Best Residents - Resident Evil Retrospective

What are the great Resident Evil games?

  • Resident Evil

    Votes: 9 40.9%
  • Resident Evil 2

    Votes: 16 72.7%
  • Resident Evil 3

    Votes: 3 13.6%
  • Resident Evil Code: Veronica

    Votes: 3 13.6%
  • Resident Evil Remake

    Votes: 9 40.9%
  • Resident Evil Zero

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Resident Evil 4

    Votes: 16 72.7%
  • Resident Evil 5

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Resident Evil: Revelations

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Resident Evil 6

    Votes: 1 4.5%
  • Resident Evil: Revelations 2

    Votes: 2 9.1%
  • Resident Evil VII: Biohazard

    Votes: 6 27.3%
  • Resident Evil 2 Remake

    Votes: 10 45.5%
  • Resident Evil VIllAGE

    Votes: 4 18.2%
  • Resident Evil 3 Remake

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    22

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
I thought of doing something like this a while back around the time Resident Evil VIII came out. I even considered inviting Aaz to do it in tandem, but after last month didn't really have the motivation to do it at that level, if at all, for various reasons. Doing it right would require like an article breaking down each of them, but rather than do nothing before the time passed, I figured I could get out a paragraph or so on each, so here goes. Aaz' and all your takes are still welcome of course, moreso in fact since I leave an incomplete picture, but I understand if you don't feel like it, so there's a poll too if you just want to select your favorites amongst those you've played and/or briefly cite them.


Resident Evil 2 - The best of the classic Resident Evil games, and still one of the most complex and inimitable by today's standards. The story is bigger, better, scarier and grittier than the original, addressing literal and figurative civic rot while somehow also doubling down on the sci-fi elements. The double disc zapping system, by which you can play the game as either character in any order and directly affect the playthrough and outcomes of the next character, was presented like sci-fi tech itself, and has fittingly never been replicated, even by the game's remake.

Resident Evil 4 - This may not be the most iconic Resident Evil game on the list for purists, but it's the most fun, most popular, and more likely to be compared to Mario 64 or, its contemporary, Shadow of the Colossus as one of the greatest games of all time. Resident Evil 4 set the standard not only for the Resident Evil franchise but all action games to follow. If Resident Evil 2 has proven to be unreproducible, this is the Resident Evil game that's most imitated because it's simply that damn good.

Resident Evil 2 Remake - It combines the best elements of RE2, RE4 and RE7 in a remake that lives up to the quality of RE1's. It's probably also the scariest moment to moment (it actually gave me nightmares)! It's only sin is not being as individually unique and transcendent as those original titles, and being unable to live up to the complex, multi-tiered storytelling of the original RE2. But if I was going to recommend only one RE game for a newcomer to try today, this would probably be the one.

Resident Evil Remake - Classic Resident Evil done to perfection, in a sleek, cutting edge package for the time that still holds up and looks good today. The art direction in this game is simply gorgeous. It also took the laughably bad acting and dialogue and elevated it to credible standards, letting everything else stand out. For many this IS the original Resident Evil, the same way A New Hope is Star Wars, or at least the definitive version of it.

Resident Evil - The iconic classic that started it all and set the tone for the franchise, for better or hilariously worse in the case of the aforementioned dialogue and acting. It's obviously wildly outdated compared to its successors, but they also still benefit from continually borrowing from it in modernized packages to this day, showing the timelessness of its content. You can still clearly see RE1's DNA in the main hall of Lady Dimitrescu's castle.

Resident Evil VIllAGE - I've written enough about this one, but it's a big old monster mash full of werewolves, witches, vampires, possessed dolls, zombies, creatures from black lagoons, giants, mad scientists, reanimated cyborgs, and even an ageless shepeshifter trying to ressurect their lost love ala the mummy. It's a mess, it's a blast, it's somehow trying to be RE7 and RE4 at the same time even though they're at opposite ends of the RE spectrum. That's about all there is to say, though I will confess that Resident Evil: Revelations 2 makes me consider dinging it now that I've seen how much better they can do a lost daughter story, but that's only part of the messy blockbuster charm here. I'm probably also rating it too high because I just had a lot of fun with it.

