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[Jawmuncher]

Curious to see what the general opinions are on what RE should be, and how people got into the series.

History:
My first introduction was Resident Evil 2 on N64. I never actually played it back then however. But I remember reading a lot about it in my gaming magazines back in the day. With a lot of the reviews and such saying it was really scary. So when my friends brother was playing it, I recall telling him we should leave since we might get scared. Also remember that his brother was lost and didn't know what to do. He was actually trying to shoot locks off the doors lol.

After that I ended up getting getting this issue of Official Playstation Magazine, and just becoming mesmerized by the cover most of all. The nemesis design is still one of my all time favorite monster designs of all time. I ended becoming interested in the franchise just because of that cover and the article on RE3. However I didn't get the game right away. Instead I got it a little while later. It was actually in a stack of games my step-dad had for the PSX that he let me have.

I remember popping it in as a kid and being really scared while playing. Mainly because I didn't know when Nemesis would pop out. I even turned off the music because I thought that would help. Which in actuality, just made everything worse in terms of scare factor. There's a particular spot where I jumped and shut off the game. Anyone who has played 3 probably knows the spot i'm talking about. It was a cheap trick, but it worked oh so well. After that I played the demo to Dino Crisis and we all know how that went (Oddly enough I was never scared of that game).

It took me awhile to beat Resident Evil 3, though I did end up overcoming the fear of Nemesis once I watched my step-dad play it and he helped me out with some puzzles. After that though, I never actually went and played the others. I just sort of forgot about Resident Evil outside of playing Survivor which I borrowed from a friend. I was mainly stuck on playing Dino Crisis 1 & 2 and what ever other games came my way.

Then we went onto the next gen and decided on the PS2 as the family console. With that being the case, no mainline Resident Evil due to the exclusivity agreement. So REmake and 0 were something I wasn't going to have access to. I did however dabble in Code Veronica X on PS2. But rather than play it, I just kept watching Wesker's Report. Since I got stuck on the base and the metal detector.

The next big Resident Evil game for me was Outbreak. I remember being really excited for that one. Was reading everything the magazine's had to offer. The concept of the game was just so interesting. An online Resident Evil game, where you were regular joe's trying to get out of Raccoon City sounded amazing. I sadly never really got much time to play it online, but I did enjoy it still despite the difficulty I had with it.

After that it was another long while before my next Resident Evil game. However the stars aligned in 2004. My sister ended up getting a gamecube near the end of the year. Which was just in time for the game I had been reading about at the time, Resident Evil 4. Which would come out a few days after my birthday. Ended up asking for it as a late B-day gift, not knowing much outside that they changed the style from the original 3.5 concept. Holy Shit, that game was just something else. Like many here, that was easily the point where I was fully on board with the franchise past and present. You know you have something special on your hands, when as a kid you would wake up early just to play it before the bus came to pick you up.

After that I went on a crusade to get all of the Resident Evil games I could get my hands on. Thanks to birthday money and gamestop having a B2G1 promo, I went on to buy 2, 3, & CVX on gamecube. Along with Outbreak File 2. I also luckily enough picked up RE2 for the N64 from my video store which was selling it for 5 bucks. Not gonna go into complete detail on my collecting habits. But needless to say, even today I go out of my way to obtain resident evil stuff. There's a older pic of my collection at the bottom of this post.

Ended up going on a RE binge after that and basically caught up to where I needed to be. So then the PS3 and 360 came out. I was fortunate enough to end up with both. Which meant that I would actually be at launch for a mainline resident evil game. The first chance I had with the game was downloading the Japanese Demo onto a disc. I don't recall specifics. But I remember the demo came out in japan, and for some reason 360 would play demos off any disc so long as it was burned correctly. Everything I played there was phenomenal. Especially the coop so I was pumped. I ended up going to the midnight release for Resident Evil 5 (Actually still have the poster from gamestop for that). Resident Evil 5 was everything I wanted it to be, and is to date still my all time favorite Resident Evil game. I think a big part was the gameplay and timeframe I played it. Not to mention Chris and Wesker just having some great moments in the story there. Loved it so much I ended up getting all of the achievements including MP on PS3, 360, and PC (Back when there was a GFWL version).

