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Elden Ring
2022
FromSoftware at its absolute best. Where do I even begin?
Like Zelda BOTW, you're essentially thrown into the Lands Between and told "figure it out." It was intimidating at first. But once I got my bearings, I wanted to search every nook and cranny there was, and unlike BOTW, I was actually rewarded for my efforts with a new boss, or new weapon, or new summon, or new armor, or new NPC/quest, or new dungeon! The amount of varying rewards alone were enough to keep my exploration spirits high.
As far as bosses go, I'm aware that this roster is polarizing. First I will say that in terms of designs, nearly all bosses hit it out of the park. There are a couple of dud mini-bosses but I excuse that since the roster is so large. However, there is definitely a scaling issue that happens once you enter the last area of the main game, but in all honesty most FromSoft games have this issue to some extent. On my first playthrough, I did find myself caught in the "this is too hard by myself, too easy with summons/a buddy" camp, but on my NG+ playthrough where I forced myself to gut it out solo, I felt that patented satisfaction that you don't find in any other games.
My main reason for being okay with some boss difficulties is that the amount of weapons you can arm yourself with is astounding. I believe there are over 300 different armaments you can equip, and that leaves more than one for each situation. Knowing bosses resistances and switching your gameplan to attack that weakness is critical, and it's never been easier to utilize another weapon than in Elden Ring.
On top of that, you can re-spec your build almost as many times as you want! (provided you have enough larval tears). Having that option of totally changing your character's strengths and weaknesses is something that was absent in most other FromSoft games, and if it was there it was much more obscure with much less available respecs per playthrough. So I appreciated that feature immensely.
Elden Ring is as close to perfect you can get in a video game, in my opinion. To be as big as it is and perform as well as it does while you're playing is an achievement that I don't think enough people appreciate. Shadow of the Erdtree cannot come soon enough.
Like Zelda BOTW, you're essentially thrown into the Lands Between and told "figure it out." It was intimidating at first. But once I got my bearings, I wanted to search every nook and cranny there was, and unlike BOTW, I was actually rewarded for my efforts with a new boss, or new weapon, or new summon, or new armor, or new NPC/quest, or new dungeon! The amount of varying rewards alone were enough to keep my exploration spirits high.
As far as bosses go, I'm aware that this roster is polarizing. First I will say that in terms of designs, nearly all bosses hit it out of the park. There are a couple of dud mini-bosses but I excuse that since the roster is so large. However, there is definitely a scaling issue that happens once you enter the last area of the main game, but in all honesty most FromSoft games have this issue to some extent. On my first playthrough, I did find myself caught in the "this is too hard by myself, too easy with summons/a buddy" camp, but on my NG+ playthrough where I forced myself to gut it out solo, I felt that patented satisfaction that you don't find in any other games.
My main reason for being okay with some boss difficulties is that the amount of weapons you can arm yourself with is astounding. I believe there are over 300 different armaments you can equip, and that leaves more than one for each situation. Knowing bosses resistances and switching your gameplan to attack that weakness is critical, and it's never been easier to utilize another weapon than in Elden Ring.
On top of that, you can re-spec your build almost as many times as you want! (provided you have enough larval tears). Having that option of totally changing your character's strengths and weaknesses is something that was absent in most other FromSoft games, and if it was there it was much more obscure with much less available respecs per playthrough. So I appreciated that feature immensely.
Elden Ring is as close to perfect you can get in a video game, in my opinion. To be as big as it is and perform as well as it does while you're playing is an achievement that I don't think enough people appreciate. Shadow of the Erdtree cannot come soon enough.
Class of '09
2021
“I'm a thin girl do I fucking look like I play video games? I'd rather play dead at a necrophilia convention.“ meee anytime a man tries to talk to me about video games
the space that’s between insane (mall goth/scene girl) and insecure (tumblr grunge)
written like weird and cynical pomo books of the 90s, underneath that hate there’s a lot to be said about how sad and listless the experience of being a teenager in general is and esp when ur shaped at a rlly young age from traumatic events that had nothing to do w u. most of the characters r just rlly sad and depressing ppl but cover that up w irony, zillenial ass vn. think nicole is like so insanely well written esp w how she deals w her trauma.
one of the only pieces of media ive consumed where it rlly gets across how sociopathic and entitled being a teenage girl is. ik this was written by a man but more often than not I felt that this was fairly empathetic towards the women in the game. think “hell is a teenage girl” type media only works for me as parody or melodrama, when aiming for realism it kind of falls entirely flat for me bc being a teenage girl feels too big to be constrained as realistic fiction. it’s why margaret (2011) hits hard for me but lady bird (2017) doesn’t
lowk huge into every single ending just being on a sliding scale of bad, there’s no true or good ending, it just all sucks lol. much like how being a teenage girl in hs sucked and much like how there’s no true experience to that or to womanhood in general. rlly rlly cynical worldview so I do get if someone doesn’t fuck w it but for me it worked so wonderfully bc wasn’t scared to show realistic scenarios and conversations just done through a v heightened way
the space that’s between insane (mall goth/scene girl) and insecure (tumblr grunge)
written like weird and cynical pomo books of the 90s, underneath that hate there’s a lot to be said about how sad and listless the experience of being a teenager in general is and esp when ur shaped at a rlly young age from traumatic events that had nothing to do w u. most of the characters r just rlly sad and depressing ppl but cover that up w irony, zillenial ass vn. think nicole is like so insanely well written esp w how she deals w her trauma.
one of the only pieces of media ive consumed where it rlly gets across how sociopathic and entitled being a teenage girl is. ik this was written by a man but more often than not I felt that this was fairly empathetic towards the women in the game. think “hell is a teenage girl” type media only works for me as parody or melodrama, when aiming for realism it kind of falls entirely flat for me bc being a teenage girl feels too big to be constrained as realistic fiction. it’s why margaret (2011) hits hard for me but lady bird (2017) doesn’t
lowk huge into every single ending just being on a sliding scale of bad, there’s no true or good ending, it just all sucks lol. much like how being a teenage girl in hs sucked and much like how there’s no true experience to that or to womanhood in general. rlly rlly cynical worldview so I do get if someone doesn’t fuck w it but for me it worked so wonderfully bc wasn’t scared to show realistic scenarios and conversations just done through a v heightened way
Now before I begin I just want to clarify this:
This is strictly my own opinion. If you disagree with me, more power to you. Just keep the comments civil and respectful.
!THIS IS A RE-UPLOAD OF AN ARTICLE FIRST PUBLISHED ON LETTERBOXD BACK IN OCTOBER 2021!
Hello and welcome back.
This is PART 7 of
SEASON OF THE EVIL!
This is it, folks. The last review of the month and boy howdy, what a ride it has been.
Capping off my Resident Evil review series, I'll be discussing the very game that officially got me into the franchise in the first place.
After the release of RE6, the majority of fans were left more than disappointed by how the final product turned out. It just seemed like barely anybody wanted to play survival-horror games anymore, let alone make them. Sure, there were some indie titles over the years like Slender and Outlast but other than that, no major developers wanted to touch the genre ever again. This is even more apparent when Konami infamously cancelled a much-anticipated entry in the Silent Hill series for whatever stupid fucking reason.
Yep, it seemed like the survival-horror genre is doomed to be brushed off as a passe fad that only hardcore internet nerds care about. But then, in 2015, a special demo was presented at E3 simply called "Kitchen" which was made to show off a brand new achievement in game visual design which would later be called the RE Engine. At first, people have been speculating on what Capcom had planned for this mysterious title. Is this a brand new IP? Is this a new Dead Rising? What? WHAT?!
And then... E3 2016 happened. To the surprise of absolutely everybody, the game was fully revealed to be the seventh(technically ninth, counting RE0 and Code: Veronica) mainline chapter in the Resident Evil series. Everybody lost their shit that day as the wishes of a million fans came true. Not only was it gonna bring the series back to it's survival-horror roots but it also spiced things up to still keep it fresh like a shift to first-person gameplay, virtual-reality support and a much darker and more sadistic style and tone. It was the game that RE purists wanted and once the game came out back in January 2017, it was a big hit. Critics and fans considered it a perfect mixture of familiar and fresh and it even managed to do very well commercially as it ranked in $394 million in sales. How awesome is that, you may ask? Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, which came out around the same time, made about $312.2 million. Roughly a close call but WOW! That means that more people were interested in playing a new survival-horror experience rather than putting up with more of Alice's horseshit escapades. SUCK IT, PAUL ANDERSON!!!
Thanks to RE7's success, it officially brought back people's faith in the franchise and since then, we were no longer ashamed to be excited for a new upcoming title whether it be a remake of a classic game or an entirely new installment.
As for me? Well, here's the thing: RE7 was the whole reason I wanted to do this event in the first place(aside from the fact that it's the franchise's 25th anniversary). Last year, when I was still trying super-hard to calm myself during lockdown, I initially wanted to experience something new. So I asked my brother if I can borrow his copy of the game for the PS4. It was the first proper game I've ever played through in this series and ever since then, I've been hooked.
Beforehand, I was a bit apprehensive to play horror games as I found them too intimidating for my liking(and no, it's not because I'm a scaredy cat), feeling that I wouldn't get on with them well the same way I wouldn't be able to get on with RPGs well(the ones that aren't South Park anyway). I mean, I've played Telltale's Walking Dead series but I was more referring to the ones that require the most skill and balls, and to be frankly honest, RE7 wasn't really the first of that kind I've played all the way through. It was the original Dead Space which I actually managed to enjoy.
So when I first popped in this title and gave it a go, it was quite the refreshing experience that I never thought I would truly get into but my god, never have I ever been so glad that I did.
So, in honor of the Halloween season, I'll be finishing off the SEASON OF THE EVIL by looking back at the game that made me a fan in the first place: Resident Evil 7.
STORY & CHARACTERIZATION:
Four years after the events of RE6, the game focuses on Ethan Winters, an average joe who is drawn to a derelict plantation in Louisiana after receiving a message from his wife, Mia, who was presumed to have died some time ago.
He then arrives at a seemingly-abandoned residence where he is soon held captive by the Bakers, a family that has been heavily corrupted by a bio-hazardous substance known as the Molded. After making a few risky escapes, Ethan finds himself looking for a way out of the house while also seeking answers as to what truly happened to Mia and when did this madness all happen.
After going way too big, bombastic and over-the-top with RE6, this entry makes the right choice of dialing shit down a notch all the while bringing back what made the series so iconic to begin with: The legit sense of dread, fear and mystery.
By going back to the survival-horror roots, the developers were given a chance to start things off fresh. We have here a bit of a smaller-scale tale that introduces a new cast of characters, new threats to encounter and new additions to the overall lore. It's an interesting and overall engaging story that keeps you guessing as the game progresses while still offering some fresh scares. Even as someone who usually complains about jump-scares, I'll admit, there were some cases here that did get a good fright out of me. It should also be worth noting that the game pays plenty of tribute to other well-known horror properties like Evil Dead, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Saw. If you've played the game, you'll probably know what I'm talking about.
It also helps that the cast did a fine job of driving the story forward. Out of all the RE protagonists, Ethan is probably the most casual of the bunch. He's not some badass biker or a nonchalant rookie cop or even a cocky mercenary. He's just a person who's every bit as normal as you can get. A simple-living man who was unfortunately roped into a hellish situation that forces him to toughen up and push through one horrific scenario after another and man, he goes through quite some shit. On top of that, the Bakers make for solid antagonists that really put up a hell of a good fight. Each have their own unique and sickening personalities and will do anything to fuck you up if you so much as underestimate them. There's Jack, who's body can regenerate even when heavily damaged, Lucas, who has a serious obsession with deadly games and puzzles, and Marguerite, who's ability to send out vicious bugs and spew hives from her privates make her probably the freakiest of them all. Other notable characters include Zoe, the most sane member of the family who acts as your guide through the Bakers' residence, and Mia, Ethan's wife whose involvement with the Bakers get far much deeper than one would imagine. There's also occurring appearances from the Bakers' catatonic grandmother and a mysterious little girl that could be considered the cause of the Molded corruption.
As the game progresses, the mystery gets unfolded one piece of info at a time and each time you learn something new, the situation feels more hectic than it needs to be resulting in a tight horror experience that I doubt anyone is gonna forget.
