14 DAY TRIAL // One of the main developers working on the Resident Evil franchise at publisher Capcom believes that the series needs to focus on its original horror roots in order to deliver attractive experience in the coming years.
Masachika Kawata, a producer working on Resident Evil, tells VideoGamer that, “I still think that, for example, bringing Resident Evil: Revelations to consoles falls within what I was saying, where it’s a game that contains classic Resident Evil elements but it also has features that modern gamers expect in a game. Hopefully it can appeal to both camps.”
In 2012, the developer stated that Resident Evil could be a success as long as it delivered solid shooter mechanics, even if the horror elements were toned down.
Kawata believes that Capcom has experimented a lot with the series in recent times and that it needs to continue to create innovative games that try to shake up the familiar formula.
He adds, “Going forward is the most important thing to me and the future of the series. No matter what, we’re always going to have to focus on horror and fear as the main core pillar of the series. That’s something I think that is not going to change.”
The developer mentions a potential sequel for Operation Racoon City, which failed to find a big audience when it launched, and says that it would need to expand on its horror elements in order to enter development.
Previously, Kawata has also suggested that he might create a complete reboot of the Resident Evil series in order to give developers a chance to tighten up the game mechanics and the story.
Resident Evil 6 launched in late 2012 and it was well received by critics, but Capcom has revealed that the gamer sold less than it had expected, despite the fact that it initially shipped 4.5 million copies to retailers.