Why Devil May Cry Remakes Are the Perfect Match for Gaming, Avoiding the Resident Evil Imperative

Highlights

Resident Evil remakes have been successful, but discussions about remaking other Capcom games like Onimusha and Dino Crisis have emerged.

Capcom has gained the trust of its fans by successfully remaking previous Resident Evil games, although it remains uncertain what the next big Resident Evil game will be. However, if they were to undertake the daunting task of remaking Devil May Cry 2, it would necessitate a complete re-envisioning of the game while also carefully considering the upcoming Resident Evil remake.

After establishing itself as a cornerstone of its franchise, the Resident Evil remakes continue to thrive. Although the reception for Resident Evil 3 was mixed due to certain cuts, the other remakes have all been successful. With The Mercenaries and Separate Ways already adapted in Resident Evil 4, the only thing left is a VR mode before the series can confidently move forward. While it's uncertain what the next major Resident Evil game will be, Capcom has undoubtedly earned the trust of its fans.

The success of the Resident Evil remakes has sparked discussions about potential remakes of other Capcom games. Onimusha and Dino Crisis, sister series to Resident Evil, have been commonly suggested. However, there is another exciting possibility. Devil May Cry, which originally started as a Resident Evil 4 prototype, could greatly benefit from the lessons learned in remaking RE4. Unfortunately, both series currently face the obstacle of their development staff being occupied with other projects. Additionally, continuously remaking Devil May Cry would eventually encounter the same issue that Resident Evil now faces, in which the survival horror franchise must confront sooner or later.

Resident Evil 5 Remake Will Need A Lot of Changes

Many fans anticipate that Resident Evil 9 will be the series' subsequent installment, however, the conclusions of Resident Evil 4 and its DLC suggest that there is still more ground for the remakes to cover. This is where the RE remakes find themselves in a challenging position. It would make sense to tackle Resident Evil Code: Veronica and Resident Evil 5 next, but both games have flaws that would require addressing in a modernized game. Code: Veronica could benefit from script adjustments and some rearranging, similar to the approach taken in the Resident Evil 2 remake. On the other hand, RE5 presents an entirely different challenge.

While the original Resident Evil 4 embraced the series' action-oriented gameplay rather than traditional horror, RE5 made the controversial decision to introduce a permanent co-op partner, controlled by an unhelpful AI when a second human player was not available. In addition, several settings and character moments in RE5 would be perceived as inappropriate in a modern game. It is evident that Resident Evil 5's blueprint requires more extensive revisions compared to previous titles. The inclusion of the new Luis partner segment in the RE4 remake has been interpreted as an attempt to test improved Sheva partner AI for RE5. However, this is just the beginning of the changes needed for the remake.

Remaking Devil May Cry 2 Would Be Like Making A New Game

Initially, Devil May Cry won't be faced with this problem since the original game is widely acclaimed. Many aspects of DMC1 can be updated to modernize the game's layout and mechanics. However, any further changes would cause Devil May Cry to face even greater criticism than Resident Evil currently does. Devil May Cry 2 is notorious for being the black sheep of the long-running franchise, with such a negative reputation that DMC3: Dante's Awakening was meticulously crafted to make fans forget about it. Even DMC5 feels ashamed when referring to DMC2, indicating that its wounds have yet to heal.

A remake of Devil May Cry 2 would greatly benefit, but it may have to follow the example of Final Fantasy 7 Remake and completely reimagine the game. Only a few elements, like improved mobility and two playable characters with different campaigns, should be retained. Everything else, including combat, story, and even DMC's iconic music, would need to be completely redone. Compared to fixing DMC2, even remaking Resident Evil 5 doesn't appear as challenging. The possibility of Devil May Cry remakes remains uncertain, but if they do happen, close attention should be paid to how the next Resident Evil remake handles itself.