GAMEPLAY & CONTROLS:
Besides bringing Resident Evil back to it's old roots, RE7 also had the bright idea of bringing back gameplay elements from the classic titles. Inventory management, non-linear exploration, puzzle-solving, ammo-conservation and even though checkpoints are around, the save rooms and item boxes also make a comeback. Hell, on the hardest difficulty mode, limited saves also return so fans should be happy with what the game offers.
On top of integrating these familiar mechanics, it also spices things up with a few fresh ones. For example, this is an entirely first-person experience as opposed to either fixed camera angles with tank controls or over-the-shoulders third-person gameplay. For the record, this isn't the first time RE translated to the FPS genre but I think everybody will agree that this was a more successful effort.
RE7 plays beautifully. Not a single jerky movement or even any buggy bullshit. The controls just feel right and every move you make corresponds wonderfully resulting in a fair and challenging experience. Every shot you take, every item you collect, it all feels like a fine-ass puzzle again. I swear, it has never been more satisfying to craft new weapons, ammo, healing items and whatnot.
Not to mention, there are special little secrets for gaining new stuff if you got a good eye for details and you can even upgrade your health and reloading speed through the use of steroids and stabilizers. Oh, and you also got these special drugs that help you locate the most well-hidden of items if you happen to get stumped on certain occasions.
In regards to the puzzles, they're just as satisfying to solve as ever. Some are simple but pretty damn neat at the same time. There's even a few times where you play through special segments via video-tapes to get a good idea of what's gonna come ahead, forcing you to put your memory to the test for later on. But be warned that if you intend on replaying this game, don't bother using your knowledge to skip certain segments and peel off some playtime because the programmers won't allow it. Believe me, I tried.
The exploration is as engaging as ever, the bosses are intense, the Molded are quite the fright to fight, it's just a bloody blast that'll keep you on the edge of your seat throughout your 6-12 hours of playtime.
If I did have one complaint about the gameplay and overall story, it's this one part after you fight Jack for a third time where you have a choice of either curing Mia or Zoe of the Molded. By saving Mia, you get the canonical ending where both her and Ethan live on to start a new life together. By saving Zoe, she ends up dying anyway despite being cured, you end up killing Mia and by the end, you have to start that new life alone. This is my only noticeable gripe with the game as far as I'm concerned as I don't even know what was the point of it. Barely anything about the gameplay or story changes and overall, such illusion of choice is just a cheap cop-out. Just stick to saving Mia for the real ending. There's no point in choosing Zoe aside from a little achievement.
But aside from that problem, the game is still a great time.
Oh, and it also should be worth mentioning that there's some extra DLC that either expands on the story like "Not a Hero" and "End of Zoe", gives you a hell of a challenge like "Ethan Must Die" or simply exists just for fun like "Jack's 55th Birthday". However, you gotta have to pay for most of it. My advice: Get the Gold Edition if you want the complete experience in one package.
PRODUCTION & VISUALS:
Being the first game to be built using the RE Engine, RE7 manages to sell the frights beautifully with, at the time, state-of-the-art graphics that really showed off how slimy, grimy, moldy(no pun intended) and overall disgusting these environments can be.
Sure, a few textures may have gotten a little muddy overtime but other than that, this game still looks amazing from a visual standpoint. The Baker Residence instantly engraves into your mind long after the game is over, the designs of the various monsters you face are equally as terrifying, this is what you call a perfect comeback for Resident Evil's glory days.
But besides the wonderful art direction, composers Akiyuki Morimoto, Miwako Chinone and Satoshi Hori upped the ante with a chilling and intense score that really gets your blood pumping for the crazy shit that's due to come your way. Oh, and who could forget that iconic rendition of "Go Tell Aunt Rhody"? I mean, c'mon!
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Overall, there is no better way to bring the franchise back to it's survival-horror roots than with Resident Evil 7.
It has an engaging story with some great scares, a solid cast of characters, chilling and fun surprises left and right and basically, it just plays very well.
It is such a enjoyable experience that I'm more than glad that this was my first RE game. Had I not mustered up the strength to try this game out, I would've never bothered to play many of the other entries and experience what this franchise has to offer. It's such an absolute gem that I honestly had a hard time choosing between this and RE1 as my favorite entry. Both are awesome games that truly embody what Resident Evil is all about but I'll always treasure RE7 as not only a great game but a solid introduction to a greater world.
And with that, the SEASON OF THE EVIL is finally over.
Thank you so much for sticking with me throughout the whole event, it's been loads of fun. I never thought I'd be able to pull off video game reviews as well as movie reviews but I'd like to think I nailed it. I had such a blast playing through these games and discussing my opinions on them, I honestly haven't had this much fun on the site for a while.
Normally, this is the part where I would end it right here and say my goodbyes but unfortunately, I can't do so without at least addressing Resident Evil 8, the latest installment in the series.
At the time I'm still touching up this article ready for publishing, I still haven't played it yet mainly because I wanted to wait until the right time when I can get my hands on it whether it be finally getting it to go along with a new console or just waiting for the price to go down for a pre-gen copy.
A little disappointing, I know, and I'm sorry if you feel that way. If possible, I could make it up to you by maybe doing a game review every once in a while.
Not too frequently though as some games take so long to finish and sometimes, certain games are a little too hard for me to finish at all. So it's all about choosing the right title that's up for a review from the likes of me and if you can accept that, I appreciate it.
That all being said though, once again, thank you so much for taking the time to read all that shit throughout October. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did pulling it off. Be sure to stick around for more content in the future and, until the next review, have a Happy Fuckin' Halloween!.
CURRENT AFTER-NOTE: A review of Resident Evil: Village will be up later this month.
This is strictly my own opinion. If you disagree with me, more power to you. Just keep the comments civil and respectful.
!THIS IS A RE-UPLOAD OF AN ARTICLE FIRST PUBLISHED ON LETTERBOXD BACK IN OCTOBER 2021!
Hello and welcome back.
This is PART 7 of
SEASON OF THE EVIL!
This is it, folks. The last review of the month and boy howdy, what a ride it has been.
Capping off my Resident Evil review series, I'll be discussing the very game that officially got me into the franchise in the first place.
After the release of RE6, the majority of fans were left more than disappointed by how the final product turned out. It just seemed like barely anybody wanted to play survival-horror games anymore, let alone make them. Sure, there were some indie titles over the years like Slender and Outlast but other than that, no major developers wanted to touch the genre ever again. This is even more apparent when Konami infamously cancelled a much-anticipated entry in the Silent Hill series for whatever stupid fucking reason.
Yep, it seemed like the survival-horror genre is doomed to be brushed off as a passe fad that only hardcore internet nerds care about. But then, in 2015, a special demo was presented at E3 simply called "Kitchen" which was made to show off a brand new achievement in game visual design which would later be called the RE Engine. At first, people have been speculating on what Capcom had planned for this mysterious title. Is this a brand new IP? Is this a new Dead Rising? What? WHAT?!
And then... E3 2016 happened. To the surprise of absolutely everybody, the game was fully revealed to be the seventh(technically ninth, counting RE0 and Code: Veronica) mainline chapter in the Resident Evil series. Everybody lost their shit that day as the wishes of a million fans came true. Not only was it gonna bring the series back to it's survival-horror roots but it also spiced things up to still keep it fresh like a shift to first-person gameplay, virtual-reality support and a much darker and more sadistic style and tone. It was the game that RE purists wanted and once the game came out back in January 2017, it was a big hit. Critics and fans considered it a perfect mixture of familiar and fresh and it even managed to do very well commercially as it ranked in $394 million in sales. How awesome is that, you may ask? Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, which came out around the same time, made about $312.2 million. Roughly a close call but WOW! That means that more people were interested in playing a new survival-horror experience rather than putting up with more of Alice's horseshit escapades. SUCK IT, PAUL ANDERSON!!!
Thanks to RE7's success, it officially brought back people's faith in the franchise and since then, we were no longer ashamed to be excited for a new upcoming title whether it be a remake of a classic game or an entirely new installment.
As for me? Well, here's the thing: RE7 was the whole reason I wanted to do this event in the first place(aside from the fact that it's the franchise's 25th anniversary). Last year, when I was still trying super-hard to calm myself during lockdown, I initially wanted to experience something new. So I asked my brother if I can borrow his copy of the game for the PS4. It was the first proper game I've ever played through in this series and ever since then, I've been hooked.
Beforehand, I was a bit apprehensive to play horror games as I found them too intimidating for my liking(and no, it's not because I'm a scaredy cat), feeling that I wouldn't get on with them well the same way I wouldn't be able to get on with RPGs well(the ones that aren't South Park anyway). I mean, I've played Telltale's Walking Dead series but I was more referring to the ones that require the most skill and balls, and to be frankly honest, RE7 wasn't really the first of that kind I've played all the way through. It was the original Dead Space which I actually managed to enjoy.
So when I first popped in this title and gave it a go, it was quite the refreshing experience that I never thought I would truly get into but my god, never have I ever been so glad that I did.
So, in honor of the Halloween season, I'll be finishing off the SEASON OF THE EVIL by looking back at the game that made me a fan in the first place: Resident Evil 7.
STORY & CHARACTERIZATION:
Four years after the events of RE6, the game focuses on Ethan Winters, an average joe who is drawn to a derelict plantation in Louisiana after receiving a message from his wife, Mia, who was presumed to have died some time ago.
He then arrives at a seemingly-abandoned residence where he is soon held captive by the Bakers, a family that has been heavily corrupted by a bio-hazardous substance known as the Molded. After making a few risky escapes, Ethan finds himself looking for a way out of the house while also seeking answers as to what truly happened to Mia and when did this madness all happen.
After going way too big, bombastic and over-the-top with RE6, this entry makes the right choice of dialing shit down a notch all the while bringing back what made the series so iconic to begin with: The legit sense of dread, fear and mystery.
By going back to the survival-horror roots, the developers were given a chance to start things off fresh. We have here a bit of a smaller-scale tale that introduces a new cast of characters, new threats to encounter and new additions to the overall lore. It's an interesting and overall engaging story that keeps you guessing as the game progresses while still offering some fresh scares. Even as someone who usually complains about jump-scares, I'll admit, there were some cases here that did get a good fright out of me. It should also be worth noting that the game pays plenty of tribute to other well-known horror properties like Evil Dead, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Saw. If you've played the game, you'll probably know what I'm talking about.
It also helps that the cast did a fine job of driving the story forward. Out of all the RE protagonists, Ethan is probably the most casual of the bunch. He's not some badass biker or a nonchalant rookie cop or even a cocky mercenary. He's just a person who's every bit as normal as you can get. A simple-living man who was unfortunately roped into a hellish situation that forces him to toughen up and push through one horrific scenario after another and man, he goes through quite some shit. On top of that, the Bakers make for solid antagonists that really put up a hell of a good fight. Each have their own unique and sickening personalities and will do anything to fuck you up if you so much as underestimate them. There's Jack, who's body can regenerate even when heavily damaged, Lucas, who has a serious obsession with deadly games and puzzles, and Marguerite, who's ability to send out vicious bugs and spew hives from her privates make her probably the freakiest of them all. Other notable characters include Zoe, the most sane member of the family who acts as your guide through the Bakers' residence, and Mia, Ethan's wife whose involvement with the Bakers get far much deeper than one would imagine. There's also occurring appearances from the Bakers' catatonic grandmother and a mysterious little girl that could be considered the cause of the Molded corruption.
As the game progresses, the mystery gets unfolded one piece of info at a time and each time you learn something new, the situation feels more hectic than it needs to be resulting in a tight horror experience that I doubt anyone is gonna forget.
GAMEPLAY & CONTROLS:
Besides bringing Resident Evil back to it's old roots, RE7 also had the bright idea of bringing back gameplay elements from the classic titles. Inventory management, non-linear exploration, puzzle-solving, ammo-conservation and even though checkpoints are around, the save rooms and item boxes also make a comeback. Hell, on the hardest difficulty mode, limited saves also return so fans should be happy with what the game offers.
On top of integrating these familiar mechanics, it also spices things up with a few fresh ones. For example, this is an entirely first-person experience as opposed to either fixed camera angles with tank controls or over-the-shoulders third-person gameplay. For the record, this isn't the first time RE translated to the FPS genre but I think everybody will agree that this was a more successful effort.
RE7 plays beautifully. Not a single jerky movement or even any buggy bullshit. The controls just feel right and every move you make corresponds wonderfully resulting in a fair and challenging experience. Every shot you take, every item you collect, it all feels like a fine-ass puzzle again. I swear, it has never been more satisfying to craft new weapons, ammo, healing items and whatnot.
