esident Evil is a black hole in my library that's always bothered me. I played 4 as a kid but never finished it and the first three were a mystery to me. So when the Resident Evil 2 remake released it gave me all the excuse I needed to buy it and a remaster of the original.
Resident Evil: Remastered
Playing Resident Evil for the first time in 2020 is an interesting experience. The game can only be described as classic, albeit a little outdated. The old school tank controls with horizontal aiming and locked in camera is difficult to grasp at first. Controls that were modernized all the way back in 2004 with RE4, revolutionized third person shooters as we know them. After encountering your first zombie you realise you're fighting the controls as much as the enemy, so it's no surprise first time players will just run. From this point each point you open a door you have no idea what will be on the other side of that slow creak. I can only imagine how terrifying this intense uncertainty would have been back in 1996 - an ingenious was to keep the player on their toes during a load screen. I've always held the limited controls are additive to the experience. Even in later iterations the movement is limited in one way or another. Once you get a handle on the controls more zombies are thrown at you. One is no problem, but two will always have you rethinking what weapon and tact to adopt. After a few close encounters a shotgun is dropped in your lap. Then an agile reptile monster. Then an SMG. Then a brute zombie. Then a Magnum. Inventory management is essential to the survival horror experience. A weapon for every occasion but limited ammo? What about health? Even save points require a precious slot for printer ink. Luckily you have storage chests and I cycled out weapons typically based on ammo. The other facet of gameplay is the puzzles. But one could easily argue the entire mansion is one big interactive puzzle. Like an old point and click adventure game, one item must be slotted in here to open this door to a new area. It's a staple element of gameplay design now, but I have no doubt taking this from 2D to 3D was ground breaking. This loop of managing items, your health and ammo while fending off threats is an addictive loop. I cannot attest to just how much I love the inventory management system and gameplay throughout this game.
The art and lighting is great and still holds up. Mansions are full of velvet and marble. Graveyards are dark and misty. The greenhouse keeps you on edge for the thorns that lurk in each corner or behind every room. Later areas are darker and mysterious, revealing the underbelly of experimentations as the true purpose of the people here.
The characters of Resident Evil are and always have been absolute camp. The voice delivery and even their presentation. The story is quite interesting. Attacks are occurring all over the Arklay mountains and your team must investigate the disappearance of the prior team. Well as expected, everything goes you must escape the mansion from the undead threat. The mansion was built for Umbrella scientists as a maze to trap anyone investigating. The experiments are all about creating invincible super soldiers known as Tyrants. This goes poorly for both the failures infected and returning from the dead and all of the scientists involved. It's interesting following the logs and notes of families such as George Trevor, architect of the mansion. Once he wizens up to the purpose of the mansion, he's trapped in his own creation by Spencer an Umbrella scientist. His family are used in early experiments, his wife perishes but Lisa Trevor his daughter... well you encounter her much later. Or rather the hunch backed creature abducts you into her rickety hillside house.
Not much else I can say other than the game still holds up. I'd like to do a retro replay one day when I own all three games on the original PlayStation.
Resident Evil 2: Remake
As stated previously I never played the original. But I have played 1, 4 and 5. I am now convinced that this game is the definitive Resident Evil game surpassing even the previous holder of the accolade (RE4). An impressive accolade in a series with almost 30 games, many of which have consistently innovated and surpassed with each sequel. Simply put, the game is a masterclass in survival horror and pacing.
