At this point, it seems to me the most consistent thing about the Resident Evil franchise is it's willingness to reinvent itself. Even before the seismic shift from traditional survival-horror to B-movie action that RE4 represented, the 2002 REmake was intentionally mucking around with the original game's flow and mechanics in the name of keeping things fresh, even for returning players.

You say there are no recognizable elements from any of the games, but I see a creepy, deserted house in the middle of nowhere which someone enters after encountering troubles outside. At some point, the intruder discovers the house is not as deserted as it appears, as there is a monster or monsters within. That, to me, is all that's strictly necessary. Admittedly, I wouldn't mind seeing a few iconic RE monsters make an appearance (especially ones which have not been featured in other adaptations, like hunters, or a drain deimos), but if they provide me something new, I'll be even happier.