Resident Evil: Survival Unit announced for Mobile

Capcom has announced Resident Evil: Survival Unit, a new game for mobile devices. The title promises to bring familiar scenarios and characters from the popular survival horror franchise to portable platforms. Capcom's bet on the mobile gaming market reflects the growth of this sector and the search for new ways to monetize its most valuable intellectual properties.

The arrival of another Resident Evil mobile game indicates Capcom's strategy to expand the brand beyond consoles and PCs, reaching a wider player base, but also raises questions about the depth and quality that a game in the series can offer on mobile platforms.

Resident Evil: Survival Unit is a survival shooter game that seems to reuse assets and mechanics from previous games in the franchise. The reveal trailer shows familiar scenarios like Raccoon City Police Department, Spencer Mansion, and Arklay Laboratory. Classic characters like Leon S. Kennedy, Claire Redfield, Ada Wong, and Chris Redfield also appear, suggesting that the game could be a collection of iconic moments or a narrative that connects different events in the series.

Capcom has explored the mobile market with other franchises, such as Monster Hunter Now, released in September 2023, which uses augmented reality in the style of Pokémon GO. However, the reception to mobile games from established franchises has been mixed, with many fans expressing skepticism about the ability of mobile platforms to deliver the same depth and immersion as console games. The reuse of assets from games like Resident Evil 2 Remake, Resident Evil 3 Remake, Resident Evil 4 Remake, and Resident Evil Village may be a way to optimize development for mobile, but it can also be seen as a lack of originality.

Capcom's decision to focus on single-player for Resident Evil 9, after considering an online format due to fan feedback, contrasts with the mobile approach of Survival Unit. This suggests that the company is targeting its strategies: high-quality single-player experiences for consoles and PC, and more accessible experiences possibly focused on gacha or microtransactions for mobile.