Summary
Capcom’sResident Evilset the style for survival horror in almost every aspect, codifying elements of the genre from level and sound design, gameplay mechanics, and, of course, to the menagerie of creepy and deadly creatures that threatened to end the protagonists at every turn.Resident Evil’s penchant for disturbing and dangerous enemy design has a strong history, and many of its monsters have reoccurred across the breadth of the franchise, often in increasingly more elaborate and murderous incarnations.
Resident Evil’s iconic monsters like lickers and huntersare all terrifying in their own way, forcing players to possibly change up tactics or rethink their strategy when encountering them. There is one kind of foe, though, that takes this tension to the next level: the relentless pursuer-type adversary that can’t be eliminated permanently and continues to show up to harass players unexpectedly or at the worst possible moment. These “stalkers” have been a part ofREsince its early days, and are so ingrained in the series that, regardless of the direction that the next upcoming title might go in, they are almost certainly assured to appear again.
Though as yet to be officially confirmed, it is largely thoughtResident Evil 9is currently in some stage of development.
Resident Evil 9 Is Almost Guaranteed to Feature Another Relentless Pursuer Enemy
Resident Evil’s Stalkers
Thetrope of relentless pursuers in horror worksstretches back decades. Notable implacable stalker enemies seen inRE:
The first instance was inResident Evil 2.Mr. X, Umbrella’s Tyrant-class bioweapon, threw players for a loop when they discovered he was seemingly unstoppable. Although it was possible to take him down with enough resources, the initial shock of a powerful monster that comes back to menace players even after apparently being eliminated added a whole other layer to the horror and became a traditional element followingRE2.
Capcom kept longtime fans on their toes withMr. X in theResident Evil 2remakeby changing up when he’s introduced, as well as improving AI behavior for a more realistic and nerve-wracking situation. It was so effective that in some cases, fans preferred to mod Mr. X out of the experience entirely.Resident Evil 3then featured perhaps the most well-known stalker in the series, Nemesis. Unfortunately, Nemesis in theRE3remake was more disappointing as the terror he was meant to induce felt more scripted than naturally emergent from gameplay and exploration compared to the original. Nevertheless, the stalker remained a standardREinclusion.
Another Stalker Seems Fitting for Resident Evil 9
Themodern generation ofResident Evilgamescontinued to utilize stalkers in a big way and even made them more relevant to the plot versus being just the top of the fiend food chain. Jack Baker and Lady Dimitrescu, fromRE7andVillagerespectively, were fully characters unto themselves with fleshed-out personalities and motivations, directly interacting with protagonist Ethan Winters while pursuing him through their lairs. They provided an excellent template for a stalker villain that also is a prominent part of the story, elevating their incorporation into it along with gameplay.
It’s a good bet then that whatever thenextResident Eviltitleends up being like, a stalker will be integral. Capcom could show off its creativity by perhaps having fans face a version of some kind of Frankenstein’s monstrosity stitched together from previously seen ones, at least in terms of gameplay.
A Mr. X/Nemesis hybrid that displays characteristics of both would be truly unsettling and heart-pounding, dynamically popping up at various points in increasingly dangerous (and usually more grotesque) forms. It’s also very possible that Capcom will surprise players with an entirely new stalker abomination, iterating on their design and evolving the monster type while keeping the core and nature of their horror intact. Regardless, fans can likely expect another stalker to haunt their heels inResident Evil 9.