From the get-go the pacing is just fantastic, they've taken the outdated PS1 title and made it a cinematic experience in its own right. Its the first day on the job, and Leon is moving to Raccoon City after being assigned to the RPD. After stopping to fuel up something is clearly not right. Entering the station there are a few pumps, bumps and jumps, but eventually you come across a man hunched over something on the ground. The classic introduction to our zombie turning brings Leon face to face with a decaying walking corpse. He tries his best to convince the citizen to stop, but is forced to defend himself. The first of thousands you will fight and flee from. The enemy design of these base zombies is nothing short of genius relative to enemy design. The controls have been modernized so the stress of aiming is minimal. The corridors are tight so you can't throw a dozen walkers like RE4. And to boot they're the original from RE2 so no weapons or gimmicks. So how do they make them challenging? How do they bring back that stress and tension you feel every time there's more than one zombie and you can't simply step around them. Animation. Seriously that's it. They animated the zombies to sway and wobble. You can't just level your pistol, as it was in the originals, locked to horizontal aiming. Because that dead brain is going to sway out of your sight, inevitably you will miss, you will waste ammo, panic and get bitten. Every time you hit an enemy a head or shoulder sways unpredictably from the recoil, so no double taps like RE4. Controls and turning circles are still slow and this only adds to the stress you feel. Running and avoiding is always a viable option, and in fact its essential to your survival. As you land hits, blood splatters, or a jaw breaks off. Not only is this incredibly detailed and visceral, immersing you in the horror of this world so much, but it serves as a grim reminder of your failure to put down the ever approaching death you face. I cannot express the fear I first felt after facing three zombies and missing 2 shots with my back to the wall. It makes these zombies a threat not to be underestimate until the very end.
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The story picks up where the first game left off, the undead from the mansion has spilled over from the Arklay Mountains and into the nearby valley containing Racoon City. This is where you encounter
Claire Redfield (come on)..., searching for her brother Chris. A member from the STARS in the RPD station. Eventually you arrive at the station only to find the last remaining police officer and your superior, Marvin Branagh, bitten. What happened here? How do we get out? Is there anyone left to save?
The Police Station like the mansion from the first is a character in itself. Locked and blocked rooms, a bell tower, court yard and plenty of secrets... of course this was funded by Umbrella and corrupt from the start. The second game improves on everything that was good about the first. Puzzles, enemy design, new weapons and inventory management are all perfectly paced. The RPD is an interactive puzzle, and certain rooms require certain keys and give you specific items. Some are optional and others are not. Do you risk returning to a room for potential useful items, and maybe face any threats that have remerged? Each area has hidden nuggets of lore, references and small but cool details - such as the officers desks with "Welcome Leon" strewn above the dead officers desks. Puzzles seem simple at first, find this, move that, unlock this. And I never felt lost or unsure what to do next. Its clear that this is very intentional - where the story was concerned the objective was always easy to follow. However, see that shotgun behind a glass lockup? Go find the card and codes required. These optional puzzles often required clever deduction and always felt rewarding when you managed to figure one out. The level design is perfect and makes you want to explore every nook and cranny, the real map Leon pulled off a wall is well designed and immersive. It shows you what hasn't been explored (black) cleared (red) and notable items are marked on the map to return to. It adds to the survival experience feeling like you're marking off a map for supplies. This song and dance leads you to an intimacy with RPD station that gives it an evolved character from the mansion.
Every opened door as with the classic RE might reveal a new threat. Lighting must be returned to areas to unlock doors and the creatures within. Zombies bash windows down and climb inside, which you can barricade with a limited supply. And just when you think you have a handle on the regular walkers the licker rears it's ugly veiny head. This creature is terrifying, it crawls on the walls and ceilings. It rapidly gets up in your business, taking a health chunk of your health and ammo to put down. Luckily you can avoid it if you're silent enough as the creature is blind, but this only adds tension to the experience. However, say goodnight if you encounter another zombie next to a licker, as the two work together to see and hear you. And then there's this guy: Frakenstein's monster in a trench coat. Mr. X shows up out of no where to crash Leon and Claire's party. The moment he shows up is so terrifyingly and unexpected. Lifting a crashed helicopter from earlier you question in terror - what the hell could lift that? He's twice as tall as anything you've seen so far and you just know if he gets a hold of you its game over. No matter how many bullets you put into this guy you won't bring him down, and he follows you relentlessly. Eventually you can lose him if you run far enough. But you can always here his loud foot steps ringing out the pavement and floor boards of the police department. And if he hears or sees you, its game time. It follows you as you try to hastily complete your objective or outrun the monstrosity. Thank god he can't get into the safe rooms or I'm not sure I could have handled the stress.
