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Lttp: Resident Evil (The Series)

Kagey K

Banned
So after watching all the Resident Evil movies this year as part of my Halloween watch (I had only seen the first previously) I decided to play the games.

My history with the game series is somewhat short, but also very long.

I bought RE 1-3 on PSX, relatively close to release date, and beat 1 and 2 repeatedly, but could never replay 3 for some reason. I bought 4 on almost every system it released on but never made it very far past the village multiple times, 5 and 6 I bought last gen but just didn’t play them, and I never really touched the spin offs.

So now finally on to this years playthrough.

I started off with RE: Remake, which I have to say hit all the notes I wanted it to, it was just bad enough to make me nostalgic, while also having some quality of life improvements that made the gameplay seem more fluid.

RE:2 and 3. I played through the remakes, instead of busting out the old machines. It really brought a new perspective to these games, but the whole time I was playing part of me wished there was an old school mode.

I really liked what they did with the story, and the gameplay itself was good, but it would have been fun to have a “nostalgia“ mode for those that loved the original.

I will say that it give me a new perspective on Nemesis and maybe that game wasn’t as bad as I thought originally.

This takes me to 4, (one of the banes of my existence since I bought it so many times and beat it 0) I finally decided to grind it out, just to see the fuss. It’s a decent game, I don’t know if it’s the milestone so many want it to be (It goes on too long and probably could have ended in the castle) There’s not a lot of horror anymore and it just seems to be always giving you the carrot on the stick.

This takes me to 5, I have just started it so my character is super weak, but it feels much more like 4 than I ever gave it credit for. I still don’t know if coop RE works, and I’m just getting started so I don’t want to say much about it.

Realizing that it is one of the franchises that has survived multiple generations and is constantly trying to reinvent itself while also remaining familiar, I’m interested to see where others stand in the series.
 

Soodanim

Gold Member
I’ve been a fan of the series since I was a child, seeing then eventually getting 2. I love the classic games, and I’ve never had a problem with tank controls. The games just click for me. It’s a shame the games didn’t really click with you too much, but that’s varying tastes for you. I’m sorry you put yourself through the movies though, that’s a shame.

Classic
1 mostly exists as a nostalgia trip now since being replaced by REmake but it still has its place even if it’s just being laughed at for its dialog. The sounds make me 8 years old again. Jill sandwich.

Zero is a tough game. Does away with item boxes and you have a partner you can switch to and from and exchange items with. Those fucking monkeys.

REmake was, and arguably still is, the best remake ever made. It took nothing away from the games, yet added enough to make it fresh. Completely replaced the original in the storyline. Beautiful.

2, and 3 are all great games in their own ways, with either being my personal favourite in the series depending on which way the wind is blowing that day. They’re my comfort food, and I can pick either up and run it. 2 has one of my favourite soundtracks of all time, and 3’s is great too. I lumped them together, but they’re both shining examples of slightly different approaches. Stars.

Code Veronica is both difficult and a cake walk, and another game that gets better when you know it better. You can go from having to restart because you’re in an unwinnable fight to running through zombies without a scratch. Fucking Nosferatu.

Modern
4 is the start of the modern era of Resident Evil, and is polarising because of it. I personally think it’s one of the best games ever made, but that may be because it is still a tank control game and therefore feels like a classic RE game. Also comfort food, I know it inside and out. There’s so much gameplay focussed stuff here, from melee attacks being wrestling moves to Mercenaries getting to play as OP bad guys. Non-stop fun.

5 is 4 in Africa with co-op, lots of copy pasting here. This was the start of dropping things that made a game feel distinctly Resident Evil, like inventory management, but still had stop & shoot and the option for 4’a controls. Chris became a meme.

6 is an overproduced mess, and I had to force myself through Leon’s story. I may attempt the others one day, but the game feels very loose to me and as a result isn’t very fun to play. Little of value.

7 I haven’t actually played yet, but it’s next in line. I’ve heard very good things, though.

REmake 2 is a very enjoyable game is Capcom got it right here. It drops some of the faithfulness to the original but makes up for it with some of the changes. Much more difficult than the original, and I have to remind myself of that. The 2nd scenarios weren’t planned though, and as a result aren’t very different like the original’s A and B scenarios were. I’d recommend it to anyone.

