Summary
Resident Evil’s gameplay has always taken a front seat in terms of what players rally around while narrative quirks and inconsistencies are typically accepted.Resident Evil 4is all the evidence anyone needs of this notion being true since its explanation for transitioning from Raccoon City being nuked and Umbrella being a massive threat is shaky at best, legitimately boiling down to stock prices plummeting for the pharmaceutical company. Such details make it difficult to reason with logic inResident Evil, even science-fiction logic, but thankfully its gameplay is always where attention is drawn to instead.
Resident Evilhas always had a toe in survival horror waters regardless of how action-oriented its installments would become. Interestingly, the franchise’s biggest diversions from traditional survival horror gameplay wouldn’t be part of any base game content but rather in the latest entries’ DLCs and supplementary multiplayer spin-offs,ResistanceandRE:Verse. Not all of these were received well, butResident Evil 7’s Banned Footage Vol. 1 and Vol. 2alone came packaged with a ton of content and 21 offered a unique mini-game deserving of a spiritual successor or revisit somehow.
Resident Evil Deserves More Creepy, Gory Mini-Games
21 will be familiar enough to anyone who knows the casino card game blackjack. WhereResident Evil 7’s 21 differs is in its torturousSawinspirations with characters Clancy Jarvis and Hoffman strapped into finger guillotines.
UnlikeSaw, however, there’s no personal catharsis or retribution to be earned byplaying Lucas Baker’s sadistic game. Anyone who was annoyed by Lucas as an antagonist who’s generally revolting and always in Ethan Winters’ face may be perturbed by having to hear him again, but his unrelenting cruelty makes for a depraved take on blackjack with severe consequences and lethally high stakes.
Having a dedicated and recurring mini-game likeThe Witcher’s Gwent,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s Queen’s Blood, orHorizon Forbidden West’s Machine StrikeinResident Evilmight not be feasible considering what the survival horror series’ gameplay traditionally revolves around and yet 21 is a wonderful example of how such a mini-game can still be adapted extraordinarily into its horror-centric atmosphere.
Indeed, it’s the murderous and macabre nature ofResident Evil 7’s 21 that makes it memorable with Hoffman’s head concealed and fingers frequently lopped on both ends of the table. This horror approach to a popular card game could apply to nearly any mini-gameResident Evilwants, opening the door to roguelikes, deck-builders, and more if the franchise ever chose to explore additional mini-games like 21.
Resident Evil Mini-Games are a Natural Next Step in the Franchise
Resident Evil Villageand theResident Evil 4remake exhumed the fan-favorite arcade mode Mercenaries, which actually demonstrates how skilled players are in their respective games’ gunplay. But it would be incredible to see the authentic gameplay of 21 in anotherResident Eviltitle, perhaps even drawing influence fromroguelike deck-builders such asInscryptionorBalatro.
Doing so would probably take a lot of investment, though, and require players to be able to hop back onto it frequently. Of course, othermini-games could be added as their ownResident EvilDLCslike 21 was, but having them integrated into a base game would also be fulfilling beyond 21’s relatively short duration as a DLC entry. Moreover, there are rumors thatResident Evil 9will feature an open world.
If so, a recurring mini-game involving collectible items or a deck-building element would be excellent to see as long as it makes sense within the ninth installment’s landscape and can be immersive without overstaying its welcome. Having the protagonist continuously hooked up to a finger guillotine to play blackjack obviously wouldn’t be engaging, for example, but a puzzle-based mini-game the protagonist completes alone or a mini-game against friendly NPCs may be entertaining nonetheless if it could iterate on what makes 21 special in its own gruesome and challenging way.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
WHERE TO PLAY
Resident Evil 7 biohazard is the next major entry in the renowned Resident Evil series and sets a new course for the franchise as it leverages its roots and opens the door to a truly terrifying horror experience. A dramatic new shift for the series to first person view in a photorealistic style powered by Capcom’s new RE Engine, Resident Evil 7 delivers an unprecedented level of immersion that brings the thrilling horror up close and personal.Set in modern day rural America and taking place after the dramatic events of Resident Evil® 6, players experience the terror directly from the first person perspective. Resident Evil 7 embodies the series’ signature gameplay elements of exploration and tense atmosphere that first coined “survival horror” some twenty years ago; meanwhile, a complete refresh of gameplay systems simultaneously propels the survival horror experience to the next level.
