This year has already seen a successful remake of Resident Evil 2. After the original Resident Evil was remade this became next thing fans clamoured for but it took Capcom a long time to green light it. It then took a further 3 years to actually release it. But they did and it was well worth the wait. Soon after though, and considering how successful and well received the RE2 remake was, a Resident Evil 3 remake just became inevitable.
Sure enough, according to multiple sources RE3 is indeed being remade and apparently due in 2020. Perhaps some time after Project Resistance and some time before the PS5 and Project Scarlet drop. While Capcom have no yet addressed these rumours or confirmed them to be accurate, we and every other gaming news outlet believe them to be legit.
So, there we have it, the original Resident Evil trilogy of the PS1 era will all have been remade and brought up to date. But will Capcom stop there? Are there other titles that may need or deserve the same treatment? We’re not so sure. Capcom have said they are open to future remakes, plural, so perhaps they weren’t just talking about Resident Evil 3. And they made this statement before the game’s development leaked online, so this could indicate they are looking at other options.
Plenty of fans are already shouting for a remake of the next entry in the series Resident Evil 4. Lots of fans have argued that Resident Evil Code Veronica should also be considered for a remake. But let’s take a step back and apply some thought to this. Let’s let reality reign for a moment. Do some of these games really need remaking? Do some deserve it over others, and what are the obstacles and practicalities in the way of each?
We’ve thought about this at length and have several thoughts. Let’s look at each game that could be due the remake treatment next and assess if it could, would, or should work as a remake:
Resident Evil 4
We’re just going to come out and say it. We don’t think you’ll ever see a remake of Resident Evil 4.
Here’s why: You don’t need it. And you only think you want it. Resident Evil 4 holds up well enough when played in HD or 4K. It simply doesn’t need remaking. Think about it, what would they change? Yes, the visuals would be on a par with the RE2 remake, but honestly is it worth it? Do they need to be? Would you really change a thing about Resident Evil 4?
While the game is indeed getting on in years, it was originally released on the GameCube in 2005 and since then has been remastered and ported nearly as many times as Skyrim. Every remaster has updated and improved the game, but to a point where now it looks and plays just as well as any other modern game. In our opinions, Resident Evil 4 is close to perfection and a remake is pointless.
If you want to play an updated version of Resident Evil 4 you already can. Its remasters are out on nearly everything and every single one looks and feels great. So no, we don’t think Capcom will bother due to these reasons. We may feel differently in 10 years’ time, but for now, we’re confident Resident Evil 4 isn’t getting remade anytime soon.
Resident Evil Code Veronica
Now we are more optimistic about this one being remade. RE:CV is a lot like the original RE trilogy in many ways. It started out life as Resident Evil 3 before being held back and released as a spin off. And despite being a Dreamcast (then PS2) game, shares a lot of similarities with the earlier titles. It’s part of the early RE family and came out before Resident Evil 4’s ‘refresh’ of the series. Although considered part of the same generation as RE4 it’s really more like the first 3. It has fixed camera angles and tank controls where RE4 scrapped this in favour of an over-the-shoulder perspective. A trend every other RE title (besides RE7) has continued ever since.
Here’s the thing though, this game has also been remastered and released on modern consoles. Unlike the original RE1, 2 and 3 that were PS1 games and have aged poorly, RE:CV still looks rather nice on modern hardware. It looks nowhere near as good as RE4 and other later titles but it’s certainly passable in HD. No amount of HD textures would make the PS1 games look any better, which is why they have been (or are being) remade.
So what about Resident Evil 1 and Zero?
The remake of the original Resident Evil 1 and Resident Evil Zero also have fixed angles and tank controls and are from the same era. Yet they somehow transition to modern hardware better than RE:CV. The argument would be if that could be remade then so could they. So, it’s hard to have a conversation about a RE:CV remake without also considering those two games. They however were made on the GameCube like RE4 so have benefitted from being slightly more future proof than RE:CV.
Resident Evil Outbreak (and File 2)
Nah, we don’t think so. They would have done it by now. Capcom would rather you spent your cash on their modern multiplayer Resident Evil games like Project Resistance. Let’s just hope it’s better than previous efforts.
So, to sum this up, we think so far Resident Evil Code Veronica may be next in line for the remake treatment. What’s even more tantalizing is this could actually lead to the original Resident Evil being remade a second time! (Pokemon did it)
If Capcom are committed to this path of remakes, then we’d expect them to remake Resident Evil Code Veronica after the RE3 remake comes out. Out of all the main entries in the series, this one seems like it’s most in need of a refresh. We’ve also seen what this could look like somewhat in Resident Evil The Darkside Chronicles. As the game uses traditional zombies it could reuse the RE2 remake’s assets, just as we expect Resident Evil 3 will next year.
The Resident Evil 3 remake may be out final ever outing to Racoon City, but that’s okay, we have unfinished business on Rockfort Island anyway. Put the kettle on Rodrigo