Since this is getting long I don't want to dabble into the other releases too much after 5. Since there's not too many stories really related to them. Outside of me buying them and playing them. I did however get Operation Raccoon City a day earlier, but was deployed at the time so was unable to play it. At least my brother had the chance to say he played something early, even though we all know how that went. The last story I have for Resident Evil was with 6.

6 was announced and was looking great. Looked like more of what I loved. However I once again got deployed so I wasn't going to be there for release. However there was a 360 and some internet where I was at. I actually ended up downloading the demo files once again to burn onto a CD so I could play the game before i came back home. I really didn't like the first demo, but the second demo after the threads on GAF (That deployment was actually when I started posting on GAF, despite having a account for awhile) told about all of the little secrets had me playing it back to back. Was great coming back home and being able to finally play.
Now i'm just in the boat everyone else is in. Waiting for Resident Evil 7 and hoping for some more information along with an expanded demo.

What is Resident Evil to me?
So after that long history write up. Hopefully what I see Resident Evil as will make more sense to some. While I did mention how I was scared of 2 and 3. I never did feel that was the identity of the series. Neither was the puzzles or item management. What stuck with me was always the universe and lore.
I am just absolutely fascinated by the whole Evil Organization in the earlier games, the drama between all of the characters, and the monsters the viruses in the series can make. Which is why to me despite the genre changes and shifts in tone that some dislike. Every resident evil is a resident evil game to me, even the one's I dislike. Since deep down I feel they have that same sort of heart. Regardless if they're scary or action. How the series at this point can literally be anything is part of why I love it so much. I wouldn't be surprised to see a Resident Evil Xcom style game, and would welcome it with open arms. Now before anyone digs up some unfavorable old posts I had on RE7, just recall that at the time I was not expecting such a change. Especially not after the ending tease of 6. However I got over that and eagerly await the game.
So while I do prefer the action side of things, at the end of the day I just love resident evil period. Regardless of the genre. Which is part of why it makes me so sad to see so much in-fighting all the time between fans. I made another thread with my feelings on the matter here. But summed up, the series has more than enough room to make everyone happy. So with that out of the way i'd love to hear everyone else's thoughts on what Resident Evil should be and your own personal history with the series and why you became a fan. Though I do hope we can keep it civil.


Also don't forget to check out the Resident Evil Fan Community Thread. Lots of good RE talk in there, all the time.

 

[kagamin]

Nothing, I liked The Mercenaries 3D quite a bit and I familiarized myself with the characters by reading through the wiki, Resident Evil 5 was pretty fun as well but not for the same reasons I liked the arcadey Mecenaries 3D.

 

[SolVanderlyn]

Scared me to death as a kid to the point where I refused to play the games at all. I'd only watch others play them.

As an adult it's one of my favorite franchises because of its iconic characters, B-movie dialogue, and interconnected story. One of the reasons RE7 doesn't really appeal to me.

 

[Bigfoot]

My entire Resident Evil history began and ended with the GameCube. REmake and RE4. From what I know, those are the best two to play so I think I hit the series at the right time. Might jump back in though if I ever grab a PS4 or Xbone.

I loved the hell out of those two games too and played through both multiple times. It was also great that they were so different from each other.

 

[Bishop89]

Cheesey b movie action / horror games.

 

[Transistor]

Resident Evil to me is horror. Which makes me excited for 7

 

[Menitta]

I've played RE4 on Wii (with GameCube controller) and Revelaitons on 3DS. I've always been interested in Resident Evil and with Pat from SBFP talk endless praise about RE2, I've wanted to play more games in the series.

Jill's original design is awesome. I know that much.

 

[Johndoey]

I appreciate how silly most of the games are and have a weird love of the series main characters.

I've touched Res 1&2, played most of 4, half of 6, and kept bouncing off of 5.

I read a novelization of Zero Hour that I remember being alright.

I'm obligated to say Rebecca+Billy 5ever.

 

[Davey Cakes]

Tension. That's it. Not knowing what the next "turn of the corner" will bring. Not knowing if you'll be prepared or not. And then, adapting to the situation as needed.

This was even an aspect of RE4, which was an action/horror game as opposed to a survival/horror one.

I don't want to be drowned in action movie-like cheesiness. I just want that sort of angle to accompany a journey from point A to point B that's purely as difficult (as in scary, tense, or survival-driven)
as possible. The balance between "entertaining" and "distressing" was, in a way, struck with games such as REmake (as well as the classic games, obviously) and even RE4 (at times) but RE5 and Revelations starting slipping with these aspects and now I'm just unsure if the series can really bring me back without truly focusing on its roots. We'll see. I think Capcom is honestly trying something new with RE7 and trying something "classic" with RE2 REmake.

