Summary
Zombies and horror go together like peanut butter and jelly, and many different developers have thrown their hat into the particularly tasty ring. Challenging players to blast their way through undead, shambling hordes proves to be a popular formula for games, spoiling gamers for choice, so deciding on the best is no small task.
ButResident Evilwas one of the first on the scene, beckoning gamers to enter the survival world all the way back in 1996. Since then, the franchise has showed no signs of slowing down, still terrorizing and thrilling its fans all these decades later. But what else, other than legacy, keeps bringing fans back and creating new ones?
7A Line-Up Of Legacy Characters
These Established Protagonists Are Fan-Favorites
Every game needs at least one hero, someone for the player to control and hopefully bond with. This gives them the incentive to continue playing and keep that particular character alive. Well, this might be one of the many bonusesResident Evilhas above other horror series, as it has a wholeline-up of fantastic characters.
Chris, Jill, Leon, Claire, Ada, and Rebecca are main-stays in the series, with each being a popular character in their own right. Each of them has their own unique personality and their own narrative that continues throughout the series. Though some have been absent from the timeline for quite some time, there is always hope for their return, and even if they don’t, players still have the past games to enjoy, as well as fond memories.
6Thrilling Boss Fights
No Matter The Game, Players Know They Are In For Challenging Boss Battles
InResident Evil, players need to do a lot more thanblast their way through undead hordes, explore eerie locations, and solve tricky puzzles. They also have to battle some boss monsters. Each game features many of these strong and fearsome creatures, usually towards the end of the chapter they appear in, and they tend to be harder to deal with than any other creature that players will have faced thus far.
While some examples may have faded into obscurity, there are thosebosses that have become iconicamongResident Evilfans, such as Nemesis fromResident Evil 3, Mr. X ofResident Evil 2fame, and, of course, the infamous Albert Wesker. Though, of course,Resident Evilis not the only horror game series to feature boss fights, they are simply one of the best in the field because of just how anatomically impossible a lot of the creatures are and just how exciting it is to battle them.
5Putting The Survival Into Survival Horror
Balancing And Managing Inventory Was A Long-Time Staple
One thing that really setsResident Evilapart from other horror games (especially earlier titles) is the series' inventory management systems. After all, these characters can only hold so many guns, ammo, grenades and herbs in their pockets and pouches. As such, more often than not, players run into the issue of not having the capacity to grab a key item they need and will have to haul themselves back to the storage box to stow some gear before back-tracking to said item.
Sure, it sounds like a hassle, but this adds an extra layer of difficulty and gameplay that die-hard, long-term fans really enjoy. Now, players have to think about every item they take. They may not have room for more handgun bullets and herbs, but what if this is their only chance to grab them before they move on completely from this area?The inventory management ofResident Evil 4is arguably one of the best examples of the system throughout the series, serving as a satisfying and fun component of the gameplay.
4Creating Atmospheric Locations
There Were Some Maps That Truly Leaned Into Horror
There would be no game without any locations, and these are an imperative ingredient for any horror game franchise worth its salt. In terms ofResident Evil, Capcom always go above and beyond in creating terrifying places fraught with tension, leaving playersfloundering beneath the smothering atmosphere.
Even in stately locations such as Roman Salazar’s castle inResident Evil 4and the Spencer Mansion fromResident Evil, each new room, corridor, and corner brings about the fear of what threats might lie ahead, and just pushing the joystick upwards becomes a true test of courage. There are few games that could hold a candle to any location in the entire series, and there are none that could beat it.
3The Right Amount Of Cheese
Often, Resident Evil Knows Not To Take Itself Too Seriously
Resident Evilis unique in its approach to horror, and this is what makes the series truly shine. It’s jam-packed full of corrupt people who manipulate and abuse others and terrifying creatures that are as gross as they are scary, both being objectively frightening. Then there are moments that are a little less scary and, in fact, verge more on the goofy side of things.
EveryResident Evilfan knowsthe infamous “Bingo” line from Leonand, of course, “Jill sandwich” from the first game, which has become a series meme referenced in otherResident Eviltitles. Then there is Wesker, an over-the-top villain who had plans for world domination, with each of his lines being absolutely amazing but not quite inspiring fear in the audience. It may seem out of place, but it still feels purposeful. Capcom knows how to scare its players, but it also knows how to make them laugh, and it wonderfully succeeds in doing both. The cheese factor is just one of the reasons fans come back for more.
2Balancing Horror And Combat
Both Are Essential For Success, And Both Are Used To Great Effect
A good survival horror game needs to have elements of those two things: survival and horror. The survival aspect inResident Evilcomes from players needing to fight for their lives against the monsters they encounter, which also brings a solid amount of shiver-inducing horror along with them. When incorporating both of these elements, it is all too easy to accidentally sprinkle in too much of one thing and throw the games completely off-balance.
ThoughResident Evildoes havea few polarizing entriesin the franchise that definitely had a bit too much action, for the most part, the series does a stand-up job of balancing both things, ensuring that players aren’t just mindlessly blasting through hordes a laLeft 4 Dead. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is notResident Evil, which is made so special and so great by the balancing acts most games get right.
1The Games Have Evolved Over Time
The Changes Prevent The Series From Becoming Stale
Having been around since the 90s,Resident Evilis one of the longest-running video game franchises of all time. It started its career asa horror shooter with tank controlsand fixed camera angles, as was the norm for games of that era.
The series has thankfully developed, ditching the fixed cameras by the time ofResident Evil 4,favoring an over-the-shoulder perspective. Tank controls were left behind as times changed, and eventually,Resident Evilbrought in first-person gameplay withResident Evil 7,the first numbered entry to feature this point-of-view. This evolution wasn’t met with love from all fans, but most welcomed the change, as it prevented the games from growing too stale; a copy of the same game over and over would quickly become tiresome.
