If you're a Resident Evil fan, then you must be feeling pretty full after the recent banquet that is Resident Evil Requiem. Nintendo Switch 2 owners have it even better, too, with shiny new ports of Biohazard and Village. But there's one moment we've all been looking forward to celebrating: Resident Evil's 30th anniversary. Yet, March 22 came and went with a whimper, leaving us to wonder why Capcom let this milestone pass with little fanfare.
Over the weekend, between the ongoing debates around Crimson Desert and the new Marathon map making mincemeat of players, a few slivers of Capcom news happened to make it through the cracks. Dragon's Dogma 2 turned two, with the game's fervent fanbase speculating whether long-awaited story DLC is on the cards. Some players are even cracking out the lore-accurate in-game alphabet to decipher possible clues. The bottom line there is that players are talking, there's a conversation happening. So why does the chatter around Resident Evil feel so muted?
Well, that's because it feels like Capcom barely gave one of the best Resident Evil games a mention on social media. It's a similar case for The Legend of Zelda's 40th anniversary. To mark the occasion, the biggest takeaway from Resident Evil's 30th anniversary is a message from the series' executive producer, Jun Takeuchi. "We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the fans who have supported us along the way since the release of our first game on March 22, 1996. Last month, we released Resident Evil Requiem. With the return to Raccoon City, the place where it all began, we combined the two hearts of the series' horror and action, and packed them both into one title," Takeuchi expresses.
Noting that Resident Evil Requiem is soaring past six million players globally, my eyes perk up for a moment, hoping that the next part of Takeuchi's message might tease what's next. Sadly, that isn't the case, as he adds that "our team will continue to work hard to bring all of you even more wonderful experiences in the future, and it would be an honor if you continued along with us on that journey." It's a lovely platitude, sure, but one JPEG image of a statement is all we're getting. Like many of you out there, I'd like to have seen at least one small tease for that rumored ground-up remake of Resident Evil.
Recent leaks from 'Dusk Golem' claim production is underway for an RE remake, although it's in the early stages. "RE:1 is just recently entering development, so it's likely anywhere from 4-7 years out from releasing, presuming it comes out at all, since it's in early development and RE games get scrapped all the time," they say in a recent social media post. Alongside this, a remake of Resident Evil: Code Veronica is apparently getting the same treatment.
On the subject of Code Veronica, the leaker adds that "Resident Evil Code Veronica in general is just a bit expanded, nothing is cut, some stuff heavily remixed." Of course, take this all with a grain of salt. Elsewhere, PlayStation says it's planning to celebrate the game this week, inviting players to submit their favorite or scariest moment from the series for an upcoming blog post. If you really want to wear a tinfoil hat, maybe something more will come from this. Maybe not. Capcom is loving all things Nintendo Switch with the marketing campaign for RE Requiem, marking a shift from its usual relationship with Sony.
Perhaps the biggest official celebration is the limited-time 30th-anniversary exhibition at Capcom's Connect Space. But you'll need to travel to Osaka, Japan, for that. If you want something to sink your teeth into, then this brand-new fan film from director Andrew Saullo, featuring the original RE cast, is worth setting an hour aside for.
Aside from sipping on a cold glass of copium, though, there's nothing else to dig into for Resident Evil's 30th anniversary, and that's a big shame. You'll find me wearing clown makeup in the meantime until something exciting happens.