Capcom finally acknowledges Dino Crisis, then reveals new Resident Evil instead
"Ah ah ah, you didn't say the magic word." While we've been inundated with gaming showcases recently from the likes of Summer Game Fest, Nintendo Directs, and Ubisoft Fowards, it was Capcom's turn to get us flocking to the livestream to see what's coming next.
July 1's Capcom Next revealed what's next for the beloved studio behind Resident Evil, Monster Hunter, Dragon's Dogma, and more. It just so happens that it fell on the 25th anniversary of 1999's Dino Crisis, and while we're big fans of the kickass Regina here, she's been sadly resigned to the history books.
A new Resident Evil is coming...but Dino Crisis isn't
The big news from the night is that the legendary Koshi Nakanishi is directing Resident Evil 9. The Capcom stalwart is known for his work on Revelations, RE5, and (of course) Resident Evil 7. Interestingly, Nakanishi said, "We're making a new Resident Evil," but stopped short of calling it Resident Evil 9.
Nakanishi admitted, "It was really difficult to figure out what to do after [Resident Evil] 7, but I found it, and to be honest, it feels substantial." We can't see Capcom doing away with the numbered entries, and while RE Village's Shadows of Rose DLC rounded off the story of the Winters family nicely, there's still plenty to explore.
While fans were pleased for the Resiverse, it wasn't the dino-mite showcase they were hoping for. Capcom did acknowledge Dino Crisis, but only with an image of a bloodied dinosaur claw to celebrate the 25th anniversary. Despite rampant speculation, there was no news of a remaster, remake, or so much as a rerelease.
Responding to the news that Dino Crisis isn't getting a revisit, one fan grumbled, "We got a Capcom event on the 25th anniversary of Dino Crisis and still No Dino Crisis." Another added, "I think Capcom just doesn't know how to bring back Dino Crisis. I don't blame them - look at Jurassic Park."
There is a sense that if you aren't going to announce something on the literal day of the game's 25th anniversary, are you ever going to announce it? Someone else concluded, "I love RE But man…. Be great get see a Dino Crisis remake. It's sad companies hold their big IPs hostage on a shelf then sell to a dev who will continue for the fans."
We've already seen the potential of what an Unreal Engine 5 Dino Crisis remake could look like, while the various rumours of a return have never turned into anything. Instead, we've had the Dino Crisis-esque Exoprimal which was hardly a hit. For now, this fan-favourite franchise remains extinct.