Not to mention, there are special little secrets for gaining new stuff if you got a good eye for details and you can even upgrade your health and reloading speed through the use of steroids and stabilizers. Oh, and you also got these special drugs that help you locate the most well-hidden of items if you happen to get stumped on certain occasions.
In regards to the puzzles, they're just as satisfying to solve as ever. Some are simple but pretty damn neat at the same time. There's even a few times where you play through special segments via video-tapes to get a good idea of what's gonna come ahead, forcing you to put your memory to the test for later on. But be warned that if you intend on replaying this game, don't bother using your knowledge to skip certain segments and peel off some playtime because the programmers won't allow it. Believe me, I tried.
The exploration is as engaging as ever, the bosses are intense, the Molded are quite the fright to fight, it's just a bloody blast that'll keep you on the edge of your seat throughout your 6-12 hours of playtime.
If I did have one complaint about the gameplay and overall story, it's this one part after you fight Jack for a third time where you have a choice of either curing Mia or Zoe of the Molded. By saving Mia, you get the canonical ending where both her and Ethan live on to start a new life together. By saving Zoe, she ends up dying anyway despite being cured, you end up killing Mia and by the end, you have to start that new life alone. This is my only noticeable gripe with the game as far as I'm concerned as I don't even know what was the point of it. Barely anything about the gameplay or story changes and overall, such illusion of choice is just a cheap cop-out. Just stick to saving Mia for the real ending. There's no point in choosing Zoe aside from a little achievement.
But aside from that problem, the game is still a great time.
Oh, and it also should be worth mentioning that there's some extra DLC that either expands on the story like "Not a Hero" and "End of Zoe", gives you a hell of a challenge like "Ethan Must Die" or simply exists just for fun like "Jack's 55th Birthday". However, you gotta have to pay for most of it. My advice: Get the Gold Edition if you want the complete experience in one package.
PRODUCTION & VISUALS:
Being the first game to be built using the RE Engine, RE7 manages to sell the frights beautifully with, at the time, state-of-the-art graphics that really showed off how slimy, grimy, moldy(no pun intended) and overall disgusting these environments can be.
Sure, a few textures may have gotten a little muddy overtime but other than that, this game still looks amazing from a visual standpoint. The Baker Residence instantly engraves into your mind long after the game is over, the designs of the various monsters you face are equally as terrifying, this is what you call a perfect comeback for Resident Evil's glory days.
But besides the wonderful art direction, composers Akiyuki Morimoto, Miwako Chinone and Satoshi Hori upped the ante with a chilling and intense score that really gets your blood pumping for the crazy shit that's due to come your way. Oh, and who could forget that iconic rendition of "Go Tell Aunt Rhody"? I mean, c'mon!
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Overall, there is no better way to bring the franchise back to it's survival-horror roots than with Resident Evil 7.
It has an engaging story with some great scares, a solid cast of characters, chilling and fun surprises left and right and basically, it just plays very well.
It is such a enjoyable experience that I'm more than glad that this was my first RE game. Had I not mustered up the strength to try this game out, I would've never bothered to play many of the other entries and experience what this franchise has to offer. It's such an absolute gem that I honestly had a hard time choosing between this and RE1 as my favorite entry. Both are awesome games that truly embody what Resident Evil is all about but I'll always treasure RE7 as not only a great game but a solid introduction to a greater world.
And with that, the SEASON OF THE EVIL is finally over.
Thank you so much for sticking with me throughout the whole event, it's been loads of fun. I never thought I'd be able to pull off video game reviews as well as movie reviews but I'd like to think I nailed it. I had such a blast playing through these games and discussing my opinions on them, I honestly haven't had this much fun on the site for a while.
Normally, this is the part where I would end it right here and say my goodbyes but unfortunately, I can't do so without at least addressing Resident Evil 8, the latest installment in the series.
At the time I'm still touching up this article ready for publishing, I still haven't played it yet mainly because I wanted to wait until the right time when I can get my hands on it whether it be finally getting it to go along with a new console or just waiting for the price to go down for a pre-gen copy.
A little disappointing, I know, and I'm sorry if you feel that way. If possible, I could make it up to you by maybe doing a game review every once in a while.
Not too frequently though as some games take so long to finish and sometimes, certain games are a little too hard for me to finish at all. So it's all about choosing the right title that's up for a review from the likes of me and if you can accept that, I appreciate it.
That all being said though, once again, thank you so much for taking the time to read all that shit throughout October. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did pulling it off. Be sure to stick around for more content in the future and, until the next review, have a Happy Fuckin' Halloween!.
CURRENT AFTER-NOTE: A review of Resident Evil: Village will be up later this month.
Resident Evil 3
2020
There are a couple nice improvements here but overall this one kinda pales in comparison to 2 and even 1. The puzzle areas were never nearly as intricate as the best of the first two games. The focus on action was fine but the combat mechanics didn't really lend themselves to it and throwing hoards of enemies at you often felt tedious.
Nemesis was kinda cool I guess; I liked his design but the understated approach to the tyrant in the first game was missed here. It also wasn't nearly as satisfying to ultimately take it down. Still, it's a pretty enjoyable experience.
Nemesis was kinda cool I guess; I liked his design but the understated approach to the tyrant in the first game was missed here. It also wasn't nearly as satisfying to ultimately take it down. Still, it's a pretty enjoyable experience.
Resident Evil 3
2020
Now before I begin I just want to clarify this:
This is strictly my own opinion. If you disagree with me, more power to you. Just keep the comments civil and respectful.
!THIS IS A RE-UPLOAD OF AN ARTICLE FIRST PUBLISHED ON LETTERBOXD BACK IN OCTOBER 2021!
Hello and welcome back.
This is PART 3 of
SEASON OF THE EVIL!
Over one year after the success of Resident Evil 2, the third installment was immediately brought out onto store shelves and into the hands of excited gamers everywhere.
Originally a sideline title, Resident Evil 3 once again became a juggernaut both critically and financially with major praises being directed towards the new mechanics, non-linear structure and gameplay and intense action-packed scares.
By that point, the franchise was on a bloody roll. Resident Evil basically stood alongside Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon as one of the most iconic trilogies that the original PlayStation has been blessed with.
The 2020 remake, on the other hand, wasn't as lucky. Not that critics hated it as the reception was favorable at best but a good chunk of the fans seriously tore it to shreds. People have complained that it was a downgrade compared to the RE2 remake, saying that it's too short, the extra modes were replaced with an online multiplayer game that barely anybody wanted, alot of content was cut, it's too linear and shit like that. The RE3 remake may have it's defenders but aside from that, the die-hards have spoken that it was a disappointment.
Now before anybody bitches about me playing this version instead of the original PS1 classic, let me reiterate that as much as I would love to play the older games, I'd rather not risk wasting money on old copies that may not fuckin' work. The remakes were my best option since they were selling for a reasonable discount by the time I bought them so this is all you get.
I'm sure the original RE3 is awesome and a hundred times superior to the remake but until Capcom decides to port the PS1 games to modern consoles, this is the closest I'll get to experiencing the story. I'll be looking at the remake on it's own merits as I've done so in the last two reviews so please, save your angry typing finger energy for another time... preferably when Paul Anderson decides to ruin another beloved video game franchise in favor of showing off his wife like the nepotistic twat that he is. Thank god he's only an executive producer on Welcome to Raccoon City.
So with that out of the way, let's cap off the original trilogy with Resident Evil 3.
STORY & CHARACTERIZATION:
Taking place before and after the events of RE2, Jill Valentine, still reeling in from the Spencer Mansion Incident, awaits the moment she can get out of Raccoon City. However, she suddenly finds herself being ruthlessly chased out onto the streets by a seemingly-unstoppable monstrosity known as Nemesis, a new bio-weapon developed by Umbrella to hunt down and exterminate the remaining STARS members.
Joining up with a group of mercenaries, the survivors make a hell of an attempt to escape the city before they end up meeting a nasty-ass demise at the hands(and teeth) of the undead menace.
While the last two games definetly got the survival-horror feel down, this one goes for a more action-oriented approach with lots of explosions, gunfire and one-liners.
As a result, the stakes get higher and higher as the game progresses while still retaining a certain amount of fright throughout. As a cap-off to the Raccoon City saga, it makes for a hell of a finale while still leaving the door open for the story to continue(and of course, it did).
The characters are, without a doubt, the best thing about the story. Jill is every bit the determined badass that she was before and it also helps that she has a great supporting cast to work with. Early on in the game, she meets a group known as the Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Service(UBCS) who were sent in to rescue any surviving civilians. Although Jill was distrustful of them at first, she does see that most of the members are well-intentioned and end up becoming good partners with them later on. One of the members is Carlos Oliveira, a man who, despite his violent background, is a good-hearted and even funny companion whose back-&-forth with Jill is entertaining to listen to. The others like Tyrell Patrick and Mikhail Victor don't get much screen-time but they're pretty cool whenever they're on-screen.
Then we have our main villain, Nicholai Ginovaef, another member of the UBCS who turns out to be a mole sent in by an unknown corporation to sabotage Umbrella's attempts to cover their actions up while also monitoring bio-weapon activity for data purposes. This guy is just one scummy douchebag that I honestly wanted to get a chance to blow his brains out, especially after the scene where he basically just left Jill and Mikhail to die on the subway train. He is such a total asshole that he's honestly become one of my favorite RE villains and Neil Newbon does an excellent job selling these aspects with his performance.
There are other minor characters including Brad Vickers, a member of STARS who met his unfortunate end early on, and Nathaniel Bard, an Umbrella scientist who apparently knows how to cure the dreaded T-Virus.
So we got a great cast of characters, sick action set-pieces and some cool developments, what else is there to talk about? Well, the problems, actually.
Yeah, let's face facts, folks. RE3 is quite a short game. It only took about under 6-7 hours just to beat the story and keep in mind, there's only one campaign. There's no other where you can play through the perspective of another character like in the previous games. The pacing can be a bit too fast for it's own good and there's barely a moment where you can just take a breather, it's that quick to go through. On top of that, there's no extra modes, no mini-games, it just lacks the content variety that RE2 has and for a Triple-A title that sold for $60, that's inexcusable. Yes, there is the multiplayer add-on, RE: Resistance but here's the thing: Nobody wanted some sub-standard online game. They came for Resident Evil 3. Maybe it plays fine and actually can be fun but honestly, I can't be arsed to pay a monthly subscription for PS+. I'm not much of an online multiplayer gamer anyway.
I understand the defense that alot of RE games, if not, all of them, are quite short and are meant to be played through more than once. If you're able to use your knowledge of each entry wisely, you could easily strip off an hour or two on your next playthrough. I should know because I've seen people beat some of these games in about two hours or under... on the hardest difficulty imaginable. That's bloody insane.
So yeah, I get this defense but in the end, I still felt that a bit more extra content akin to RE2 shouldn't be a polite suggestion. Maybe give it another year of development is all I'm asking here.
Plus, I would've preferred if they saved the iconic "I'll Give You Stars" line for until the end when Jill finally kills off Nemesis for good.
So yeah, a bit short for it's own good, lacking in content and missed certain opportunities but as a whole, the story's still mildly enjoyable to play through.
GAMEPLAY & CONTROLS:
RE3 basically reuses alot of gameplay elements and assets from RE2, even going as far as to bring back the RPD station for a bit and to be fair, it still plays fine. The controls work pretty well, the shooting still feels good and for the most part, it does provide a fair challenge... and I say "for the most part" because this is, without a doubt, the hardest of the RE games I've played so far.
Fucking hell, certain parts are just relentless. If you thought Mr. X was a problem, Nemesis will do everything in his power to fuck you up badly. He's faster, he uses deadly weapons, he likes to spring out his tentacles, he's just a royal pain-in-the-ass. So much, in fact, that in the moments you're able to beat his ass down for now, you do feel great about yourself. I don't care if his encounters are scripted unlike Mr. X's, this guy is just one bad mother-fucker and the many set-pieces with him are pretty sweet to watch and play.
There's also this great moment where Jill is traversing through a power station that's been overrun by big-ass disgusting-looking insects, I mean, that shit had me spooked like crazy.
But while the game provides a good challenge from time to time, it does have a tendency to be very cheap. For example, the hospital segment. This is the part where the Hunters from RE1 make a comeback and they're much worse here. They soak up more damage than a T-Virus zombie's cranium, they like to dodge your attacks often and sometimes, their hits are an instant game over. Trying to kill those bastards with anything other than grenades, a shotgun or a launcher is a fucking nightmare. Even with the dodge mechanic, they're a pain to avoid and take down thus I ended up dying more times here than in other RE games.