Resident Evil VII: Biohazard - Another example of Resident Evil's pretty unique ability to completely reinvent itself yet maintain its identity and high standard of quality. Probably the most horror-centric entry in the franchise, back to basics, but without replaying the classics. If this ranking were based purely on originality and that sort of impact, essentially creating a new era for the series, it'd probably rank third or fourth among the original Resident Evil or Resident Evil 2, and Resident Evil 4. Pretty damn good company.

Resident Evil 3: Nemesis - Topping Resident Evil 2 would prove to be impossible, even today as turns out, but RE3 was smart enough not to try that. Instead it was a leaner and meaner action game that had you wandering the streets of Raccoon City while being pursued by the titular Nemesis. Moreso than any of the other classic games, this one set the stage for RE4 while commencing the original trilogy with a figurative and literal bang. It also makes its remake look even worse than RE2 does.

Resident Evil: Revelations 2 - Revelations 2 is like waking up on an island where an alternate history has played out, one where the series never forgot its B movie horror roots amid graphical and gameplay advances like fully rendered environments, over the shoulder combat, and co-op. It even does the island prison, twisted siblings, Wesker's legacy and even the zapping system justice! It brings back a multi-tiered campaign with an actually cool time jump, with Barry fuckin' Burton along with Claire Redfield, who had seemingly been languishing away for the sins of Code: Veronica (they couldn't have reunited her with Leon in RE6 as opposed to what amounted to a stand-in? =). It even does family better than RE7 and 8, and the dated graphics will remind you of a grittier, classic Resident Evil, which is what makes the Revelations brand such a, well, revelation. I'm tempted to leapfrog this over Nemesis and the Ethan entries, but I'll control myself.

Resident Evil Code: Veronica - This IS what happens when you try to top RE2. People either love or hate this game, or love to hate it. It had maybe the best engine and visuals of the classic REs, but it's also when the simple B movie horror story elements went off the rails for gothic soap opera melodramatics which still plague the series to this day, with the occasional bout of relative semi-coherence like Resident Evil VII or Resident Evil: Revelations 2. For the record, I'm one of those people that love to hate this one and have played it several times, including on my phone.

Resident Evil: Revelations - A big game in a small package. This portable title was both a return to classic suspense and horror and introduced moving aim and first person perspective in one mechanic, both of which would respectively become standard in mainline entries to come, which lands it on this list. This really felt like a mainline Resident Evil on the 3DS, which was pretty incredible unto itself, but it was arguably better than where the numbered series was at too because it had better controls, design and more credible, or just less wacked out, writing. Granted, that wasn't a high bar to clear around the time RE5 and 6 came out. I'm tempted to put this above CV to have a solid bottom 5, but it's hard for me to consider this one more significant despite being a pleasant surprise as opposed to an unpleasant one.

Resident Evil Zero - The HD remaster might be the most advanced and best looking classic Resident Evil game in existence. It's also sort of the most derivative, with the least desirable characters and a plot that's like a B story to Resident Evil 1. Oh yeah, and while you can switch between characters, it also makes you drop shit on the ground or through mail slots to exchange key items. It's a bad sign when I've gotten through this many Resident Evil games without complaining about an inventory system and you're the reason I started.

Resident Evil 3 Remake - More like RE3 Reduced. They cut out half the game and made Nemesis into quick time events and boss fights instead of the dreaded AI pursuer of the original or RE2R's improved Mr. X. I'm probably being extra hard on it for this, but what can I say, it's a lesser derivative of a remake that doesn't do its original game justice. For that it's Resident Evil 3... from the bottom.

Resident Evil 6 - This was trying to be the Resident Evil equivalent of Avengers Endgame before its time, but it's a big mess more akin to Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker. Still, a slick and fun action game that improved on RE4 and 5's gameplay, just not enough; the first campaign chapter with Leon was a welcome return to classic zombie action before the recent remakes rendered even that obsolete, and it's all downhill from there. I still haven't completed the secret/bonus campaign chapter.

