And what exactly are its roots? Fixed camera angles, loading screens every time you change elevation, shooting mechanics where as long as you're shooting in their general vicinity you'll get a hit, saving mechanic where every time you die you lose hours of progress that then gets passed off as "creating suspense" when in actuality it just causes frustration? The old games were great for their time, and they hold up well because of it. But no matter how you look at it, they were made in the 90s using technology of the time. There's a reason a lot of horror games in the late 90s looked like RE, and why a lot of horror games today look like PT, Outlast etc. The tech available allows for a scarier, more realistic experience. The way I see it, zombies, horror, weapons, puzzles, and inventory management are the root of RE, and this game is supposed to deliver on those. I'm not gonna praise it before it's released because it could very well be terrible, but I don't think that from what I've seen they're doing anything wrong. I guarantee that knowing nothing about RE, if you played RE2 right now, it wouldn't be nearly as enjoyable as it was when it first came out, or as enjoyable as it is to you now. If you want the games to imitate the originals, then play the originals, but they can't expand upon the series if they don't take risks and try new things. And if they keep making the same games over and over, then people are gonna stop buying them.
Its roots are more than just your oddly specific and selective list there. It's also not just limited to survival horror either. What makes Resident Evil stand out above everything else was its story, characters, the whole universe it built, and most importantly, its gameplay and design. No one is saying that it needs fixed cameras or limited saves, though the whole checkpoint system pretty much gives you nothing to fear anymore. Resident Evil has evolved past that very long ago and it's been widely accepted already.
Resident Evil 4 may have deviated from the series' roots for its lack of horror, linear design, and focus on action but it also evolved the franchise. Resident Evil 4 didn't stray because of an over the shoulder camera and the ability to free-aim. That was an evolution, just like Resident Evil 5's improved physics and Revelations' ability to move and shoot yet the tank controls were still very much in tact. It was building upon what was already there like any good series, whereas RE7 is a complete revamp. It's not that hard to grasp. It's cool if people like this new direction, but it can't be denied that it's completely unlike what has come before.
I just don't understand why Capcom has to sacrifice one aspect for another. Revelations 2 was looking like a great direction for the series, unfortunately, Capcom just didn't seem to embrace the horror aspect as much as they seem to now with RE7 since it was still kind of a safe experience with its overabundance of supplies and linear and chopped up design. But from a gameplay and story standpoint, it was absolute gold for the series.
Games like PT and Outlast aren't any better than survival horror games of the past because of modern technology. Resident Evil REmake is still considered a survival horror masterpiece by many and holds up very well today despite being made for weaker hardware. First-person horror isn't anything special nor was it only achievable due to today's capabilities. It isn't the only way to do survival horror games and plenty of people would argue that games like those don't even hold a candle to survival horror games of the past.
As for Resident Evil 2, old games are nothing new to me and I can admit when a game I once loved doesn't hold up anymore and Resident Evil 2 holds up just fine. Being made in the 90s doesn't really hurt the game. A lot of the greatest games were made in the 90s.
There's a such thing as evolving a franchise and maintaining consistency. There have been plenty of examples in the gaming industry. Besides, the Resident Evil franchise isn't new to taking risks. They went the action route, explored online co-op, made the biggest game in the franchise, and went episodic. Yet none of those times did they abandon the core gameplay the series is known for.
I just can't help but feel like Capcom is back to their sh*tty ways with this one. They aren't making this for the fans, they're making this for whoever it'll attract just like Resident Evil 4. That's not to say the game is going to suck, after all, I love Resident Evil 4 but there's always going to be a part of me that remains very disappointed.