent with every passing year. So while the game doesn’t technically need another remake, many fans would love to get one.
Fixed camera angles are beloved, but a relic of the past
The main difference between Resident Evil 1 and the subsequent remakes, such as RE2, RE3, and RE4, is that the RE1 remake still uses fixed camera angles. This is because the original GameCube version came out before Resident Evil 4, a game that introduced the modern third-person over-the-shoulder view the series uses today (along with the option for first-person in RE7, RE8, and RE9).
Now, a certain segment of the fanbase loves this camera style, and, admittedly, it was where much of the horror originated in the early Resident Evil games. It worked and helped define the survival horror genre. However, it’s an old system, which makes the RE1 remake feel especially dated compared to the other remakes.
The idea of RE1 without fixed camera angles is blasphemy to some fans, who argue a game can’t be true survival horror without them. However, this simply isn’t true. Resident Evil and many other games have proven that horror can be equally effective in first-person and in over-the-shoulder style. Resident Evil Requiem is still terrifying in third-person and might arguably be the scariest entry in the series.
It was also once considered heretical for Resident Evil 2 to be remade with the over-the-shoulder style camera instead of the original game’s fixed camera angles. This led to widespread social media outrage from purists in the run-up to that game’s release, but once it arrived, the game became universally adored, and the chatter died down.
Sure, a few traditionalists refused to play it still, but by this point, they were cutting off their own noses to spite their own faces. In our view, games like RE7 and the RE2 remake put the camera angle debate to rest once and for all. Also, have these people never played Silent Hill or Outlast? The key difference is that Resident Evil 2 (and RE3) were still janky PS1 games that desperately needed a remake, whereas RE1 already had the stunning 2002 remake.
It was never just about what we “need”
The argument that RE1 doesn’t need another remake is a valid one – but is it about what we need or don’t need? Can it also be about what would be fun to play? After all, RE4 was already one of the greatest games of all time, and almost certainly didn’t need a remake, but wow, were we glad we got one.
The Resident Evil 4 remake was wholly unnecessary. The original still stands up well on modern systems and will forever be a masterpiece, but we’d argue the remake did something many thought impossible: it improved upon near-perfection. The beauty of this is that the RE4 remake took absolutely nothing away from the original.
With this in mind, the same could apply to a new Resident Evil 1 remake. Sure, we don’t need it – but we want it. Think about how incredible it would be to explore a fully redesigned Spencer Mansion in the style of Resident Evil Requiem. How terrifying would the Crimson Heads be? What other nuggets of lore could the devs sprinkle in with the benefit of hindsight?
It’s an exciting prospect to consider, and if a Resident Evil 0 remake is indeed planned for 2028, then this could be the perfect springboard to return to where it all began in 2029 and beyond. Capcom isn’t going to stop until it’s remade as many Resident Evil games as it can. Then, who knows, maybe then we’ll finally see a Dino Crisis remake?