Resident Evil 5 - A pretty fun multiplayer game, but of course having backup is not very scary. Plus, it's a shameless RE4 clone that doesn't improve the gameplay but somehow casts a pall on the proceedings by carrying some of the series' worst plot baggage to completion, basically the culmination of everything bad that started with Code: Veronica, and raising uncomfortable questions about the whole zombies in exotic locations premise (like, are we figuratively ethnic cleansing here?). Putting it on the bottom just to be safe, but it should be noted that this and the much more universally derided RE6 are still two of the series' best sellers, so even the worst REs are pretty damn successful, and many would still consider this a classic in the vein of RE4 while nobody thinks that about RE6, so YREMMV.
 
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If i have to choose, i would go with resident evil 4 as it was the one i had the more fun but maybe is the nostalgia talking, now i havent played but i really liked what they did with Resident VII and VIIIAGE and how they reinvented the game to a first person view which makes the action more personal.
 
My personal favourites are RESI 4, CV and REmake. My first experience with Resident Evil was with 4 on the GameCube. It was a true masterpiece and still is, as it hasn't aged a single bloody day. The gunplay is still amazing and even the newer RE games (e.g. 8) fail to capture that punch each weapon has. I don't like many third-person shooter games either but I still greatly appreciate 4, which is a testament to how well designed it is. However, the Island section does tend to lose me.

CV is a close second for me. It captures a stupidly hilarious over-the-top action storyline, which is my definition of pure entertainment. I'm not calling CV's story good - it is far from being considered even half-decent - but it is stupid brainless action fun. Alfred's laugh is unbeatable and I'm surprised it hasn't become a meme thus far. The atmosphere of the base is also relatively both comfy and sombre (which is perfectly encapsulated in the save room theme). I really do love CV and believe it to be the best out of the original series. With Griffith saying that people "either love or hate (RE CV)", that statement cannot be more true.

REmake is third for me. Well, not much to say for this one. I've beat it so many times that I've lost count.

Honourable mentions:
>REmake 2. Even though I have beaten this one about 8 times, it hasn't left much of an impression on me. I believe its biggest flaws is that the sewer and lab sections are a complete bore (which is quite ironic). I also wish that each scenario had more changes.

>RE7. I've played this one a couple of times. I found it to be quite entertaining; however, I hate the cinematic direction it tried to take the series in. Un-skippable cutscenes are not enjoyable for subsequent play throughs. The gunplay also is mediocre, to say the least. It doesn't feel that good to fire a gun.

>RE2. I really do think the original RE2 is something that is special. However, much like REmake 2, it begins to collapse near the sewer sequence. It is also far too easy, especially compared to RE1 and CV. It is hard not to have around 45+ grenade rounds in the item box near the end of the game. I've heard that the Dreamcast version has a harder difficulty, which would be quite interesting to play.
 
My personal favorites are really easy to remember. Everything with a 2 in it.

The original Resident Evil 2 was the first RE game I've ever played when I was way too young for it, so that one's a no brainer for me. It's basically my Resident Evil 1. I still remember turning the console off once because I was too scared of the atmosphere alone.

The RE2 Remake is one of the most fun games I've played in the last few years and even if I wish they did some miniscule things better, it is probably my favorite game to play today out of all the current games.

Revelations 2 is an odd game, but I have a soft spot for it and still play it occasionally. At the time it was my favorite RE game in terms of an Action/Horror gameplay mix and I enjoyed the combat enough to even do a couple challenge runs. It's definitely not for everyone, but it takes my number two spot on the list.

Honorable mentions of other games I really enjoy, but wouldn't call my favorite, would be the original Resident Evil Remake, RE4 and RE7. Three great games in their own right as well.
 
I have followed the Resident Evil series since the original playstation. It’s been a give and take series. Resident Evil 2 is the crown achievement of the series. This is the game that I felt not only changed the industry when it came to more cinematic story telling (along with MGS) but it had great pacing and atmosphere. To me it’s the truest form of Resident Evil. Resident Evil 4 however, also changed video games and much like RE2 had great pacing, and modernized the gameplay, if not revolutionizing the gameplay. RE4 of course would set a amazing trend of similar over the shoulder perspective games. In fact I would say it’s my favorite type of gameplay layout and it’s one of my top 5 games of all time.