Even worse is the part where you have to defend a currently-healing Jill from hoards of zombies, Hunters and other abominations while performing a couple tasks to stop them from coming in and my god, did I scream so loudly every time I died because I couldn't concentrate on so many things at a time.
Oh, and for some reason, they decided to throw in a little quick-time event whenever an enemy grabs you and no, it's not for defense items like in previous games. Every time you get grabbed, the X button icon appears so I assumed I had to tap it in order to escape the grasp. It didn't work and I ended up losing some health. Next time it happened, I tried holding the button. It didn't work and I ended up losing some health. No matter how I pressed the damn thing, the asswipe always gets a good bite out of me. Why did they implement this mechanic here when it doesn't even work, I have no fuckin' clue.
I've heard people complain about the lack of puzzles in this game and while I understand the frustration, I think it makes sense within the context of the setting. With RE1's Spencer Mansion, it was built upon limestone caverns which is where Umbrella's secret lab was set up so I'm pretty sure the guy in charge of construction would create little traps and puzzles to hide various key items that allow access to said lab. With RE2's police station, it was originally an art museum so there's a good chance the puzzles were made as a gimmick for guests to take part in. In RE3, why the hell would there be random-ass puzzles spread throughout the city? It just seems unrealistic and yes, I know it's a video game and I am aware that I tend to bitch about realism in entertainment but I've never said it's wrong to just have a reasonable amount of it.
It should be worth mentioning that once you beat the game, you unlock a shop that allows you to buy cool stuff using the points you've earned by gaining achievements. Also, there's an additional difficulty mode so I guess there's a bit of replay value for those who are up for 100% completion or are just plain masochists. After all, and I must reiterate, Resident Evil games are meant to be played through more than once.
So aside from it's shortcomings, the gameplay is perfectly-playable and controls just fine.
PRODUCTION & VISUALS:
Seeing how it once again makes use of the RE Engine, the game does indeed look great. Every character and monster looks about perfect, Raccoon City itself just looks amazing and there's just some cool visuals topped off with some neat sound design.
I guess if I did have one complaint, it's that unlike in RE2, you can't individually cut off a zombie's limbs aside from a shotgun blast to a leg or two but besides that, the graphics are pretty badass. For a supposedly rushed game that was put out a year after the RE2 remake to cash in on it's success, there aren't many technical issues I've noticed(aside from the occasional jittery zombie far off in the background).
In regards to soundtrack, Kota Suzuki and Azusa Kato take over scoring duties this time around and to be fair, their music is a little better than the last remake's. It definetly pumped me up whenever the next action set-piece took place.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Overall, Resident Evil 3 is definetly a downgrade from RE2. It lacks the content variety and it can be a bit too cheap at parts but at the same time, I liked the story, I love the characters and it still plays just as good as the last remake.
Despite it's faults, I am glad I played it. It's far from the worst game I've ever played but I get why people don't like it that much. If you're still interested in playing this one, be like me and wait for a sale. I got this off the PS Store for only £16.49 so it's a purchase I don't really regret. If you can, it's worth a rental.
But while Raccoon City maybe gone for good, a new sinister threat is due to be unleashed... in about six years. So tune in next time as I discuss Resident Evil 4.
AFTER-NOTE: BTW, before any Alien fans kill me for not bringing this up, William Hope, who played Gorman in Aliens, provided the voice and motion-capture for both Nathaniel and Mikhail. That's pretty awesome.
This is strictly my own opinion. If you disagree with me, more power to you. Just keep the comments civil and respectful.
!THIS IS A RE-UPLOAD OF AN ARTICLE FIRST PUBLISHED ON LETTERBOXD BACK IN OCTOBER 2021!
Hello and welcome back.
This is PART 3 of
SEASON OF THE EVIL!
Over one year after the success of Resident Evil 2, the third installment was immediately brought out onto store shelves and into the hands of excited gamers everywhere.
Originally a sideline title, Resident Evil 3 once again became a juggernaut both critically and financially with major praises being directed towards the new mechanics, non-linear structure and gameplay and intense action-packed scares.
By that point, the franchise was on a bloody roll. Resident Evil basically stood alongside Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon as one of the most iconic trilogies that the original PlayStation has been blessed with.
The 2020 remake, on the other hand, wasn't as lucky. Not that critics hated it as the reception was favorable at best but a good chunk of the fans seriously tore it to shreds. People have complained that it was a downgrade compared to the RE2 remake, saying that it's too short, the extra modes were replaced with an online multiplayer game that barely anybody wanted, alot of content was cut, it's too linear and shit like that. The RE3 remake may have it's defenders but aside from that, the die-hards have spoken that it was a disappointment.
Now before anybody bitches about me playing this version instead of the original PS1 classic, let me reiterate that as much as I would love to play the older games, I'd rather not risk wasting money on old copies that may not fuckin' work. The remakes were my best option since they were selling for a reasonable discount by the time I bought them so this is all you get.
I'm sure the original RE3 is awesome and a hundred times superior to the remake but until Capcom decides to port the PS1 games to modern consoles, this is the closest I'll get to experiencing the story. I'll be looking at the remake on it's own merits as I've done so in the last two reviews so please, save your angry typing finger energy for another time... preferably when Paul Anderson decides to ruin another beloved video game franchise in favor of showing off his wife like the nepotistic twat that he is. Thank god he's only an executive producer on Welcome to Raccoon City.
So with that out of the way, let's cap off the original trilogy with Resident Evil 3.
STORY & CHARACTERIZATION:
Taking place before and after the events of RE2, Jill Valentine, still reeling in from the Spencer Mansion Incident, awaits the moment she can get out of Raccoon City. However, she suddenly finds herself being ruthlessly chased out onto the streets by a seemingly-unstoppable monstrosity known as Nemesis, a new bio-weapon developed by Umbrella to hunt down and exterminate the remaining STARS members.
Joining up with a group of mercenaries, the survivors make a hell of an attempt to escape the city before they end up meeting a nasty-ass demise at the hands(and teeth) of the undead menace.
While the last two games definetly got the survival-horror feel down, this one goes for a more action-oriented approach with lots of explosions, gunfire and one-liners.
As a result, the stakes get higher and higher as the game progresses while still retaining a certain amount of fright throughout. As a cap-off to the Raccoon City saga, it makes for a hell of a finale while still leaving the door open for the story to continue(and of course, it did).
The characters are, without a doubt, the best thing about the story. Jill is every bit the determined badass that she was before and it also helps that she has a great supporting cast to work with. Early on in the game, she meets a group known as the Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Service(UBCS) who were sent in to rescue any surviving civilians. Although Jill was distrustful of them at first, she does see that most of the members are well-intentioned and end up becoming good partners with them later on. One of the members is Carlos Oliveira, a man who, despite his violent background, is a good-hearted and even funny companion whose back-&-forth with Jill is entertaining to listen to. The others like Tyrell Patrick and Mikhail Victor don't get much screen-time but they're pretty cool whenever they're on-screen.
Then we have our main villain, Nicholai Ginovaef, another member of the UBCS who turns out to be a mole sent in by an unknown corporation to sabotage Umbrella's attempts to cover their actions up while also monitoring bio-weapon activity for data purposes. This guy is just one scummy douchebag that I honestly wanted to get a chance to blow his brains out, especially after the scene where he basically just left Jill and Mikhail to die on the subway train. He is such a total asshole that he's honestly become one of my favorite RE villains and Neil Newbon does an excellent job selling these aspects with his performance.
There are other minor characters including Brad Vickers, a member of STARS who met his unfortunate end early on, and Nathaniel Bard, an Umbrella scientist who apparently knows how to cure the dreaded T-Virus.
So we got a great cast of characters, sick action set-pieces and some cool developments, what else is there to talk about? Well, the problems, actually.
Yeah, let's face facts, folks. RE3 is quite a short game. It only took about under 6-7 hours just to beat the story and keep in mind, there's only one campaign. There's no other where you can play through the perspective of another character like in the previous games. The pacing can be a bit too fast for it's own good and there's barely a moment where you can just take a breather, it's that quick to go through. On top of that, there's no extra modes, no mini-games, it just lacks the content variety that RE2 has and for a Triple-A title that sold for $60, that's inexcusable. Yes, there is the multiplayer add-on, RE: Resistance but here's the thing: Nobody wanted some sub-standard online game. They came for Resident Evil 3. Maybe it plays fine and actually can be fun but honestly, I can't be arsed to pay a monthly subscription for PS+. I'm not much of an online multiplayer gamer anyway.
I understand the defense that alot of RE games, if not, all of them, are quite short and are meant to be played through more than once. If you're able to use your knowledge of each entry wisely, you could easily strip off an hour or two on your next playthrough. I should know because I've seen people beat some of these games in about two hours or under... on the hardest difficulty imaginable. That's bloody insane.
So yeah, I get this defense but in the end, I still felt that a bit more extra content akin to RE2 shouldn't be a polite suggestion. Maybe give it another year of development is all I'm asking here.
Plus, I would've preferred if they saved the iconic "I'll Give You Stars" line for until the end when Jill finally kills off Nemesis for good.
So yeah, a bit short for it's own good, lacking in content and missed certain opportunities but as a whole, the story's still mildly enjoyable to play through.
GAMEPLAY & CONTROLS:
RE3 basically reuses alot of gameplay elements and assets from RE2, even going as far as to bring back the RPD station for a bit and to be fair, it still plays fine. The controls work pretty well, the shooting still feels good and for the most part, it does provide a fair challenge... and I say "for the most part" because this is, without a doubt, the hardest of the RE games I've played so far.
Fucking hell, certain parts are just relentless. If you thought Mr. X was a problem, Nemesis will do everything in his power to fuck you up badly. He's faster, he uses deadly weapons, he likes to spring out his tentacles, he's just a royal pain-in-the-ass. So much, in fact, that in the moments you're able to beat his ass down for now, you do feel great about yourself. I don't care if his encounters are scripted unlike Mr. X's, this guy is just one bad mother-fucker and the many set-pieces with him are pretty sweet to watch and play.
There's also this great moment where Jill is traversing through a power station that's been overrun by big-ass disgusting-looking insects, I mean, that shit had me spooked like crazy.
But while the game provides a good challenge from time to time, it does have a tendency to be very cheap. For example, the hospital segment. This is the part where the Hunters from RE1 make a comeback and they're much worse here. They soak up more damage than a T-Virus zombie's cranium, they like to dodge your attacks often and sometimes, their hits are an instant game over. Trying to kill those bastards with anything other than grenades, a shotgun or a launcher is a fucking nightmare. Even with the dodge mechanic, they're a pain to avoid and take down thus I ended up dying more times here than in other RE games.
Even worse is the part where you have to defend a currently-healing Jill from hoards of zombies, Hunters and other abominations while performing a couple tasks to stop them from coming in and my god, did I scream so loudly every time I died because I couldn't concentrate on so many things at a time.
Oh, and for some reason, they decided to throw in a little quick-time event whenever an enemy grabs you and no, it's not for defense items like in previous games. Every time you get grabbed, the X button icon appears so I assumed I had to tap it in order to escape the grasp. It didn't work and I ended up losing some health. Next time it happened, I tried holding the button. It didn't work and I ended up losing some health. No matter how I pressed the damn thing, the asswipe always gets a good bite out of me. Why did they implement this mechanic here when it doesn't even work, I have no fuckin' clue.
I've heard people complain about the lack of puzzles in this game and while I understand the frustration, I think it makes sense within the context of the setting. With RE1's Spencer Mansion, it was built upon limestone caverns which is where Umbrella's secret lab was set up so I'm pretty sure the guy in charge of construction would create little traps and puzzles to hide various key items that allow access to said lab. With RE2's police station, it was originally an art museum so there's a good chance the puzzles were made as a gimmick for guests to take part in. In RE3, why the hell would there be random-ass puzzles spread throughout the city? It just seems unrealistic and yes, I know it's a video game and I am aware that I tend to bitch about realism in entertainment but I've never said it's wrong to just have a reasonable amount of it.
It should be worth mentioning that once you beat the game, you unlock a shop that allows you to buy cool stuff using the points you've earned by gaining achievements. Also, there's an additional difficulty mode so I guess there's a bit of replay value for those who are up for 100% completion or are just plain masochists. After all, and I must reiterate, Resident Evil games are meant to be played through more than once.