As the story progresses you meet Ada Wong, a spy searching for Umbrella secrets and with Marvin's help and sacrifice he leads you to an underground research facility. It's here the experiments are unveiled, several Tyrants have been created to hunt down anyone who is a threat to the research. The RPD and STARS survivors from the mansions. Not only this but someone has infected the tyrants with a parasite that lets it control other zombies. Sound familiar? Well Leon, Claire and Ada all destroy the facility and Mr X, saving each other and Raccoon City... is nuked? I gotta say that was unexpected but entirely plausible as a real world solution.
I spent a lot of time discussing the design of the zombies, and I could spend a lot more. It's hard to express how impressive it is for a game to make zombies feel fresh and new again after feeling so exhausted for the last decade. In the same way that Doom 2016 returned as king of balls to the walls hardcore shooters. Resident Evil 2 has retaken the crown for that classic zombie walking survival horror experience. Even now after writing this I feel that itch to play it again.
Resident Evil 3: Remake
Here we are. This game received a lot of hate and honestly at first I struggled to see why. It's a departure from the Resident Evil 2 formula, far more action orientated. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. Say what you want about it compared to 1 and 2 but the game is novel. No dual protagonist. Jill after the events of the mansion is looking to get to the bottom of the Umbrella conspiracy in Raccoon City. Stopping her in her tracks the corporation sends a tyrant to assassinate her, busting through Jill's apartment the game becomes one long chase scene. Well, unlike other survivors Jill has grenade launchers at her hip. Weapons reserved for scripted encounters in the original are common place here. Enemies feared are now weapon fodder. If grenade launchers weren't enough Jill can dodge and you'll need it if you want to survive the enemies thrown your way. There are far more zombie types here then any other Resident Evil. Then they add Carlos with his assault rifle and plentiful ammo, but no where near as nimble and unable to dodge like Jill. Its a complete departure from prior characters, however I do like how every character feels different. Playing from remaster to remake, Leon feels different to Chris. Chris never misses (thanks to horizontal aiming) and his challenge is more tactical in nature, while Leon is a little rustier and improves over time. Jill is quick, and she needs to be to survive the explosive outbreak and hordes of zombies coming her way. Dodge, stab, dodge is far far more viable then back step and swing as the boys do it. Racoon City is beautiful, from neon filled alleyways, winding sewer systems and laboratories, it feels like a natural evolution of 2 in some ways. However, as if to give way to the action, the level design has become far more linear. Where 1 and 2 had the mansion and police station to give way to evolving puzzles and level design, 3 has you going through the motion. Puzzles still have that iconic RE feel to them, find this, unlock that but without that multidimensional recurring level design it doesn't feel like RE, it feels lacking in that X factor. RE3 is one long alleyway to jump across hurdles passing by in a flash, while RE1-2 are like Rubik's cubes that you figure out over time. The game has regular boss fights where explosions are rife and the tyrant Nemesis is slowed down or cut off temporarily. It feels like they took that Mr X. moment from RE2 and tried to turn it into an entire game. One loooooong intense chase. Mr. X was one of the best moments in RE2, so I was okay with this. If I want to be curled up in a ball peaking around every corner I'll play Resident Evil 2, and if I wanted a different kind of tension that keeps me on the edge of my seat the entire way I'll play 3.
Or so I thought until I watched videos of the original Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. While I enjoyed the experience for what it was, I did remember it being overall lacking compared to the Mr. X encounter - despite that being the entire game - but I couldn't figure out why. Well this became quite apparent after watching the Skill Up review. In the original game Nemesis wouldn't show up at scripted moments, no this was completely random. So if you died or played the game you couldn't just memorize the steps to the same dance, no you had to adapt. And this added a constant tension reminiscent of Mr X. following you through the mansion randomly, except Nemesis follows you through the entirety of Raccoon City. Both are predictable - but in 3 he is not. You might not see him coming the first time but after a while you expect it. The fear is gone and only superficial spectacle remains. The idea of Nemesis busting throw a window or wall at any moment sounds absolutely terrifying. So it's understandable why many call the original the best of the trilogy. At this moment I realised the hate for this game wasn't from comparing the remake of 3 to 2, it was from comparing the remake to the original. An opportunity to surpass both the remake of 2 and original of 3, was lost here.