REmake 3. Remember what I said about REmake taking nothing away from the original? Yeah. I had my fun with it, and I regret nothing about buying or playing it, but it turns the best boss in the series into a demo of what could have been followed by forms that resemble RE2 (original) bosses. Feels incomplete, on reflection. The voice acting and facial animation is great, and Carlos is so much better than the original. What you play in the demo should have been what the whole game is like, but it changes into a linear game and suffers because of it. Great game, terrible Resident Evil 3.

Side games
Survivor was an interesting experiment. PS1 first person Resident Evil. Quite short. A fun little side story with branching paths.

Dead Aim was a strange one. PS2, classic style but when you aim it goes first person. Had USB mouse support. An odd title.

Revelations is one I’m in the middle of. It came out between 5 and 6, and feels like it. Has some quite tanky enemies, but doesn’t give you a ton of ammo. It doesn’t feel like I’m playing as established characters, and could easily not be RE. Not the best.

Revelations 2 is supposed to be better, and I hope so. Barry’s back too, so it can’t be bad.

Outbreak
Two online-focussed classic style games for PS2 that would have killed it on PS3 where the infrastructure was there, but were a generation too early. No online Resident Evil comes close. Various characters with different abilities and starting items. One can aim for a guaranteed critical shot, one can power swing melee weapons, one can duck to dodge with iFrames, one can combine melee weapons (battery+pole=stun rod), etc. Super fun co-op game. You play 5 shorter scenarios in each game as opposed to one long game. Boss rush modes in the second game.

Bring back Outbreak!
 
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H4ze

Member
I am also one of the few who really liked 5 and 6. You just have to approach them differently.
See them as a huge trash-festival, with cheesy lines and action-filled gameplay.
 

Aldynes

Member
RE 1997 Director's Cut (not the dualshock version with the arranged ost) is still king for classic RE formula IMO, gameplay so simple yet it is consistent, sometimes in REbirth the shotgun doesn't decap zombies when you are too close due to weird hitboxes, that never happens in RE1 , there's many hidden mechanics that let you fire your handgun more rapidly, opening the inventory menu to cancel recovery frames and leaving enemies in hitstun, hunters can be one shoted if they jump etc

In the end when you replay all theses games, when the fear is gone, when you know the story and the map layout like the back of your hand, what remains? GAMEPLAY.

RE 1 Director's cut is basically 2 games in one, the ARRANGED mode changes enemies type/ numbers /items placement and is much harder, even RE veterans will struggle the firsts playtroughs. You got a new pistol that randomly cause critical headshot to even the odds, new costumes...

Now the big thing i want people to experience because it's very much forgotten : The Dreamcast / PC version of Resident Evil 2

Why ? Because it has EXCLUSIVE Difficulty modes that make Resident Evil 2, one of the easiest RE games (a negative point for me) one of the toughest.

Nightmare mode is pure GOLD for every RE fans, you'll experience fear again in RE 2, the game cranks up the difficulty:

- Enemies have insane HP, deals insane damage, quicker, barely flinch even from grenades.
- 30% less ammo
- no AUTO-AIM
- handgun causes random critical shot (like in RE1 Director's cut !)

It's very hard and tricky, some enemies will do 1 hit and you go to DANGER, Lickers don't get thrown on their back after a shotgun blast leaving you open to attacks, zombies tank every shots (up to 30 bullets) don't flinch and walk faster (turbo zombie) , dogs are relentless, spider can 1 shot you ( lunge attack with fangs up).

Leon scenarios are doable due to shotguns/magnums , Claire is insanely difficult in the other hand, grenades are weak, crossbow bolts are a joke you can't kill a zombie unless you spend 50 bolts...

