The series that defined survival horror is at a crossroads; now split into continuing titles, Resident Evil is doing everything in its power to stay relevant. But is it working, and can making a splinter franchise really save Capcom’s most iconic game?
It’s been almost 20 years since we first saw the words ‘Resident Evil’ fade into life on our old CRT TV screens. 20 years since we first set foot in an imposing, pre-rendered house, 20 years since we first heard the words ‘T-virus’ and ‘Umbrella Corporation’. It's safe to assume that most discerning gamers played through the labyrinthine mansion that Resident Evil called home, and it’s just as safe to assume that - at the time - the game was something of a revelation in its own way: a benchmark for what 3D games could achieve, and a watershed moment for horror gaming as a whole.