Capcom has always had a steep hill to climb when it comes to keeping Resident Evil relevant in a medium that’s become much more social than it was in 1996, when the series began. I’ve criticized their more spectacular fumbles with games like Resident Evil 6, but they really have done a better job than I suspect most would have in keeping this series synonymous with horror, even when it hasn’t been especially scary.
Their experiments with action horror, online multiplayer and co-op left us with a mixed bag of games that haven’t ever strayed far enough to no longer feel like an extension of the series. It’s fitting that Umbrella Corps would be the first spin-off to drop the series’ name, since it also feels the least like a Resident Evil game. I have no idea if it’ll be any good, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t look like fun.
This video interview with producers Masachika Kawata and James Vance won’t sell you on the virtues of braining the living and undead alike with a specially modified brain pick, but it will explain how Umbrella Corps came to be.
Umbrella Corps is slated for a May release on PC and PS4.