You'll need to put your A game to beat that mode, that means using all your RE knowledge like tip toe the lickers and abusing their recovery frames to advance a few inches at a time RE knowledge.
 

brian0057

Banned
God tier
  • Resident Evil (2002 remake).
  • Resident Evil 2 (2019 remake).
Good tier
  • Resident Evil.
  • Resident Evil 2.
  • Resident Evil: Revelations.
  • Resident Evil 7.
Ok tier
  • Resident Evil 4.
  • Resident Evil: Revelations 2.
  • Resident Evil 3.
  • Resident Evil: The Chronicles Duology.
  • Resident Evil 5.
Oh, God! Make it stop! Tier
  • Resident Evil: Code Veronica.
  • Resident Evil: Operation Racoon City.
  • Resident Evil: Survivor.
  • Resident Evil 3 (2020 remake).
  • Resident Evil 6.
 
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TeKtheSanE

Member
So here's my take on Biohazard, which I have been playing for over 2 decades now.

The original 3 games for PS1 hold some fond memories for me, and Biohazard 2 is/was amazing.

Biohazard Code Veronica is also amazing in my opinion, but has some really cringey voice acting.

Biohazard 4 is great, but it was the turning point for the series to where 5 and 6 spawned.

Biohazard 5 reaches meh territory, but I find if you don't take it too seriously and have a buddy to play through with, it's easily one of my top 5 coop games.

Biohazard 6 I only played through once, but not sure I care too much to play through again.

Biohazard 7 RE is pretty great, my only gripe with the game was the enemy variety was weak.

There are many spin offs of the games that others have listed like Gun Survivor which is pretty meh for me.

Biohazard Revelations was fun and Raid mode is fun.
Revelations 2 is one I need to play through again.

Outbreak File 1/2 are my favorite online games I can remember playing, I miss it so much.

Biohazard 2 Remake is a god-tier game for me, it is so good.

Biohazard 3 Remake is ok, I like it, but I can understand people's complaints.

It's a great series and one of my favorites, I am very hopeful for Biohazard Village

Edit: I forgot Biohazard 0! I think if it was somehow coop the game would have been amazing. But as it stands its a good game
 
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J-Roderton

Member
Playing 7 now. I’m wanting to run through some of the older games so I may pick up the origins edition for the REmake and 0 then hopefully move on the RE2.
 

Kagey K

Banned
Anyone play the online portions of Revelations or Resistance that came with RE3 remake?

Are they worth diving into or better left alone?
 

Oddspeak

Member
I actually started RE with 4 because I always hated static cameras. I had some basic knowledge about the series beforehand so I wasn't totally lost about things. It really blew me away. I must've replayed it like four or five times before finally putting it down and moving to another game. Not only was it the first RE game I played from beginning to end, it was also the last all the way until the Resident Evil 2 remake came out. I touched a bit of 5 and 7, skipped 6. I didn't complete them, but watched a lot of videos on them and the earlier games, including Let's Plays, so even if I didn't play them, I still had a lot of secondhand knowledge.

RE2make really enthralled me. One of my favorite games of this gen, for sure. I don't have first-hand experience with the original 2, as I said, so simply standing on its own, the remake amazed me. Like with 4, I replayed it several times. Then RE3make came out earlier this year, and honestly, I love it too. I guess it's because I didn't play the original 3 so I don't have rose-tinted nostalgia goggles on, but I thought it was super fun. Really short, even for a RE game, yeah, but I actually kinda prefer its pacing over RE2make a little bit, specifically thanks to its punctuated sewer section. However, it could've benefitted from the opening Raccoon City area being about 30-40 minutes longer and Carlos having one more playable section.
 

Kagey K

Banned
You are in for a good time with VII
Just got to get through 5 and 6 first 😅

Quick question for anyone that knows the timeline. Are the events in 5 happening at the same time that Leon is in Europe during 4 or is it after?

Also with RE 6 do you have to play through will all 4 characters to get the full story similar to Leon and Claire in 2?
 
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Kokoloko85

Member
Remake 1 and Classic 2 are my favourites

Code Veronica is awesome too. Many issues but it is the longest, classic style with a mansion. Good lore story
I enjoyed 7 too.

4, 5, 6 are meh.
4 was a great game in its own right, amazing actually but it ruined the series For me.
From Button bashing running away from boulders, Quick Time events, Escort mission, waves of countless enemies and enemies with machine guns are just a no in my mind for a Resident Evil game.
Also Melee attacking enemies.
Plus it broke the formula with no metroidvania style mansion/area. No puzzles. The more I think about its just a Resident Evil game in name, yes I loved it at the time but The formula really ruined the series for a long time.


