At this point, much of the Resident Evil community has witnessed the mixed bag that was the Resident Evil Village's announcement, featuring werewolves, vampires, castles, and more. The game also stars a drastically redesigned Chris Redfield. Even from his redesign in Resident Evil 7, Chris underwent some serious surgery for his new (villainous) role in Resident Evil Village, but it does ask a question: would his Resident Evil 5 design suffice?
The short answer is a resounding "no." The long answer is a bit more complicated.
Resident Evil 5's Chris Redfield design was like the muscular, supersized version of his original form. Although he had since appeared in Code Veronica, Resident Evil 5 brought out the ultimate edition of Chris' 1996 self. Bulked up with a crew cut and chiseled jaw, Resident Evil 5's Chris made sense for a game where he would be fending off hordes of infected humans, using forceful weaponry on theatrical bosses, and pummeling boulders.
This design was sort of reused for Resident Evil 6, though Chris was given a new hairdo to accompany his more bland look. Simply put, as we once knew Chris, his Resident Evil 5 iteration was the logical HD evolution for the character in 2009.
Would that design work today? Probably not.
Having Resident Evil 5's Chris Redfield in Resident Evil Village would be an assured mistake. With comically large muscles and boulder-sized shoulders, he looks more like someone who would star in a game with a "unique" art style. Or a Gears of War game. Simply put, with improving graphics engines, we can expect more from developers than characters consistently using muscle-boosting supplements.
It seemed Capcom had a direction in mind with Resident Evil 7's Chris design, though fan criticism of his comparably lanky body spurred change in the character's design. Now, as per Resident Evil Village's reveal trailer, Chris appears to be huskier and putting on his best "I'm a villain" face and outfit.
His reveal at the end of the trailer was almost comical. Given how many designs the character has gone through, one would think Chris would be sick of all the plastic surgery. The decision could turn out to be for the best for all we know. But, oh how many Chris's it took to get here.