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I've personally given up on Resident Evil franchise. RE: Revelations will be my last Resi game, funny thing I like the movies!
The humor is a piece of it, but its also that RE4 maintained some of the sense of dread that prior installments maintained. I mean you walk into a seemingly calm village only to see it turn into an angry mob that wants to kill you and then that immediately dies off, becomes less pervasive and what you do face becomes all the more sinister. What sections you face where you have to fight the enemies are just bullet sponges and you're still mostly winging it on ammo until right before the endgame.
RE5 and 6 take themselves so damn seriously and angry mobs of zombies and plagas-variiants are everywhere. There's no shortage of weapons or ammo and really no sense of dread. There are jump scares, but RE never relied on jump scares alone, but stringing you along on resources and forcing you down a narrow path - which even RE4 tended to favor - to great tension.
RE5 and 6 do not do this.
RE5 and 6 take themselves so damn seriously and angry mobs of zombies and plagas-variiants are everywhere. There's no shortage of weapons or ammo and really no sense of dread. There are jump scares, but RE never relied on jump scares alone, but stringing you along on resources and forcing you down a narrow path - which even RE4 tended to favor - to great tension.
RE5 and 6 do not do this.
Pretty much agree on all fronts, although I'm not the biggest RE fan it was still pretty depressing to play the RE6 demo, it's just so...bland. I don't know why they thought the 3 different campaign modes was a good idea, especially where they intend to give different experiences, this only gives off an incredibly fractured experience.
It'd be like if a horror movie suddenly evolved into a rom-com entirely straight faced. It feels like a mess of ideas instead of a perfectly distilled and fully formed idea that has been expertly crafted to it's nearest level of perfection, something which RE4 perfectly demonstrated.
I never considered the loss of humour element and I think you're right on the money when it comes to RE5 being rather humourless, but it also does feel like just RE4 only shorter and a lot less uninspired. One of my favourite moments in RE4 is the opening section where right after you've finished shoot down an entire villages worth of crazy people and they all scamper off to the sound of the church bell the camera pulls out to Leon delivering a classic cheesy one liner "Where's everyone going, bingo?'.
It's some weird bizarre perfect opening to the game and I was looking forward to another whole games worth of Leon running around being bad ass and very cheesy. Sadly it looks like all we've gotten is a hollow frail shell of what we all once loved about the RE series and I can only hope the game suffers in sales so that Capcom don't get the wrong idea and assume this is what people want.
It'd be like if a horror movie suddenly evolved into a rom-com entirely straight faced. It feels like a mess of ideas instead of a perfectly distilled and fully formed idea that has been expertly crafted to it's nearest level of perfection, something which RE4 perfectly demonstrated.
I never considered the loss of humour element and I think you're right on the money when it comes to RE5 being rather humourless, but it also does feel like just RE4 only shorter and a lot less uninspired. One of my favourite moments in RE4 is the opening section where right after you've finished shoot down an entire villages worth of crazy people and they all scamper off to the sound of the church bell the camera pulls out to Leon delivering a classic cheesy one liner "Where's everyone going, bingo?'.
It's some weird bizarre perfect opening to the game and I was looking forward to another whole games worth of Leon running around being bad ass and very cheesy. Sadly it looks like all we've gotten is a hollow frail shell of what we all once loved about the RE series and I can only hope the game suffers in sales so that Capcom don't get the wrong idea and assume this is what people want.
@SirNinjaFace
I've not played Revelations but I'm curious to try it. People seem to like it. And I've only seen the first movie... it's alright. Might try the others for a laugh one day.
@The Silent Protagonist
Yeah I agree with that. It's the successful juxtaposition that works in RE4. And Yeah, RE5 is almost like a more linear kind of Borderlands sort of game... which isn't bad per se, just not what people wanted or expected. People seem to really like it though and I kind of get why.
