The 10-Best Video-Game Franchises
- July 10, 2006 15:28 PM PST
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The Resident Evil series thrives on creating a suspenseful fever pitch.
5. Resident Evil
Developed by Capcom
It was a simple premise: members of a special-forces police unit are trapped in a mansion infested with zombies, mutated dogs, and other monsters. Aside from the blood and gore, it was one of the first console games that was actually scary-just check out the classic scene when that dog crashes through the window.
Technically, the atmosphere was simple to create. Characters were placed in hi-resolution, pre-rendered environments that created static camera angles that oddly enough enhanced the feeling of dread. The atmosphere and mood were potent enough to overshadow some fundamental flaws: moving characters was akin to driving a car, and once you ran out of ammunition, all you could do was flee. Nevertheless, RE was a sensation, creating its own sub-genre-the "survival-horror" category where imitators, such as Silent Hill, found a comfortable niche.
The stakes were high for Resident Evil 2, and the development team knew it. So when their 60-percent complete working version wasn't up to snuff, they scrapped everything and started over from scratch. When completed, RE2 was a huge hit, and, in addition to telling a scary story, introduced key innovative mechanics-such as two playable characters and parallel narratives where actions taken by one character affected the others' play scenario.
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis took monsters out of the mansion and put them on the streets of Raccoon City.
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis and Code: Veronica re-played familiar ground laid in the first two titles and fans began to wonder if the series was running out of steam. Then, in 2002, Capcom made the franchise exclusive to the GameCube, and kicked-off the deal with a complete remake of the first game. Fueled by dynamite graphics and re-worked levels, Nintendo's console seemed to be a perfect new home for the series. The follow-up, 0, took place before the events of the first game and featured a "buddy system," where you had to switch between two different characters on the fly in order to collectively guide them to safety and bring the game to a conclusion.
The franchise also entered the online arena, with Outbreak, and the game was enough of a success to warrant a sequel, File #2. RE also ventured into the first-person shooter genre with Dead Aim. But these side stories and spin-offs didn't add much to the RE universe and only created momentum for the next numbered game in the series.
There was a ton of speculation regarding Resident Evil 4, and the gaming community was collectively blown away when it was finally shown. The game re-wrote most of the rules: no zombies, no pre-rendered backgrounds, and full 3D action that allowed one to jump through windows, off rooftops, and barricade doors. It was a prime example of a series successfully re-inventing itself, but it managed to play to its core strength-being scary-amid a slew of new technical innovations.--Major Mike
Resident Evil 0 was a prequel to the first game, and it told the story of Rebecca Chambers and how she arrived at the fateful mansion.
Key Games in the Resident Evil Series
- Resident Evil (PlayStation/1996)
- Resident Evil Director's Cut (PlayStation/1997)
- Resident Evil 2 (PlayStation/1998)
- Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (PlayStation/1999)
- Resident Evil Code: Veronica (Dreamcast/2000)
- Resident Evil Code: Veronica X (PS2/2001)
- Resident Evil (GameCube/2002)
- Resident Evil 0 (GameCube/2002)
- Resident Evil Outbreak (PS2/2004)
- Resident Evil 4 (GameCube/2005)
