Resident Evil Sticking with Linear Designs Would Make a Case for Scenarios to Return

Highlights

• Resident Evil games are moving away from linear gameplay, embracing exploration and optional loot in wider regions.
• Resident Evil 2’s A and B scenarios added replay value by offering unique perspectives and experiences for players.
• A return to scenarios in future Resident Evil games could provide a unique direction for the franchise, balancing classic mechanics with modern trends.

Resident Evil still hasn’t made a dedicated leap to anything close to an open world, but it’s a far cry now from how linear some of its earlier entries were and its latest installments have become accustomed to exploration in wider regions with valuable yet optional loot to be found. Resident Evil Village gave players animals to hunt so the Duke could cook them stat-boosting recipes, for example, while the Resident Evil 4 remake essentially had optional errands for Leon S. Kennedy to run that could be turned in at the Merchant. If this is the level design approach Capcom wants for Resident Evil then it’s not out of the realm of possibility that an open world could be in the franchise’s future.

There’s an argument to be made that Resident Evil games lose a bit of replayability with this design because, while exploring can be exhilarating on a first playthrough, exploration can be more of a slog on repeat playthroughs. Replayability hasn’t been an issue for many Resident Evil games, but some titles’ replayability is certainly better than others so long as there is enough content to fulfill multiple playthroughs. That’s why, with alternating scenarios providing unique perspectives and experiences, Resident Evil 2 would be a terrific template for any future Resident Evil games that are a return to basics.

Resident Evil 2’s A and B Scenarios Quadruple an Otherwise Linear Game’s Content

Being able to play as Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield twice over to see what each of them endures was a neat way to extend the story in a natural way and remains distinct from playing as either Jill Valentine or Chris Redfield in Resident Evil. Playthroughs will be different whether players choose Leon A or Claire A to begin with, for instance, and thus there are four unique scenarios to experience.

Scenarios in
Resident Evil 2
could’ve been a regurgitation if executed poorly and thankfully they each contribute authentic elements that make them worthwhile regarding new content players are treated to.

Resident Evil 3 didn’t have scenarios and instead chose to have a specific section feature Carlos as a playable protagonist, but scenarios in Resident Evil 2 afford far more content and an elaboration on the narrative that players basically create themselves, though there is a canon A-to-B pathing with Claire played first and Leon played second. The Resident Evil 2 remake arguably didn’t iterate on the original’s scenarios as much as it could or should have, and maybe a future game could reinvent the wheel by re-examining scenarios wholesale.

Resident Evil Taking a Backstep Could Be Its Most Progressive Choice in a While

A future Resident Evil game being linear enough to warrant scenarios could be the most unique direction for the franchise. That said, Resident Evil dipping its toes into more modern and trendy genre tropes suggests a backstep toward classic mechanics is highly unlikely.

Just like how improbable a return to tank controls and fixed camera angles is, scenarios would mean that Resident Evil has to ditch the openness and nonlinearity of its more recent titles. This could be entirely too alarming for an audience who may not have grown up with the original trilogy, Code: Veronica, and 0, and wouldn’t know how tight-knit those installments are gameplay-wise.

Nonetheless, scenarios were a fundamental part of the Resident Evil 2 remake, which is one of the most ubiquitously beloved Resident Evil titles nowadays, insinuating that a leap back to scenarios might not be wholly jarring or unfavorable. If nothing else, Resident Evil has a ton of viable options for franchise directions and each one would provide it with even more longevity and authenticity.