@MisterDonut
I agree RE6 does come across as fractured as maybe it would of been better if they seamlessly moved between these different types of gameplay rather than labeling them. But, the gameplay in RE6 just seems inherently bad so doing that wouldn't save it.
I've not played Revelations but I'm curious to try it. People seem to like it. And I've only seen the first movie... it's alright. Might try the others for a laugh one day.
@The Silent Protagonist
Yeah I agree with that. It's the successful juxtaposition that works in RE4. And Yeah, RE5 is almost like a more linear kind of Borderlands sort of game... which isn't bad per se, just not what people wanted or expected. People seem to really like it though and I kind of get why.
@MisterDonut
I agree RE6 does come across as fractured as maybe it would of been better if they seamlessly moved between these different types of gameplay rather than labeling them. But, the gameplay in RE6 just seems inherently bad so doing that wouldn't save it.
There was a time when I really wanted Capcom to remake RE2 with RE4's engine. Now if they remade it, it would be with RE6's engine, and that would be total poop face.
And yeah, RE:Revelations is pretty great! It's no where near as consistantly awesome as RE4, but in terms of tone and gameplay, it's better than RE5 and WAY better than RE6. Also has surprisingly fun and scary bonus called "Riot Mode" that takes the RE:Mercs concept and makes it feel more in line with the traditional RE experience.
Anyway, great write up Leigh!
And yeah, RE:Revelations is pretty great! It's no where near as consistantly awesome as RE4, but in terms of tone and gameplay, it's better than RE5 and WAY better than RE6. Also has surprisingly fun and scary bonus called "Riot Mode" that takes the RE:Mercs concept and makes it feel more in line with the traditional RE experience.
Anyway, great write up Leigh!
@Nanbu, Phil and Holmes
Cheers for the nice words!
7 or 6 years ago I would of been excited about a RE2 remake too, but not now. Not with the team they have working on them.
Cheers for the nice words!
7 or 6 years ago I would of been excited about a RE2 remake too, but not now. Not with the team they have working on them.
"It's not funny anymore."
I feel like you could say that for a lot of games this generation (maybe for the industry, period). But in any case, it sounds like Resident Evil suffers a lot when it tries to become serious. How are we supposed to take a story like this seriously when the memories of a tentacle-swinging Wesker, boulder-punching, and a duel inside a volcano are still fresh on a lot of minds? To say nothing of Salazar, as you mentioned.
In spite of all the negative talk, I have a sneaking suspicion the game will sell fairly well (though I could be wrong). What will happen? Will it be loved or reviled by fans? And what lessons will Capcom take from it? Guess we'll just have to wait and see.
Man, it feels like there's a storm brewing...
I feel like you could say that for a lot of games this generation (maybe for the industry, period). But in any case, it sounds like Resident Evil suffers a lot when it tries to become serious. How are we supposed to take a story like this seriously when the memories of a tentacle-swinging Wesker, boulder-punching, and a duel inside a volcano are still fresh on a lot of minds? To say nothing of Salazar, as you mentioned.
In spite of all the negative talk, I have a sneaking suspicion the game will sell fairly well (though I could be wrong). What will happen? Will it be loved or reviled by fans? And what lessons will Capcom take from it? Guess we'll just have to wait and see.
Man, it feels like there's a storm brewing...
I can agree Resident Evil is not an interesting or engaging game anymore, but I think I have the opposite concept of how to fix it.
I think the Japanese rely too heavily on their characters expressing emotions with melodramas. They know they can get away with it, heightened emotional delivery of dialogue and flashy dramatic cuts between shocked expressions allow them to avoid having to make any realistic or naturalism expression of emotions for the characters. Melodrama allows Japanese developers to gloss over plot (broad arc of story), narrative (constructive format of story – ‘this’ leads to ‘this’) and the story itself (heroes go to save these persons, do it this way, and go through these specific trials). Because Japanese developers think melodramas need can make less sense, they rely on humor and crazy actions when they do not have anyone on the development team who knows how to tell a story. I think at this point HUMOR is the last thing Resident Evil needs, humor is what got them into this increasingly melodramatic swirl.