 

[Taruranto]

One of my favorite series in my childhood before they turned it into a TPS.

 

[Zen_Arcade]

I tried to play the remake of 1 on GC and I just can't handle tank controls. Couldn't finish it. The atmosphere is top notch though.

Then I tried 4-5 and like the style far better. 4 is a classic and 5 is a step down but still solid, especially in co-op.

 

[HyperCroutons]

I would watch my cousin play Resident Evil 1 and 2 on the PS1 back when they came out. The first couple Resident Evils scared me good but I get even more scared when actually playing the game because the controls just never clicked with me. I hated the tank movement for the characters and didn't really enjoy a Resident Evil game until 4 came out. Then 4 blew my mind and became one of my favorite games of all time.

 

[dlauv]

Ineffectual horror games that are generally pretty fun to play and very often unintentionally stupid as all get.

Excited for 7. Interested in effective horror and a well-written story for once.

I got into the series with RE4 although I owned REmake but never played much of it. Started playing REmake a couple of years later and really enjoyed it. Enjoyed RE5 and 2. Didn't like the others very much, but 3 was ok.

 

[mhi]

Code Veronica was my first PS2 game. I was a kid and saved enough money to buy the PS2 and a game so I picked it up cause the cover looked good.

Got home and realized I also needed a memory card if I wanted to save but didn't have the money to buy one.

Needless to say, I went a month plus playing the game w/out a memory card which meant I had to start over every time I died.

Good times.

 

[Kinsei]

History:

I just want to say upfront that I was a huge scaredy cqat as a child.

When I was a child (about 6 or 7) my friend brought over a new Playstation game for me to try. This game ended up being Resident Evil 3 and it kinda ruined my childhood. The zombies already had me really freaked out, but when he reached the part where Nemesis kills Brad I lost it on the inside. After that day I used to stay up until 2 or 3 in the morning sitting by my window in order to make sure there were no zombies coming to get me. I lived near the woods so I was always scanning the tree line for any movement. The only time I felt truly safe was during the winter since I figured they'd all freeze until the spring. Looking back it's a good thing I didn't see the zombies in the arctic base in Code Veronica.

Speaking of Code Veronica, when it was coming out I was in a Blockbuster renting a game and a trailer for CV came on. I stopped what i was doing, plugged my ears, and closed my eyes until I thought it was over. It wasn't until Resident Evil 0 came out that I had the courage to try one of the games for myself. Ever since then I've been a fan.

What RE means to me:

Nothing really. Despite loving the games it's never really affected me in the way a lot of games from my childhood (helping me cope with tough times) or Silent Hill (Helping me cope with my emotions) have. I guess what it means to me is that when I see the name then I know I'm most likely getting a good game.

 

[Hazaku]

Dank title voices - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM28IAPc1Jo

I started with watching my uncle play RE3. He got wrecked by Nemesis and rage quit.

 

[Caffeine]

I started with playstation at my friends house with resident evil 1 and 3. I never actually played 2 until we rented it for n64. I remember getting a gamecube with code veronica then remake and resident evil 4 which I adored and replayed many times. The only time I played zero was at a friends house briefly couldn't find the game anywhere in stores.

I have seen outbreak at a friends house but never played either of them. When I had a wii I got umbrella and darkside chronicles which were pretty cool. On pc I remember being in a justin tv stream and someone gave me their windows live serial key to download resident evil 5. During a steam summer last year picked up the rest of the available titles.

I also own all 7 S.D Perry books.

Resident evil to me is more of a mystery game where you are put into mysterious plots and places and uncover stuff by solving puzzles. sure their are creatures and zombies but I don't think they should be zombie slaughter fest as of recent. The perspective of the games doesn't bother me at all It actually conveys the world in a better vision recently going from locked 3rd person to behind the back, to first person with resident evil 7.

 

[ethomaz]

Scared me to death as a kid to the point where I refused to play the games at all. I'd only watch others play them.

As an adult it's one of my favorite franchises because of its iconic characters, B-movie dialogue, and interconnected story. One of the reasons RE7 doesn't really appeal to me.

