Despite there only being eight numbered entries in the series, there is no shortage ofResident Evilgames for fans to sink their teeth into. Although the recent quality of games has been high, even diehard fans of the franchise would agree that it’s had its ups and downs over the years, particularly when the series has tried to do multiplayer co-op. Whilenot every example ofREco-op is bad, when the main numbered entries in the series have had co-op mechanics be central to their experiences, the titles weren’t received particularly well.
The chief offenders of this in the mainlineResident Evilseries areResident Evil 5andResident Evil 6, both of which were poorly received but not exclusively because of their co-op features. Both titles had plenty of other significant issues, and the mishandled co-op elements were just another problem on top of that. Now that it’s been nearly ten years since the last attempt at including co-op in a majorREgame, it might be time for Capcom to give it another try. If the company applies the lessons it has learned from all of its past multiplayer missteps, a much stronger experience could be delivered.
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After Resident Evil Village, a Co-Op Game Makes Sense
Although it often receives plenty of scrutiny for it, theResident Evilseries is not the only horror franchise that’s had poorly reviewed co-op titles. Games likeDead Space 3andFear 3also included co-op elements that critics and fans didn’t really like. Adding another person to a horror experience usually results in much of the fear factor disappearing, as feelings of of isolation and dread quickly disappear when two people are facing a game’s challenges together. Luckily,Resident Evil Villagewent for a more campy narrative tonethan previous entries in the series while still being able to provide scares in the form of the overwhelming odds that Ethan Winters had to face.
If this is the tone that theREseries is looking to go with moving forward, then it might be a better match for future co-op games than the outright horror that the series has previously been known for. It’s tricky for a game to balance nail-biting tension if two people are working together armed to the teeth, but if the stress of managing resources between players and dealing withthe campy cast ofRE8in boss fightscan take center stage, then horror might not drop to the wayside completely. As such, co-op might be able to work in theResident Evilseries once again.
Resident Evil’s Push for Multiplayer
Multiplayer modes inREgames weren’t abandoned by Capcom followingRE5andRE6.In fact, spinoff games with multiplayer focuses likeResident Evil: Operation Racoon CityandUmbrella Corpshave been releasing pretty consistently, with the upcomingResident Evil RE:Verseset to release in 2022as well. PvP and PvPvE titles seem to be the direction that Capcom wants to take theResident Eviluniverse in terms of multiplayer games, though it would be a shame for the company to drop any semblance of co-op in their mainline entries.
One of the major complaints surrounding the co-op inRE5and6was that the titles didn’t seem to be designed with co-op in mind, making its inclusion feel tacked on and unnecessary. If afutureResident Evilgamecan make co-op the focus of its design, then it might be able to be something truly excellent.RE7and8have proven that Capcom still has plenty of ideas about how to change up the series in satisfying ways, so there’s hope that the studio can make a co-op-centric title work just as it made first-personResident Eviltitles work.
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