RE Remake 2 was also great but didn’t like MR X chasing me. They should of left that for scenrio B. Before that it was shaping up to be an amazing Remake
 
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Kagey K

Banned
Remake 1 and Classic 2 are my favourites

Code Veronica is awesome too. Many issues but it is the longest, classic style with a mansion. Good lore story
I enjoyed 7 too.

4, 5, 6 are meh.
4 was a great game in its own right, amazing actually but it ruined the series For me.
From Button bashing running away from boulders, Quick Time events, Escort mission, waves of countless enemies and enemies with machine guns are just a no in my mind for a Resident Evil game.
Plus it broke the formula with no metroidvania style mansion/area. No puzzles. The more I think about its just a Resident Evil game in name, yes I loved it at the time but The formula really ruined the series for a long time.


RE Remake 2 was also great but didn’t like MR X chasing me. They should of left that for scenrio B. Before that it was shaping up to be an amazing Remake
Yeah the QTEs in 4 were a bit jarring the first time I saw them, I wasn’t expecting that from a RE game. I also felt like Brock Lesnar running through the castle going suplex city on everyone.
 

Kokoloko85

Member
Yeah the QTEs in 4 were a bit jarring the first time I saw them, I wasn’t expecting that from a RE game. I also felt like Brock Lesnar running through the castle going suplex city on everyone.

Lol that made me laugh. Indeed I forgot about the Suplex City. Another reason why its not a true Resident Evil game. Ill add that in.

If you play Code Veronica, have a few save files an hour or so apart. At the end many people mess up with not having enough ammo and herbs etc
 
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Astral Dog

Member
Just got to get through 5 and 6 first 😅

Quick question for anyone that knows the timeline. Are the events in 5 happening at the same time that Leon is in Europe during 4 or is it after?

Also with RE 6 do you have to play through will all 4 characters to get the full story similar to Leon and Claire in 2?
5 is after 4
Revelations 2 is set after 5 but before 6

Yes Ada campaign unlocks after beating the other 3 and its a 'true' final boss.
Also all 3 campaigns are strictly different so you should play them all :S
 

Kagey K

Banned
5 is after 4
Revelations 2 is set after 5 but before 6

Yes Ada campaign unlocks after beating the other 3 and its a 'true' final boss.
Also all 3 campaigns are strictly different so you should play them all :S
Thanks for the insight. Hopefully I can get to 7 before Halloween. I just finished 2-2 on 5 so it’s going to be a bit.
 

KielCasto

Member
So after watching all the Resident Evil movies this year as part of my Halloween watch (I had only seen the first previously) I decided to play the games.
Did you also watch the animated ones? They were at least a little bit better than the live-action ones. At least a bus-ride worthy watch.

I started with Revelations 1 two years ago and was in love with it. It felt so campy and stupidly fun. Revelations 2 was a step down but I did enjoy the Claire segments.

I moved on to 5 and had fun playing it solo. I finally understood that Chris punching a boulder meme. And Sheva? She's a good character.

I can't imagine playing 6 without co-op. It definitely is the weakest one I've played. Leon's campaign was the best of the four.

7 had a strong first half. By the end of it, I was kinda ready to move on to the next thing. It didn't help that I don't like FPS and didn't like the characters.

2 and 3 remakes are amazing coming from someone who didn't play the originals.
 
I enjoy most of the classic games. RE2, REmake, Zero, and CODE Veronica are some of my favorites from the classic games. Of the over the shoulder styles, 4, Revelations 1 and and 5's Lost in Nightmares DLC are my favorites. RE5 base game, is decent as a game imo, but lacks things which make it feel like RE to me. Same could be said about 6. 7, I dropped for now. The recent versions of 2 and 3 are nice games, they play well and capture most of the RE essence. But not staying true to the originals in key areas soured me on them to a degree. I can still appreciate them for what they are but it hurts knowing they could've been more. Of the ones that are my favorite, I love the saveroom themes, the metroidvania progression and solving puzzles, getting key items. I love the atmospheres in them as well, which include the scenery and music as well. I love the gameplay in general, tank controls match the pre-rendered/panning camera angles pretty well and the control schemes are well thought out. In survival horror in general, in spite of being alone and close to death in most cases, there's something calming about firing your gun away at a monster in a nighttime garden (just an example I made up) to protect yourself.
 

