10 Video Games That Saved Franchises From The Brink Of Doom

Franchise on the brink? In its early days, Resident Evil was the scariest thing imaginable. A true pioneer, it helped drag horror out of the shadows and into the mainstream, making terror viable on home consoles and practically inventing the “survival horror” label. Creeping through the Spencer Mansion or escaping Raccoon City was a rite of passage for an entire generation.

Then came Resident Evil 4 - an absolute masterpiece that breathed new life into the series with tighter controls, over-the-shoulder action, and unforgettable set pieces. But it also shifted the DNA. The scares got smaller, the guns got bigger, and by the time Resident Evil 5 and 6 rolled around, the franchise had fully mutated into a bloated action movie.

Co-op gunfights, quick-time explosions, Chris uching boulders - Resident Evil was no longer survival horror. It was Gears of War with herbs.

Saved by: Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. 

Then came Resident Evil 7 - and it changed everything.

Gone were the globe-trotting antics and military-grade arsenals. In their place: a rotting Louisiana swamp, a decrepit plantation house, and a first-person perspective that made the horror feel uncomfortably close. It was a back-to-basics, slow-burn nightmare - terrifying, atmospheric, and deeply unsettling. This wasn’t just a new coat of paint. It was a full reboot of tone, identity, and ambition.

With RE7, Capcom proved the franchise could still terrify. It paved the way for the critically acclaimed Village, and Resident Evil 2 and 4 remakes, setting a new gold standard - and it looks to be here to stay.