My Resident Evil History

I originally wrote this for NeoGAF’s Resident Evil Community Thread. I revised it slightly for this post.

My first Resident Evil game was Resident Evil: Code Veronica for the Sega Dreamcast. I loved it. I’ve tried Resident Evil games before this one, but RE:CV was the first to click with me. Crazy story plots, the best looking Resident Evil game of the time and it was an unsettling adventure. I still hold this game very highly.

With that in mind here is my personal ranking of the franchise that I’ve played thus far:

1. Resident Evil Remake
2. Resident Evil: Code Veronica
3. Resident Evil 4
4. Resident Evil 2
5. Resident Evil 3
6. Resident Evil 5

After RE:CV, I played the Dreamcast releases of RE2 and RE3. I enjoyed both, but RE:CV already spoiled the notion of playing with two characters in the same game and running from a near indestructible foe.

I played Resident Evil 4 on the PlayStation 2. I remember enjoying the action, but I also recall the game being light on the scares. This was also the first RE game with QTEs which frustrated the hell out of me.

Resident Evil Remake was a return to form for me. I played it after RE4 and enjoyed it immensely despite regressing back to tank controls. It oozed atmosphere and I loved it. For me, it was the defining Resident Evil experience and easily my favorite of the franchise.

And finally, there was Resident Evil 5. I was initially massively disappointed with Capcom’s latest main line game. It lacked the atmosphere the series was known for and the action fell flat. A couple of years after its release, I revisited the game and came to enjoy it as a co-op game with RE trappings. Things were made more amusing by the fact that we were sporting overpowered weapons.

It was suggested by some that the new control scheme took away from what made Resident Evil games scary. I disagree. I don’t have a problem with tank controls or the new style of controls. I just want a game in the vein of Resident Evil Remake where we’re given the opportunity to soak in the environment and the atmosphere. You can have scares and action; Dead Space is an example of that.