Monster Hunter Rise, Resident Evil Village: Capcom sets a high bar for 2021
Coming off its most profitable quarter ever, Capcom will look to build on its momentum with the release of Monster Hunter Rise and Resident Evil Village. Both games are releasing in the first half of 2021, with Monster Hunter Rise coming first on March 26, following by Resident Evil Village on May 7.
While only Monster Hunter Rise will count towards the 2020 fiscal year (FY2020) — at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter. Between the two games, Capcom has set huge expectations for 2021 and will look to top its highest profit levels.
Capcom’s record-breaking Q3 was fueled by Resident Evil 3 and the continued success of Monster Hunter: World. Capcom isn’t just capitalizing on the popularity of these franchises by churning out games as quickly as possible though; both Monster Hunter Rise and Resident Evil Village look like quality additions to each series.
The Monster Hunter Rise demo, which was available on the Nintendo Switch until February 1, has been met with glowing praise. And the Resident Evil Village “Maiden Demo” was impressive as well. Our very own contributor Dev Crowley praised both the gameplay and graphics, writing:
"Resident Evil Maiden harkens to the gameplay of RE7 with a first-person perspective. Obviously, this is super early gameplay so the inventory system and mechanics were bare-bones; but, this demo is STUNNING. Between the decaying stone dungeon that is wet and dripping with the blood of their victims to the mansion that is inlaid with shining gold, hardwood and ornate sculptures, this game is going to offer a feast for the eyes."
If you don’t believe her, see for yourself. The Maiden Demo for Resident Evil Village is currently available for PlayStation 5. Another demo is coming in Spring 2021 and will be released on all platforms.
More from App and Gaming News
- Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.1: Last major update released
- GTA 6: Who is Lucia and what is her role?
- Sonic Dream Team review: A welcome surprise to Apple Arcade
- Is GTA 6 coming to PC at launch in 2025?
- GTA 6 trailer arrives early, confirming 2025 release: Watch it here!
From a quality point of view, I think Monster Hunter Rise and Resident Evil Village have the potential to outshine their predecessors. Monster Hunter Rise builds upon the mechanics of an already popular Monster Hunter: World. Resident Evil Village continues a hot streak for the franchise with what looks like more amazing gameplay and definitely improved graphics. But from a sales standpoint, Capcom might have a hard time topping some of its record-breaking profits.
That’s because Monster Hunter Rise is exclusive to Nintendo Switch. And while the Switch is one of the best-selling consoles, the numbers just don’t match the reach of a release on multiple platforms, such as Xbox, PlayStation and PC. I have no doubt Monster Hunter Rise will sell well, but it feels like Capcom is hampering itself by releasing it only on Switch.
Resident Evil Village doesn’t arrive until May, but everything about it points towards another hit for Capcom. I have no doubt it will become one of the publisher’s best-selling games when it’s all said and done.
Capcom has set a high bar for itself. It will look to rise to the challenge of beating its own records with Monster Hunter Rise and Resident Evil Village.