Summary
While the staggeringly popularResident Evilseries of games has been ported to all kinds of systems over the years, thisbeloved survival horror franchiseactually made its debut on the original PlayStation back in 1996.Resident Evileventually ended up becoming one of the best-selling games ever released for the console, and since then, Capcom has always released at least one mainline game or spin-off for every one of Sony’s systems.
However, as the series grew in popularity so quickly, Capcom developed plenty moreResident Evilgames in a very short period of time, many of which decided to tinker around with the core gameplay and even the lore in some rather interesting ways. Although not all of these games stuck the landing, there were still some absolutely amazingResident Eviltitles released for each PlayStation console, ensuring that owners of these systems always had a new horror experience to jump into.
While players were free to explore the entirety of the frightful Spencer Mansion(just one of the series' horrific locales)in the firstResident Evil, the second game started to open up the environment a little more by taking place in key areas across Raccoon City, including an Umbrella Laboratory. InResident Evil 3: Nemesis,though, Capcom granted players the freedom to venture through the entire city as they scavenged for supplies, interacted with other survivors, and of course, tried their best to avoid the terrifying new B.O.W known simply as the Nemesis.
The inclusion of Nemesis, who relentlessly pursues Jill throughout the entire game, added an extra layer of tension to the core gameplay, which was already scary enough thanks to the zombies and other ghastly creatures that Jill is forced to take down during her desperate escape.Resident Evil 3also stood out from its predecessors by being a little more action-oriented, especially with the large arsenal of weapons that Jill could acquire. Even so, the looming threat of Nemesis ensured that players always felt like they were on the defensive, creating the perfect balance between constant, lingering threat and action.
At a time when some had started getting a little tired of the traditional tank-control survival horror formula,Resident Evil 4ushered the series into the modern age. It completely revamped the gameplay and told an entirely self-contained story which had barely any connections to the games before it. AsResident Evil 4uses anover-the-shoulder third-person camera angle, which it managed to pull of incredibly effectively, players are able to be a lot more accurate with their shots and need to strategically choose where to stun an enemy in order to pull off a flashy melee attack.
Not being able to see the character from a bird’s eye view also madeResident Evil 4feel incredibly immersive and intense, especially considering how many hordes of foes are thrown Leon’s way all at once.Resident Evil 4also embraced the goofier side of the series, with Leon’s constant one-liners and action-hero persona resulting in him becoming one of gaming’s most iconic protagonists. Pair this with a handful of extra game modes and numerous unlockables, and it’s no wonder that this port of the GameCube’sResident Evil 4remains one of the PlayStation 2’s top-selling games.
During the era of the PlayStation 3, Capcom was in quite a tricky spot with theResident Evilseries. On the one hand, many people adored the new action-oriented direction taken byResident Evil 4.However, this also came at the cost of die-hard fans feeling like they had been left behind, especially since the story seemed to have been put on hold after so much buildup. As a way to remedy this, Capcom made the decision forResident Evil 5to further develop the core gameplay of its predecessor, while also putting a much bigger focus on wrapping up the loose ends that had been hanging ever since the end ofResident Evil -Code: Veronica (another title in need of a remake).
When the game finally released in 2009, though some fans felt that the gameplay wasn’t very innovative or different enough from its predecessor, many praised it for the story, which was packed full of twists and turns (and also featured the most iconic villain in the series,the nefarious Albert Wesker). The co-op functionality ofResident Evil 5also helped to boost the game’s popularity, especially because of how easy it was to pick up and play. Anyone could jump in with a friend and still have an absolute blast, regardless of whether they had any prior experience with the series.
The fact that there have been constant discussions about whether theResident Evil 2 Remakeis truly better than the original (considering just how much of a commercial darling the originalResident Evil 2was upon its release) is a good indication of just how incredible this game is. Not only did the remake do an exceptional job of capturing the dark and oppressive atmosphere of Raccoon City, but it was also the first game in a very long while that actually brought back zombies that felt like a genuine threat, thanks to how difficult they were to avoid.
The world building of theResident Evil 2 Remake, while subtle, also goes a long way in highlightinghow horrific the Raccoon City outbreak actually was, especially when reading about how it affected areas like the orphanage. Both Leona and Claire were also made to feel a lot more believable and grounded in this iteration, with both of them showcasing a range of emotions during their adventure through the zombie-infested city. In many ways,Resident Evil 2 Remakeset out the blueprint of how to successfully pull off a modern remake that remains faithful to the original while also being something entirely new, and that’s a testament to what Capcom achieved here.
Remaking one of the most critically acclaimed games ever made can’t be an easy task. Somehow, Capcom managed to carry over everything that made the originalResident Evil 4so special, while also updating its gameplay and even expanding on the lore to create yet another jaw-dropping remake. While the basic story of Leon saving the president’s daughter from Los Illuminados has been kept the same, there’s so much more additional background provided for each of the characters involved in the story. Luis is revealed to have once been an Umbrella employee, and Mendez’s tragic past of becoming corrupted by Saddler’s influence is expanded upon.
The gameplay was also made to be a little more streamlined for modern audiences compared to the original, with Leon now being able to move and shoot while also having the ability to switch weapons without having to open upthat famous attaché caseevery time. Ashley, a character many fans weren’t too fond of initially, was also vastly improved in the remake, especially now that she didn’t have her own separate health bar (which made it much easier to protect her). Despite the many doubts that people had when it was first announced, theResident Evil 4 Remakeproved that Capcom still knows how to make a fun and engagingResident Eviltitle, even after all these years.
