A new numbered entry in the Resident Evil series - Resident Evil 9 - was casually announced at Capcom NEXT - Summer 2024, with game director Koshi Nakanishi revealing the new survival horror game is in development. Nakanishi was previously the director of Resident Evil 7, a first-person entry that divided fans with its design.
“We’re making a new Resident Evil,” said director Nakanishi calmly during a closed interview at Capcom NEXT. According to Nakanishi the game design for RE7 was about refocusing the series after some lacklustre, action-focused entries and spin-offs, and making the franchise scary again. He added, “It was really difficult to figure out what to do after 7. But I found it, and to be honest, it feels substantial.”
The reveal of Resident Evil 9 isn't a huge surprise, but it was quite a reveal coming off the back of news that Resident Evil 7 is heading to Apple mobile devices (which was the real story, apparently). Read our feature on the best AAA games coming to MacBooks this year to see why Apple is making a play for gamers and designers.
Breaking news from Capcom NEXT – Summer 2024! Director Koshi Nakanishi reveals that a new Resident Evil is in development. pic.twitter.com/N4RLiLuCgCJuly 1, 2024
The Resident Evil 9 popped up midway through Capcom's event that also revealed a playable demo for Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess was now available - the game features a vibrant, Japanese woodblock print art style reminiscent of classic PlayStation 2 game Okami - so no wonder an Okami collaboration was also announced.
The other news was around the remaster of zombie hoard comedy-brawler Dead Rising, a series that for a time proved as popular as Resident Evil for Capcom. Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster will release for Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC on 19th September and will feature reworked character models and revised mall designs, along with new real-time lighting and shadow effects. It means Adam the Clown and his chainsaw death will look, well… gruesomely spectacular.
If Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster catches your eye then read our guide to the best retro consoles. And if Resident Evil is your thing then our feature on the best games of the 90s is a must. For now, however, we'll sit tight and see what Koshi Nakanishi and his team come up with for the 'new Resident Evil game' - or RE9.
