Introduction: According to rumors, Capcom is creating new releases of its old games from the Resident Evil series. The titles in question are Resident Evil – Code: Veronica as well as Resident Evil Zero, even though presently no release date, or official confirmation, has been made public by their developers.
Article: Capcom has been aware that its Resident Evil franchise is one of the biggest and most lucrative products in its gaming library. The same has been clear for nearly 30 years, but presently, there are so many indicators that this gaming company is investing even further in the same series. Just recently, the company shared that Resident Evil Village, launched back in 2021, officially sold more than 10 million units across the world. Capcom stated that the game managed to hit the same milestone faster than any of its other releases, which took place after it brought the game to both iPad and iPhone devices at the end of 2023. So, it comes as no surprise that Capcom is expanding its Resident Evil library, but not with a new game in this series. Instead, the developers are creating re-releases of two games that are over 20 years old. These titles are Resident Evil Zero and Resident Evil – Code: Veronica. Initially, there was some reservation about these rumors, but after an apparent insider confirmation, their development is no longer uncertain industry hearsay, but big ongoing projects. Besides that, the support that Capcom is offering to the Resident Evil series is also another indicator that horror video games offer one of the most secure and lucrative niches in video games, even inside the present global crisis in this industry.
Zero and Code: Veronica Leakes
The first leaks related to these remakes appeared some time ago, indicating that the next games in the Resident Evil universe will be the two old titles. To many industry insiders that did not sound convincing, as the example of Resident Evil Village showed the potential of creating new titles in this horror franchise. So, most expected that Capcom will focus on a new game in the series. However, what provided the leaks and rumors with some backing was the fact that in the past two years, Capcom created remakes of both Resident Evil 3 in 2020 and Resident Evil 4, which came out last year. So, what was at first completely uncorroborated rumors turned into fact as the big gaming news outlet IGN managed to confirm the same claims from their insider sources. Now, apart from the fact that Capcom did not officially state that it is working on either game, both remakes are almost certain to appear on the market and do so in the relatively near future.
Code: Veronica
The first of the two games is Resident Evil – Code: Veronica. This title saw its release in 2000 when the game came out on Dreamcast. In the title, players enter a horror tale that combines Chris with his sister Claire Redfield, set on a desolate island. As the fourth game in the series, it picks up after the end of Resident Evil 2 and its annihilation of Raccoon City which took place in Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. On the same island, the brother and sister have to find ways to survive an outbreak in the prison facility. The game used most of the well-established horror and survival gameplay mechanics from the older titles but also added full real-time 3D surroundings, as well as a dynamic camera that followed the players. 11 years after its release, Capcom created a high-definition version called Code: Veronica X, which came out for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
Resident Evil Zero
The second title that Capcom is remaking is known under the names Resident Evil Zero and Resident Evil 0. It came out in 2002 for GameCube and its story takes the form of a prequel to the first Resident Evil game. Its development was a bit of a challenge, being that the developers started making it in 1998, but for Nintendo 64. However, down the line of the production cycle, Capcom managed to successfully move its platform to GameCube. The game itself follows a special police force unit called the S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team, mainly its officer Rebecca Chambers, as well as Billy Coen, a convict. Both explore the training facility that the Umbrella pharmaceutical company employees abandoned in the Arklay Mountains, as well as a train that has been infected by the undead. In the game, players can switch between Rebecca and Billy, solving environmental puzzles and using other special abilities. In 2008, Capcom ported the same game to the Wii console, while the title’s high-def remastered version got to the market at the start of 2016.
Long List of Remakes
Capcom’s strategy of making new versions of the same games is today an almost stand-alone guidebook to the handling of such a massive gaming franchise. As the history of both Code Veronica and Resident Evil Zero shows, both games have seen a range of ported and remastered versions. In this case, the game developers working on Code: Veronica will likely have a bigger task on their hands, being that more up-to-date gameplay features and gaming quality standards will be needed. But, as the online reaction shows, the fans of the Resident Evil series are excited about the remakes. Capcom will certainly see solid sales when both games come out, regardless of how much time their development takes. The same goes for the present industry crisis, where more famous games and gaming series tend to, in general, outperform the newcomers.
That is why the company is not in any hurry to reveal its launch date or even the broad development window. Instead, Capcom is betting that the longevity of the franchise will support the marketing and promotional efforts whenever the projects are ready for the public. This again showcases just how value can be found in horror gaming franchises that are steadily supported by their developers. Capcom’s approach of constantly giving out Resident Evil games, sometimes following a pattern of three releases in two years, strengthens the community around the series. The release of Resident Evil Zero and Code: Veronica, whenever it comes, will again do the very same, even though many players would actually prefer to get a brand new game in the same horror fictional universe.
Author: Ivica Milaric, game designer and assistant professor of game design at the Novi Sada Academy of Arts, Republic of Serbia