Summary
In the nearly 30 years of history across the entireResident Evilfranchise, most of the series' spin-offs tend to play it safe when it comes to genres. It makes sense that most of the non-mainline games in the series would lean more heavily into the third-person shooter aspects ofResident Evil’s gameplay and afford players less restriction than the resource management and puzzle solving of the original trilogy, but the series' continual ventures into action game territory has made most of the more recent spin-offs feel somewhat redundant. It’s time for a new kind ofResident Evilspin-off that leans more heavily into the careful encounter design of the original game via the turn-based tactics genre.
It’s surprising that Capcom hasn’t taken the leap of faith into aResident Evil-themed tactics game given the success of other major franchises adopting the genre for their own spin-offs.Gears Tacticsis a competent tactics game that ingeniously blends the third-person cover-shooter gameplay ofGears of WarwithXCOM, and bothMario + Rabbidstitles surprisingly prove Mario can more than carry his own tactics game. With other franchises likePersonagetting in on the genrewithPersona 5 Tactica, theResident Evilfranchise is the next series that should join the ever-growing roster of tactics games based on AAA franchises.
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The Original Resident Evil Has a Perfect Set-Up for a Tactics Game
Prior to the series exploding onto the streets of Raccoon City and beyond,Resident Evilwas all about a group of heroes trying to fight and puzzle their way out of a mansion. The cramped corridors and potential for danger lurking around every corner added a sense of tension that the series somewhat lost along the path to it becoming a AAA blockbuster, and it also happens to be the perfect kind of environmental design for a tactics game. Both movement and cover are resources that come at a premium in some of the genre’s stalwarts, andResident Evil’s Spencer Mansionis practically tailor-made to be the host of several tense tactical missions.
Resident Evil’s Characters Are Ready-Made for Tactics
Even better, the S.T.A.R.S Alpha and Bravo teams are a natural fit for the various class and unit types that one might see in a tactics game. Barry Burton is the close-range tank with his Colt Python and sturdy frame,Chris Redfieldthe all-around soldier unit, and Jill Valentine the stealthy sniper or rogue-type unit (and, of course, a “master of unlocking”). Each of the other S.T.A.R.S members could feature as well, either as playable or support units, shining light on some characters that only had limited screen-time in the PS1 original.
Resident Evil Deserves to Join the List of Franchises With Tactics Spin-Offs
The turn-based tactics genre has been increasingly popular for franchises to adapt, and it’s fertile ground fortheResident Evilseries. Outside the previously mentionedMario + Rabbids,Gears, andPersonatactics spin-offs, there’s the upcomingMetal Slug Tacticsto look forward to, as well as a long history of excellent RPGs that have their own turn-based tactics games. Many fans considerFinal Fantasy Tacticsto be one of the greatest games in the entire franchise, spin-off or otherwise, and it’s possible that aResident Eviltactics game may find the same kind of cult audience.
Interestingly, Capcom has already done one tactics spin-off in a franchise that is itself a spin-off ofResident Evil–Onimusha.Onimusha Tacticswas an excellent GBA spin-off that showcased just how well the action and survival-horror of the franchise fit within the realm of turn-based tactics, and the genre has come a long way since its release in 2003. In the last 20 years, theturn-based tactics genrehas received one of its all-time greats inXCOM 2, and there’s massive potential for success in aResident Evilspin-off that breaks from the third-person shooter mold to try its hand at replicating its tense, tactical gameplay.
Resident Evil 4
WHERE TO PLAY
Survival is just the beginning.Six years have passed since the biological disaster in Raccoon City.Agent Leon S. Kennedy, one of the survivors of the incident, has been sent to rescue the president’s kidnapped daughter. He tracks her to a secluded European village, where there is something terribly wrong with the locals.And the curtain rises on this story of daring rescue and grueling horror where life and death, terror and catharsis intersect.Featuring modernized gameplay, a reimagined storyline, and vividly detailed graphics, Resident Evil 4 marks the rebirth of an industry juggernaut.Relive the nightmare that revolutionized survival horror.