That is what RE7 shows until now... B-movie dialogue and interconnected story.

I guess people didn't know what is RE7... because what you say about not being RE is there like an original RE.

Cheesey b movie action / horror games.

This

That is why I'm excited about RE7.

 

[EhoaVash]

My first re was RE zero played it for 2 hours didn't find it scary but found it a boring puzzle game with odd controls

Then I played RE4 after all the hype on Wii, it wasn't scary to me. Just about surviving while trying to manage inventory lol. I liked what I played though at the time. Even managed to beat it.

Played re5 and kinda got bored with the re4 formula already after a hour. Didn't finish. I wanted something new tbh from the game really. Felt again like a inventory management game than a scary one

Haven't played the series much since then. Tried demo for revelations, didn't like again was boring to play. Also enemy designs looked very lame lol

Series wasn't something I found scary atleast not until this yea where I finally played Re1 Remake on the Gamecube and boy I'm hooked. Feeling actual tension in the series for the first time. Death feels like it could be right around the corner. Ammos aren't really frequent. Im 4 hours in and really want to get back to playing the game. Playing REmake has me excited for re7. Cause they're changing the formula once again

 

[Skeeter49]

Resident Evil Code Veronica X was the first Resident Evil I played. I got stuck on the metal detector part, and put it down for a year, came back to it, beat it and loved it.

Got Resident Evil 2 next. Thought it was an amazing game.

Got Resident Evil next, never got that far into it, thought it was fine, but just to outdated than Resi 2/ CVX.

Got Resident Evil Remake next: Loved it.

Got Resident Evil 3 next: Thought it was fine, not good or great/ not bad. I really don't think 3 is as good as people say it is. Nemesis was the saving grace of that game, and the only thing it has going for it.

Got Resident Evil 4: Really good, but in a different way than the other. I played it on PS2 first, didn't like playing it on the PS2, thought it was trash. Picked it up on Wii U later, really enjoyed it on Wii U.

Got Resident Evil 5 next: Trash

Got Resident Evil 6 next: Trash

Got Resi Revelations 2 next: Welcome back old friend.

Resident Evil is all about horror to me, with 2, CVX, and Remake being the best 3 Resident Evil games.

 

[Strangelove77]

I really like the lore, even if it's not very good. Same with the characters.
I've played all the main titles and I like most if not all of them in some way, even RE6 and Code Veronica.

Honestly, it's one of my favorite franchises that I always forget to say is one of my favorite franchises when asked. Love the series.

And no, I can't decide between RE Remake and RE4. It's impossible.

 

[Zambatoh]

Back in the 90's, when I was like 9 or 10 I played the first 2 games back to back repeatedly. At this point in time, I viewed the series as an excessively gorey zombie experience with especially brutal deaths. And the combat system paired with dual shock vibrations made it an incredibly fun experience. From the beginning I viewed the series as more of an action adventure series that sometimes uses jump scares to keep the blood pumping while you play it.

 

[JayEH]

I played RE5 shortly after launch in 2009 my first RE. Thought it was fine but was turned off by the solo play. Then in 2013 I played Rev1, once again thought it was fine but nothing mindblowing. Then in 2014 I played RE4 for the first time, loved it and is definitely one of my favorites. It wasn't until this year that I played every game in the series and it quickly became one of my favorite series. I can say I genuinely like every game in the series even if some games like CVX and 0 have some big issues.

Overall I'm more a fan of the more actiony based games though I do like the classic style very much still. I've always felt RE had been a good mix of action and horror blended together and that's why I like it. It's not super scary like some other horror franchises. It's always had some creepy environments and stuff but you were always shooting big groups of enemies as early as 2 and I absolutely love the b-movie feel. The characters are great and iconic even if some of them are one note. I adore how stupid the timeline and lore are as well. Everything is so dumb but that's what makes it charming. So yeah overall to me the series is big dumb plots, great characters, amazing gameplay, and a good mix of horror and action.

 

[jesu]

Played the demo for 5 thought it was shit.
Eventually rented the full game, loved it.
Played 6 thought it was shit.
Played Revelations thought it was ok.
Played 4, thought it was shit.
Played Revelations 2, thought it was ace!
Looking forward to 7.

 

[Arttemis]

Survival horror. Limited resources, save rooms, new protagonists in new situations.