So aside from it's shortcomings, the gameplay is perfectly-playable and controls just fine.
PRODUCTION & VISUALS:
Seeing how it once again makes use of the RE Engine, the game does indeed look great. Every character and monster looks about perfect, Raccoon City itself just looks amazing and there's just some cool visuals topped off with some neat sound design.
I guess if I did have one complaint, it's that unlike in RE2, you can't individually cut off a zombie's limbs aside from a shotgun blast to a leg or two but besides that, the graphics are pretty badass. For a supposedly rushed game that was put out a year after the RE2 remake to cash in on it's success, there aren't many technical issues I've noticed(aside from the occasional jittery zombie far off in the background).
In regards to soundtrack, Kota Suzuki and Azusa Kato take over scoring duties this time around and to be fair, their music is a little better than the last remake's. It definetly pumped me up whenever the next action set-piece took place.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Overall, Resident Evil 3 is definetly a downgrade from RE2. It lacks the content variety and it can be a bit too cheap at parts but at the same time, I liked the story, I love the characters and it still plays just as good as the last remake.
Despite it's faults, I am glad I played it. It's far from the worst game I've ever played but I get why people don't like it that much. If you're still interested in playing this one, be like me and wait for a sale. I got this off the PS Store for only £16.49 so it's a purchase I don't really regret. If you can, it's worth a rental.
But while Raccoon City maybe gone for good, a new sinister threat is due to be unleashed... in about six years. So tune in next time as I discuss Resident Evil 4.
AFTER-NOTE: BTW, before any Alien fans kill me for not bringing this up, William Hope, who played Gorman in Aliens, provided the voice and motion-capture for both Nathaniel and Mikhail. That's pretty awesome.
Omori
2020
This review contains spoilers
Partway through Chapter 1, Omori had already disappointed me in the way it refused to balance, in any way whatsoever, its diegetic and thematic narrative. The prologue hit very strongly by luring the player into a sense of security and cuteness with all the sugary vibes, readying the stage for the rug-pull that would snap the story back to reality and kickstart the “hero’s” journey. All the pieces showed thus far, metaphorical in their nature, would soon be paralleled by their counterpart in the true world of Faraway City, highlighting the complex coping mechanism that Sunny built for himself to escape a reality that had all the elements he once cherished and loved, but wrong, broken, different, and for the most part due to his own faults. While not groundbreaking, this is a very solid foundation for the fiction and meta-fiction alike, again a very intriguing and well built prologue.
But then the game stumbles, misses almost all the subsequent steps by acknowledging that the plot is happening during the countdown to Sunny’s departure from the city, his crime never to be discovered in the ultimate avoidance of responsibility, but at the same time the actual game still takes place in the dream world that Sunny built as Omori. This is a tonally deaf and utterly baffling narrative choice, especially because it rarely even matters by that point what goes on in the inner mind of the murderer. The pieces are already in motion, the dream world had already achieved its goal by stalling the player, as it stalled Sunny, in the incipit of the game and yet, long after opening the door to accept the real world again, we are still asked to travel inside a whale’s belly and fight magical slime girls. Lightening the mood to unwind after a big revelation is one way to show restrain for the emotional highs that Omori is capable of, but following an hour of strong bonding between the main characters, catching up after four years of separation, with a three hour castle dungeon to solve Sweetheart’s pointless marriage struggles is effectively blue-balling, none of this ever matters. The dream contents not strictly tying to any meaningful allegory wouldn’t even be an issue, if they gave insight to the characters, were engaging, fun or quirky in some way, but none of this is true; what actually happens is that the game, for ¾ of its duration, chooses to ignore what it’s actually trying to tell to become a distractingly standard RPG.
The last stretch of the game, as well as its most impactful scenes, are top class for the genre, with their stellar production values and emotionally charged writing, but anything in between is just fluff, cute fluff but nonetheless unnecessary padded fluff. The one great thing about even the worst of 16bit indie RPGs made in the last two decade is that they are straight to the point to a fault, Omori on the other hand feels like it needs to be 20 hours long because then it would be a real video game like the big boys on the Steam front-page, I cannot find any other reasonable explanation for all its disjointedness.
But then the game stumbles, misses almost all the subsequent steps by acknowledging that the plot is happening during the countdown to Sunny’s departure from the city, his crime never to be discovered in the ultimate avoidance of responsibility, but at the same time the actual game still takes place in the dream world that Sunny built as Omori. This is a tonally deaf and utterly baffling narrative choice, especially because it rarely even matters by that point what goes on in the inner mind of the murderer. The pieces are already in motion, the dream world had already achieved its goal by stalling the player, as it stalled Sunny, in the incipit of the game and yet, long after opening the door to accept the real world again, we are still asked to travel inside a whale’s belly and fight magical slime girls. Lightening the mood to unwind after a big revelation is one way to show restrain for the emotional highs that Omori is capable of, but following an hour of strong bonding between the main characters, catching up after four years of separation, with a three hour castle dungeon to solve Sweetheart’s pointless marriage struggles is effectively blue-balling, none of this ever matters. The dream contents not strictly tying to any meaningful allegory wouldn’t even be an issue, if they gave insight to the characters, were engaging, fun or quirky in some way, but none of this is true; what actually happens is that the game, for ¾ of its duration, chooses to ignore what it’s actually trying to tell to become a distractingly standard RPG.
The last stretch of the game, as well as its most impactful scenes, are top class for the genre, with their stellar production values and emotionally charged writing, but anything in between is just fluff, cute fluff but nonetheless unnecessary padded fluff. The one great thing about even the worst of 16bit indie RPGs made in the last two decade is that they are straight to the point to a fault, Omori on the other hand feels like it needs to be 20 hours long because then it would be a real video game like the big boys on the Steam front-page, I cannot find any other reasonable explanation for all its disjointedness.
As someone who went into this knowing only about the... questionable aspects of this game thanks to Twitter, I was pleasantly surprised to find there was an actual video game here.
Since The Coffin of Andy and Leyley (TCOAAL) is still in early access, it's obviously not going to be content complete, but there's still some meat on its bones, figuratively and literally. TCOAAL's main positive is the visuals, which are really good all around. Character designs are cute without drawing you out of the creepy atmosphere. The characters themselves aren't half bad either, particularly the two leads of Andrew and Ashley. Both are clearly messed up in different ways, but the game never tries to portray them as good people, just clearly damaged people dealing with extreme circumstances in often extreme ways.
That being said, due to the game only having two chapters out as of the time of me writing this review, the story is a bit lacking. The whole demon aspect of the plot feels unexplored, and there's some loose threads present that feel very arbitrary at the present moment. Lots of the game also feels very railroaded, which I guess is to be expected with a more visual novel style of story telling, but from an RPG Maker adventure game I expected a bit more in terms of exploration. As for the elephant in the room, the incest is a looming presence in the game, but isn't as big of a factor as you've probably been lead to believe. There's only one scene that actually implies anything explicit, and it's an optional scene that the game warns you about beforehand. It's definitely not preferable, but not something that soured the whole pot for me, at least. Overall, I enjoyed the game enough, but I'd say to wait until the full release to give it a try.
Since The Coffin of Andy and Leyley (TCOAAL) is still in early access, it's obviously not going to be content complete, but there's still some meat on its bones, figuratively and literally. TCOAAL's main positive is the visuals, which are really good all around. Character designs are cute without drawing you out of the creepy atmosphere. The characters themselves aren't half bad either, particularly the two leads of Andrew and Ashley. Both are clearly messed up in different ways, but the game never tries to portray them as good people, just clearly damaged people dealing with extreme circumstances in often extreme ways.
That being said, due to the game only having two chapters out as of the time of me writing this review, the story is a bit lacking. The whole demon aspect of the plot feels unexplored, and there's some loose threads present that feel very arbitrary at the present moment. Lots of the game also feels very railroaded, which I guess is to be expected with a more visual novel style of story telling, but from an RPG Maker adventure game I expected a bit more in terms of exploration. As for the elephant in the room, the incest is a looming presence in the game, but isn't as big of a factor as you've probably been lead to believe. There's only one scene that actually implies anything explicit, and it's an optional scene that the game warns you about beforehand. It's definitely not preferable, but not something that soured the whole pot for me, at least. Overall, I enjoyed the game enough, but I'd say to wait until the full release to give it a try.
I ended up enjoying this game a lot more than I expected. At first the controls seemed a little clunky and some of the enemy's AI (especially Jack's in the garage and Marguerite during the videotape sequence) felt dumb and easily cheese-able, which broke the immersion, but after the first hour or two I started to get really hooked. The progression through the game feels very nice. It never feels like you're in the same place for too long. This game also has some of the scariest moments out of all the Resident Evil games I've played. Every main villain was interesting and complimented the overall atmosphere very well. I was most surprised by the final act of the game and how it developed the narrative 10 times further. It's probably an 8/10 objectively, but my increased enjoyment bumped it up to a 9. I heard the dlc is cool but I'm waiting for the next steam sale to play them.
Resident Evil 6
2012
Now before I begin I just want to clarify this:
This is strictly my own opinion. If you disagree with me, more power to you. Just keep the comments civil and respectful.
!THIS IS A RE-UPLOAD OF AN ARTICLE FIRST PUBLISHED ON LETTERBOXD BACK IN OCTOBER 2021!
Hello and welcome back.
This is PART 6 of
SEASON OF THE EVIL!
And now, we are at the point where the franchise gave birth to the straw that broke the camel's back. Resident Evil 6.
The very game that pissed off fans everywhere. The very thing that completely disregards everything that gave the series it's identity. The very moment that many gamers consider to be the worst thing Capcom has ever done to this franchise since dumping George A. Romero's movie script in favor of Paul WS Anderson's fanfic bullshit.
It's quite the messy title we're dealing with here and for understandable reasons. It basically does away with the survival-horror aspects(almost) completely in favor of being a full-blown action game to the point where many people often wondered if Michael Bay suddenly barged into the studio and took over development. It's that insane.
While it is no contest that Survivor and Umbrella Corps are considered the worst RE games, this one is considered the biggest letdown of them all and it would only take five years for Capcom to give the series the redeemable comeback it needed.
For the record, I don't think this is gonna be an easy one to get through considering the kind of game we got to work with. However, I am a firm believer that there has to be at least something that makes up for whatever problems there may be.
So can Resident Evil 6 truly offer something valuable... or were the fans justified in shitting on it so much? Let's find out.
STORY & CHARACTERIZATION:
Bio-weapon terrorism is officially threatening to go worldwide as a new strain known as the C-Virus has been unleashed which will send the Earth spiraling into an undead hell.
With familiar and fresh faces taking on all kinds of horrific threats, it's gonna take a miracle to finally put an end to every single deadly force they come across and hopefully bring a grinding halt to everything that Umbrella started.
In all honesty, I wouldn't be surprised if Capcom didn't make any more mainline titles after this because it does feel like a finale of sorts to the series. The stakes are at their absolute biggest, many characters are brought back for possibly one last go-around and there's even a poetic sense of irony in regards to a couple of the characters which I'll talk about soon. It's such a big and bombastic game where our heroes set out to truly put an end to all the shit that would never have happened in the first place had it not been for the actions of Wesker, among others.
But what I like about the story is the arcs the characters go through. While it is disappointing that fan-favorites like Claire and Barry didn't return, it was nice to see certain folks both old and new get some meaningful substance. This time, we get four different intertwining campaigns, three of which where you get the option of picking one of two playable characters. We have Leon teaming up with US agent Helena Harper to expose the National Security Advisor's involvement with Neo-Umbrella, we have Ada chasing after a doppelganger, we have Chris overcoming his PTSD while chasing after "Ada" alongside Piers Nivans and we have Sherry Birkin, now an agent of the Division of Security Operations, escorting Jake Muller to safety so that they can create a vaccine from the antibodies in his bloodstream. Each campaign offers enough satisfying content to make you want to keep playing and there's plenty of solid fan-service to boot. Not only do we finally see Chris and Leon meeting up in person but zombies make a comeback and there's even certain moments during gameplay where the camera shifts to the fixed angles similar to that of the classic games.
If I have to pick my favorite out of the four, it would have to be Jake's. I really did enjoy the chemistry between him and Sherry and I found it very poetic that the children of the people responsible for these outbreaks would be the ones to put a stop to them. That, and Jake himself is a solid character. He's funny, his struggles with the knowledge of who his father was are engaging, it's honestly hard not to sympathize with the guy.
