TouchArcade Rating:
Typically, updates for premium-priced ports on mobile are welcome for optimization or compatibility enhancements. However, Capcom's latest update, released just an hour ago for Resident Evil 7 biohazard (Free), Resident Evil 4 Remake (Free), and Resident Evil Village (Free) on iOS and iPadOS, introduces an online DRM system that verifies purchase history upon game launch. This system checks if you own the game or any DLC before proceeding to the title screen. If you select "no," the game will shut down. When connected to the internet, this verification process only takes a few seconds before you can access your save, but crucially, you can no longer play these games offline. You must be online for the purchase check every time you start the game. This development is disappointing and, frankly, detrimental because the games are now less enjoyable due to the enforced online DRM, whereas they were previously playable offline.
I conducted tests with all three games before and after the update and confirmed that they launched and functioned offline prior to today's update. With the new update, you'll encounter the alert shown above or a similar one, and selecting "no" will close the game. While this may not bother everyone, I personally dislike the integration of such online DRM into games that people have already purchased. Hopefully, Capcom will consider a more user-friendly solution for verifying purchases, perhaps checking less frequently rather than on every launch. Such changes make it more challenging to recommend Capcom's premium-priced ports. If you haven't tried these games yet, they are available for a free trial. You can download Resident Evil 7 biohazard for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS here. Explore Resident Evil 4 Remake on the App Store here, and grab Resident Evil Village here. You can read my reviews of these titles here, here, and here. Do you own these modern Resident Evil games on iOS, and what are your thoughts on this recent update?