I think the solution is to go to horror story roost for two reasons. ONE) A return to its horror roots would be welcomed. TWO) Japanese horror at least in the late 90s and earl 00s centered a very strict realistic interpretation of the world. The world followed rules and the super natural bent those rules very specifically to highlight the reality of a situation. If that is permissible in Japanese film its must have some sort of cultural relevance that is valid and attainable by game developers in the same country
リング (Ringu?) is a 1998 Japanese horror film by Hideo Nakata, adapted from the novel Ring by Kōji Suzuki, which in turn draws on the Japanese folk tale Banchō Sarayashiki. The Ring works because the impossible - watch a VHS and you will die in 24 hours – actually does happen. The story is kept very realistic except for the main premise, which is fantastical and supernatural However, the reaction to the supernatural by all characters is as realistic as possible. Even the solution to this supernatural problem is solved in a ‘practical way’, i.e. the only way to escape the curse is to copy the tape and hand it on. The solution is not supernatural, the solution is mechanical and the solution is to ”pass the buck” on to some other poor fool.
Resident Evil should be realistic and simple. A corporation makes a virus that makes people and animals mutate into what could be called monsters, and the game story should be ‘what could you really do?’ in such a situation. The game should have not have silly find the puzzles-pieces to open simple doors, crazy laughing protagonists, or dialogue that makes everyone sound like they are on drugs when they deliver their lines in Engrish. Meanwhile the game play should be updated and rethought from the ground up. In a realistic world what would you do and thus what game mechanics would be needed to accomplish the game. Special emphasis should be placed on not using “shooter” mechanics if possible and certainly the idea should be other forms of game play.
I think the Japanese rely too heavily on their characters expressing emotions with melodramas. They know they can get away with it, heightened emotional delivery of dialogue and flashy dramatic cuts between shocked expressions allow them to avoid having to make any realistic or naturalism expression of emotions for the characters. Melodrama allows Japanese developers to gloss over plot (broad arc of story), narrative (constructive format of story – ‘this’ leads to ‘this’) and the story itself (heroes go to save these persons, do it this way, and go through these specific trials). Because Japanese developers think melodramas need can make less sense, they rely on humor and crazy actions when they do not have anyone on the development team who knows how to tell a story. I think at this point HUMOR is the last thing Resident Evil needs, humor is what got them into this increasingly melodramatic swirl.
I think the solution is to go to horror story roost for two reasons. ONE) A return to its horror roots would be welcomed. TWO) Japanese horror at least in the late 90s and earl 00s centered a very strict realistic interpretation of the world. The world followed rules and the super natural bent those rules very specifically to highlight the reality of a situation. If that is permissible in Japanese film its must have some sort of cultural relevance that is valid and attainable by game developers in the same country
リング (Ringu?) is a 1998 Japanese horror film by Hideo Nakata, adapted from the novel Ring by Kōji Suzuki, which in turn draws on the Japanese folk tale Banchō Sarayashiki. The Ring works because the impossible - watch a VHS and you will die in 24 hours – actually does happen. The story is kept very realistic except for the main premise, which is fantastical and supernatural However, the reaction to the supernatural by all characters is as realistic as possible. Even the solution to this supernatural problem is solved in a ‘practical way’, i.e. the only way to escape the curse is to copy the tape and hand it on. The solution is not supernatural, the solution is mechanical and the solution is to ”pass the buck” on to some other poor fool.
Resident Evil should be realistic and simple. A corporation makes a virus that makes people and animals mutate into what could be called monsters, and the game story should be ‘what could you really do?’ in such a situation. The game should have not have silly find the puzzles-pieces to open simple doors, crazy laughing protagonists, or dialogue that makes everyone sound like they are on drugs when they deliver their lines in Engrish. Meanwhile the game play should be updated and rethought from the ground up. In a realistic world what would you do and thus what game mechanics would be needed to accomplish the game. Special emphasis should be placed on not using “shooter” mechanics if possible and certainly the idea should be other forms of game play.
