The most recentResident Eviltitles can be classified into two categories. There are the third-person remakes of past games, namelyResident Evil 2,Resident Evil 3, andResident Evil 4, and the first-person sequels which areResident Evil 7: BiohazardandResident Evil Village. While there have been attempts at crossing over these perspectives (Resident Evil Villagein particular has a third-person mode for its main storyandShadows of RoseDLC), these games for the most part have stayed true to their points of view.
Back when theResident Evil 2remake was being developed, Capcom decided that it would implement a unique reticle to go with the game’s over-the-shoulder camera. Leon Kennedy is but a rookie cop at this point in the franchise, so it only makes sense that his skills are unrefined and ill-suited for taking on the Raccoon City outbreak. But now that Leon and the rest of the cast have matured and theResident Evilremakes have almost come full circle, maybe it is time for Capcom to do away with its old reticle design.
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The Resident Evil 2, 3, and 4 Remakes' Reticles Are Inaccurate At Times
Aiming down sights inthe remakes ofResident Evil 2,Resident Evil 3, andResident Evil 4is unlike any other third-person shooter. At the start, the reticle is wide and covers a large portion of the center of the screen. Players can still fire their weapons at this point and count on their bullets to hit somewhere in the general area, but where they will land in the space is entirely random.
To get the bullets to hit exactly where they want them to, players must wait a while for the reticle to focus and tighten toward the center. Not only does this make it easier to hit shots this way but tightening the reticle also increases the chances that Leon, Claire, Jill, or Carlos can score a critical hit on their enemies. Players know they’ve landed a critical hit when the specific body part they’ve shot at gets severed or explodes in a gory fashion. If players want toconserve ammo and deal the most damage in theResident Evilremakes, they should consider taking the time to line up their shots.
The First-Person Resident Evil Games Don’t Suffer From Reticle Problems
On the other hand, the reticles in the first-personResident Evilgames don’t work this way.Bullets hit exactly where Ethan points his weapons, and there is no random mechanic that denotes whether projectiles will deal less or more damage. In fact, it is rather odd that Capcom implemented the inaccurate reticle intoResident Evil Village’s third-person mode andShadows of RoseDLC. Not only does this make it harder for players to defeat enemies, but it also causes them to burn through their ammunition much faster and makes the overall gameplay feel unresponsive when compared to playing the game in first-person.
Moving forward, Capcom should take a look at revamping its third-person reticle forResident Eviltitles. There areno more inexperienced protagonists inResident Evil 5andResident Evil 6, and bringing in a brand-new character into the fold would just be retreading what the developers did with Ethan Winters back inResident Evil 7: Biohazard. Looking at it this way, it makes no sense to implement a reticle that takes its time to center itself. Players would much rather have a responsive reticle than one that simulates inaccuracy. The series has already proven that survival horror can thrive with an accurate first-person reticle, so doing the same for a third-personResident Evilgame shouldn’t be an issue.
TheResident Evil 4Remakeis available now on PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