I watched my friend play RE, and I was totally obsessed with RE2 in 98. My mother rented a PlayStation from Blockbuster twice so I could play RE2 and MGS.

 

[Snake017]

Cheesy/Action-Horror/Item management/Documents reading and puzzles (even if they're easy!) Cool characters and good ambiance/ tension.
And fixed camera angles is always a good thing!

My first RE was RE1 on PS1 , loving RE 0,1,2,3,4 Remake and Rev2.
CVX and Rev1 are OK, but are not games i'll replay a lot !
5 and 6 are funny in coop but that's all!

Waiting for Remake 2 and curious to see RE7 familly's story !

 

[Grizzlyjin]

History

My first introduction to the franchise was picking up a copy of Resident Evil 2 on a whim. Must have been in '99 before I got my Dreamcast. Absolutely loved it, controls and all. I love puzzles, so adding cheesy zombie horror and gunplay into one package just hit all the right spots for me. Next game I played was Resident Evil 3 for the Dreamcast. Wasn't quite the same experience as RE2 but I enjoyed beating it over and over again. Unlocking new costumes, getting through the game faster, etc.

Got Code Veronica for the Dreamcast but barely touched it. I didn't give that game a chance until Code Veronica X for the PS2 came out. The difficulty early on turned me off and I didnt get around to finishing it for awhile. I was more interested in the GCN REmake and Resident Evil Zero by that point. The latter to a lesser extent, but REmake got me back into the franchise again, right as I was losing interest.

What is Resident Evil?

Umm, Id probably say Im more partial to the slower gameplay. Resident Evil 4 is a masterpiece but I lost interest after that. I had to push myself to beat RE5 and I dropped 6 after a few hours. The more action oriented direction has erased the identity of the franchise for me.

 

[DMONKUMA]

Basically to me it's a zombie horror(or tries to be) franchise that has different genres pertaining to it. I still love the mainline series tho.

My history with franchises spans the whole mainline series except 4....I haven't played it yet even now. It's definitely one of those series that I unconsciously play and enjoy no matter what and it will be the same when I play 7.

 

[udivision]

Hmm... I wonder why they couldn't spin off the games successfully instead of drastically changing what the main franchise was.

 

[Varg]

Survival horror with the tank controls. Been there since day 1. Series is currently dead and buried to me with them digging up the body and disrespectfully parading it around for the seventh entry. Allowing the millennials to enjoy there types of game and hoping remake 2 can scratch the itch I so desire.

 

[Mobius and pet octopus]

Resident Evil is a great franchise that died after Code Veronica. It's unfortunate that they never made any future games, because they really nailed the mechanics and camera in Code Veronica. They even had great survival elements in CV, I remember trying to save every single bullet.

It's too bad they didn't make more RE games after that. It is good they didn't make over the shoulder camera mediocre 3rd person shooters with clunky movement and aim, because they'd be abominations. Maybe after a couple iterations they'd get it somewhat okay, but the first couple would be bad. Very.

But since they're trying to reboot the game in first person (holy shit, thank god) rather than experimenting with 3rd person over the camera crap, I am more than on board to give RE a shot. I just hope they figure out the things that they did really well in the existing franchise, albeit old, and translate those themes into a modern game, perhaps with a slightly more serious tone although not too serious.

 

[NightShift]

The first I played was RE4 on PS2. I then got really into the franchise after getting into Silent Hill and burned through all the mainline games. To me the first thing I think of when I think Resident Evil is how cheesy it is, like an old B-movie, but still manages to keep a great horror tone. It's definitely up there as one of my favourite video game series.

 

[Jawmuncher]

Hmm... I wonder why they couldn't spin off the games successfully instead of drastically changing what the main franchise was.

Seemed to be a multitude of things. People forget but back in the day, by the time 0 hit people were getting really tired of the formula. You have to remember Capcom was sticking with that style for every game (Outside some small spinoffs like survivor and gaiden). plus there had been more than a few titles that took place in a mansion like setting. Capcom also had numerous other horror titles in the same vein, along with the multitude of clones from other companies. So the original style of the game sort of went through the growing pains adventure games did for a time.
We knew 4 was always going to be the big jump, but it went through multiple identities itself. One of them becoming DMC. But once RE4 came out and the reception and sales hit capcom figured there was no going back at that point. Thus why 5 and 6 followed in it steps and expanding more on the action. Since they felt horror wasn't viable.
Then we got the whole horror resurgence on PC, and capcom started to see how there was still a market for it. Thus why with 7 we can say they are perhaps going back to roots now. Well that and the reception 6 had gathered. Had 6 been a highly acclaimed title, I doubt the 7 we are getting now would be the same.
It is rather interesting how much RE has changed unlike other series. But I think a big reason is most series had a gradual change with their sequels. While RE really hunkered down on it's concept for quite awhile.

