Resident Evil 9 Shouldn’t Miss The Chance to Revive a Satisfying RE7 Mechanic

With Capcom still going full steam ahead on Resident Evil, the survival horror series seems to have more options at its disposal and tricks up its sleeve than ever before. Resident Evil‘s modern era has seen it rise once again to the top of the best the genre has to offer; a notable achievement given that the franchise was felt to have stumbled from its heights during the early to mid-2000s period. Now, though, multiple exciting projects are in the works, some of a more surprising nature, like the leaked/rumored Resident Evil Zero and Code Veronica remakes, and RE has many promising prospects for the future.

Alongside the above, two other big updates are that the long-expected Resident Evil 9 was finally officially confirmed, with Koshi Nakanishi returning to the director’s role. Under Nakanishi’s watch, Resident Evil 7 reinvented the franchise and placed it firmly back in fans’ good graces, kicking off the current upward trend, and leading many to wonder how he will again steer the series to success in the ninth installment. Over its course, RE has experimented with various upgrade systems, and the one seen in RE7 was memorably unique. Given Nakanishi’s involvement, the next release then should capitalize on this aspect by bringing it back in some form.

Resident Evil 9 Has an Opportunity to Cash in By Revitalizing RE7’s Antique Coins

Resident Evil 7’s Coin-Based Upgrade System Was the Perfect Fit

While not present in the earlier games, in Resident Evil 4, players were able to find cash, precious gems, and the like to trade with the famous merchant for weapon upgrades and other items. This fit the setting and tone of the story, and a similar mechanic would return in the next entry, although it was notably absent from RE6. Resident Evil 7‘s antique coins then put a fresh spin on it for the next generation. As players make their way around the Baker estate, those who search diligently can come across these coins, which are used to buy upgrades and rare items.

In keeping with Resident Evil 7‘s own creepy atmosphere, the coins are spent on unlocking strange bird cases scattered throughout the environment that house powerful and otherwise unobtainable items. On its highest difficulty level, RE7 throws players a curve by increasing the number of coins, rearranging some of their locations, and upping the cost of certain gear. It was a satisfying loop, maintaining the feel of the previous upgrade systems but tailoring it to RE7‘s artistic vision and ​​​​​​level layout.

How Resident Evil 9 Could Take RE7’s Antique Coin Mechanic And Run With It

One of the major questions surrounding it presently is whether Resident Evil 9 will fully embrace an open-world design, as it’s one the franchise has flirted with but never completely committed to. While there are arguments to be made on both sides of the fence, doing so would allow the series to try some new twists on its latest upgrade system. With Nakanishi at the helm again, RE9 could take a cue from RE7‘s coin system, and include one in a similar vein that perfectly matches the next entry’s world and atmosphere.

Even if Resident Evil 9 adheres more closely to the tighter level designs as seen, for example, in the RE2 remake, it could still find inspiration in RE7‘s antique coin system. Resident Evil 9 need not copy it exactly, but could iterate on the general idea, perhaps via a range of coins worth varying amounts that can be redeemed in a distinctly odd yet fitting manner akin to the bird cages. Another option would be having coins that can be combined in certain configurations with other valuable items (also like RE4) to greatly increase their value and the type of rewards that can be obtained, depending on how many and of which kind players manage to discover.

Resident Evil 7‘s antique coins remain one of the more imaginative upgrade resources to appear in the series. They were an organic part of the setting that incentivized combing through every nook and cranny to find them, allowing fans to appreciate both Resident Evil 7‘s level design and world while searching for tangible benefits. Including something along the same lines in the ninth entry would be a great way to call back to and invoke some of the best parts of Nakanishi’s previous work on RE in the upcoming installment.