What The Involvement of Resident Evil 7’s Director Could Mean For RE9

The Resident Evil franchise has seen its fair share of talented developers come and go over the years. Naturally, some of the most fondly remembered Resident Evil devs are those credited with directing some of the most beloved entries in franchise history, with Resident Evil 1 and 4 director Shinji Mikami, and Resident Evil 2 director Hideki Kamiya both being legendary names in the gaming industry all these years later.

There have been a total of eight mainline Resident Evil releases since 1996, and over 20 spinoffs or remakes, and the vast majority of these projects have each been helmed by someone new. But in a rare turn of events, it’s just been confirmed that Resident Evil 7‘s director, Koshi Nakanishi, is returning to direct the next mainline installment of the franchise. Nakanishi actually has a few Resident Evil titles under his belt, and they might give fans some clues about what they can expect from Resident Evil 9.

What Koshi Nakanishi Can Bring to Resident Evil 9

Koshi Nakanishi’s Past Work on the Resident Evil Franchise

When it comes to Resident Evil directors, few have been quite as prolific as Koshi Nakanishi. While most Resident Evil directors helm one or two projects, Koshi Nakanishi has already directed a total of three Resident Evil games, with his fourth now officially confirmed to be in development. The first Resident Evil game Koshi Nakanishi worked on was 2009’s Resident Evil 5, where he’s credited as being one of the game’s designers.

Just two years later, Koshi Nakanishi would be given the reins to his very own Resident Evil title, this time being the 3DS-exclusive Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D. While Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D wasn’t a fully-fledged RE game, it was a pretty impressive 3DS game and a solid debut at the helm for Nakanishi. But just two years later, Nakanishi would get to flex his directing muscles, leading the charge on Resident Evil: Revelations, a critically acclaimed and often overshadowed entry that hearkened back to the series’ roots during a time when the franchise was creeping further away from that with each new entry.

After proving himself with Mercenaries 3D and Revelations, Koshi Nakanishi was given the reins to the next mainline entry in the franchise. After the dismal reception of Resident Evil 6, there was a lot of pressure on Nakanishi to get the franchise back on course, and Resident Evil 7 did just that, bringing the series back to its survival horror roots while still offering fans something new with its first-person perspective and terrifying new threat.

How Resident Evil 9 Could Be Influenced by Koshi Nakanishi’s Past Work

With three great Resident Evil projects already under his belt, Koshi Nakanishi is more than qualified to helm the next mainline Resident Evil entry. In his recent announcement, Nakanishi stated that he struggled to find a direction for the series after Resident Evil 7, but he’s now found it, and according to him, it “feels substantial.” Though fans shouldn’t read too much into this one quote, it does suggest that the series could be heading in a bold new direction, though some of Nakanishi’s staples are likely to carry over regardless.

One of the most common praises of both Resident Evil: Revelations and Resident Evil 7 was the games’ excellent use of claustrophobic spaces, capturing the oppressive atmosphere of the original games and emphasizing the survival part of “survival horror.” According to some recent rumors, Resident Evil 9 could be going open-world, which would be antithetical to Nakashini’s previous game structures, though fans can probably still expect RE9 to embrace the series’ roots just as Nakanishi’s past games have.