An undisputed coincidence it may be, but Resident Evil 7‘s faux powers of precognition have sent a chill running up the spine of many fans thanks to a recent discovery.
For everyone other than the 0.1% fortunate enough to live on a secluded island removed from civilization, COVID-19 has had a widespread impact on daily life throughout the entirety of 2020. That being the case, it goes without saying that the majority can’t wait to see the back of a torrid year that nobody could have saw coming, or could they? Capcom, it seems, accidentally predicted a terrible fate for the start of a new decade way back in 2017 with the seventh mainline installment of its acclaimed survival horror franchise.
As spotted by user No Context Resident Evil over on Twitter, and pointed out by a few others in the comments, a dust-encrusted shelf found on the Baker estate contains several ominous-sounding novels. Clearly a space dedicated to horror and thriller fiction (what other kind of reading material would be adorned with names such as Murder in Cleveland and Sudden Mystery?) one otherwise inconspicuous book simply has the number ‘2020’ printed on its binder.
At the time of RE7‘s release, of course, those digits would have held little to no significance. Only in retrospect, and the context in which it’s found, have fans singled it out as an eerie Easter egg referencing one of the worst years in recent memory.
As for the title’s actual meaning, your guess is as good as ours. In the unlikely event that Capcom decides to share the origins behind the strange naming convention, we’ll assuredly let you know, but until then, I’m just going to assume someone who worked on Resident Evil 7 is an avid fan of George Orwell’s 1984 and decided to follow in his footsteps with a numerically-titled dystopic tale. Here’s to hoping nobody stumbles upon a ‘2024’ in next year’s Resident Evil Village.