Highlights
- The Resident Evil series often includes cliffhanger endings, leaving fans to speculate on what comes next based on hidden clues and rumors.
- While cliffhanger endings generate excitement and discussion, they can also be disappointing if the plotlines are never followed up or resolved in future games.
- Resident Evil 9 should aim for a satisfying finale that wraps up major plot points within the game, avoiding cliffhangers but still allowing room for speculation about the future.
The plot of Resident Evil can be a bit difficult to follow at times. Each game typically focuses on a different scenario in an isolated part of the world that still manages to be connected to the events of prior games, and every character that survives an event is generally changed in some way if they return again. At the end of each game, a character’s future and the overall future of the series is usually a mystery. The best guess as to what comes next is based on hidden clues and rumors. However, Resident Evil Village took a much different approach.
At the end of Resident Evil Village’s story, there are basically two massive cliffhangers. One ends with Chris Redfield determined to take down the BSAA, the very same organization he helped establish many years prior, and the other ends with Rose fully grown and working with Chris. These endings seemed to suggest possible story DLC for RE Village, which came true for Rose’s story in the Shadow of Rose DLC. But Chris’s future with the BSAA did not, which left fans to wonder if the plot line would be picked up in a side game, Resident Evil 9, or be dropped altogether. This type of cliffhanger ending certainly gets fans talking, but should be avoided in the next mainline game in the series.
A Brief History of Cliffhangers in Resident Evil
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Year
Game
Event
Follow Up
1998
Resident Evil 2
What do Leon, Claire, and Sherry do?
RE3 Epilogue, Code: Veronica
1999
Resident Evil 3
What does Jill do after?
Umbrella Chronicles
2005
Resident Evil 4
Krauser trying to revive Umbrella
N/A
2005
Resident Evil 4
Luis talks about T-Virus sample in Madrid
N/A
2012
Resident Evil 6
Jake Muller fighting B.O.W.s in the desert
N/A
2021
RE Village
Chris Redfield taking on BSAA HQ
TBD
Why Resident Evil Shouldn’t End on a Cliffhanger
The Resident Evil games don’t always follow up on every storyline. There have been many instances throughout the series where something interesting will be set up only to be forgotten about later on. In Resident Evil 4, Luis mentions that a sample of the T-Virus resides at the police station in Madrid, Spain. Resident Evil 3’s ending has Jill Valentine setting out to destroy Umbrella. RE6 sets up a future where Jake Muller fights B.O.W.s in a desert country, and the list goes on.
Some of these cliffhangers simply serve to suggest a possible future for the game’s characters so that their story doesn’t need to end permanently. This does successfully make fans want to see more, which in turn can inspire future games and spin-offs. However, at the same time, an interesting plot line that is never followed up can be quite disappointing. Certain events can be shown off-screen to develop a character and further a plot, but for a game series as big as Resident Evil, fans want to play the most interesting moments.
How Resident Evil 9 Should End
Resident Evil at its best is a contained story that wraps everything up within the game. It is always interesting when certain events of the game suggest possibilities for the future, but when it comes to the ending of a particular game, things should come to a close. This way, each game neatly stands on its own while still connecting to the greater Resident Evil world. This is how Resident Evil 9 should end.
Resident Evil 9 should come to a satisfying finale for all the major plot points set up within the game. That way there is no major cliffhanger that could possibly go unfinished. A solid ending actually leaves more room for speculation as the future is not written in stone. This way, fans will not be set up for disappointment and can instead search within the game for clues as to what could come next. Most Resident Evil games end this way and not like Village‘s major cliffhanger. RE9 should take notes from the series and avoid an ending like Village‘s.
Resident Evil
Resident Evil is a long-running survival horror franchise developed by Capcom. Spread across numerous mainline and spin-off entries, the series is known for it’s third and first-person action horror, zombie-related monsters and references, and challenging puzzles.