All The Resident Evil 8 Rumors And Spoilers Leaked So Far
Capcom's Resident Evil series has had a good run of it lately. Resident Evil 7 reinvented the series — yet again — and was released to nearly universally favorable reviews. It seemed like a given that another blockbuster sequel would follow and rake in more big bucks for the survival horror franchise.
And then Capcom remade Resident Evil 2, a classic in its own right. They revamped the graphics and gameplay, and it received even better reviews than RE7. So where does Capcom go from here? When (if ever) will we see a true sequel to Resident Evil 7?
The good news is that RE8 is coming at some point. It is being worked on at Capcom, and it will likely continue the story that began with Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. Let's take a look at all the rumors, spoilers, and leaks that have come out about Resident Evil 8 so we have an idea of what to expect when it comes shambling towards us. Much of this information comes from the Evil VR Twitter account, a fairly reliable source of Resident Evil leaks and rumors.
Shinji Mikami would consider returning to the franchise
For many, Shinji Mikami would be the ultimate feather in the cap of Resident Evil 8. Mikami is considered one of the granddaddies of survival horror; he directed the original Resident Evil back in 1996 (as well as its remake in 2002). He then reimagined the series in 2005 with Resident Evil 4, a game most consider to be the best the series has ever produced (and some consider the best game of all time, period). But Mikami has moved on from Capcom, starting his own company and working on The Evil Within.
However, Mikami offered up a tantalizing hint that he would consider coming back to work on RE8. At Quakecon 2017, Mikami was asked if he would return to Capcom to direct RE8 if he was given total creative freedom. His response: "I might."
It certainly isn't much to go on, and Tango Gameworks, Mikami's development company, has found plenty of success. Just the idea that Mikami could return to the legendary series is too good not to hope for, however.
It will supposedly be set on an abandoned island
One element that seems almost guaranteed for the eventual Resident Evil 8 is that it will continue the story that got started in RE7. From the sound of it, RE8 will not feature quite as much of a claustrophobic environment as its predecessor, and it will allow players to explore the origin of the virus that turned the Baker family into such horrible monsters.
The "patient zero" of the virus that took over the Baker family is Eveline, a bioweapon obsessed with creating (and then protecting) a family of her own. Apparently, Resident Evil 8 will send the player to a secret island laboratory, which was abandoned when the experiments got out of control. If this is true, it seems likely that RE8 will further develop the mythology of Eveline and the E-Type bioweapons.
The Resident Evil series has always played big with an over the top storyline. It will be interesting to see if Capcom decides to ramp the horror story back up after finding success with the small-scale RE7.
It will reportedly feature hallucination mechanics
Part of what made Resident Evil 7 so successful was the idea that nowhere was safe from the Baker family; you were stuck in such tight quarters that it seemed like Jack and the rest of the gang could pop out of anywhere at any time and murder you in gruesome fashion. If RE8 opens up the world into a much bigger location, how will it replicate that sense of dread?
If the rumors are to be believed, it's by introducing a mechanic that will make you question everything that is happening in front of you.
Resident Evil 8 will reportedly expose the main character to a mind-altering contagion that causes them to hallucinate. This could have all sorts of gameplay implications, from altering combat situations to just playing all sorts of devious tricks on the player. Remember when Eternal Darkness used to tell you your save file had been corrupted and all your progress had been lost? More of that, please.
Hook Man is rumored to appear
We also have heard some information about what type of enemies players will be battling against in Resident Evil 8. Since it is reportedly taking place on an island research facility that was recently abandoned, some of the early enemies will be the insane or recently mutated scientists who were working on the projects there. There are also rumors that the player will square off against a foe that was originally left on the cutting room floor of a previous RE game.
That foe is "Hook Man," who appeared in the 2003 E3 trailer for Resident Evil 4. The figure was a hallucination, a shadowy figure carrying a hook and chain that stalked Leon through the game. Hook Man did not appear in the final version of Resident Evil 4, but was apparently used to showcase the game's graphics engine.
However, if rumors about hallucination mechanics are true, then Hook Man's place in the game would fit in nicely. It would be a nice throwback to longtime fans, and could probably make for some intense combat situations if he does appear in Resident Evil 8.
It will be returning to a third-person view
Another component of what made Resident Evil 7 so terrifying was the switch from third-person camera angles to a first-person view. When Jack Baker got in your face, it really seemed like he was holding the player hostage, mocking their attempts to escape. And the VR version of RE7 brought those scares even closer to home; it is definitely not one for the faint of heart.
Despite having success with the change of view, don't expect the first-person view to return in Resident Evil 8.
Apparently, the use of the third-person, over the shoulder view in the Resident Evil 2 remake has spurred this decision. The view used in that game was extremely similar to what was used in Resident Evil 4, so it would make sense if Capcom is planning on opening up the world of RE8 more than the one found in the previous game.
It won't release until after the Resident Evil 3 remake
The remake of Resident Evil 2 sold like gangbusters; its quality and success were a huge wakeup call for what to expect from the series going forward. If there's anything negative about how good RE2 is, it's that it may have pushed back the release for Resident Evil 8.
What Culture writes that Capcom most likely reshuffled some development in order to release a remake of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis in a style similar to RE2. Reportedly, they want to ship RE3 before finalizing work on RE8. This seems to indicate that we can definitely expect the remake of Resident Evil 3 on this current generation of consoles, while it seems more and more likely that RE8 will be a next gen game.
Regardless of the order that Capcom releases these games, it does seem like they are doing a lot of work to incorporate successful elements from each into the next iteration. If the remake of RE3 is a success, look for enemies to wander around Resident Evil 8, muttering "Starrrrrrrs..."