Same goes for Helena. I think she and Leon share a good dynamic and it's hard not to understand why she would seek vengeance against the man who did her and her sister dirty. Speaking of which, Derek Simmons, the National Security Advisor, is another one of those slimy scumbags that I would never, ever regret putting a bullet through, he is that much of a total douchebag that honestly deserved everything that came his way.
The only new character I didn't think was that engaging was Piers. He may have his moments but other than that, he's a pretty bland character. Not much about him sticks out to me.
So yeah, the story has alot of cool shit going for it. However, when it's not focusing on these solid arcs, it goes full-blown explosions and shit. I'm gonna come out and say this: I take back everything I said about the last two games getting ridiculous even by RE standards. This game has gotten really fucking absurd in terms of action. There's so much shit going on that it's practically easy to see where the Michael Bay comparisons are coming from. Gone is the sense of dread and fear, gone is the feel of loneliness and isolation and gone is the subtlety and shit like that. Now all we have here is: SHOOT DA BAD GUYZ!!! BLOW DAT SHIT UP!!! HOLY FUCKIN' SHIT, IT'S A DINOSAUR!!! It's gotten so bat-shit insane that I honestly couldn't help but laugh at how incredibly overblown this all is. Even Call of Duty with it's everlasting train crashes couldn't match up to the ridiculousness of this game.
But like I said before, the story does have moments of greatness that makes it all the worth playing through. It's just that you have to get through alot of laughably-overblown set-pieces that get so carried away with it's over-the-top nature, it borders on Zack Snyder territory... if Snyder ate too much pizza laced with cocaine. In other words, total insanity.
GAMEPLAY & CONTROLS:
As you'd expect, Resident Evil 6 completely discards most of the classic mechanics in favor of becoming your typical third-person action-shooter. On one hand, it is the best one of this era in terms of controls. On the other hand, it's still your typical modern action game.
In fact, the only classic mechanics that remained are the limited item slots and the healing herbs(which now act as pills). Other than that, the tank controls are completely gone, you can now carry as many weapons as you want and auto-saves and checkpoints are the new norm.
Now to be fair, I wasn't kidding about before when I say that this game does, in fact, control rather well. Moving your character around, performing actions and shooting enemies are pretty responsive as far as I'm concerned. That, and when it's not fucking you over with moments of cheapness, the game does provide a fair challenge from time to time. Some of the bosses were tough but satisfying to battle nevertheless, the multiple C-Virus enemies are very freaky and fun to shoot and there's even the occasional puzzles spread throughout.
But like I said, there are moments of cheapness. I've played through all four campaigns on Normal and each have their fair share of parts where you have to put up with foes that just love to either pin you into a corner or deliberately waste your ammo. There's these leech-like fuckers that become more dangerous after you split them in two, there's the obligatory chainsaw guy that, what else? kills you instantly and then, there's the snipers. I'm gonna come right out and say that the snipers are easily the worst enemies to fight in this game. It never mattered how hard you tried to fight them off or how occupied you are with other shit, these bastards will never care one bit and will put you down in one hit thus wasting alot of time and health. I hate these fuckers every bit as much as the Hunters from RE3, the executioners and chainsaw dudes from RE5 and the dogs from RE4. In fact, I hate them so much that I am willing to cut the quick-time events some slack this time around.
But again, it still has it's moments when the challenge is genuine as opposed to bullshit.
Though, to be fair, the most fun you'll truly have with this game is sliding into multiple crates and vases. I'm shocked that I didn't get a medal that reads "Stop Sliding into the Fucking Boxes!"
Speaking of which, after each level, you earn medals based on whatever goals you managed to achieve throughout your playthrough which then add up to your official ranking. After that, you're given the option to build up one of multiple skill sets which you can only put on one at a time. With the skill points you collect throughout, you can spend them on skills or even upgrade them to enhance your experience like stronger chances of critical hits, better chances at collecting more ammo, stronger melee attacks and so on. Each set can only hold three skills at a time so pick, choose and upgrade wisely.
In total, I managed to complete the game in about 21 hours officially making this the longest of the Resident Evil games I've played and, of course, like before, there's plenty of additional modes and unlockables for all you hardcore completionists out there. Keep in mind that I bought this game along with RE4 and RE5 in a special bundle that was on sale for 15.99 so you can pretty much tell that the amount of content throughout all three games pretty much made the purchase all the more worth it.
PRODUCTION & VISUALS:
Out of the RE titles that were out during the seventh generation of gaming, RE6 definetly stood out as one of the better-looking ones. It's a visually-pleasing feast with detailed environments, solid character and facial animations, badass creature designs and many more. Also, as laughably overblown as the action maybe, there are some rather cool set-pieces that keep the blood pumping.
The sound design is nice and crisp, the music by Akihiko Narita is appropriately over-the-top and overall, I was barely able to notice any game-breaking bugs aside from enemy and partner AI gawking around like fuckin' chickens. It ran as well as it possibly could on my PS4.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
In the end, Resident Evil 6 is your average overblown action movie disguised as a video game slapped with a recognizable name on it. It does have a good story with some great characters and a real sense of finality but overall, it is incredibly overblown, sometimes tedious and far too goofy to be taken seriously.
Is it as bad as everybody made it out to be? Not really, no. Yes, it is far too silly and ridiculous for it's own good and it does get a little tiring at times but overall, I would be lying if I said I didn't have fun playing it. It is good for a few ironic laughs but don't get me wrong, I do understand the hate for this game. It's the ultimate far cry from what the series originally was and it may not have the same everlasting impact as the earlier games did. But again, I did enjoy myself. It's not a perfect game, let alone a great game in general but an enjoyable one nonetheless.
With that in mind, does that mean the world of Resident Evil is done and over with? Is there nothing anybody can do to bring the franchise back to it's former glory?
All that and more will be answered as the SEASON OF THE EVIL concludes with a look at Resident Evil 7.
AFTER-NOTE: ...... Almost..... at .............. the home-stretch.
................................... Any... day... now.................
This is strictly my own opinion. If you disagree with me, more power to you. Just keep the comments civil and respectful.
!THIS IS A RE-UPLOAD OF AN ARTICLE FIRST PUBLISHED ON LETTERBOXD BACK IN OCTOBER 2021!
Hello and welcome back.
This is PART 6 of
SEASON OF THE EVIL!
And now, we are at the point where the franchise gave birth to the straw that broke the camel's back. Resident Evil 6.
The very game that pissed off fans everywhere. The very thing that completely disregards everything that gave the series it's identity. The very moment that many gamers consider to be the worst thing Capcom has ever done to this franchise since dumping George A. Romero's movie script in favor of Paul WS Anderson's fanfic bullshit.
It's quite the messy title we're dealing with here and for understandable reasons. It basically does away with the survival-horror aspects(almost) completely in favor of being a full-blown action game to the point where many people often wondered if Michael Bay suddenly barged into the studio and took over development. It's that insane.
While it is no contest that Survivor and Umbrella Corps are considered the worst RE games, this one is considered the biggest letdown of them all and it would only take five years for Capcom to give the series the redeemable comeback it needed.
For the record, I don't think this is gonna be an easy one to get through considering the kind of game we got to work with. However, I am a firm believer that there has to be at least something that makes up for whatever problems there may be.
So can Resident Evil 6 truly offer something valuable... or were the fans justified in shitting on it so much? Let's find out.
STORY & CHARACTERIZATION:
Bio-weapon terrorism is officially threatening to go worldwide as a new strain known as the C-Virus has been unleashed which will send the Earth spiraling into an undead hell.
With familiar and fresh faces taking on all kinds of horrific threats, it's gonna take a miracle to finally put an end to every single deadly force they come across and hopefully bring a grinding halt to everything that Umbrella started.
In all honesty, I wouldn't be surprised if Capcom didn't make any more mainline titles after this because it does feel like a finale of sorts to the series. The stakes are at their absolute biggest, many characters are brought back for possibly one last go-around and there's even a poetic sense of irony in regards to a couple of the characters which I'll talk about soon. It's such a big and bombastic game where our heroes set out to truly put an end to all the shit that would never have happened in the first place had it not been for the actions of Wesker, among others.
But what I like about the story is the arcs the characters go through. While it is disappointing that fan-favorites like Claire and Barry didn't return, it was nice to see certain folks both old and new get some meaningful substance. This time, we get four different intertwining campaigns, three of which where you get the option of picking one of two playable characters. We have Leon teaming up with US agent Helena Harper to expose the National Security Advisor's involvement with Neo-Umbrella, we have Ada chasing after a doppelganger, we have Chris overcoming his PTSD while chasing after "Ada" alongside Piers Nivans and we have Sherry Birkin, now an agent of the Division of Security Operations, escorting Jake Muller to safety so that they can create a vaccine from the antibodies in his bloodstream. Each campaign offers enough satisfying content to make you want to keep playing and there's plenty of solid fan-service to boot. Not only do we finally see Chris and Leon meeting up in person but zombies make a comeback and there's even certain moments during gameplay where the camera shifts to the fixed angles similar to that of the classic games.
If I have to pick my favorite out of the four, it would have to be Jake's. I really did enjoy the chemistry between him and Sherry and I found it very poetic that the children of the people responsible for these outbreaks would be the ones to put a stop to them. That, and Jake himself is a solid character. He's funny, his struggles with the knowledge of who his father was are engaging, it's honestly hard not to sympathize with the guy.
Same goes for Helena. I think she and Leon share a good dynamic and it's hard not to understand why she would seek vengeance against the man who did her and her sister dirty. Speaking of which, Derek Simmons, the National Security Advisor, is another one of those slimy scumbags that I would never, ever regret putting a bullet through, he is that much of a total douchebag that honestly deserved everything that came his way.
The only new character I didn't think was that engaging was Piers. He may have his moments but other than that, he's a pretty bland character. Not much about him sticks out to me.
So yeah, the story has alot of cool shit going for it. However, when it's not focusing on these solid arcs, it goes full-blown explosions and shit. I'm gonna come out and say this: I take back everything I said about the last two games getting ridiculous even by RE standards. This game has gotten really fucking absurd in terms of action. There's so much shit going on that it's practically easy to see where the Michael Bay comparisons are coming from. Gone is the sense of dread and fear, gone is the feel of loneliness and isolation and gone is the subtlety and shit like that. Now all we have here is: SHOOT DA BAD GUYZ!!! BLOW DAT SHIT UP!!! HOLY FUCKIN' SHIT, IT'S A DINOSAUR!!! It's gotten so bat-shit insane that I honestly couldn't help but laugh at how incredibly overblown this all is. Even Call of Duty with it's everlasting train crashes couldn't match up to the ridiculousness of this game.
But like I said before, the story does have moments of greatness that makes it all the worth playing through. It's just that you have to get through alot of laughably-overblown set-pieces that get so carried away with it's over-the-top nature, it borders on Zack Snyder territory... if Snyder ate too much pizza laced with cocaine. In other words, total insanity.
GAMEPLAY & CONTROLS:
As you'd expect, Resident Evil 6 completely discards most of the classic mechanics in favor of becoming your typical third-person action-shooter. On one hand, it is the best one of this era in terms of controls. On the other hand, it's still your typical modern action game.
In fact, the only classic mechanics that remained are the limited item slots and the healing herbs(which now act as pills). Other than that, the tank controls are completely gone, you can now carry as many weapons as you want and auto-saves and checkpoints are the new norm.
Now to be fair, I wasn't kidding about before when I say that this game does, in fact, control rather well. Moving your character around, performing actions and shooting enemies are pretty responsive as far as I'm concerned. That, and when it's not fucking you over with moments of cheapness, the game does provide a fair challenge from time to time. Some of the bosses were tough but satisfying to battle nevertheless, the multiple C-Virus enemies are very freaky and fun to shoot and there's even the occasional puzzles spread throughout.
But like I said, there are moments of cheapness. I've played through all four campaigns on Normal and each have their fair share of parts where you have to put up with foes that just love to either pin you into a corner or deliberately waste your ammo. There's these leech-like fuckers that become more dangerous after you split them in two, there's the obligatory chainsaw guy that, what else? kills you instantly and then, there's the snipers. I'm gonna come right out and say that the snipers are easily the worst enemies to fight in this game. It never mattered how hard you tried to fight them off or how occupied you are with other shit, these bastards will never care one bit and will put you down in one hit thus wasting alot of time and health. I hate these fuckers every bit as much as the Hunters from RE3, the executioners and chainsaw dudes from RE5 and the dogs from RE4. In fact, I hate them so much that I am willing to cut the quick-time events some slack this time around.
