Shinji Hashimoto spent decades at Square Enix working as a Final Fantasy brand manager, but switched to Sony in 2022.
Such is the complicated corporate structure of the Japanese electronics manufacturer, its Aniplex arm – which publishes a variety of games – sits under its Sony Music Entertainment umbrella, and that’s where Hashimoto has established himself.
His first project? A strategy-style Resident Evil spin-off for smartphones named Survival Unit, made in collaboration with Korean mobile developer JoyCity and series creator Capcom.
And Hashimoto has clearly been pulling some old favours from his Square Enix days on this project: he’s got legendary Final Fantasy illustrator Yoshitaka Amano to create a new creature named Mortem, who will presumably serve as the main antagonist in the game.
Here’s what the press release says:
“Amano’s design captures a psychological sense of fear – an eerie presence that lingers in the unknown. His unique vision adds a haunting new layer to the Resident Evil mythos.”
The game takes place in a parallel universe around the time of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3, and is due to start service later this year.
It’s got all the hallmarks of a modern mobile game: you’ll build up your mansion as you progress and will recruit new characters through a gacha-style system.
Here’s a little more information on how it plays:
“Fan-favourite characters such as Leon S. Kennedy, Claire Redfield, and Jill Valentine return, allowing players to form cross-title teams. Each character brings unique skills and traits, enabling diverse tactical combinations and offering a fresh experience for long-time fans.”
From the early gameplay snippets shown so far, it looks a little bit like X-COM, with a grid-based movement system. But we’re expecting it to be a lot simpler than that.
Our biggest criticism so far is that it looks very mobile. Obviously, we’re in an era now where gacha games like Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail have outstanding presentation, but this looks a bit text heavy and flat. It looks like a smartphone game from 10 years ago.
We’re hopeful the final product comes together, though, because a tactical take on Resident Evil does sound compelling in isolation.
What are your thoughts on Resident Evil Survival Unit? Is this something you’d be willing to try? Stop the spread of the T-virus in the comments section below.