Resident Evil 9 Still Has Time to Fulfill a Wasted Resident Evil Village Concept

Highlights

• Resident Evil 9 is in development and has the potential to be a huge success.
• Speculations suggest Chris Redfield could return as the protagonist in Resident Evil 9.
• The idea of Chris Redfield as a werewolf could be explored in Resident Evil 9’s storyline and gameplay.

There’s no question that Resident Evil 9 is coming. It probably won’t use a numbered title, like Resident Evil Biohazard and Resident Evil Village before it, but a new mainline title is certainly on its way. With Resident Evil 4‘s remake getting fleshed out across 2023 with Ada DLC, a full The Mercenaries mode, and an entire VR conversion, the series has had time to plan its next move in the background. There are countless directions that Resident Evil 9 could take, giving it more than enough potential to be a huge success when it’s ready.

Resident Evil Biohazard and Village completed a duology covering Ethan and Mia Winters’ story, with the Shadows of Rose DLC seemingly tying up the family’s plot for good. How the series will follow this up has been the topic of much speculation, with many wondering if it’s time for Chris Redfield and possibly even Albert Wesker to return as Resident Evil‘s leads. Chris coming back as Resident Evil 9‘s protagonist would be welcomed by many, not to mention give RE9 a chance to execute a concept Resident Evil Village proposed but never used.

Resident Evil Village’s “Werewolf Chris” Explained

One piece of Resident Evil Village key art gained prominence in the game’s marketing, even appearing as box art in some instances, but it wasn’t what it seemed. It displayed Chris Redfield’s face melded to the shadowed visage of a wolf, synergizing with Resident Evil Village’s trailers in portraying Chris as an antagonist. Many players quickly picked up on this being a misdirect in the game itself, with Chris eventually proving to be Ethan’s staunchest ally. However, narrative roles were not the only expectations this art set up.

Werewolves Were Less Relevant Than Resident Evil Village’s Other Monsters

Unlike most Resident Evil titles, Resident Evil Village portrayed its monsters in a more supernatural light, with Mold-infested mutants demonstrating far more variance than past viruses and parasites. The main villains are even themed after classic movie monsters, though a werewolf is noticeably missing from the set. Resident Evil Village’s werewolves are limited to common enemies and the occasional miniboss, often appearing as bestial villagers comparable to the Ganado of Resident Evil 4. Implications from the key art of werewolves holding special value or even Chris Redfield becoming one are seemingly incidental, though that doesn’t mean they don’t have merits.

How Resident Evil 9 Could Capitalize On The Werewolf Chris Idea

While Resident Evil Village didn’t do anything with the idea of Chris Redfield as a werewolf, even metaphorically, Resident Evil 9 could pick up its slack. Going into RE Village, there were speculations about Chris being potentially infected, even if it’s temporary thanks to a cure for the Mold existing, or Ethan Winters himself gaining a lycanthropic transformation. It would be ironically fitting if both of these concepts applied to Chris Redfield as Resident Evil 9‘s twist, with his line of work finally resulting in him becoming one of the biohazards he’d normally suppress.

The Werewolf Form Could Be The Highlight of Resident Evil 9’s Combat

A conventional werewolf transformation would probably look more heroic than the grotesque flesh blobs that many Resident Evil villains transform into, but it could take many forms. The Mold’s animal and fantasy-inspired monsters might have run their course for now, so Resident Evil 9 can use any genre theme it pleases for an infected super mode. This would skew RE9 in an action-oriented direction, but may only be available in certain stretches of gameplay to maintain a sense of tension. It could also be a limited power-up like Krauser and Wesker’s melee-oriented Mayhem Modes in RE4 remake’s The Mercenaries. Ultimately, seeing Chris Redfield as a werewolf would just be fun, and would fast-track Resident Evil 9 towards the series’ usual levels of camp.