In a recent press release, Capcom announced that the remake of Resident Evil 4 has sold 5 million copies. This follows a galactic opening week in which the game sold 3 million copies in just two days, a milestone that took the original version a year to achieve.

Even more surprising is the fact that "Resident Evil 4" achieved this record a full two months ahead of schedule compared to its series sibling, "Resident Evil 7: The Village." The film took nearly six months to achieve the same record, despite being the fastest-selling film in the "Resident Evil" series.

Capcom attributed this victory to "high customer acclaim and the release of Mercenaries."

Although not yet updated as of this writing, the milestone improved Capcom's position on its illustrious list of platinum titles, placing it between "Monster Hunter Rise Sun Break" and "Resident Evil 2" at #14. Nevertheless, given that "Resident Evil 2 Remake" is in fourth place, it seems unlikely that this ranking will last much longer.

The original "Resident Evil 4" holds a hallowed place in the third-person shooter canon, inspiring games like "Dead Space," "Gears of War," and even the "Uncharted" series. On the other hand, "Resident Evil 7: Resident Evil: The Village," while highly acclaimed from its inception, including by PC Gamer's Andy Kelly, does not have such a legacy.

It is also perhaps an indication of a desire for a more classic "Resident Evil" experience; both Village and its predecessor are first-person games. Both have sold well, but the popularity of Capcom's remake demonstrates the staying power of nostalgia without the need to shrug it off. And while Ethan Winters is fun, Leon Kennedy may be the cutest guy in horror gaming. It may have nothing to do with sales, but it's an important footnote.

At the end of the press release, Capcom promised to "continue to leverage our industry-leading game development capabilities to deliver highly entertaining gaming experiences."