Resident Evil 7 Goes Back to Horror Roots, Will Be Announced at E3 - Analyst
A big announcement is on the way, apparently.
Resident Evil 7 is in development and will be announced next month at E3 2016, according to Japanese analyst Serkan Toto.
Writing on Twitter today, he also revealed that the game will return to the franchise's horror roots, and that Capcom has hired designer Jordan Amaro to work on it. He's no stranger to big-name franchises, as he also worked on 2015's Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.
2) They will show it at E3. The RE7 team hired Jordan Amaro, a designer who previously worked on MGS V and P. T. at Kojima Productions. /end
— Dr. Serkan Toto (@serkantoto) May 17, 2016
The existence of Resident Evil 7 would come as little surprise. In October last year, veteran producer Masachika Kawata told fans to "stay tuned" for news about the game.
"We're currently not at a state to talk about it," Kawata said at the time. "But please stay tuned."
In October 2013, a reference to Resident Evil 7 was spotted on a contract employee's resume.
GameSpot's Resident Evil 6 review scored the game a 4.5/10, calling it a "messy mix of annoying quick-time events and constant set pieces." Overall, the game was met with mixed review scores. Capcom shipped 5 million copies of the game, but said various "challenges" and "inadequate organizational collaboration" led to the title performing below expectations.
Some have remarked that the Resident Evil series has strayed from its horror origins in favor of focusing more on action. In that 2015 interview, Kawata seemed to agree.
"Since there's been more spinoff titles, I can see how it can be perceived in such a way," Kawata said. "And of course I believe that we should produce titles that bring out the horror. I'm thinking about it and also preparing for it."
Capcom has not announced plans to hold its own E3 briefing this year; historically, the company operates a booth on the floor, but does not conduct its own show.
Interestingly, just recently, Capcom announced that three "major" unannounced games will arrive by April 2017. One of these is expected to sell 4 million copies, suggesting it comes from an established franchise. However, nothing so far has linked it to the Resident Evil series.
The next Resident Evil game is shooter spinoff Umbrella Corps, which comes out in June for PlayStation 4 and PC. Capcom is also planning to release Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6 on PS4 and Xbox One, though release dates for these new-generation ports have not been announced.
2016 is the 20th anniversary of the Resident Evil series. In support of this, Capcom has teased that it is planning a "full-scale offensive" to mark the milestone.
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