There is at least one direct plot point thatResident Evilcould follow afterResident Evil Village, being that BSAA is creating bioweapon soldiers. Otherwise, the franchise’s narrative potential is relatively open-ended. It is unlikely that the franchise will follow Rose Winters since Shadows of Rose apparently ended that chapter, but there is always the chance thatResident Evil 9could feature a new protagonist. No matter who the franchise’s next protagonist is, it is certain that they cannot be abused and thrashed as severely as Ethan was inResident Evil 7andResident Evil Village.
Resident Evilis a genre-bending franchise but has always been known for its survival-horror. This does not mean its protagonists are always being horribly eviscerated in each enemy encounter, but the stakes need to be there for when an enemy does attack.Resident Evil 7made a sharp pivot back to the franchise’s horror rootsand with it came a new protagonist who it could dismember. This was great and led to unsuspecting moments in the Winters’ two-game saga, but the nextResident Evilgame may need to be more creative with how its protagonist responds to damage taken.
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Resident Evil 7has a possessed Mia sever Ethan’s hand with a chainsaw, and even has a missable cutscene where Jack cuts Ethan’s leg off, then watches sadistically as Ethan crawls toward it to reattach it again. Using First Aid Meds like they were a natural adhesive, Ethan is able to miraculously glue his body parts back together each time he is gruesomely butchered inResident Evil 7andResident Evil Village.
This is because Ethan is affected by the Mold, and in fact died duringthe opening guest house sequence inResident Evil 7. It is terrific thatResident Evilhad the foresight with which to narratively explain Ethan’s capacity for physical abuse, giving him an empathetic Mold origin that players learn in Ethan’s secondResident Evilouting.
This makes sense of each instance where Ethan is dismembered, and though such an explanation might not have been necessary for these games to be enjoyed, it is stillone of the most satisfying beats of closure inResident Evil’s storytelling. Ethan will surely be missed for this reason, with any regular human protagonist seemingly unable to sustain such injuries.
Resident Evil Seemingly Can’t Afford to Dismember Its Next Protagonist
IfResident Evilnever bothered to explain why Ethan could nonchalantly reattach his limbs and appendages, players might not have even cared to look into it too deeply. In a science-fiction universe where Umbrella can create diverse bioweapons, it is not out of the realm of possibility that healing salves could also help people reattach body parts.
Having half of Ethan’s hand chewed by a lycan and his other hand cut away cleanly at the wrist by Lady Dimitrescu are exhilarating moments, though the latter is soon amended. It seems that Ethan’s Mold abilities only let him reattach limbs and appendages, but not regenerate them likeResident Evil 7’s Baker familyis able to. Either way, the only way thatResident Evilcould feature another protagonist who takes as much debilitating physical punishment as Ethan is if they are also affected by theResident Evil 7’s Mold.
If not, it is probably unlikely thatResident Evilwill put its next mainline entry protagonist through the same bodily torture, unless them losing a limb or appendage is somehow tied to narrative and gameplay. This could be a detriment, since Ethan’s hand mutilations were unique and distinguishable inResident Evil’s first-person perspective.
Resident Evil Village: Gold Editionwill release on October 28 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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