Summary
Resident Evilhas been hiding in the shadows regarding what the next main installment might be bringing to the table. The franchise has been on an upward trajectory since 2017 thanks toRE7’s rebooted direction, and bolstered by the high bar set by the remakes of earlier classic titles. FollowingRE Villageand 2023’s widely praisedRE4remake, excitement around the future ofResident Evilhas been building since. But for over a year at this point, firm information from developer Capcom about whereREwill go next has been in short supply.
With the studio still not offering much in the way of its plans,Resident Evil 9has been the subject of leaks and rumors along with sometimes conflicting reports about the status of other potential projects, like remakes ofCode Veronica,Resident Evil 0, andRE5.However, as fans await word onwhatResident Evilhas planned for 2025, there is one latter-day feature thatRE9should definitely include: the updated and handy map system.
Resident Evil 9 Can’t Abandon the Franchise’s Modern Approach to Maps
Resident Evil’s Slick Modern Map System
First introduced in the 2002 remake of the original 1996 title,Resident Evil’s dynamic mapgave players a simple and elegant method of tracking their progress as they navigated through the environment. Each room on the map was coded with three colors, showing clearly at a glance whether players had visited them and had found every available item within:
Additionally, the map would display icons for the locations of uncollected items like ammo and herbs, as well as safe points and key puzzles, updating on the fly as players explored. HavingResident Evil’s mapfunction this way was an incredibly thoughtful quality of life inclusion, and helped eliminate some of the frustration and confusion that could arise from some of the older titles' designs.
The modern remakes ofResident Evil 2and3also then used this design to great effect. However,Resident Evil 7andtheRE4remake were a little less robust in this area.RE7instead had the psychostimulants that revealed all items in the immediate surrounding area for a brief period.RE4remake’s map still displayed item icons, but didn’t change colors per the above.RE Villagethen brought back both the color-coding system and item markers. Capcom should thus ensure thatResident Evil 9’s map UI is at least on par with these in many ways.
Resident Evil 4remake also had separate treasure maps sold by the merchant that added their locations to the main one.
Resident Evil 9’s Maps Can Cover Territory Both New and Old
One of the biggest questions currently iswhetherResident Evil 9will be open-world, and if so, how big its map may be. While this remains to be seen, Capcom has often experimented over the course ofRE’s nearly 30-year history, and there are various ways it could incorporate previous map designs and interfaces inRE9. Assuming its size will be at least comparable toRE4orVillage, though, it could expand on existing options that allow players to customize the level of map detail, or even if they wish to make use of one at all.
Letting fans toggleobjective markersand item locations off or on, as well as the ability to set multiple waypoints, may help with immersion while offering good options for veterans and newcomers alike. The former might choose to ignore the map or have a very minimal display, while the latter could make use of the opposite direction if in need of guidance. At the minimum, it would behoove Capcom to keep the general standards mentioned above while perhaps finding other creative ways to further refine and enhance the maps forResident Evil 9,especially given its open-world and other possible directions.
