Resident Evil Creator Shinji Mikami Hints He Could Return To Direct The Series’ Next Game

It seems the relationship between Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami and Capcom may finally be beginning to thaw after a long, chilly winter. In fact, the contentious game designer recently hinted he may be willing to return to Capcom to direct Resident Evil 8.

Following a dispute with Capcom over the porting of Resident Evil 4 to the PS2 (Mikami wanted it to stay Gamecube exclusive), the series' creator split with the publisher and would eventually help found Platinum Games. Later, Mikami would later create The Evil Within, his spiritual successor to Resident Evil, for Bethesda.

The Evil Within 2 is coming out this year, but Mikami is much less involved in the sequel. In fact, he may be contemplating a return to his original survival horror series. At a Quakecon panel, Mikami was explicitly asked if he'd return to direct Resident Evil 8 if he was given complete creative freedom, and he provided a surprisingly straightforward answer.

"I might."

That's all Mikami had to say on the matter, but those two words speak volumes. Also, remember, this question was asked at a Bethesda event, so Mikami probably didn't want to delve too deeply into it – he might have more to say about returning to RE in another setting. This also isn't the first hint that Mikami may be contemplating a return to past glories – he recently bestowed a major compliment on Resident Evil 7...

"I wouldn't say I keep a very close tab [on other horror games], but I do keep an eye on them about as much as an average fan. In terms of recent games, Resident Evil 7 was crafted beautifully."

Resident Evil 7 is currently available on PC, Xbox One, and PS4, while The Evil Within 2 hits the same platforms on October 13.

[via PCGamesN]