While I've never noticed the lack of humor in RE5 as opposed to RE6, it'a true that the tone of the two is drastically different. RE5 seems far more concerned with being cinematic and "mature". So I guess you're right in your analysis that it takes itself too seriously.
I enjoyed RE5 and admit it was cool to play alongside one of the friends I had previously just discussed the series with due to it's single-player ways. But in the end it took away from the game. It will forever be remembered as the true beginning of the end if things continue down this path.
I enjoyed RE5 and admit it was cool to play alongside one of the friends I had previously just discussed the series with due to it's single-player ways. But in the end it took away from the game. It will forever be remembered as the true beginning of the end if things continue down this path.
@EternalDeathSlayer
I feel the same way. I did enjoy RE5 in a way, but just not in a particularly memorable way. The only way I remember it is through comparing it to RE4. Part of me thinks that's a shame because it probably was a good game in its own right but following RE4? That's a tall order, but It's annoying they weren't more self aware..
@MonkeyKing1969
Wow. That's some interesting stuff. I would like to play that kind of take on the series. I recently talked about how I was optimistic about the new DmC for its different take on the series' story and tone, and I suppose I'd be up for that kind of change in Resident Evil, just to see how that would turn out. Some say it should be done in a different franchise but I like seeing alternate perspectives on a singular thing... just look at Batman.
But reading your response and realising you maybe right about those changes to bring horror back to the series, I think I may have a subconscious desire to bring comedy to gaming.
Now I'm not saying RE4 is amazing comedy... it isn't. There's no good jokes, gag or one liners. What I'd like to see more from games is weird worlds that do unexpected things that make you smil. I think RE4 does that a lot, among the horror stuff and I guess I want more comedy from games... it's so rare; just as rare as genuine horror.
And I also kind of disagree with your stance on melodrama. Melodrama is a tool, and a really good one if you want your game to be quite theatrical, which is a totally okay direction to go. But, I do agree it is used too much in Japanese games, but not out of a lack of talent but culturally it's how fable-like storytelling is done, which a lot of Japanese games riff off.
I feel the same way. I did enjoy RE5 in a way, but just not in a particularly memorable way. The only way I remember it is through comparing it to RE4. Part of me thinks that's a shame because it probably was a good game in its own right but following RE4? That's a tall order, but It's annoying they weren't more self aware..
@MonkeyKing1969
Wow. That's some interesting stuff. I would like to play that kind of take on the series. I recently talked about how I was optimistic about the new DmC for its different take on the series' story and tone, and I suppose I'd be up for that kind of change in Resident Evil, just to see how that would turn out. Some say it should be done in a different franchise but I like seeing alternate perspectives on a singular thing... just look at Batman.
But reading your response and realising you maybe right about those changes to bring horror back to the series, I think I may have a subconscious desire to bring comedy to gaming.
Now I'm not saying RE4 is amazing comedy... it isn't. There's no good jokes, gag or one liners. What I'd like to see more from games is weird worlds that do unexpected things that make you smil. I think RE4 does that a lot, among the horror stuff and I guess I want more comedy from games... it's so rare; just as rare as genuine horror.
And I also kind of disagree with your stance on melodrama. Melodrama is a tool, and a really good one if you want your game to be quite theatrical, which is a totally okay direction to go. But, I do agree it is used too much in Japanese games, but not out of a lack of talent but culturally it's how fable-like storytelling is done, which a lot of Japanese games riff off.
I enjoyed your different point of view on the series, I have never given much thought to RE humors side and I can see that lacking in RE 5.
I thought Leon's section of the RE6 Demo was excellent and I found that the stamina gauge for your melee attacks kept them from being over used. Not to mention that many of the zombies will counter attack poorly timed melee moves.
Having said that, I can't fault you on Chris and Jake's sections. your assessment was spot on and i'm really not looking forward to having to play though them.
