Recently, game producer Hideki Kamiya discussed the horror experience of the Resident Evil series in an interview with foreign media outlet VGC. He admitted that he is personally very afraid of horror content. Although he eagerly wanted to experience Leon's return to Raccoon City in Resident Evil 9: Requiem, the game's intense horror atmosphere made it impossible for him to complete it.
Hideki Kamiya stated that as game graphics become increasingly realistic, the impact of in-game horror visuals is unprecedented. In his view, Capcom's Resident Evil development team, having been immersed in the project for so long, has become desensitized to the horror elements and fails to realize how frightening the final product is for average players. He privately shared his feedback with the Resident Evil team members, saying the game was too scary, but they responded, "What? Come on, it's not that scary."
Hideki Kamiya seriously proposed that future Resident Evil titles include a non-horror optional mode. This wouldn't mean changing the default experience to be less scary, but rather making the horror effects adjustable via toggleable options, drawing inspiration from the accessibility design of the Bayonetta series. Bayonetta offers both high difficulty for hardcore players and an easy auto-mode. Bayonetta 3 even introduced the "Pure Angel Mode" to reduce character exposure. Kamiya believes Resident Evil could easily adopt a similar approach.
He also offered creative examples of how this could be achieved: no need for large-scale content overhauls, just simple adjustments. For instance, putting paper bags over zombies' heads, replacing dim lighting with soft, bright lights, and removing blood-splatter effects, while retaining combat, puzzles, and the full main storyline, allowing players who are afraid of horror to still experience the narrative.
Hideki Kamiya also revealed that Capcom sends him review codes for each new installment, along with emails wishing him an enjoyable experience. However, he can only reply, "The game is too scary; I can't play it," to which they jokingly encourage him to give it a try.
Notably, Hideki Kamiya has previously imagined a healing-oriented spin-off for Resident Evil, envisioning a relaxed story where Leon spends his retirement walking dogs and fishing. The official account even played along, posting monster images edited with cherry blossom effects to humorously respond to his request, though this was not implemented as an actual in-game feature.