🔥 Honest question for the Resident Evil community: Would a fully open‑world RE game push the series forward… or straight‑up ruin the franchise? Some fans want to explore Raccoon City freely. Others think open‑world design would completely miss what makes Resident Evil work.

It would ruin the franchise, because it won’t be in this level of quality. You can have open hubs like raccoon city in RE9, pre and post outbreak and you could optionally enter buildings and rescue survivors, solve options puzzles for special weapons ..etc So technically a RE3 but with a more open map and subway. That could work, provided the quality was the same, but other than that, no.

Valid point. What you’re describing definitely fits the series more naturally than a full open‑world approach.

@AshenOne Yeah, exactly! Some series are just not designed to be open world nor need they be

@AshenOne No.

@AshenOne There's a reason why they decided against doing that in 9.

You are not wrong!

@AshenOne Open areas are better. The Evil Within 2 did it best. Resident Evil 4s remake had a nice open area at the lake at night.

Man, I wish we could get another Evil Within game. The sequel was such an awesome and underrated experience. :/

@AshenOne They nailed it with the sequel. And since it’s technically just a dreamworld they could’ve made it however they

From now on I will occasionally post questions like this that spark discussion, each one starting with the 🔥 emoji. Personally I think the current formula works well for Resident Evil, but it is clear that a SMALL part of the community would like to see an open world game.

@AshenOne It should never really go further than East Raccoon City in this game. I DO want more of that kind of map design though. Leon running around for key items and bonus loot felt beautiful. 🙏

@AshenOne An open world would ruin the scary feeling. Resident Evil needs tight spaces and small rooms to make you feel afraid.

@AshenOne Fuck no, I’m sick of open world games.

@AshenOne I don't think it should straight up go full open world, I do think they need add co-op and incorporate the same style as the new God of War games in the sense that you have a big map with unique puzzle filled places and getting around said places involves a vehicle.👍

Hmm, really interesting idea. I’d love to see a concept like that in action 👀

@AshenOne Open levels like Racoon city - Yes Completely Open world - Nope Open world will ruin and take the very essence that make RE games good imo

@AshenOne Yeah no it would suck ass.

@AshenOne NO. MHW already did that and it has trash performance. It's not even a full open world. Open areas would be better than a full pledge open world. Games like The Evil within 2, or even Metro Exodus did it best

Yeah, Evil Within 2 nailed that semi‑open structure and kept the tension intact. And with MHW, I agree the performance shows that Capcom’s engine still isn’t ready for a full open world.

@AshenOne In survival horror, confinement is a mechanic. Too much freedom removes the pressure that makes exploration meaningful.

@AshenOne Why does it need to be open world. It doesn’t need it whatsoever. A open world will do what ? Put unnecessary pressure on the devs for what?

@AshenOne Nah not for me, too many open world games already, a more focused approach is better for this series I think, it’s just right in the recent games 🫡

@AshenOne Open maps with fully explorable buildings = perfection

Thanks for sharing your opinion!

@AshenOne Open world in horror games can be done well, look at The Evil Within 2. Tons of opportunities for cool, small quests and spooky vignettes.

@AshenOne Re6 is proof the bigger these games are the less they mean. I'm good. They can push the series forward in other ways.

@AshenOne No. Simply because at around the 12-15 hour mark you start getting a little fatigued with the horror survival aspect and are ready for the story to be done. Anything past that, people would say it's boring or lifeless

@AshenOne Who is asking for an open world RE game? No. Just…no.

@AshenOne bad idea. don't even put it out into the aether.

@AshenOne Open world? No. Semi open world hub, with a few optional objectives and places to explore (more Zelda/Metroid than Assassin's creed), could work. But you still need areas where you're locked in for a bit. That claustrophobic, clawing to get out of there feeling is core to RE.

@AshenOne Completely take away the whole point of Resident Evil …. Your supposed to feel suffocated, low on ammo, tight spaces. An open world would take away the risk of trying strats and load outs.. if u can just always out run danger what’s the point

@AshenOne Have you not played open worlds games before? Most SUCK!! No, RE does NOT need to be open-world. IMO, more games need to go back to 2006 linear level design. Not all, but some.

@AshenOne Ive had zero interest in walking about the streets since OG2 and 3. Very much prefer the Mansions/PD/House/Lab settings in rhe games.

@AshenOne Maybe not open world, but a big Raccoon City sandbox would be awesome in my opinion!

@AshenOne I am a huge, huge fan of open worlds and my only experience with resident evil was watching a guy play this game on and off and even I can tell... If they wanted to make it open world, they would have to be very... very careful about it. The risk is probably too high.

@AshenOne If it's gonna be open world, it better be in a new RE:Outbreak. Would love to have variety of survivors trying to navigate Raccoon City and escape before the damn city blow up.

@AshenOne Open sections? something like TEW2 BUT not leaning into ut very much yep good Open world biiig NO

@AshenOne Absolutely ruin. Resident Evils charm is the replayability.

99.99% chance they don't know what they're asking for/don't know what they actually want if they say this in relation to the gameplay and level design of RE9. Especially for things like that cinematic opening street as Grace but also for Leon's city street segments. I can imagine a concept that could work but it'd be a spinoff title and play absolutely nothing like RE9. So basically a new franchise in the same/similar setting.

@AshenOne Please god no more open world slop. AAA devs in particular need to understand that open world /= automatic success. OW games were better when they weren't so common and formulamatic to a fault. Now they just exist to guarantee you spend 120 hours hunting collectibles.

@AshenOne Not saying it would make a bad game but it would be a bad choice

@AshenOne I think RE plays better with one location that opens up massively kind of like the SH series imo.