I thought Leon's section of the RE6 Demo was excellent and I found that the stamina gauge for your melee attacks kept them from being over used. Not to mention that many of the zombies will counter attack poorly timed melee moves.
Having said that, I can't fault you on Chris and Jake's sections. your assessment was spot on and i'm really not looking forward to having to play though them.
So sad, I totally agree with the humour bit, good find! Even the first ones where unintentionally funny. Why wouldn't you want all games to use the same control patterns in the same genre? It would be convenient, I can't figure out why you wouldn't want that.
@Kearns
Yeah, I noticed it kind of had a cool down on the melee attack but I did go through kicking a lot.
@Kaggen
I dunno. I just think that would condition games to just play a single way if people got to used to playing with one control scheme. Maybe certain gameplay features wouldn't be considered if they stick to uniformed control method... maybe.. I dunno.
Yeah, I noticed it kind of had a cool down on the melee attack but I did go through kicking a lot.
@Kaggen
I dunno. I just think that would condition games to just play a single way if people got to used to playing with one control scheme. Maybe certain gameplay features wouldn't be considered if they stick to uniformed control method... maybe.. I dunno.
I would look at the game again if it tried anything that broke away from the current muddle. I think most of all I would like clarity of thought and concept. It is always the simple stories we think we are following that reveal the biggest surprises when the twist comes along.
Humor could work, but would enjoy rye 'British' humor in that case. You might be thinking I mean in the vein of Shaun of the Dead, but really, I would enjoy something in the style of Douglas Adams. Since Adams is dead, a second choice would be Charles Stross; anyone who has read his “Atrocity Archives” can see how there could be a balance of humor, horror, and good old British bureaucracy. His 'Laundry' novels a neat mix of horrific fantasy -- demons and Lovecraftian monsters -- with smart/snarky contemporary SF.
Humor could work, but would enjoy rye 'British' humor in that case. You might be thinking I mean in the vein of Shaun of the Dead, but really, I would enjoy something in the style of Douglas Adams. Since Adams is dead, a second choice would be Charles Stross; anyone who has read his “Atrocity Archives” can see how there could be a balance of humor, horror, and good old British bureaucracy. His 'Laundry' novels a neat mix of horrific fantasy -- demons and Lovecraftian monsters -- with smart/snarky contemporary SF.
Nice blog!
The only two RE games I've actually played are 4 and 5. (I was in a PC coma during the PS1 and PS2 generations.) Anyway, 4 was fantastic. 5 made me not at all interested in ever playing another RE game :(
The only two RE games I've actually played are 4 and 5. (I was in a PC coma during the PS1 and PS2 generations.) Anyway, 4 was fantastic. 5 made me not at all interested in ever playing another RE game :(
I'd actually argue that the real problem started with Resident Evil 2.
I know everyone is absolutely in love with 2 and claim it as the best one, and maybe I'd feel the same way if I didn't play REmake on the GameCube as my introduction to the series. I still haven't played RE3 and couldn't get more than ten minutes into Code Veronica, so there are some "essential" titles in the series I am missing.
But what made REmake and Resident Evil 4 work best for me was the fact that they were so isolated. I know the cut-scenes of REmake were campy, but the articles you find on the mansion's history were actually really interesting. This is why I argue that the first Resident Evil actually had a good story, just not a good plot (I know, semantics and such). Resident Evil 4 was a bit of a mixture, but a completely new threat allowed Resident Evil 4 to be its own thing. Sure, I missed the more Metroid-style exploration elements from the first game. I eat that shit up. But on the whole, Resident Evil 4 was allowed to step away from the story elements and try and expand the franchise.
Resident Evil 2, however, introduced the notion that Umbrella did more beyond this mansion. This is where the story of the franchise really does become absolutely ridiculous. There's no way a company would invest so much money into something that was hardly working the first time. "Oh look, our mansion went through some shitty times back in the day. Let's revive that research in 1998...in five or six different locations!"
