"Who knows, we could bring him back when he's 70" - Resident Evil Requiem director reckons Leon's got what it takes to last
The story
Leon S. Kennedy might be pushing 50 in the world of Resident Evil, but that doesn't seem to be slowing him down, if his action hero hijinks in this year's Resident Evil Requiem - including that motorcycle scene - are anything to go by. And Requiem game director Koshi Nakanishi reckons Leon would still make a compelling addition to the series as a 70-year-old. Read more
From the source
That vote of confidence for Leon came during Nakanashi's recent chat with Eurogamer about the making of Resident Evil Requiem , after the conversation turned to its hugely popular protagonists. Newcomer Grace Ashcroft has been an immediate hit with fans - and the response to her DLSS 5 makeover was less than positive - but I was curious to know if the team felt a particular pressure to introduce new faces to the three-decade-old series, given there might be something of an expiration date for its longest-serving characters if they keep on ageing with each new instalment as they have been doing.
According to Nakanashi, though, "It's not a cast iron rule that whenever [the team comes up] with a new game and we decide to release it here, that we have to exactly age everyone up to match it or anything like that." To illustrate his point, he noted the Resident Evil Revelations side series is one exception to the rule. Regardless, the team doesn't "feel the need to replace [its most recognisable faces] with younger characters," Nakanashi explained. "We don't really think of it in those terms."
Who and what
Key names and topics in this story: Resident Evil Requiem, Leon.
Where to follow next
- Read the full piece at www.eurogamer.net
- More from our Gaming coverage
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