What We Expect from Resident Evil 9

Insider Dusk Golem is 100% certain that the protagonist of the upcoming Resident Evil will be Leon Kennedy. This leak will delight many fans, as they've been asking Capcom to focus on legacy characters in Resident Evil 9 for a long time. However, fans also have other wishes for RE9, which are worth listing in this article.

Let's be honest — we're unlikely to ever get a Resident Evil as terrifying as Resident Evil 7 Biohazard again. The developers themselves have openly expressed regret in interviews that RE7 was excessively scary, saying that not all gamers could enjoy it. As a result, Capcom decided not to repeat that approach. On the other hand, with Resident Evil Village, the studio veered into the opposite extreme: aside from the Beneviento mansion, the eighth main installment lacked genuinely frightening moments.

It would be great if Resident Evil 9 could strike a perfect balance between RE7 and 8. If you think about it, they've already released a game with an optimal amount of horror — the Resident Evil 2 remake. It both kept players on edge and, when needed, shifted to Hollywood blockbuster-style action to relieve tension. Given its record-breaking sales, the project clearly resonated with a wide audience despite its genuinely scary elements. Perhaps this is the direction developers should take.

Since we're talking about Resident Evil 2, it would be great to return to its more old-school structure. The remake of the second installment mimics the gameplay philosophy of the oldest Resident Evil games, where players had to survive in large estates, solve puzzles, search for keys and resources, uncover secret passages, conserve ammunition, and avoid enemies. Classic games are essentially large virtual escape rooms, and finding your way out of them is incredibly engaging.

When Resident Evil follows this formula, the series' strengths shine the brightest. Unfortunately, in Village, only Dimitrescu Castle was influenced by such game design — and even that was a simplified version.

If Capcom wants Resident Evil 9 to lean closer to the survival horror genre, intricate labyrinths and a focus on puzzles are essential. Even if the studio experiments with an open-world concept, it would be worth adding dungeons in the form of decrepit mansions. FromSoftware did something similar in Elden Ring, placing fortresses inspired by past Souls games on the map.

If Resident Evil 9 is more action-focused, the developers should pay close attention to the firearm arsenal. In this case, the Resident Evil 4 and its remake should serve as examples to follow.

Although Village had a fair number of guns on paper, in practice, the arsenal felt relatively limited due to the clear progression in weapon power. For example, the SYG-12 shotgun, obtainable near the endgame, was objectively better than the W870 TAC from the middle of the game, which itself was significantly more powerful than the starting M1897. This straightforward balance left players with little reason to return to older weapons after unlocking new ones.

In RE4, however, every weapon has strengths and weaknesses, making it difficult to declare a clear winner. So much so that fans have been debating the best weapons for 20 years.

Take Leon's starting pistol, the SG-09 R, also known as the Silver Ghost. At first glance, its base stats make it unclear why anyone would use it over the more powerful Red9 or the faster Blacktail. But as soon as the SG-09 R gets its unique upgrade — increasing critical hit chance by five times — the Silver Ghost becomes a miniature killing machine. Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference: players who excel at landing headshots might stick with the SG-09 R.

This principle applies to nearly every weapon in RE4. The game balances its arsenal so well that it encourages replayability, as players can focus on different weapons each time.

Resident Evil games are known for their replayability. They encourage speedruns with rare achievements and rewards like infinite ammo rocket launchers. But Capcom could take things even further by finally releasing an official randomizer.

Randomizers are hugely popular fan-made mods for both classic and newer entries in the series. They radically refresh each playthrough by shuffling enemies, weapon locations, ammo, and keys required for progression.

With randomizers, Resident Evil can be played almost infinitely. An official randomizer mode in RE9 would be a fantastic addition, bug-free and available at launch.

Resident Evil games release so regularly that it feels unusual that we’ve gone nearly two years without a new installment. Apparently, the consistent sales pace of the Resident Evil 4 remake and the upcoming release of Monster Hunter Wilds have allowed Capcom to take its time with the ninth installment. But that doesn’t make the wait any easier for starving fans. So, perhaps the thing we want most from Resident Evil 9 is a proper announcement and a release sometime in 2025.

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According to rumors, Resident Evil 9 has been in development longer than any other game in the series. This undoubtedly raises expectations: interest in the mysterious project is growing, and leaks only add fuel to the fire. Hopefully, the game will live up to the hype, which seems to be reaching its peak.

What do you hope to see in the ninth installment? Share your thoughts in the comments.