Northeastmonk

Gold Member
i Don’t understand the criticisms of RE4 in 2020. I think it just comes from the years of praise and enjoyment the game has had. One year it’s being added to the top games of all time and the next it’s getting yet another port. With as many eyes that are on it now, I’m not surprised by a Remake being talked about.

I like classic, remade, and what RE7 did. I’ve seen the series go from being amazing to being a big turd in the water. I love what Village is doing. I’ve enjoyed the main series and CV. I’ve owned them all during their initial run. I think the remakes are a good thing even when the nastologia is still there.
 

Jada_Li

Banned
Resident Evil: Deadly Silence (Nintendo DS)
I think the director's cut is too expensive or difficult to find so I ended up getting this version. I find the live-action cutscenes humorous and entertaining. Still haven't finished this game though.

Resident Evil 0 (2002)
One of my favorites, I love the character gameplay mechanics and being able to just drop things anywhere and come back for it later.

Resident Evil (2002)
Finished this game with Jill but want to replay with Chris which is canon if I remember correctly.

Resident Evil 2 (1998)
After all those years renting this game from Blockbuster but never getting far because I was too scared.
But later I finally finished this game. Unfortunately, PS1 discs freeze at a certain point so I can no longer play the original RE2.

Resident Evil 2 (2015)
Since RE2 is one of my favorite in the franchise, of course I would love to play the REmake and finished this game with the canon Claire A and Leon B.

Resident Evil: Code Veronica (2000)
Still have not finished this game and is actually my least favorite in the series.

Resident Evil 3 (1999)
Finished this game on Gamecube. My most memorable part about this game is exploring Raccoon City.

Resident Evil 3 (2020)
Another good game though I wished for so much more gameplay in Raccoon City but I understand the developers decision to focus most of their resources on the RE2 REmake, RE4 REmake because those entries are more crucial to the overall plot than 3, and RE8. Though those all may all have different teams working on them.

Resident Evil 4 (2005)
Originally got this on Gamecube and then got it again on PS2. The game to re-invent RE.

Resident Evil 5 (2009)
It's a lot of fun to play co-op, but not really a true RE game in my opinion unless they revamp the way they do it to suit the true nature of RE. Also, the developers took too much inspiration from Black Hawk Down and it lost it's survival horror essence.

Resident Evil 6 (2012)
I actually like this a lot. The best campaign's atmosphere is Leon and Helena's. The best boss fight and design goes to Chris and Piers campaign, and best unexpected friendship possibly budding romance is Jake and Sherry. Loved the whole Chris vs Leon scene and Leon and Ada getting more time together. I really enjoyed all the campaigns and how they intertwined with one another and thought that interesting.

Resident Evil 7 (2017)
Another game to re-invent RE. Finally gone back to the roots of horror and is very satisfying and fun to play.

Resident Evil Revelations (2012)
Originally got this on 3DS and later got it on PS4. This first game is actually my favorite so far out of the two revelations.

Resident Evil Revelations 2 (2015)
I enjoyed this game, but not sure about the whole episodic thing.

Resident Evil Outbreak (2003)
I'm just really bad at the Outbreak series but still fun. I wonder what happened to the other characters besides what was revealed in RE7, and I hope for remakes for both outbreaks games.

Resident Evil Outbreak File #2 (2005)


Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City (2012)
Thought I would try something different so sure why not, and actually had enjoyed the game.

Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles (2007)
Not sure what it is about some on-rails shooter games but I like them.

Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles (2009)
I loved how there were new canon scenarios, I think, in both chronicle games.

Resident Evil: Dead Aim (2003)
I went on a spree trying to collect every single RE game ever created...close enough. I have not finished this game yet and I think was the first RE game, though not canon, to have a first-person perspective.

I think I lisited all the RE games I have. I have all the live-action movies and all the CGI ones as ones, but really don't like Vendetta. Resident Evil is one of my favorite video game series. I can't wait for RE4 Remake and RE8.
 
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