Many video game series have made their mark on the industry, but for 25 years Resident Evil has been at the forefront of the medium and pushing forward horror in video games. There’s been a definite resurgence in the zombie subgenre of horror that has taken the undead creatures in many directions, but Resident Evil was ahead of the curve and has continued to be seen as the leading zombie video game.
However, the Resident Evil games were instrumental in the popularization of the survival horror genre of video games, which has evolved from a niche interest to a mainstream category. Similarly, the Resident Evil series has evolved in several ways and it’s picked up and abandoned many tropes and habits, some of which are more successful than others.
10 Overdone: Cumbersome QTE Sequences
It’s fascinating to see how certain trends can completely take over video games as a whole and cause radical changes in control styles to service interests that don’t necessarily mesh with the established gameplay. Quick Time Event— also known as QTE— sequences became an unexpectedly popular phenomenon in all varieties of video games.
It becomes a nasty habit for Resident Evil during some of the middle entries in the series, when the franchise’s action sensibilities are at their highest. They definitely became overdone, but have thankfully calmed down and are no longer an extraneous presence.
9 Can’t Get Enough Of: Inspired Jump Scares
Jump scares are a mixed bag and they can represent both inspired and lazy impulses from horror, but they can be much more effective in video games because of the extra level of immersion.
The Resident Evil games have been pulling off effective jump scares since the very first game and they’ve continued to be some of the most frightening moments in the series. Even the games that aren’t very scary have at least one successful jump scare. It’s a type of horror that can be done in a lot of different ways and allows Resident Evil to get creative.
8 Overdone: New Characters With Convoluted Ties To The Existing Lore
The Resident Evil series has been going on for so long that it’s had opportunities to bring many new characters into the mix, usually in tandem with someone else’s exit.
It’s become common for Resident Evil to eventually reveal some dark past for these characters that actually makes them tied to past characters rather than truly representing something new. Resident Evil 6’s Jake Muller, for instance, turns out to be Wesker’s son and it adds to the needlessly convoluted lore of the series. These chances to explore new territory just cling to the past.
7 Can’t Get Enough Of: Swapping Between More Than One Protagonist
A tradition that’s been present since the original Resident Evil is to tell a narrative through more than one protagonist, who can either be swapped between within the narrative or featured through complimentary stories. This is such a fun way to give out information and it’s helped Resident Evil introduce some excellent protagonists that are still present to this day.
Admittedly, some of the later Resident Evil games push this principle too far with excessive playable characters, but they’ve learned how to apply restraint and maintain this element as a highlight.
6 Overdone: Unnecessary Escort Missions
The Resident Evil games are able to cater towards multiple styles and genres of gameplay and it’s what helped the series stick around for so long. One feature that’s prominent in Resident Evil 4 and gets returned to on multiple occasions is that the player will need to protect a defenseless character on an escort mission.
This change of pace that requires a more disciplined and strategic mindset isn’t a bad idea, but the series just begins to turn to it too often to the point where it’s a bit of a tacked on cliché and not actually justified.
5 Can’t Get Enough Of: Boss Battles Against Gigantic Creatures
Resident Evil has come a long way from just being a series about zombies and there’s been exceptional variety in not just the common enemies that are faced, but also the boss battles that occur.
Even the early games in the series figure out how to create thrilling spectacles with giant monsters, like Resident Evil 2’s giant alligator or any of the lengthy final Tyrant boss battles that occur through multiple stages. Resident Evil 8 is the apex of this with bosses that are on a whole other level, but are all such memorable experiences.
4 Overdone: Stories Always Coming Back To Umbrella & S.T.A.R.S.
Resident Evil has been able to establish a comprehensive mythology over the course of its core series and spin-off titles, which is typically very satisfying. It’s helped that the games have eventually been willing to remove themselves from Raccoon City, but they’re still shackled to the heavy involvement of Umbrella and S.T.A.R.S.
Their omnipresence can definitely rob elements of tension and fear. Resident Evil 7 fixed this to some degree with Ethan, but then it slowly moves back to Chris Redfield and removes the everyman from the equation by the end of Resident Evil 8.
3 Can’t Get Enough Of: Emergency Escape Sequences
One staple of the original Resident Evil games that’s slightly fallen out of fashion is that any final battle set in a secret Umbrella laboratory would be followed with a time-sensitive self-destruct sequence where the player has to escape.
There’s an extra level of pressure present as a clock counts down on the player and threatens defeat even after the accomplishment of taking out the boss. The series knows to not overuse this device and it’s left as a nostalgic challenge that’s due to make a return.
2 Overdone: Characters Have Grown Into Action Movie Caricatures
There’s a natural urge for a series to get bigger with each new installment and Resident Evil is certainly guilty of this, in some games more than others. Resident Evil remains a horror series, but it really leans into the action angle for Resident Evil 5 and 6. The characters follow suit and they begin to feel like the action stereotypes that are in movies.
Characters perform martial arts, engage in elaborate fight sequences, and even punch boulders, all of which heightens things a little too far and removes much of what made them likable in the first place.
1 Can’t Get Enough Of: The Creepy Use Of The First-Person Perspective
The Resident Evil series begins from a fixed third-person perspective that has a lot to do with the technological limitations of the times. This third-person view has been present for most of the series, although the fixed camera angles have progressively vanished and other aesthetics shifts have taken place.
Resident Evil 7 and 8 find great success and amplify the horror through a first-person perspective. The series hasn’t run this change into the ground and it’s still finding exciting ways to use first-person to its advantage. It’s been a rejuvenating change.