I liked what they did with the story, or what little there was of it (I finished it in 5 hours). The characters like 2 are well acted and written. Jill and Carlos (aka Claire and Leon) have chemistry and make you care. Mikhail is the Russian leader of a few forgettable mercenaries in addition to Carlos and Nicholai Zinoviev, the predictable bad guy. From his very intro someone gets bitten and Nicholai kills him. So you know what's in store for this character as he attempts to go full super soldier. Jill and Carlos stops him and Nemesis. I appreciated the crossover, a lot of what you do in the station in 3 (as a prequel) mirrors what you'll find in 2 as Leon or Claire. A cute nod. It would have been nice if you had multiple options here. And changes you made here carried through to 2 and perhaps eventually 4. Where you need to choose making something easier now but harder for someone else down the road... Adding some replayability across the the quadrilogy. But of course 2 came out first so this wasn't really an option even if it is a cool idea on paper.
If the remake for 2 was a step up and the remake for 3 was a step down, I hope to god they don't maintain this trend for 4. And considering 4 has given a more reasonable development timeframe then 3, I do have hope.
Future Remakes
I have no frame of reference here regarding the story for the original RE3 but from what I could remember RE4 was completely disconnected from 1-3. The T-Virus strain was produced from the Progenitor virus, found in a flower and combined with leech DNA. As far as we're aware, only the invincible Lisa Trevor had the original progenitor virus and was destroyed in the mansion. And the T-Virus was seemingly wiped out with Raccoon City. As RE4 opens up Umbrella Corp has been dismantled. Leon is sent to rescue Ashley, the president's daughter who was kidnapped. And in doing so encounters villagers infected with the parasite Las Plagas. In RE3 Remake it's revealed that Nemesis is created by introducing a parasite that lets him control other zombies. These mutated zombies have similar head whipping abilities to the Las Plagas infected. I have a strong feeling they'll use this to link all 4 games together and maintain Umbrella as a persistent enemy. I whole heartedly support this for 4 as I was never a fan of the cringe villains, nor do they suit the tone the remakes are going for. Not only could they can steer clear of the convoluted plot and viruses in 5 and 6, they can remake these all under the same T-Virus and parasites umbrella (ha) too. Hell, 7, 8 and 9 focus on new parasites, perhaps the same as the one used on Nemesis or a cousin. I would go as far as remaking 1 and relinking them all together for one mega saga.
Resident Evil 4: Remastered
I played Resident Evil 4 on PS2 back in the day and it was one of those few games that appeared, gripped me and wouldn't let go. Back then I got up to the part where you find Ashley and stopped. I honestly thought I was pretty close to finishing it, little did I know I had barely scratched the surface of Leon's long escort mission. Playing it over a decade later I reached the castle and was shocked at how much of this game was left, but I wasn't complaining. The controls still hold up so well, even after playing 2 and 3 remake. Its no surprise considering the game revolutionized third person shooters with over the shoulder shooting. The controls would remain slow, a staple design element of any (good) Resident Evil game (or survival horror for that matter). The user can now shoot limbs, heads and even weapons directly. And that's they key ingredient added to make the game as fun and fresh as it was. A perfected gameplay loop iterating upon the solid foundations of the prior trilogy. Shooting dynamite before a Las Plagas lobs it at you and watching it obliterate everyone nearby never gets old. Nor does shooting farm tools mid-throw or shotgun blasting a cluster of 4 enemies on the ground and stomping their heads into dust. Guns and explosives all have impact and you feel it on the various enemies the game throws at you.
I was surprised yet again when the game moves from the castle area to a prison island. Unlike the earlier level I was a little disappointed. At this point I felt like the game had nothing more to show me and I wasn't wrong. Enemies started to feel derivative and uninspired, trading whippy heads and farm tools for guns. They have body armour now so only headshots or explosives are viable. Which felt like it was padding (ha) out the game. This could have been cut entirely from the game and the 24 hour experience now down to 20 hours would have still had more content then any Resident Evil to come, and felt much tighter too boot.