But again, it still has it's moments when the challenge is genuine as opposed to bullshit.
Though, to be fair, the most fun you'll truly have with this game is sliding into multiple crates and vases. I'm shocked that I didn't get a medal that reads "Stop Sliding into the Fucking Boxes!"
Speaking of which, after each level, you earn medals based on whatever goals you managed to achieve throughout your playthrough which then add up to your official ranking. After that, you're given the option to build up one of multiple skill sets which you can only put on one at a time. With the skill points you collect throughout, you can spend them on skills or even upgrade them to enhance your experience like stronger chances of critical hits, better chances at collecting more ammo, stronger melee attacks and so on. Each set can only hold three skills at a time so pick, choose and upgrade wisely.
In total, I managed to complete the game in about 21 hours officially making this the longest of the Resident Evil games I've played and, of course, like before, there's plenty of additional modes and unlockables for all you hardcore completionists out there. Keep in mind that I bought this game along with RE4 and RE5 in a special bundle that was on sale for 15.99 so you can pretty much tell that the amount of content throughout all three games pretty much made the purchase all the more worth it.
PRODUCTION & VISUALS:
Out of the RE titles that were out during the seventh generation of gaming, RE6 definetly stood out as one of the better-looking ones. It's a visually-pleasing feast with detailed environments, solid character and facial animations, badass creature designs and many more. Also, as laughably overblown as the action maybe, there are some rather cool set-pieces that keep the blood pumping.
The sound design is nice and crisp, the music by Akihiko Narita is appropriately over-the-top and overall, I was barely able to notice any game-breaking bugs aside from enemy and partner AI gawking around like fuckin' chickens. It ran as well as it possibly could on my PS4.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
In the end, Resident Evil 6 is your average overblown action movie disguised as a video game slapped with a recognizable name on it. It does have a good story with some great characters and a real sense of finality but overall, it is incredibly overblown, sometimes tedious and far too goofy to be taken seriously.
Is it as bad as everybody made it out to be? Not really, no. Yes, it is far too silly and ridiculous for it's own good and it does get a little tiring at times but overall, I would be lying if I said I didn't have fun playing it. It is good for a few ironic laughs but don't get me wrong, I do understand the hate for this game. It's the ultimate far cry from what the series originally was and it may not have the same everlasting impact as the earlier games did. But again, I did enjoy myself. It's not a perfect game, let alone a great game in general but an enjoyable one nonetheless.
With that in mind, does that mean the world of Resident Evil is done and over with? Is there nothing anybody can do to bring the franchise back to it's former glory?
All that and more will be answered as the SEASON OF THE EVIL concludes with a look at Resident Evil 7.
AFTER-NOTE: ...... Almost..... at .............. the home-stretch.
................................... Any... day... now.................
Now before I begin I just want to clarify this:
This is strictly my own opinion. If you disagree with me, more power to you. Just keep the comments civil and respectful.
Hello, everybody, and welcome back to
GAME MODE: ON!
As the Halloween season is nearing, I thought it'd be fun to return to the very series that helped me branch my critiquing skills out to other forms of entertainment: Resident Evil.
Back in 2021 on Letterboxd, I decided that it would be fun to dedicate that year's Halloween event to the iconic Capcom horror franchise as it celebrates it's 25th anniversary. Seeing how I never reviewed video games before that point, it proved to be quite the challenge just going out there, playing the first seven mainline entries and writing my own personal thoughts on them. Looking back on Season of the Evil, I like to think that all my efforts paid off as I'm happy with the reviews I've written. It was just alot of fun to go through and getting to publish all that shit for my followers to read was immensely satisfying.
But now that enough time has passed and Halloween is not long now, I thought it would be the perfect time to go over the most recent entry in the series, Resident Evil: Village.
When RE7 first came out back in 2017 and helped to bring the series back to it's survival-horror roots, it was an absolute success that managed to drag everything out of a hole that was dug out by all the overblown explosions that the last few entries splurged out.
Since then, the franchise began a new era in which fans were able to experience the classic horror experience they've missed for many years but with some many welcomed modern touch-ups to keep things fresh. We had a great remake of RE2 in 2019, a not-as-good but still playable remake of RE3 in 2020, a remake of RE4 earlier this year that was every bit as acclaimed as the original and a film adaptation in 2021 that, for once, actually resembles a fucking RE film. I know alot of people hate that movie but who cares? It's still better than those lame-ass Super Alice movies or even that dumbass live-action Netflix series.
While RE will still have it's little downsides here and there, there's no denying that RE7 changed the franchise for the better and trust me when I say that things only got as good as that when May 7th 2021 rolled around.
Village was a game that I was really looking forward to ever since I got into Resident Evil and the direction it's taking looks like alot of fun. The cold and isolating setting, the vicious creatures, all that good shit, we were just in for a blast.
So when the game came out, it was a definite success in terms of sales with reports saying that it was one of the best-selling RE titles ever. However, in terms of critical reception, that's a different story. While most reviewers and fans seemed to enjoy the game fine, many did consider it a step down from RE7 with certain aspects of the gameplay and style being criticized. Though everybody can agree that the best thing about it was a certain tall vampire lady that we'll get to later on.
But without further ado, let's once again enter the survival horror with Resident Evil: Village.
For this game, I'm tackling the PlayStation 4 version but with a PS5 upgrade.
STORY & CHARACTERIZATION:
Set three years after the events of RE7, Ethan and Mia Winters are settling into their new home in Europe with their baby daughter, Rosemary.
One fateful night, Mia is unexpectedly mowed down by a squad led by Chris Redfield who takes both Ethan and Rose without so much as an explanation as to what's even going on. Later on, the squad vehicle that Ethan was riding in crashes and he ends up wandering into a desolate village overrun with many sorts of deadly monsters and lethal dangers around every corner.
In order to save his daughter, Ethan must once again brave through an onslaught of terrors which would then lead him to various horrifying revelations as to why any of this is happening to his family.
As established in the last entry, Ethan is not some badass soldier or a cool biker or even a rookie cop but he's more or less your everyday average joe. While on paper, that may seem like a bland idea for a Resident Evil protagonist, it was actually a refreshing change of pace for the series and a clever way to start things anew without having to hit the reboot button. It was something that we desperately needed after how RE6 pretty much Michael Bay'd this bitch.
It was rather investing to see someone like Ethan start off as just a normal nobody civilian only for the horrors he experienced in Louisiana to force him to toughen up if it meant saving his own ass and any loved ones lucky enough to survive the scenario. As RE8 begins, Ethan is looking to finally settle down and find peace with his family but while Mia is able to move on and live normally, Ethan can't help but be overly-cautious which resulted in him being accused of paranoia. So when he's forced to go through a potentially-worse mess than before, yeah, he's scared at first but as the game progresses, he eventually just stops caring anymore. Halfway through, he's no longer bothered to take shit from anyone and has grown more and more confident in himself as he continues his personal mission to save Rose and get the fuck out of dodge.
There's also the mystery regarding what the hell was Chris doing and why on Earth would he do such a thing to Ethan. Once the game begins and you see him committing such a shocking act, you're immediately invested into what made him go rogue in the first place. That being said, Chris isn't the only force you have to take into consideration as when you traverse through the titular village, you're forced to deal with it's four psychotic lords and their god/parental figure, Mother Miranda, who plan to use Rose for their own selfish and deranged gain. This quadrant of ferocious beings consist of the morbid and pathetic bog-dweller Salvatore Moreau, the maniacal and unhinged dollmaker Donna Beneviento, the charismatic but deceiving mechanic Karl Heisenberg and the obvious fan-favorite, the big mother-fucker herself, Alcina Dimitrescu. Yeah, in regards to that last one, when the game's previews were coming out and Lady D made her presence known, gamers found themselves simping for her like crazy due to her proportionate design. Love or hate the game, you can't deny that the most memorable thing about it was her and her alone, she was that popular. So it makes sense that she's been made this game's unstoppable stalker in a similar vein to Nemesis from RE3, Mr. X from RE2(mostly, the remake) and Jack Baker from RE7. However, unlike those aforementioned stalkers, Lady D cannot simply be put down no matter how hard you try as no weapon you have at your disposal seems to phase her whatsoever so your only option until the obligatory boss fight is to just keep running, don't look back and find the nearest safe room if possible.
But if you thought going through Castle Dimitrescu nearly gave you a heart attack, just wait until you get to House Beneviento for anything that lies there will fucking haunt you for the rest of your life. I'm serious when I say that those parts with the giant fetus alone automatically make this one of the scariest RE titles by far. You have been warned.
So while Ethan is a solid and relatable protagonist, the villains are the highlight due to their distinct personalities, immense fright factor and unsavory demeanor. Seriously, Miranda herself is such a clingy psychopath that she's forcing Sarah Paulson from Run to hold her beer.
So taking into account everything I've mentioned thus far, this is such a great story that not only continues and concludes Ethan's journey nicely but the suspense is gripping, parts of it are terrifying as hell, there's some shocking revelations at certain turns, it manages to competently tie things into the overall RE storyline and there's even a bit of that camp factor that the series is usually known for. It's scary, it's bittersweet, it's action-packed, there's alot to unpack and love here.
GAMEPLAY & CONTROLS:
While RE7 more or less resembles the original in terms of gameplay and structure, RE8 resembles RE4 with it's European village setting, larger-than-life encounters, merchant system and a bit more focus on action especially towards the end. But whereas RE4 was mostly linear with little-to-no backtracking, RE8 was able to retain the element of non-linear exploration with the center of the village serving as your in-between hub and certain places such as Heisenberg's Factory and Castle Dimistrescu containing multiple paths, unlockable areas and other hidden extras which will have you spending hours trying to find everything. Puzzles are back as well and are just as satisfying to solve if a bit easier than in previous games and each villain location contains a special labyrinth mini-game where, if you can find the ball that goes with it, you have to guide said ball to it's winning hole to unlock a special and very valuable treasure which you can exchange for money.
Speaking of which, in place of the Merchant from RE4, we have the Duke, an eccentric being who serves as Ethan's unofficial guide while also offering a variety of items including ammo, weapons and attachments, healing packs and more for a hefty fee. On-top of that, he also offers to upgrade your weapons if you got the cash for it and will even serve you some meals for free if you have the right ingredients such as fish, poultry and meat. Said meals will expand your health and help you take less damage when guarding, among other useful effects.
Like RE7, the game is played in a first-person perspective though recent updates have included the option to play in third-person which is a nice touch for those who can't stand FPS games and like before, it plays beautifully. Controls are tight, fighting enemies have never felt so challenging and satisfying and the mechanics carried over from previous games are just as good as ever. Like in RE4, although you have a briefcase to carry a limited number of essential items such as weapons, first aid meds and such, you also have separate menus for treasures and key items so don't worry too much about using up too much room. In regards to treasures, also like in RE4, there are certain pieces that become more valuable when combined into one classy-looking piece. With so many goodies to look for and many pathways to uncover throughout, you're bound to be busy whenever you're taking a break from the story. Also like in RE7, there are certain points where you can save your progress if you feel like there could be alot to lose in the next part and even though there is an autosave system, I prefer doing things the manual way to keep within the RE spirit.
In terms of the foes you face, besides the four lords, Miranda and that disgusting giant fetus, your main enemies consist of Lycans, werewolf-type beasts, and Moroaicǎ, vampyric ghouls. There's also mechanical mutant hybrids, flying bat-like demons, killer dolls, huge dog-like monsters, Lady D's horny-ass daughters and a discount Rubeus Hagrid carrying a fuck-off massive mallet. It's crazy to say the least.
As far as I'm concerned, I don't really have any issues with the overall design. The gameplay's cool and challenging, the boss fights are tense, the exploration is very rewarding and I just found it to be quite fun, spooky and satisfying.
In regards to any extra content after beating the base game, you can unlock a shop where you can use the points gained from completing achievements to buy extra weapons, concept art, models and so on. There's also the return of Mercenaries mode and, of course, there's the paid DLC chapter, Shadows of Rose, which serves as the chilling epilogue to the main story, a good one I might add.