I liked RE5 when it came out, and I still find it pretty good. Though the reality is RE4 kinda left the grounded realistic lore behind. The creator left Capcom after RE4 and this left the team after him to some what wing it when it came to where the games were heading.

RE6 tried to be several things in one game. I didn’t care much for it, but is it bad? No. Just not the series best effort in my opinion. RE7 was also alright, but it wasn’t what I wanted in a RE personally. That’s why RE8 is a mixed bag. Do I like the game? Yes. Do I like boss monsters talking shit to me while I fight them in a mech battle? Not preferably. But it is a lot of fun.

The RE remakes of recent, I love. Hands down RE2 remake was a blast, RE3 although short, I also really liked. The scariest RE in my opinion is RE1 remake from GC. Like they nailed it with that game. The RE series in hindsight had a lot of loses but thankful the wins the series has, are big wins. Making those loses forgivable. I hope to see the RE2 remake style come to Code Veronica, or any of the other titles really. It’s a winning formula when given the balance, attention it deserves.
 
I've played nearly all of them (except 6-7), but finished only two, so I'm ranking those:

1: RE4
2: RE2

The strength of these two are inverted, for me. I love the scenario and story in RE2, but playing it (tank controls!) is a bit of a chore. I hate the story and scenario in RE4, but playing it is STILL fun to this day, and was so influential for future third-person shooters.
 
My first experience with Resident Evil was with 4 on the GameCube. It was a true masterpiece and still is, as it hasn't aged a single bloody day. The gunplay is still amazing and even the newer RE games (e.g. 8) fail to capture that punch each weapon has.


With Griffith saying that people "either love or hate (RE CV)", that statement cannot be more true.

Full disclosure: I ended up voting for it! Like I've said before, I played it multiple times (the OG Dreamcast version, not X with the eXtra bad story beats) and enjoy the setting, gameplay and set pieces. What can I say, I want to hate it, but... I CAAAAAAAAN'T!!

1: RE4
2: RE2

The strength of these two are inverted, for me. I love the scenario and story in RE2, but playing it (tank controls!) is a bit of a chore. I hate the story and scenario in RE4, but playing it is STILL fun to this day

How far did you end up making it into RE2 Remake (your 2019 GOTY* at one point =)? It's basically the fusion of those two, and arguably each of their respective strong points, negating the weaknesses. It's not the transcendent action game RE4 is, but then it's trying to adapt that over the shoulder gameplay style to the straight horror of RE2, and judging by how scary yet fun to play it is I'd say they succeeded. The flaw is despite the melding of strengths it's not actually as good as either of those games.:shrug:

There's some logic to those being so good at specific things at the expense of the rest.
 
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I remember RE6 getting a lot of hate when it was first revealed. To me, it’s where Resident evil officially “jumped the shark.” The story is so dumb and the gameplay is not as good if you only play by yourself. It’s almost like if they made a video game version of the Resident evil movies. But I can’t say that I haven’t enjoyed myself every play-through. There’s something about dumb over the top gameplay and team based quick time events that I strangely enjoy. I believe that it has to be played a certain way for it to be enjoyable. Otherwise the whole game comes across as an annoying slog. Also, props to capcom for the enemy and creature design in RE6. It might’ve peaked in terms of creativity and enemy transformations.
 
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2, 4, 3, 1, Code Veronica

That said, I have a strange relationship with Resident Evils 2 and 3. While I acknowledge the former is probably the best overall game in the series, I couldn't help but be let down by it. The opening makes you think you're going to be running all over a vast zombie-infested city, which would have been quite the escalation from 1 and really unprecedented for its time, but after almost 15 straight minute of panicked running through the streets and alleyways of Raccoon City, you go into some boring old police station and that's where the bulk of the game takes place and you never set a foot outside again. Boo! Resident Evil 3 was the game that finally delivered on what 2 appeared to promise, but by the time it came out, the freshness of the RE gameplay just wasn't there and I could no longer ignore the weaknesses in it, like the clunky tank controls and unspectacular combat.

Resident Evil 4 might have steered the series into a bad direction, and tried to aim for a more campy feel than its predecessors, which I understand put a lot of longtime fans off, but godDAMN, it was just fun!

I have the remake of RE2, but have yet to play it, so it's not on the list.
 
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