Resident Evil has truly entered into a new golden age, it seems.
The iconic survival horror series, which appeared all but resigned to mediocrity following the disappointing Resident Evil 6, has bounced back in recent years. Wholly to Capcom’s credit, the developer recognized a desire from fans for the franchise to return to its roots – away from the adoption of action-focused gameplay. 2017’s Resident Evil 7 was the first major step in that direction, of course, and was ultimately followed two years later by Resident Evil 2‘s long-awaited remake.
Now, with adoration at an all-time high, Capcom looks set to continue its streak of success with at least one more reimagining. As announced earlier this week, Resident Evil 3 is due to arrive early next year and the remake, unlike the original, will feature a bespoke multiplayer component, Resident Evil Resistance.
As an asymmetrical affair, Resistance pits four players against a horde of Umbrella’s monstrous machinations, all controlled – both directly and indirectly – by a Mastermind. Yesterday, Capcom put a name to one of these so-called survivors, one which is clearly a callback to one of the series’ most beloved memes.
Say hello to Martin Sandwich:
https://twitter.com/RE_Games/status/1204847519420878856
An interesting surname, to say the least, and it’s certainly no coincidence. The original Resident Evil, released way back in 1996, is notorious for its hammy and badly-acted dialogue. In one particular meeting between Barry and Jill, in which the former has just saved the latter from being crushed under a booby-trapped ceiling, Barry flippantly muses how his colleague almost become a ‘Jill Sandwich.’ As for why Capcom decided to reference that scene with a seemingly unrelated character is anyone’s guess, but it’s a welcome Easter egg for longtime fans, nonetheless.
Resident Evil 3, and its accompanying Resistance mode are out next year, April 3rd, for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.