Despite notably containing the Roman numeral eight in its logo, Capcom is now making clear that its latest installment in the long-runningResident Evilfranchise isn’t actually calledResident Evil 8at all.
In the latest edition of Weekly Famitsu (translated viaKotaku), Capcom’s producers Tsuyoshi Kanda and Peter Fabiano were asked why the eighth mainline installment in the series is forgoing its number in the game’s title and instead just being referred to asResident Evil Village. The answer, at least based on what was said, doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense right now.
“You could call the actual Village another character in the game, and we did that because we would like players to understand that,” the representatives from Capcom explained. When further asked if “RE8” or simply “Village” would be an apt abbreviation for the game, it was said, “There isn’t really an official abbreviation, but we’d just be happy if you rememberedVillage.”
Again, considering there is a big fat “VIII” sitting prominently in the middle of the logo forResident Evil Village, it’s a bit odd to see Capcom forgoing actually putting the number in the title. The previous installment in the series,Resident Evil 7: Biohazarddid obviously contain a number in its title. ConsideringVillageis the direct sequel toRE7, you’d think that calling the follow-upRE8would be logical.
Of course, none of this is a big deal whatsoever in the grand scheme of things, but it is just a bit bizarre. While the inclusion or lack of a formal number in the game’s title isn’t going to make or breakResident Evil Villagefrom a quality standpoint, you’d think that it’d be better solely for marketing and continuity purposes if it was thrown in there. Then again, I’ve never helped create and sell a video game, so what the heck do I know?
Resident Evil Villageis set to release next year on PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC. Based on what we’ve seen so far, the game looks pretty darn rad. More information on itshould be coming about later this summer.
