Unleashing the Ultimate Nightmare: How Resident Evil 9 Transcends Villages with Bloodborne Inspiration

Highlights

Resident Evil Village establishes a formidable standard for the future Resident Evil 9 installment, thanks to its unsettling adversary concept and chilling depictions of bodily terror. However, the forthcoming game has the potential to surpass this benchmark by merging the enemy design elements found in Bloodborne.

Resident Evil 9 has the potential to elevate body horror to new heights by delving into cosmic horror, amplifying the creation of repulsive abominations and exploiting the terrifying fear of the unfamiliar.

Building upon the precedent set by Bloodborne, which gradually introduced a multitude of enemy variations, starting with human-like creatures and culminating in cosmic beings, the Resident Evil series could naturally evolve in a similar manner, establishing a distinctive ambiance for the forthcoming installment.

Resident Evil Village has pushed the boundaries of its thematic elements, immersing players in the unsettling world of a Romanian village. Its enemy design, featuring horrifying Lycans and cyborg-like Soldats, creates a truly grotesque atmosphere. However, in order for Resident Evil 9 to surpass this, it could draw inspiration from FromSoftware's Bloodborne and delve into the realm of disturbing cosmic horror.

While Resident Evil Village has been compared to Resident Evil 4 due to their shared setting of European villages ravaged by a plague, it distinguishes itself by delving deeper into the realm of body horror. This design approach has resulted in numerous iconic moments, such as Lady Dimitrescu's transformation and the unsettling Baby found in Donna Beneviento's doll workshop. Nevertheless, Resident Evil 9 could elevate the body horror theme to new heights by incorporating elements of cosmic horror seen in Bloodborne.

Resident Evil 9 Could Stand Out From Village By Going Full Cosmic Horror

Resident Evil Village's conclusion has sparked speculation among fans that Chris Redfield will once again take the lead in Resident Evil 9. To recreate the same sense of tension for players, the game must elevate the stakes, making it as intense for seasoned players as it would be for newcomers. This can be achieved by introducing enemy designs that are unlike anything seen in the series so far, potentially utilizing grotesque monstrosities to enhance the experience.

Drawing inspiration from Bloodborne's enemy design would be a wise choice. Similar to the early-game enemies in Resident Evil 4, Bloodborne's starting enemies consist mostly of humans hunting down Yharnam's beasts. However, as the game progresses, players encounter huntsmen who have transformed into beasts themselves, mirroring the Lycans in Resident Evil Village. By the end of Bloodborne, players face off against a variety of otherworldly creatures like Celestials and Brainsuckers, which draw inspiration from cosmic horror. These types of enemies should serve as the foundation for the creature design in Resident Evil 9.

In Resident Evil Village, the Megamycete is a monumental horror. However, to surpass their triumph over the source of the Mold, Chris Redfield must confront even more terrifying beings. The bosses in Resident Evil 9 should adopt unimaginable forms similar to Bloodborne's Great Ones. Characters like Ebrietas, Daughter of the Cosmos, and Amygdala from Bloodborne represent some of the strangest and most disconcerting bosses, invoking cosmic horror that preys on the fear of the unknown. This would create an ideal source of tension and fear for Chris Redfield, who has experienced nearly everything at this point.

For Resident Evil 9 to truly stand out in the series, it needs to raise the stakes dramatically after Resident Evil Village. Taking cues from Bloodborne's progression in enemy types, moving from humanoid to mutated humans, and finally to cosmic entities, would be a logical evolution for the Resident Evil franchise following the events of Village. While Resident Evil typically focuses on disasters caused by humans, the cult-like themes surrounding the enigmatic origin of the Megamycete in Village establish a perfect backdrop for the next installment to explore a Bloodborne-esque cosmic horror atmosphere.

Resident Evil 9 is rumored to be in development.