Along with a new look at Resident Evil Village, Capcom announced Resident Evil RE:Verse at the January 2021 Resident Evil Showcase. The reveal trailer for the new Resident Evil multiplayer game featured a comic book-style graphical overlay and somewhat awkward-looking gameplay, leaving some fans wondering what exactly RE:Verse is and how it ties into Resident Evil 8.
The Resident Evil Showcase mainly focused on the upcoming Resident Evil Village (aka Resident Evil 8). Capcom revealed extended RE8 gameplay footage, a release date, and a PS5-exclusive, combat-less demo. In the demo, fans can explore the game's central mansion environment and avoid its spooky, bug-transforming antagonists.
RE8's new gameplay likely impressed and intrigued fans, but RE:Verse did not, judging by comments on the official Capcom teaser trailer. Several noted how RE:Verse seemed like an odd choice after the many poorly received RE multiplayer titles, such as Umbrella Corps, and one commenter said, "This looks cheap af." Besides what can be seen in the trailer, here's what's known about RE:Verse, Capcom's "thank you to fans" for Resident Evil's 25th anniversary.
What Is The New Resident Evil RE:Verse Multiplayer Game?
First, the basics: Resident Evil RE:Verse is a four-to-six-player PvP mode. It's not clear if players will compete on teams or in a free-for-all, but Capcom said in a press release that the game features "deathmatch battles," so there doesn't appear to be any objective other than eliminating opponents. RE:Verse features locations and characters from recent Resident Evil games, like the Resident Evil 2 remake's police station, Jill Valentine from the RE3 remake, and Jack Baker from RE7. Upon death, players transform to one of the series' intimidating bioweapons, like the Nemesis from RE3.
Watching the trailer, it's certainly understandable that some fans think RE:Verse looks cheap. All of its art assets appear to be reused from the recent RE Engine games; perhaps the comic-like overlay is meant to help blend these games' art styles together. Combat looks stiff, with characters awkwardly turning around in circles and firing inaccurately. It all makes for something that seems fairly rushed. That said, Capcom explicitly described RE:Verse as a "thank you bonus," so it's possible it really is an afterthought that the company doesn't want fans to expect much out of, other than an optional side-activity. It's not even coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S natively, after all, only playable on those systems through backward compatibility.
With no set release date of its own, it's not clear if RE:Verse will be released alongside Resident Evil Village on May 7, 2021, but Capcom said more information on the multiplayer title will be shared "at a later time." Players who purchase RE8 will receive Resident Evil RE:Verse for free, but it's also not known if it will be released - free or otherwise - outside of RE8 purchases, though the RE3 remake's Residence Evil Resistance pack-in game has not yet been released as a standalone.
Resident Evil RE:Verse will come to PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on an unannounced date.