Resident Evil Celebrates 20th Anniversary at Comic-Con

Andrew Hawkins
Games Comic-Con
Games Comic-Con

Resident Evil is going back to basics. The genre that set the bar for zombie games is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Fans of the series were given a great chance at last week’s San Diego Comic-Con to sit down with the creative team behind the game and remember just what makes the Resident Evil (also known as Biohazard in Japan) titles stand out amongst their competitors. During the panel at Comic-Con, the following trailer was shown, highlighting the series’ progression over the last 20 years.

The series’ creative team also provided a recap of the last two decades of Resident Evil. Topics included the evolution of game control and mechanics, how some titles in the series were better received than others and just how many fans love Jill Valentine more than Chris Redfield. After some discussion of the franchise so far, Resident Evil 7 and its design for VR gaming became the talk of the day.

Virtual Reality is the perfect platform for the next stage in horror gaming. The Resident Evil: Kitchen Demo was a huge hit with adventurous players at both SDCC and E3. Even the Beginning Hour demo has been known to make gamers scream their way through the experience. Capcom also set up a Resident Evil 7 VR booth on the show floor giving gamers a preview of what’s in store for the next game in the franchise.

The goal for the next step in RE is to focus on the horror and fear approach and create an immersive and effective game environment. So far, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard has been getting a very positive reception from the horror gaming community. Even though some players are drawing comparisons with P.T., the playable teaser for the canceled Silent Hills game, the Beginning Hour teaser is an entertaining and thrilling experience in first-person horror in its own right.

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard has been developed with the fans in mind. According to the developers, anyone who loved the first Resident Evil is going to enjoy this new chapter in the series. The game will include combat and puzzles that followers of the franchise will already be all too familiar with. RE 7 is meant to be a new and terrifying game that works as a nod to previous titles while also being an entirely fresh take on the franchise. On Jan. 24 next year, we may just get the best Resident Evil title yet.

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Andrew Hawkins
Andrew Hawkins is a producer and publicist known for Mental Health and Horror: A Documentary, Jan Svankmajer’s INSECT, and Athanor: The Alchemical Furnace. Follow him on Twitter @mrandrewhawkins