All things Resident Evil (Biohazard)

[DomsBeard]

With Resident Evil 6 coming out soon, what are your current thoughts on the series now from its beginnings as survival horror on PS1?.

I played the original in my local video game store soon after release about the time I bought my PS1. I had to choose between a memory card or Resi so I decided to go with Resi as I was blown away by it. Needless to say I was then playing a Resi 'Dark Souls' hybrid when if I died it was back to the beginning of the game!. Furthest I got was Yawn each time and I finally got paid again so bought a memory card. So many highlights in the original (stellar voice acting aside )from the dogs through the window to getting back to the mansion from the guard house nice and relaxed after knowing most zombies are dead then you see the hunter come for you........

Resident Evil 2 raised the bar and was brilliant again, from the mirror version to playing as the umbrella soldier ( name always escapes me) it was every thing a sequel should be.

Resi 3 was a little short for me but is totally unforgettable down to Nemesis which reminds me so much of Dead Space now with its scares. Good split story decisions again and I need to replay this at some point.

Bought a dreamcast especially for Code Veronica story whilst still good was noticeably weaker but had some excellent enemies (bandersnatch).

Was very hesitant about Resi 4 but was delighted to be blown away by it in every way (I bought a GameCube for the Resi 1 remake too).

Fell out of love with gaming for a bit after the PS2 and bad moves by sega/ninty led to the GameCube/Dreamcast dying but when I saw Resi 5, I knew I had to buy a 360.

Thought Resi 5 was pretty forgettable from the annoying partner through to the story and the ridiculous

Spoiler: show

end of Wesker

it's the only Resi I haven't gone back to. I've still got all the DLC sat on my hard drive.

So it was with a heavy heart that after seeing minimal previews etc to avoid spoilers I cancelled my Pre order of Resi 6, it doesn't look like a Resi game anymore. Hopefully reviews might swing me but I think I'll just get it off love film. It's forgotten everything that made it brilliant.

[TomFum]

After putting well over 400hrs into Resi evil 5 on PS3,Xbox and PC im buying Resi 6 on release day.

I truly loved 5, Wesker was a proper twat and im glad hes gone but it was a stunning game.

Resi 4 was amazing as well i think i put about the same amount of hours into it as i did 5 and that was only on the Ps2 and the xbox remake.

To be honest i never really played the others, i had C.V on the dreamcast but i couldn't get on with it or the style of play

obviously ive played the others 1,2,3 but again couldn't get on with them.

I still like the series and i think there gonna go mental with 6.

[AndyKurosaki]

I've been a massive fan of Resi since the first game, I twagged the day off College to buy Resident Evil 2 on release, and as my PS1 was chipped I imported the american release of Resi 3.While 5 was a change of direction, I enjoyed it, and I spent months playing the online with my two mates.
But for Resident Evil 6, I've got genuine concerns. 4 previews have all said "what the fuck have they done to Resi?". The section featuring Alex Wesker is filled with cheap deaths and QTE's. Chris' plays like a Gears style cover-shooter. Now negative previews are one thing, they're not always accurate. But the thing I'm concerned about, is this is the first Resi game magazines are struggling to be positive about. Usually, for a 'main' Resi entry, they're full of praise. For this though, they all say "what we've played, is a huge misfire".

Obviously a series has to evolve to survive. But my worry is they've gone off the rails. It's a rental for me, I'm not willing to risk £40.

[dezm0nd]

I have enjoyed them all, really, up until the latest 3DS version which I thought was terrible. Sure, it had the traditional over the shoulder camera and gameplay which resembled the previous games (4 & 5) but it just didn't come close in terms of level design and tension.

Also, swapping characters in a "survival horror" game really pulls you out of the experience and this game took every opportunity it could to plonk you in a new pair of shoes to help weave a once again shitty story.

I will end up playing 6, because you kind of have to whether you're excited or completely cautious about it but it's not a day one for me.