Even so this didn't stop me from enjoying the gameplay loop. No Resident Evil to date has been able to inject so much action and still maintain a survival horror experience. Even if the action surpasses horror in the later stages, this has always been the case in Resident Evil as you master weapons, secrets and scavenging. Then comes my boy, the Merchant. For the first time enemies drop currency and this can be used to upgrade your favourite weapons at the local merchant. This progression system is what makes the game so addictive and replayable across its 20 hours. I hope the mod system from 2 carries over to 4 with the same currency progression system of the OG RE4. And I sure as hell better hear the words What're ya buyin? when my boy the merchant returns in a remake. While we're on the topic who the hell is this guy? Covered head to toe in black robes, surrounded by blue flame candles and teleporting to wherever you need him, despite you struggling to get there through your entire journey. What is he? He looks infected like the Las Plagas... but if he's a local why is he willing to buy and sell Leon weapons - as he murders the entire island of his people - and seemingly no one else as Leon is the only one using the merchants guns? Is he just here to rob the royalty and island of its treasures at a bargain? Either way I'm glad he's here because without him I wouldn't have been able to modify my Red 9, Riot Gun, Broken Butterfly (dope name for a black revolver), Hand Cannon, Semi-auto Sniper Rifle and many more to murder my way across the island and rescue Ashley.
I did not enjoy the story nearly as much as the gameplay. While the atmosphere is consistently tense, the lore feels like a step down and too much of a departure from the previous games. Characters are just as campy as other entries and more so in the villains case. Luis cracking terrible jokes as he tries to escape and eventually redeems himself for his part in infecting villages. Ada Wong shows up randomly, whom Leon doesn't recognise until she takes her thin glasses off, giving him a shocked ridiculous expression at the realisation its her, which could only make me laugh. Of course she hinders at first but helps Leon in the end. Jack Krauser is some 80s villain and as macho as you'd expect. And Albert Wesker.... just gross, I seriously hope they stay away from Wesker in the remakes storyline. Or make him a mad scientist instead of a Neo super soldier badass ubermensch mega scientist villain. He's desperate for an overhaul to make him fall in line with the remake universe. Mike the pilot and Ingrid your intel op are forgettable as expected. Ashley (LEON!) is actually quite useful. The game could have easily become a tedious escort mission but her AI is well done, ducking when you need to shoot. Requiring you to share health between her and Leon adds a novel dynamic I'd never experienced before. It makes you feel connected and responsible for her - immersing you even further in your mission and investing you in her safety. Leon cracks on to every women he talks to and cracks jokes at everyone else that gets in his way. It's the classic Capcom we've come to know and love in Resident Evil, Devil May Cry and other games. However I think it's the primary villains that take it too far. Ramon Salazar the 16 year old and Osmund Saddler the cult leader and mastermind are over acted and under delivered. Their laughs are terrible. Their lines are terrible. I like the idea of a teen or even younger, being in control of a massive isolated cult in a remote part of the world. Like Chucky and his own powers, that's just creepy. But every time Salazar is on the screen I just cringe. Saddler on the other hand is as stereotypical as it gets. A dark manipulative cult leader working towards power behind the scenes. If they're a character in RE4 they're due a complete character design makeover, not just graphical fidelity and art style like the rest of the game.
The infected villains and enemy design like Villagers, sea monster, giant (one that took a rocket to the face), burlap dude with a chainsaw, Las Plagas, demon dog, infected bug, armour guys, priests with bows, shields, flails etc etc all work to addict you as you push for more powerful weapons to deal with them. The are a few exceptional moments of course. That opening sequence in the village.... after the Polizia drop you off, you ask villagers questions of Ashley's whereabouts, they murmur and attack you in a frenzy. Eventually an entire mob comes down on you, pitchfork, torch, axe in hand. The Ganado running at you chainsaw in hand as you try to survive door to door in the village is iconic. Watching him cut Leon's head off is just as terrifying as you imagined as you ran like a little bitch. Towards the end the Regenerators are found in a lab, towering creatures pieced together with wide maws from each end of the jaw. No matter how many times you put them down they get back up. Why? All you can do is run in fear. Eventually you figure out how to put them down by shooting them in every area of their body. And later an infrared scope reveals the multiple parasites in their body you most shoot. Those moments work hand in hand with the tense atmosphere, music and sound design that keep you consistently tense in Leon's mission to save Ashley.