GRAPHICS & PRODUCTION VALUE:
As of right now, this is probably the best-looking RE game I've played thus far. Thanks to the technical capabilities of the PlayStation 5, RE8 just looks absolutely stunning with commendable attention to detail, expansive environments, solid motion-capture work and so many neat effects. With a stable performance, pretty much non-existent load times and more, it just makes the game all the more gorgeous to look at. The miracles the RE Engine can do, man.
The big highlight of the game's graphical quality is the very beginning and ending where we're treated to segments from a storybook that pretty much mirror the events of the game and my god, it just looks fantastic. Absolutely phenomenal work.
Besides all that, the music by Shusaku Uchiyama and Nao Sato is great, the sound design is crisp as hell, the overall artistry is just spot-on, again, I really have no complaints.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Overall, Resident Evil: Village is nothing short of a masterpiece and is by far one of my favorite RE games, easily in the Top 3.
It manages to take so many elements from past titles such as the exploration and mystery from RE1 and 2, the camp value and action from RE4, 5 and 6, the utter intensity of RE1, 3 and 7 and the sheer fright factor of RE1, 2 and 7 and mix it all together into this amazing and satisfactory package. So much about it worked and was so worth putting over nine hours into. I just fucking love this game and I seriously, SERIOUSLY! highly recommend it.
Until next time, thank you for taking the time to check out this installment of GAME MODE: ON.
If you liked what you've read here and want to see more, you can go ahead and follow me whenever you want.
And also, don't forget to check out my Letterboxd page for new film reviews every week.
AFTER-NOTE: I might review another horror game before Halloween though that may depend on time and energy. That, and if I can actually beat the bloody thing.
This is strictly my own opinion. If you disagree with me, more power to you. Just keep the comments civil and respectful.
Hello, everybody, and welcome back to
GAME MODE: ON!
As the Halloween season is nearing, I thought it'd be fun to return to the very series that helped me branch my critiquing skills out to other forms of entertainment: Resident Evil.
Back in 2021 on Letterboxd, I decided that it would be fun to dedicate that year's Halloween event to the iconic Capcom horror franchise as it celebrates it's 25th anniversary. Seeing how I never reviewed video games before that point, it proved to be quite the challenge just going out there, playing the first seven mainline entries and writing my own personal thoughts on them. Looking back on Season of the Evil, I like to think that all my efforts paid off as I'm happy with the reviews I've written. It was just alot of fun to go through and getting to publish all that shit for my followers to read was immensely satisfying.
But now that enough time has passed and Halloween is not long now, I thought it would be the perfect time to go over the most recent entry in the series, Resident Evil: Village.
When RE7 first came out back in 2017 and helped to bring the series back to it's survival-horror roots, it was an absolute success that managed to drag everything out of a hole that was dug out by all the overblown explosions that the last few entries splurged out.
Since then, the franchise began a new era in which fans were able to experience the classic horror experience they've missed for many years but with some many welcomed modern touch-ups to keep things fresh. We had a great remake of RE2 in 2019, a not-as-good but still playable remake of RE3 in 2020, a remake of RE4 earlier this year that was every bit as acclaimed as the original and a film adaptation in 2021 that, for once, actually resembles a fucking RE film. I know alot of people hate that movie but who cares? It's still better than those lame-ass Super Alice movies or even that dumbass live-action Netflix series.
While RE will still have it's little downsides here and there, there's no denying that RE7 changed the franchise for the better and trust me when I say that things only got as good as that when May 7th 2021 rolled around.
Village was a game that I was really looking forward to ever since I got into Resident Evil and the direction it's taking looks like alot of fun. The cold and isolating setting, the vicious creatures, all that good shit, we were just in for a blast.
So when the game came out, it was a definite success in terms of sales with reports saying that it was one of the best-selling RE titles ever. However, in terms of critical reception, that's a different story. While most reviewers and fans seemed to enjoy the game fine, many did consider it a step down from RE7 with certain aspects of the gameplay and style being criticized. Though everybody can agree that the best thing about it was a certain tall vampire lady that we'll get to later on.
But without further ado, let's once again enter the survival horror with Resident Evil: Village.
For this game, I'm tackling the PlayStation 4 version but with a PS5 upgrade.
STORY & CHARACTERIZATION:
Set three years after the events of RE7, Ethan and Mia Winters are settling into their new home in Europe with their baby daughter, Rosemary.
One fateful night, Mia is unexpectedly mowed down by a squad led by Chris Redfield who takes both Ethan and Rose without so much as an explanation as to what's even going on. Later on, the squad vehicle that Ethan was riding in crashes and he ends up wandering into a desolate village overrun with many sorts of deadly monsters and lethal dangers around every corner.
In order to save his daughter, Ethan must once again brave through an onslaught of terrors which would then lead him to various horrifying revelations as to why any of this is happening to his family.
As established in the last entry, Ethan is not some badass soldier or a cool biker or even a rookie cop but he's more or less your everyday average joe. While on paper, that may seem like a bland idea for a Resident Evil protagonist, it was actually a refreshing change of pace for the series and a clever way to start things anew without having to hit the reboot button. It was something that we desperately needed after how RE6 pretty much Michael Bay'd this bitch.
It was rather investing to see someone like Ethan start off as just a normal nobody civilian only for the horrors he experienced in Louisiana to force him to toughen up if it meant saving his own ass and any loved ones lucky enough to survive the scenario. As RE8 begins, Ethan is looking to finally settle down and find peace with his family but while Mia is able to move on and live normally, Ethan can't help but be overly-cautious which resulted in him being accused of paranoia. So when he's forced to go through a potentially-worse mess than before, yeah, he's scared at first but as the game progresses, he eventually just stops caring anymore. Halfway through, he's no longer bothered to take shit from anyone and has grown more and more confident in himself as he continues his personal mission to save Rose and get the fuck out of dodge.
There's also the mystery regarding what the hell was Chris doing and why on Earth would he do such a thing to Ethan. Once the game begins and you see him committing such a shocking act, you're immediately invested into what made him go rogue in the first place. That being said, Chris isn't the only force you have to take into consideration as when you traverse through the titular village, you're forced to deal with it's four psychotic lords and their god/parental figure, Mother Miranda, who plan to use Rose for their own selfish and deranged gain. This quadrant of ferocious beings consist of the morbid and pathetic bog-dweller Salvatore Moreau, the maniacal and unhinged dollmaker Donna Beneviento, the charismatic but deceiving mechanic Karl Heisenberg and the obvious fan-favorite, the big mother-fucker herself, Alcina Dimitrescu. Yeah, in regards to that last one, when the game's previews were coming out and Lady D made her presence known, gamers found themselves simping for her like crazy due to her proportionate design. Love or hate the game, you can't deny that the most memorable thing about it was her and her alone, she was that popular. So it makes sense that she's been made this game's unstoppable stalker in a similar vein to Nemesis from RE3, Mr. X from RE2(mostly, the remake) and Jack Baker from RE7. However, unlike those aforementioned stalkers, Lady D cannot simply be put down no matter how hard you try as no weapon you have at your disposal seems to phase her whatsoever so your only option until the obligatory boss fight is to just keep running, don't look back and find the nearest safe room if possible.
But if you thought going through Castle Dimitrescu nearly gave you a heart attack, just wait until you get to House Beneviento for anything that lies there will fucking haunt you for the rest of your life. I'm serious when I say that those parts with the giant fetus alone automatically make this one of the scariest RE titles by far. You have been warned.
So while Ethan is a solid and relatable protagonist, the villains are the highlight due to their distinct personalities, immense fright factor and unsavory demeanor. Seriously, Miranda herself is such a clingy psychopath that she's forcing Sarah Paulson from Run to hold her beer.
So taking into account everything I've mentioned thus far, this is such a great story that not only continues and concludes Ethan's journey nicely but the suspense is gripping, parts of it are terrifying as hell, there's some shocking revelations at certain turns, it manages to competently tie things into the overall RE storyline and there's even a bit of that camp factor that the series is usually known for. It's scary, it's bittersweet, it's action-packed, there's alot to unpack and love here.
GAMEPLAY & CONTROLS:
While RE7 more or less resembles the original in terms of gameplay and structure, RE8 resembles RE4 with it's European village setting, larger-than-life encounters, merchant system and a bit more focus on action especially towards the end. But whereas RE4 was mostly linear with little-to-no backtracking, RE8 was able to retain the element of non-linear exploration with the center of the village serving as your in-between hub and certain places such as Heisenberg's Factory and Castle Dimistrescu containing multiple paths, unlockable areas and other hidden extras which will have you spending hours trying to find everything. Puzzles are back as well and are just as satisfying to solve if a bit easier than in previous games and each villain location contains a special labyrinth mini-game where, if you can find the ball that goes with it, you have to guide said ball to it's winning hole to unlock a special and very valuable treasure which you can exchange for money.
Speaking of which, in place of the Merchant from RE4, we have the Duke, an eccentric being who serves as Ethan's unofficial guide while also offering a variety of items including ammo, weapons and attachments, healing packs and more for a hefty fee. On-top of that, he also offers to upgrade your weapons if you got the cash for it and will even serve you some meals for free if you have the right ingredients such as fish, poultry and meat. Said meals will expand your health and help you take less damage when guarding, among other useful effects.
Like RE7, the game is played in a first-person perspective though recent updates have included the option to play in third-person which is a nice touch for those who can't stand FPS games and like before, it plays beautifully. Controls are tight, fighting enemies have never felt so challenging and satisfying and the mechanics carried over from previous games are just as good as ever. Like in RE4, although you have a briefcase to carry a limited number of essential items such as weapons, first aid meds and such, you also have separate menus for treasures and key items so don't worry too much about using up too much room. In regards to treasures, also like in RE4, there are certain pieces that become more valuable when combined into one classy-looking piece. With so many goodies to look for and many pathways to uncover throughout, you're bound to be busy whenever you're taking a break from the story. Also like in RE7, there are certain points where you can save your progress if you feel like there could be alot to lose in the next part and even though there is an autosave system, I prefer doing things the manual way to keep within the RE spirit.
In terms of the foes you face, besides the four lords, Miranda and that disgusting giant fetus, your main enemies consist of Lycans, werewolf-type beasts, and Moroaicǎ, vampyric ghouls. There's also mechanical mutant hybrids, flying bat-like demons, killer dolls, huge dog-like monsters, Lady D's horny-ass daughters and a discount Rubeus Hagrid carrying a fuck-off massive mallet. It's crazy to say the least.
As far as I'm concerned, I don't really have any issues with the overall design. The gameplay's cool and challenging, the boss fights are tense, the exploration is very rewarding and I just found it to be quite fun, spooky and satisfying.
In regards to any extra content after beating the base game, you can unlock a shop where you can use the points gained from completing achievements to buy extra weapons, concept art, models and so on. There's also the return of Mercenaries mode and, of course, there's the paid DLC chapter, Shadows of Rose, which serves as the chilling epilogue to the main story, a good one I might add.
GRAPHICS & PRODUCTION VALUE:
As of right now, this is probably the best-looking RE game I've played thus far. Thanks to the technical capabilities of the PlayStation 5, RE8 just looks absolutely stunning with commendable attention to detail, expansive environments, solid motion-capture work and so many neat effects. With a stable performance, pretty much non-existent load times and more, it just makes the game all the more gorgeous to look at. The miracles the RE Engine can do, man.
The big highlight of the game's graphical quality is the very beginning and ending where we're treated to segments from a storybook that pretty much mirror the events of the game and my god, it just looks fantastic. Absolutely phenomenal work.
Besides all that, the music by Shusaku Uchiyama and Nao Sato is great, the sound design is crisp as hell, the overall artistry is just spot-on, again, I really have no complaints.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Overall, Resident Evil: Village is nothing short of a masterpiece and is by far one of my favorite RE games, easily in the Top 3.
It manages to take so many elements from past titles such as the exploration and mystery from RE1 and 2, the camp value and action from RE4, 5 and 6, the utter intensity of RE1, 3 and 7 and the sheer fright factor of RE1, 2 and 7 and mix it all together into this amazing and satisfactory package. So much about it worked and was so worth putting over nine hours into. I just fucking love this game and I seriously, SERIOUSLY! highly recommend it.
Until next time, thank you for taking the time to check out this installment of GAME MODE: ON.
If you liked what you've read here and want to see more, you can go ahead and follow me whenever you want.
And also, don't forget to check out my Letterboxd page for new film reviews every week.
AFTER-NOTE: I might review another horror game before Halloween though that may depend on time and energy. That, and if I can actually beat the bloody thing.