 

[User 479360]

I believe the first time I played Resident Evil was when I was eleven. My friend brought his PSX over, and my cousin also came over for the weekend. We asked my Mom to rent us Resident Evil 2, as we'd seen snippets of it elsewhere, and we played it a lot. It scared us a bit, but we loved it.

I think my friend had some of the other games, but I never really played any of them outside of RE2 for PSX and then N64, which I rented multiple times but never finished. I rented the original Resident Evil: Director's Cut for PSX when I borrowed it from him, but the disc was too scratched.

When Resident Evil 4 came out, my other friend went apeshit about it. I went over, played it and decided I needed it and a GameCube, so I bought both. I loved it.

Rented Code Veronica X, didn't like it.

I picked up RE5 at launch, but still haven't played it. I heard the AI sucked, so my cousin said he'd play it with me. But he didn't. He went ahead with someone else. And it's just sat there.

I did play some RE6, but it was awful. I couldn't finish it.

Resident Evil for me will always be RE2 and RE4.

 

[Jawmuncher]

I believe the first time I played Resident Evil was when I was eleven. My friend brought his PSX over, and my cousin also came over for the weekend. We asked my Mom to rent us Resident Evil 2, as we'd seen snippets of it elsewhere, and we played it a lot. It scared us a bit, but we loved it.

I think my friend had some of the other games, but I never really played any of them outside of RE2 for PSX and then N64, which I rented multiple times but never finished. I rented the original Resident Evil: Director's Cut for PSX when I borrowed it from him, but the disc was too scratched.

When Resident Evil 4 came out, my other friend went apeshit about it. I went over, played it and decided I needed it and a GameCube, so I bought both. I loved it.

Rented Code Veronica X, didn't like it.

I picked up RE5 at launch, but still haven't played it. I heard the AI sucked, so my cousin said he'd play it with me. But he didn't. He went ahead with someone else. And it's just sat there.

I did play some RE6, but it was awful. I couldn't finish it.

Resident Evil for me will always be RE2 and RE4.

Leon really lucked out being the start of what many consider the two best games in the series. While he was in RE6, due to the whole multiple character aspect. I at least don't consider anyone having the starring role there. Feels more like a collaborative effort.

 

[Manu]

My first exposure to the series was a RE2 demo video I got on my PS1 Demo CD, I was 11 at the time. My brother's 9th birthday was coming and he asked for the game, and my parents actually bought it for him, because nobody here gives a fuck about age ratings. Back then I was the only one at home who kinda understood some English, so I was basically a glorified translator for my brother, and even my mom got hooked with the game's story. Our previous console was a Genesis so RE was unlike anything we had seen before. I've been in love with the series since.

I still love every era of RE, because to me the series is its story and characters. I miss the old style sometimes but I also think that the action games are anything but generic, and when you're playing action RE there's a certain something that they all share and that you can't find on any other series. I also didn't mind the change because even during the classic era the games had plenty of action (I mean, the main enemy of 3 is basically a big guy with a rocket launcher for an arm), and the pure action games still have plenty of horror. They might not be scary per se, but there' still a big horror component to them.

 

[watershed]

I watched my older brothers play 1 and 2 and enjoyed those experiences. It was fun to stay up late, in the dark watching those games. Then I ignored the franchise until I played RE4 and still remember that as one of my best gaming experiences.

 

[The Silver]

Resident Evil 2 was the first one I played, my friend had it on PS1 and I would play it at his house, would always get to the police station and get stuck. I can't really say what the series meant to me besides being a fun scary zombie game. I didn't think of the game as any more special than those House of the Dead lightgun games.

Wasn't until RE4 that I properly completed a game in the series, then went back and beat REmake and the others.

