Summary
TheResident Evilfranchise has always prided itself on scaring its players witless as zombies, giant insects, and other monsters are thrown straight at them from out of the dark. Even armed to the teeth with an arsenal of weaponry, these games can be a true test of courage.
But then there are also games in which the action gameplay takes up the lead role, leaving horror, tension, and atmosphere as a secondary concern as players blast their way through enemies. The perfect game would be those that find the balance between these two, and luckily for fans, there are greatResident Evilgames that perfectly blend these two elements together.
Capcom wanted to bring back the horror roots the franchise was known for following the action-packedResident Evil 5and6, and the next game to release wasRevelations, a spin-off game to the main series. Bringing back series icons Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine,Revelationstells the story of the two now working for the BSAA, and Jill boarding the Queen Zenobia in search of her old partner. She doesn’t find him aboard, instead finding her share of terrifying monsters.
Revelationsdid indeed bring back the claustrophobic environments and tense atmosphere earlier games were known for, but it could not quite shake off the influence of its predecessors completely, still providing plenty of bang. Combat was fluid and fun, even on the handheld version of the game, and the boss fights werecollosal in terms of size and challenge.
Resident Evil Villagesaw the continuation and subsequent conclusion of Ethan Winter' story as he sets off on another rescue mission, this time for his infant daughter, Rosemary, who was first taken by Chris, and then by Mother Miranda, whisked away toa remote, snowy villagein Romania. Mother Miranda wishes to use her as part of a ritual to resurrect her own daughter, Eva, and has entrusted the separate quarters to the Four Lords, whom Ethan must kill to save her.
The small, snow-wept village could be quite picturesque if it weren’t for all the roaming lycanthropic creatures eager to separate Ethan’s flesh from his bones. As it stands, it can be rather eerie to explore, but nothing could quite prepare players for the Beneviento House. Rather than having to pump a boss creature full of lead, players must survive the hallucinations of the giant fetal creature and hunt down Donna’s scary sentient doll Angie, providing plenty of horror to juxtapose the more action-packed boss fights.
Following a helicopter crash, S.T.A.R.S. Brave Team officer Rebecca comes across a mysterious train sitting motionless on the tracks. Boarding the train, she finds all passengers and crew have been transformed into zombies, and encounters Billy Coen, an escaped felon convicted of murdering 23 people. Though she doesn’t trust him, the two have no choice but to work together.
With two people, and two guns, working together as one, it is all too tempting to mow down all the enemies in the way rather than attempt to dodge around them, as why not with double the firepower? The horror aspect is not sacrificed either, with locations such as the train and the laboratory being so perfectly eerie to explore, even withanother character tagging along.
At a TerraSave party, Claire Redfield and new recruit Moira Burton are kidnapped by a group of mercenaries, awakening on Rockfort Island with a fancy new wrist accessory that monitors their fear levels, as they have been infected with a virus that responds to fear. Racing against the clock, the two women must work together to escape. In tandem, a future storyline shows Barry Burton searching for his daughter Moira, meeting up with young Natalia on his search.
With the option of playing with a friend, the gameplay forRevelations 2has a rather novel approach, as the second player controlling Moira or Nataliaexperiences combat in a whole new way, as neither of them wields conventional weapons, instead using flashlights, bricks, or crowbars to aid Claire or Barry. This new approach does place a focus on action without detracting too much from the horror aspect, as the Afflicted are truly terrifying enemies to behold.
The third game in the franchise brought back S.T.A.R.S. officer Jill Valentine in Raccoon City, who finds her time of peace interrupted by the arrival of the BOW known as Nemesis, who has been given orders to eradicate all surviving S.T.A.R.S. members, and Jill is the one next on his radar. Escaping his clutches proves no small feat, as he is nigh unstoppable, and Raccoon City has fallen to the ravages of the T-Virus.
Jill needs to combat her way through the horde and through Nemesis if necessary. Equal parts action-packed and frightening,Resident Evil 3: Nemesiswas the first game in the series to balance the scales to perfection. The final showdown between Jill and her nemesis is just the icing on the cake, as she issuesthe iconic line"You want S.T.A.R.S.? I’ll give you S.T.A.R.S.!" like the certified horror action badass she is.
Originally released in 2005,Resident Evil 4received a highly praised remake in 2023. This remake not only released the game on modern hardware, but it elevated it to brand-new heights,improving upon everything from the originalgame. Combat was smoother, the graphics stunning, and the characters given tweaks to their personalities and appearances to make them deeper, more interesting, and more likable.
Another major change was the tonal shift.Resident Evil 4remake was a darker affair, marrying together the combat aspect of the original and the spookier tone that has seen a comeback in recent titles, such asResident Evil 7. The story is still much the same, with Leon setting off to Spain to rescue Ashley Graham, the President’s daughter, but with a darker tone and a more serious protagonist to help maintain the atmosphere.
After the rather mixed receptionResident Evil 5andResident Evil 6were met with, Capcom went back to the drawing board, making their next numbered title with a little more finesse.Resident Evil 7introduced a whole new plot line and characters, as newcomer Ethan Winters traveled to the backwaters of Louisiana in search of his wife Mia, who has been missing three years ago. He has the displeasure of meeting the family who took her in, the Bakers.
Infected with Eveline’s ‘gifts,’ the Baker family has been stripped of all humanity, becoming volatile, dangerous, and even outright monstrous. While exploring the eeriesouthern gothic setting, Ethan will run into members of the family for thrilling, exciting, and outright grotesque boss fights, which is when the game’s combat truly shines through. Combined with the horror of the setting and just how creepy some of the monsters are, this game provides the best of both worlds.
