The "Resident Evil" franchise has had a strong effect on modern video games. One of the most well received and best-selling video game series, RE has repeatedly changed what makes it work to keep itself fresh and, more importantly, fun.
A new Resident Evil title has been announced, but as of yet, there is no release date. To celebrate I previously outlined the more classic games of the series, and now I will go into the more modern games too.
'Resident Evil 4'
Originally released for the Nintendo Gamecube in 2005, "Resident Evil 4" was a revelation.
While early sightings of the game had a more traditional and well-treaded feel, the end result was something else entirely. Taking a third person behind the shoulder perspective popularized by “Tomb Raider,” "Resident Evil 4" instantly felt fresh.
You play as Leon Kennedy, of RE2 fame, who is tasked with finding the President’s daughter after she is kidnapped. The game takes on a more action orientated approach. The more ammo you use, the more ammo the enemies drop. Leon felt a lot more flexible than previous RE heroes, making you able to dodge enemy attacks a lot smoother.
Some people claim the graphics took a minor step back from "Resident Evil 0. Some people claim the game flows in a weird fashion, where each third of the game feels like a completely different game.
Some people didn’t like the sections of the game where Leon travels with the President’s daughter.
But all of this forgets one thing, and that is "Resident Evil 4" is immensely fun to play. At first, you may be getting hit a lot, especially in the opening stages of the game. Soon enough you are almost dancing between enemy attacks, stunning enemies with a well placed shot before using context-sensitive melee attacks to knock groups down.
It was the stylistic change that really grabbed people’s attention. Many games to this day use the same third person style as this game, including the “Unchartered” series. To me, "Resident Evil 4" is the purest fun you can have with a video game. It moves away from the survival horror of old, breathing new life to the series.
Widely held as one of the best games of all time, RE4 is a timeless classic in every sense of the word. This is shared by many people, which is why it gets re-released for new consoles. It has a grand total of 11 re-releases and re-masters, which puts Skyrim to shame.
'Resident Evil 5'
"Resident Evil 5" was released in 2009 for the PS3 and Xbox 360. You play as Chris Redfield, who is tasked to investigate a terrorist threat in Africa. He is joined by Sheva Alomar, a local who helps him get around. This game is unique in that it is the first game to have co-operative play.
In single player, you control just one character while the AI controls the other. However, you also have local and online co-op so a friend can play as the other character.
Aside from that, it plays very similar to "Resident Evil 4". Enemies are a bit more aggressive and there are a lot more guns to use in the game.
The maps can be more wide open with several objectives to complete in each area before moving on. This move to more linear maps may seem strange, but you can go back and replay chapters you have completed at any time.
It is strange to think but "Resident Evil 5" is often seen as inferior to "Resident Evil 4". While RE5 tweaked several aspects of RE4, giving new and more aggressive enemies as well as more options for weapons. it still feels like a re-tread. Some people were not too impressed with the game becoming a cover shooter for the last third of the game, which although is a new mechanic it wasn’t a particularly wanted one.
One big plus is that, due to it being released on the next generation of consoles, the graphics look very impressive. This was the first time the series used motion capture for the cutscenes, and the whole production value for the game is very strong.
'Resident Evil 6'
"Resident Evil 6" was released for the PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2012. You play as Chris Redfield, Leon Kennedy, Jake Muller, a new character for this game, and Ada Wong, a support character for RE 2 and 4. All four of the stories intertwine with each other at certain points, and you have to play through everyone’s stories to understand the full game.
Despite the fact each character has access to a support character through each of their missions, like in the previous game, there was no offline co-op mode for this game.
People were able to join co-operative games online only. What was an interesting aspect of this game was it returned zombies. The enemies in RE4 and RE5 were not actual zombies, but rather people infected with a different virus.
For Leon’s campaign zombies were the main enemy, and they also turn up during Ada’s campaign. Each campaign had their own different styles as the characters go to different locations. Leon’s faced off against zombies and other monsters. Chris and Jake faced off against mutated people who were able to regrow limbs they lost. Ada fought a combination of these depending on where she was at the time.
Each character also has their own unique arsenal, so Leon may get a magnum while Chris would get a grenade launcher.
This also meant that each character plays differently, giving some variety to the different story scenarios.
There were some criticisms of the game. Certain chapters of the game feel short and unnecessary, while the way some of the characters are portrayed goes against what we previously know about them. Due to having multiple characters, you also tend to revisit the same locations a few times.
Another complaint was that, yet again, the game mechanics were starting to get old. Just three games ago the change from survival horror to a more action-oriented experience was a breath of fresh air, but now it was starting to feel stagnate again. Capcom had to change things up once more.
'Resident Evil 7'
The ninth release for the franchise, "Resident Evil 7" was released in 2017 for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Five years after the previous game in the series, RE7 took a massive step back to its survival horror roots. It has a lot less action to it, with more emphasis given to exploration and stealth. Another major change is the first person view you have for the game.
You play as Ethan Winters, a new character to the series, as he tries to find his wife. Unlike other characters from the series, Ethan has no real firearm training so the game becomes more horror orientated. Most of the enemies can only be stunned for a short time so combat is not emphasized.
Once again, "Resident Evil" manages to breath new life into the flailing series.
The first person view, in particular, is immersive, leaving you to always be looking over your shoulder as you explore. Puzzles were also brought back, as most of them had been taken out of the game after “Resident Evil 0“.
The choice to make the game first person also helped to easily transition the game to VR. It was released with full VR capabilities, leading to an even tenser and atmospheric gaming experience.
What lies next for "Resident Evil"? If their history is anything to go by, the next title will probably be another first-person survival horror game. While a new game in the series has been announced, it is difficult to determine when it will be released.
Although earlier titles were released in a hurry, the later games are more spaced out. Either way, this critically acclaimed series does not look set to be going away anytime soon.