The two games I enjoyed the most, RE4 and REmake, are very different games that i liked for different reasons. In REmake I loved the more serious dark horror aesthetic and the Spencer Mansion is such a great location. In RE4 I loved the tension and the pacing, it was good at building up the atmosphere and at the same time doing crazy shit like a giant walking statue.

RE5 felt like an all around inferior RE4, and RE6 was hot garbage.

So yeah I don't really have an attachment to the characters, the lore,(Umbrella Chronicles was the 1st time i ever really looked deeper into that stuff) or even the type of gameplay. I just want a good horror game, which I hope RE7 will provide.

 

[crazy monkey]

I tried playing re 2 and re 3 did not like it. Re4 is my favorite game of all time. Did not play re5 yet. Hated re6 it is buttom masher.

 

[Skab]

Sometime in 1996 (I was 12) I saw LL Cool J tell someone on MTV that he was playing this new Resident Evil game. I don't remember his exact words now, but whatever it was enough to get me to check it out the next time I could get my parents to take me to the store to rent something. I've been playing ever since.

To me, 1 - 3 will always be the definitive RE experience. RE2 is one of my favorite games of all time.

I do appreciate the later games though. 4 is a great game, and 5 was a fun coop experience, but they still never quite lived up to my expectations for the series, mainly due to the shift in tone.

I do like that theyre switching it up again though. 7 seems like it could turn out really good, imo.

 

[Zero-ELEC]

My first RE was RE1. I was a wee-lad and unlike other horror games I could handle RE. I don't even know how I managed, given that I was deadly scared of Mario 64 because when you lost a life Bowser Koopa laughed.

I played RE2 and missed 3, rented 4, bought 5 and 6. I played most of the spin-offs somewhere between 5 and 6. I loved all of them.

To me the series holds a special place in my heart as this goofy AF, action-horror movie game series. I love the series and its lore and shit. I edit the Wikia wiki, much to my shame.

 

[elohel]

RE 2

Cinematic survival horror

 

[chemicals]

great topic. quickly, here is my summary.

Resident Evil 1
- I played it on PS1 and loved it. What can I say? Played that director's cut too. Great stuff.

Resident Evil 2
- PS1, super huge fan of this one. Something about the pacing is just so awesome and I used to play it over and over.

Resident Evil 3
- PS1... yet another great game that I used to play over and over, I loved the dodge move. Nemesis was killer. I loved the whole thing.

Resident Evil Code Veronica
- Played it on Dreamcast (release day) and was just amazed by the size of it. What a hell of a game! I love it... played it recently on Gamecube and it didn't feel right. Didn't age well, I guess.. but at the time it was freaking top notch. Some parts were super hard, too. Way more difficult than the first 3 games, from what I remember.

Resident Evil 4 and 5
- I tried RE4 and I couldn't get used to the controls. I have no doubt that it is a great game, but I just never put in the time. RE5 I have never played any part of it... not sure why. Just never had the chance or desire to play it because I heard it controls just like RE4.

Resident Evil 6
- I bought RE6 on a whim because it was 7 bucks on Amazon not long after release and I heard how huge the campaign was and that they had fixed the controls. I actually really enjoyed it. Once I got used to the controls I was hooked. I just really like long TPS campaigns, I guess. - I also love Max Payne 3.

RE Revelations 1 and 2
- Tried both of them and really didn't like the low budget graphics and animation. I would shoot a dude and he wouldn't even react. It felt weird... I tried both games multiple times too.

I also played all the way through RE0 and don't even consider it a Resident Evil game because I really didn't enjoy it much at all.

 

[silva1991]

A TPS with some scary moments and monsters in it. it also has puzzles and boss fights.

My first game was RE3 on PS1.

it used to scare the shit out of me as a kid, but having played the REmake last year I realized it wasn't much scarier than RE4 aside from some silent dark areas.

 

[EricB]

I felt nostalgia when I saw the first RE back in 96 (in the PS1 tall box).

I hadn't been that into games for a few years at that point due to high school—despite owning both a PS1 and N64.
When I saw Resident Evil in the store, I immediately thought that Capcom was doing a throwback to Alone in the Dark.

RE 1 and 2 are still the defining entries in the series for me. I lost interest at 3 (and have still yet to play it to any serious length), played 4 day one and thought it was fun but not really what I was looking for, and haven't really cared since then though I've owned most of games at one time or another.

