Resident Evil Director's Leon Kennedy Cozy Game Is The Spin-Off We All Need
Topics: Resident Evil, Capcom
Featured Image Credit: Capcom
Topics: Resident Evil, Capcom
No one has it easy in the world of Resident Evil, and when not battling the various mould and mutated monsters of evil corporations, you've got increasingly unhinged human foes like Albert Wesker and Alfred Ashford to deal with. It's a close call on who the most 'tragic' character is, and while we'll probably give that honour to poor Ethan Winters, Leon S. Kennedy hasn't exactly had it easy.
From those early days of the RPD to the gothic nightmares of rural Spain, our grizzled government operative was then dragged back into things for the horrors of Resident Evil Requiem. While we doubt the series is done with Leon just yet, we say give the guy a break.
That's exactly what Resident Evil legend Hideki Kamiya wants to do, pitching his own Leon S. Kennedy cosy game that can keep him as part of the franchise.
Known as the director of Resident Evil 2, few know Leon quite like Hideki Kamiya. Taking to X and joking about giving Leon a break, he put forward the idea of a Resiverse cosy game spin-off where he simply enjoys retirement.
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With gamers imploring Kamiya to return to Resident Evil for its 30th anniversary, he said he'd only do it if he could create an Animal Crossing-inspired game where a retired Leon gets to spend his days fishing in the countryside, baking bread, walking his dogs, and driving 50 kilometres to the nearest story.
Teasing a crossover with other entries, Kamiya said Leon's old friends could come over for BBQs, so look out for a Claire Redfield cameo.
As we saw with Leon's Requiem sections when compared to Grace Ashcroft's traditional survival horror missions, the real fun of playing as Leon is that he injects some high-adrenaline action into the series.
Still, taking him in a totally different direction to see how he kicks back after a long day of saving the world is a unique idea. Also, a Leon S. Kennedy cosy game is hardly the wildest idea for a spin-off. Does anyone remember when Dead by Daylight released a dating sim?
Even though Kamiya was obviously joking, Resi fans couldn't get enough of the idea and were soon begging him to make it a reality. After seeing the response to his original pitch, Kamiya then added: "Capcom, there are a lot of voices out there saying they want something like a Biohazard that's not scary, so if you have some free time, please consider making it...I want to play it too..."
Replying to Kamiya, one fan gushed: "I'm crying. This looks so peaceful for Leon, it's the perfect life. The one he's dreamed of for the rest of his life 🥹."
Another added: "For a work where the main story is so heavy, having as many fluffy spin-offs as you want is totally fine, you know..."
A third said: "I wanna do the non-biohazard route for sureeee. It's the wholesome episode in a serious game, so everyone wants to do it, right?"
READ MORE: 7 Resident Evil Veronica Teases To Get Excited For
While we wait for Capcom to realise the potential of Leon's cosy sim in a post-Pokémon Pokopia world, there's still plenty to look forward to. Even though the future is looking unclear for the planned Requiem DLC, the long-rumored Resident Evil – Code: Veronica remake is officially on the way. Beyond that, there's still chatter about whether the divisive Resident Evil 5 could get the overhaul is despertately needs, AND there's already rumblings about what the inevitable Resident Evil 10 will entail. Given that Leon's voice actor, Nick Apostolides, has said he isn't done with the role yet, we at least know Leon will be kicking butt at some point in the future. Even though we might have to press pause on Leon's story for now, if that means he gets to retire to the countryside and practice his banana bread recipe, we say leave him to it. As for spinning that idea out into an actual game, insert Futurama's "shut up and take my money" meme.