No. That's just...no! That's stupid.
I was glad RE4 moved away from Umbrella, but then RE5 brought it back, things got more ridiculous, and now they've reached the inevitable worldwide contagion. Maybe this is a result of dumb ass fans on forums complaining that RE4 didn't have zombies. I dunno. But focusing on Umbrella instead of isolated events like in REmake and RE4 are, to me, what caused Resident Evil to descend from greatness.
I think only RE4 had the sense of self-aware humor that you're talking about. That would certainly help make it stand out, because that way you know that when you're laughing at the game, the game is laughing with you. There wasn't much of this in the games before it that I could see.
I know everyone is absolutely in love with 2 and claim it as the best one, and maybe I'd feel the same way if I didn't play REmake on the GameCube as my introduction to the series. I still haven't played RE3 and couldn't get more than ten minutes into Code Veronica, so there are some "essential" titles in the series I am missing.
But what made REmake and Resident Evil 4 work best for me was the fact that they were so isolated. I know the cut-scenes of REmake were campy, but the articles you find on the mansion's history were actually really interesting. This is why I argue that the first Resident Evil actually had a good story, just not a good plot (I know, semantics and such). Resident Evil 4 was a bit of a mixture, but a completely new threat allowed Resident Evil 4 to be its own thing. Sure, I missed the more Metroid-style exploration elements from the first game. I eat that shit up. But on the whole, Resident Evil 4 was allowed to step away from the story elements and try and expand the franchise.
Resident Evil 2, however, introduced the notion that Umbrella did more beyond this mansion. This is where the story of the franchise really does become absolutely ridiculous. There's no way a company would invest so much money into something that was hardly working the first time. "Oh look, our mansion went through some shitty times back in the day. Let's revive that research in 1998...in five or six different locations!"
No. That's just...no! That's stupid.
I was glad RE4 moved away from Umbrella, but then RE5 brought it back, things got more ridiculous, and now they've reached the inevitable worldwide contagion. Maybe this is a result of dumb ass fans on forums complaining that RE4 didn't have zombies. I dunno. But focusing on Umbrella instead of isolated events like in REmake and RE4 are, to me, what caused Resident Evil to descend from greatness.
I think only RE4 had the sense of self-aware humor that you're talking about. That would certainly help make it stand out, because that way you know that when you're laughing at the game, the game is laughing with you. There wasn't much of this in the games before it that I could see.
I think on a certain level (humorous or not) Umbrella being so "evil" in teh games instead of just being 'after profits - political influence - new markets' hurts teh stories.
- The Russian arms manufacture Kalashnikov isn't evil it just made and sold as many AK47 as it could for 50 years. Those weaposn killed MILLIONS in brush fire wars and ethnic clashes in the 3rd world.
- Union Carbide didn't mean for 3,500 died from spewed tons of highly toxic methyl isocyanate into the heart of Bhopal, India on December 3 1984. It happened...yet they tried to help fix it.
A corporation like Umbrella would do some nasty things, but in the end they would never be so diabolically evil or blindly evil even in a humorous game. What Umbrella does MAKES NO SENSE and I think on some level Capcom thinks making no sense is cool or okay. All stories need some logic, so when Capcom provides none their stories are thin.
- The Russian arms manufacture Kalashnikov isn't evil it just made and sold as many AK47 as it could for 50 years. Those weaposn killed MILLIONS in brush fire wars and ethnic clashes in the 3rd world.
- Union Carbide didn't mean for 3,500 died from spewed tons of highly toxic methyl isocyanate into the heart of Bhopal, India on December 3 1984. It happened...yet they tried to help fix it.
A corporation like Umbrella would do some nasty things, but in the end they would never be so diabolically evil or blindly evil even in a humorous game. What Umbrella does MAKES NO SENSE and I think on some level Capcom thinks making no sense is cool or okay. All stories need some logic, so when Capcom provides none their stories are thin.
