10 Things We Want to See in the Next Resident Evil Game

10 Things We Want to See in the Next Resident Evil Game

Welcome to MojoPlays, and oooooooh BOY am I excited for the next Resident Evil game! With the series changing so frequently, there is an endless list of game mechanics that have been tested and implemented across the series. With this list in front of us, let’s look at 10 Things We Want to See in the Next Resident Evil Game. Let’s go.

#10: Say ‘Resident Evil’ When You Press Start

Alright, admittedly this first entry is a LITTLE bit of a meme, but that doesn’t mean it’s not as serious as any of the other entries! One of the easiest ways to set the tone of RE9 would be to have a voice actor confidently deliver the game's title when the player starts it up. It was a staple in previous Resident Evil games, and its absence has been sorely missed by fans. Simple yet impactful, it instantly signals to both longtime fans and newcomers that they're about to play a Resident Evil game. I still say it frequently just to myself, to the point where my landlord said ‘resident’, and in a beautiful display of word association I said “Resident Evil”... Thank god I still have a home.

#9: Bring Back Ink Ribbons

Ink Ribbons were a key feature in the earlier Resident Evil games, required to save your progress at a typewriter. Village gave players unlimited save opportunities. RE 4 did the same, but having infinite saves with no restrictions lessens the need for caution. Introducing a limited save item would be a welcome addition, especially if it took up valuable inventory space, adding an extra layer of challenge. One of the hardest challenges I ever completed was Madhouse difficulty in Resident Evil 7, and although it was incredibly tough, it did remind me how fun the ink ribbon pressure can actually be.

#8: Horror Focused, Action Supported

The balance between horror and action has long been debated in the Resident Evil series. Some players love the original trilogy, while others yearn for the action of RE 4 and 5. Village maintained a middle ground but never quite matched the sheer terror of the Baker house in RE 7. RE 9 would benefit from firmly establishing itself as a horror game first, with action as a supporting element. The balance of horror to action has never truly been found consistently in any entry, with RE4 getting arguably the closest. Village proved it could deliver true fear with the chilling House Beneviento sequence, and more carefully crafted moments like this would be a welcome addition. Just as Elden Ring redefined open-world design, RE 9 has the potential to set a new standard for modern survival horror. Let’s see some locking guns, let’s see some jumpscare attacks, we can do this you guys!

#7: An Intimate Open-World

Resident Evil 9 presents the perfect opportunity for the series to embrace true open-world design. Village already laid the groundwork with its central hub, allowing players to revisit and unlock new areas as they progressed. This design felt daunting at first, but after some time players were endeared to it and saw the benefit of this choice to the tone of the game overall. Expanding this into a fully explorable, open-world horror experience could inject fresh life into the franchise and prevent this installment from feeling like a rinse and repeat of 7 and 8, a challenge Resident Evil has faced before. This kind of open-ended horror hasn't been explored in-depth since The Evil Within 2, and if anyone can take a beloved series and try something new with it, it’s Capcom.

#6: Limited Inventory

When it comes to inventory management, RE 9 would benefit from moving away from the RE 4-style briefcase system, and moving back towards the even more limited inventory systems of Resident Evil 1, 2 and 3. A key aspect of survival horror is forcing players to make tough choices, do you carry extra ammo or much-needed healing items? The tension of exploring a hostile, decayed environment filled with terrifying bioweapons is diminished when you can stockpile an arsenal of bullets and enough healing items to shrug off every attack. A more restrictive inventory system would heighten the survival aspect and make every resource feel valuable. Keeping key items in their own section would alleviate some of the more frustrating elements of this style, whilst still forcing players’ to umm-and-ahh over their amenities. And by amenities, I mean guns and herbs.

#5: Better Narrative Connection

Resident Evil has perfected the art of making each game feel like a standalone horror experience while still connecting to a larger narrative. However, RE 9 could benefit from a more refined approach to these connections. Instead of cramming major lore revelations into a late-game exposition dump, the mystery and overarching plot should be integrated seamlessly throughout the experience. The laziness of expo-dumps whilst also feeding info through F***ING NOTES AND PAGES has become the backbone of modern gaming. But, there are more clever ways to feed info to players whilst not ostracizing first time series players. By integrating its narrative threads more organically, RE 9 could deliver a more cohesive and engaging story.

#4: Third/First Person Blend

The last two Resident Evil games shifted away from the series’ traditional third-person perspective in favor of first-person gameplay. While that approach had its strengths, if the rumors are true that Leon Kennedy and Jill Valentine are returning as protagonists, it would make sense for RE 9 to return to third-person, especially to showcase their updated character models after RE 3 and RE 4. That said, Capcom could benefit from incorporating occasional first-person segments, much like the Ada sections in RE 2 or Carlos’s moments in RE 3. These sequences could heighten the tension and break up the pacing, ensuring the game doesn’t feel like a straightforward action shooter. Mix and Match. Realistically, I think they’re probably going to round out their third trilogy as another first person entry, but as we’ve seen with the village DLC, third person IS very possible. HONESTLY I DON’T KNOW! I’M DROWNING IN SPECULATION.

#3: Fan Favourite Characters

The BSAA has played a major role in the Resident Evil series, and while we already know that key figures like Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine are part of the organization, this would be a great opportunity to bring back other familiar faces. If Jill returns, it makes sense for Carlos Oliveira to come back as well. Ada Wong was originally planned to appear in RE: Village but never made the cut. If Leon is back in RE 9, it’s almost guaranteed that Ada won’t be far behind. And then there’s Wesker. Yes, he was supposedly killed in a volcano at the end of RE 5, but let’s be real, can a volcano really keep him down? His return would be a game-changing reveal, especially considering the cloning facility seen before his final fight in RE 5. The opportunity for fan service is UNREAL in this entry, the third entry of the third trilogy, for one of the greatest series of all time. Let's redeem Resident Evil 6!

#2: More Puzzles! Harder Puzzles!

Resident Evil has always embraced puzzle-solving, but RE 9 could benefit from ramping things up, because the puzzles have gotten a liiiiitle bit basic. Bringing back more intricate, thought-provoking puzzles would add depth to the gameplay, but why stop there? Introducing high-stakes, time-sensitive puzzles, where failure means a gruesome end - now that’s what I’m talking about. Imagine being forced to think fast or risk getting crushed, impaled, or trapped. This kind of pressure would make puzzle solving feel just as intense as combat, keeping players on edge at all times. I know it’s stupid to have the Silent Hill-like puzzles of the original RE series, combining items into weird creations to complete strange tasks, but it’s undeniably fun, and frustrating, but mostly fun.

#1: Two Scenarios

If the rumors are true and RE 9 features Jill and Leon as the main characters, it would be the perfect opportunity to bring back dual scenarios. Older titles like Resident Evil (Jill/Chris) and Resident Evil 2 (Leon/Claire) encouraged multiple playthroughs by offering distinct campaigns with unique differences. The RE 2 remake kept this concept alive, giving players variations between scenarios and rewarding those who played both characters, and who played both in both A scenario and B scenario. It created a genuinely fun replayability experience. A similar approach in RE 9 could turn a 5–6 hour experience into a 10–12 hour one. By keeping core story beats consistent but introducing character-specific twists, Capcom could deliver a more dynamic and engaging survival horror experience. Or just add co-op... Actually, yeah, just add co-op.