Capcom unveils new Resident Evil game alongside 9th installment

On July 10, Capcom unveiled a new game in the Resident Evil universe from developer studio JOYCITY Corporation and co-publisher Aniplex Inc. Named Survival Unit, it is a survival horror real-time strategy action intended for Android smartphones und tablets as well as iPhones and iPads. While it sounded good at first, many fans were disappointed when they realized it would be a mobile game. Mobile games always have connotations of "cheap," "bad graphics" and "pay-to-win".

Who doesn't remember the introduction of Diablo Immortal, even though the title is doing quite well these days, especially on the Steam Deck? Since the game will also be free, there's nothing wrong with giving it a try at least once. It's scheduled to be released in 2025, before Resident Evil 9.

What is Resident Evil: Survival Unit about?

The spinoff features many well-known characters such as Jill Valentine, Leon Kennedy, Claire Redfield, Alyssa Ashcroft, Barry Burton and more. The game begins in a hospital where the protagonist awakens to discover that he has been a test subject of the Umbrella Corporation. The game's introduction also feels like a mobile game clone of one of the first Resident Evil games with a fixed camera. There's even a zombie that slowly turns around (like in the first game) as an homage.

Players have to solve puzzles and navigate through the hospital with the help of a flashlight. The gameplay at least exudes some, albeit cheaper, Resident Evil vibes. Once you escape the hospital, the gameplay changes and transforms into a kind of hybrid of city-building and survival game involving strategic decision-making and building a team with different strengths, and looks even more like a mobile game than before. You plan missions in static images in the mansion, assemble a team and fight as a team against zombies in real time.

It's somehow reminiscent of State of Survival: Zombie War, which has an impressive 50 million downloads in the Google Play Store to date and an overall rating of 4.1 out of 5 in reviews. So, Survival Unit could certainly become a success in some regions of the world. The title will also offer in-game purchases, it is likely to be a pay-to-win title. And one that feels like it's being released years too late.