I guess to me, Resident Evil is all about that haunted (kind of) mansion experience. RE2 did a reasonble swap to the police station, but after that it lost the direction that originally interested me.

That being said, 7 looks interesting though I haven't touched the demos.

 

[kamineko]

Cool OP.

I first played the original RE at a friend's house. We took turns with the controller. I remember that I was playing when the dog jump scare happened and I just freaked the hell out. I never owned a PS1 though, so I didn't play 2-3 until I owned a PS2. I've played every mainline game since at launch. I skipped the chronicles games because I didn't like the gameplay.

My enthusiasm level has changed over the years. I think REmake is when I began to think of myself as a fan. I've enjoyed lurking at some fansites over the years, and started thinking about the implications of localization over the years. Thomas Wilde's Plot Analysis document, which he updated for years, is what got me thinking about the storyline in a probably unreasonably intense way. I really enjoy the story & world of the games.

What is RE to me?
Well, it's hopefully good gameplay and extension of the storyline. I think RE7 could be amazing, but I don't think I've seen enough to say. I am open to new approaches, though, so I don't outright reject changes in 7. It's up to Capcom to make them work. I feel like they can.

RE for me is also the community thread here at GAF. Always a lot of good stuff there.

 

[OrbitalBeard]

I started with RE4 on the GCN and have since gone back and played most mainline entries and have played everything released since. RE4 and REmake are by far my favorites in the franchise.

To me, RE is whatever it wants to be. As long as the quality it there, I don't really care what direction Capcom takes it.

 

[consoul]

As a huge fan of 80's zombie movies (especially Romero's Dawn), I remember reading pre-release coverage of the original RE. I couldn't believe how amazing it sounded and looked in the screenshots. This game was for me.

I was travelling when it came out, but couldn't wait, so I immediately sought out a game store (some little indie joint in Leicester, UK) and bought Resident Evil. I didn't even own a Playstation yet, so I bought one duty-free as I left Amsterdam and flew home to Australia.

Many many long and inebriated nights were spent with my circle of friends huddled in darkened loungerooms escaping the mansion and replaying the game different ways. It was the start of a long running love affair with the series.

I played every game since. RE2 blew me away with its sheer scope and replayability. It still holds up remarkably well today. RE3's focus on action was a nice change of pace, and while its storyline was less compelling, the destruction of Raccoon City closed that story arc well. The shift to 3D in Code Veronica was amazing at the time, but the game hasn't aged well imo. Outbreak 1 & 2 were fantastic and are hugely underrated.

I even enjoyed the Gun Survivor games. Well, not so much the second one (CV), but the first one played with a GunCon was fun and the branching paths gave it legs. Dead Aim was an OTT side story with interesting characters, monsters and locales. Gaiden was garbage. Loved REmake and enjoyed Zero as a one-off play through.

Resident Evil 4 was a masterclass in pacing and design. It was so much better than I could have hoped for. Smartass Leon was the perfect protagonist. I've replayed RE2 & RE4 more times than I can count.

RE5 copped more criticism than it deserved. Sheva's AI was rough, but as a co-op game, it was excellent. RE6 made RE5 look better in retrospect. They really tried to pack in too much and satisfy too many kinds of players. The result was a confused mess with moments of greatness.

Revelations 1 was a great return to survival horror gameplay, though the story was uninspiring. Revelations 2 was disappointingly low-budget, though still a bit of fun for what it is.

Now here we are with Resident Evil 7 coming soon. And it's NOTHING like the series has ever been. I was recently at TGS and played the new Lantern demo a couple of times. I just don't know what to think. As a game, I like what they're doing, but it's a complete departure for the series. it feels much more Outlast/Texas Chainsaw than Resident Evil. I feel like Resident Evil is over. Without Zombies/Umbrella/Cheesiness, it's finished.

I'm excited to play whatever Biohazard7 turns out to be, but I doubt it will be part of the franchise in my mind.

 

[Mr. PlayStation]

Resident Evil 4 is what Resident Evil is to me. My debut Re experience in 2005 with the PS2. My history with RE includes Re4 and Re5. Loved them both, though RE5 felt all too familiar in it's tricks, jump scares, boss battles.

 

[Persona7]

Pretty much followed from the start. I can't remember if I got the first game in christmas 1996 or early 1997. After that I got pretty much every main title on launch day. The hype I had for Resident Evil 4 was insane.