A dedicated fan of the Resident Evil series has put forward a compelling case for developer Capcom to fully embrace comedy in a future spin-off title. The reader argues that the studio should push the campy, humorous elements that defined earlier games into a full-blown action parody.
A Fan's Perspective on Resident Evil's Evolution
The reader, identifying as a great fan of the franchise, acknowledges that Capcom has been delivering fantastic remakes and new games in recent years. While highlights like the Resident Evil 4 remake are praised, the reader notes that Resident Evil 3 and parts of Resident Evil Village were slight disappointments.
One key observation is the gradual reduction of the series' signature cheesy camp and weird dialogue. The reader misses this element, stating it was a crucial part of the series' identity. They argue that while newer titles attempt to recreate this tone, it often falls flat because the original humour was unintentional.
A Bold Proposal for Comedy Gaming
The reader's central proposal is for Capcom to create an alternative voice track for a game like the Resident Evil 4 remake, where the entire script is rewritten as a comedy, akin to a cross between Evil Dead and Airplane!. They suggest that since games already feature different language tracks, a dedicated comedic script is a feasible next step.
An even more ambitious idea is for Capcom to develop a dedicated comedy game from the ground up. The reader points to the dormant Dino Crisis franchise as a perfect candidate for this treatment. Instead of a straight-faced remake, a reboot could be played for laughs, blending the horror of Evil Dead with the dinosaur chaos of Jurassic Park.
The State of Comedy in Video Games
The feature laments the general scarcity of comedy in video games, attributing it to the difficulty of the craft and a potential skills gap among writers. It's noted that when Portal and Monkey Island are still cited as pinnacles of game humour, it highlights a industry-wide issue, as those titles are now old.
A rare positive example given is Lego City Undercover, which hired professional comedians to write its script. The reader believes this model could be successfully applied on a larger scale and with a higher age rating, offering something genuinely different to attract new players to the medium.
The reader concludes that with so many games feeling similar, companies like Capcom should be expanding their horizons. They posit that to attract new audiences, the industry needs to offer unique experiences beyond the standard formulas.
