Resident Evil 2's physical horror is something Capcom needs to revisit
Resident Evil 2 brought back physical horror in a big way, and it's something that future games in the franchise can follow.
The Resident Evil series has always tried to create a good balance between action and horror. This balance is a big part of what makes the franchise so popular and iconic, and it's expected to be revived in Resident Evil 9, which may depart from the characterization of Resident Evil 7 and Village. Also, the next game in this series can increase the level of fear by repeating an important feature from Resident Evil 2.
In Resident Evil 2, Leon and Claire as the game's heroes are attacked by the two main villains, Mr. X and William Birkin are wanted. William is a former scientist of the Umbrella Corporation who infects himself with the Golgotha virus in a last ditch effort to save his life. Although he probably intended to mutate into a G-Human similar to the Ganados in Resident Evil 4, complications from the mutation process caused him to transform into a large creature called the G-Mutant. This creature grows throughout the game until the last vestiges of William Birkin's human form are nearly gone. This as physical horror is something that Capcom could address in future Resident Evil games.
The physical horror of Resident Evil 2 is a decent choice
Although the mad scientist plot has been seen in various horror games, Resident Evil 2 is still an interesting idea. William Burkin's struggle in this game shows his humanity and this is something that is conveyed as his mutation progresses throughout the story. Like the Baker family in Resident Evil 7, players basically only see two sides of the coin: 1- after everyone is infected with the virus, and 2- before they are infected via flashback. William Birkin is a terrifying antagonist, as his constant leaping seems frightening and painful.
When players first encounter the G-Virus-infected William Birkin, he is visibly and significantly mutated, but still recognizably human. It even seems that this mutation can be reversed or reduced. But after every encounter with Berkin, his human side is reduced and he turns into a two-legged monster with a demonic appearance. After that we see him transform into a mutated beast and finally into a mass of flesh and gnawing teeth. The slow, uncontrollable loss of the human condition taps into deep fear, and it's a big part of what makes Resident Evil 2 one of the scariest entries in the series.
Focusing on Birkin as a human and not just a monster plays a role in making this mutation frightening, but even before this, Birkin is far from likable or respectable. This creates a distance between him and the audience, thereby undermining some of the physical horror. If players can empathize with someone who is shapeshifting and mutating, they can more easily imagine the loss of the human condition.
The Resident Evil series usually keeps its heroes safe from biotic and abiotic hazards. For example, even when characters like Leon or Jill get infected, they heal with virtually no lasting effects. Even Ethan Winters' mold infection is rather bland and ineffective, used more as a final plot twist at the end of the game than an opportunity to create real scares. Perhaps a new game in the series could do so by applying this design to a more sympathetic and central character who compromises the primal fear of the lost or altered human condition, to the nagging inner fear of constant transformation like William. Berkin lies, help.