[DomsBeard]

Ha totally forgot about Zero which I bought day one and thought was pretty average. I think my apathy for the series grew after playing Dead Space and it reminding me of how Resi should make you feel whilst playing.

[JaySevenZero]

I'm a big Resident Evil fan, having and still owning all the core games (all on the gamecube format, except 5 which is PS3). Despite this I agree with some of the sentiments already posted in that I feel that they have lost their soul somewhat in turning the games towards a more action orientated gameplay scenario.

I watched Ratso play the Resi 6 demo recently and whilst the Leon Kennedy section had perhaps a more traditional Resi feel, the Chris Redfield section was pure third person shooter. A result of this is that I'm in the same boat as Andy in that this will most likely be a Lovefilm rental rather than a purchase.

I recently replayed the Gamecube remake of Resident Evil, which is still a stunning version and a fine example of how remakes should be produced. One of the defining things for me was the constant ammo tension in believing that every shotgun shell and magnum round is precious and not to be wasted, giving every confrontation with a Hunter or Lurker that extra sense of panic. As previously mentioned by Dom, the Dead Space games brought back this tension to the survival horror genre to me as a gamer (not to mention that they had more effort made to the fiction too, which gotten downright stupid by Resi 5), which is possibly why I'm more interested in Dead Space 3 than Resident Evil 6 - although it still remains to be seen if they're taking that franchise to a more action focused audience as well.

[AndyKurosaki]

I'm all for a bit of action, but still I would love a return to Resi's survival horror days. As Jay says, that feeling of "should I save this ammo in case I really need it?" just doesn't happen anymore.

[Alex79uk]

Resident Evil used to be one of my favourite game series. I was a bit late to the Playstation party, and didn't get one until about a year after release. My mate had been going on about this game Resident Evil for ages, and eventually I got a copy. We sat up and completed the game from start to finish one night and almost shat ourselves several times. Back in those younger hazy days I think it's safe to say our brains were probably somewhat altered when we were playing which made it even more intense. I absolutely loved the game, and have since completed it many times on many different formats. Off the top of my head PS1, PC, GBA and Gamecube. The Gamecube remake was excellent, and had enough additional content to keep you on your toes. Although, bizzarely I suppose, I have only ever played the game as Jill. Never ever once completed it through as Chris Redfield.

When Resident Evil 2 came out, it was a day one purchase for me. Whilst it lost a little of the originals tenseness it more than made up for it with huge graphical improvements and more varied settings. I loved the game, I completed it loads of times, both discs, doing speed runs to get the unlockable costumes and weapons.

Resident Evil 3 I never owned a copy of. I borrowed a friends, and whilst I remember enjoying it at the time it's the only one I've never gone back to. I think I'm well overdue a replay. I do seem to remember it lacked something the first two had, although the idea of the Nemesis stalking you wherever you went was terrifying at the time!

Resident Evil 4 I first completed on the Gamecube. I don't think I picked it up straight away, and got a pre-owned copy after a couple of months. I was blown away. A radical departure from the originals, but awesome all the same. I played it through a few times, collecting better starting weapons, and spending ages perfecting those shooting galleries. The idea of introducing the shop was great and added a lot more strategy in to how you played I thought. Spend money on much needed health items or save for the bigger gun? I loved the bottletop figures too. I also completed the game on the Wii, and after initially hating the WiiMote controls I soon grew to love them, although they did make the game a lot easier (maybe too easy?)

Resident Evil 5 I was so excited about after seeing that incredible trailer. When it came out I bought it on day one. Played it for 10 minutes and turned it off. What an absolute load of rubbish. I hated the controls, the new menu/items system, the buddy co-op character. Garbage. But then I tried it again, and eventually got in to it and completed the game. By the time I'd finished I absolutely loved it. I think it's a really, really underrated game and was probably one of my favourite games released that year. Definitely due a replay I think.

I've played most of the other games outside the numerical series too. Code Veronica on the Dreamcast, Resi Evil 0 on the Gamecube (the only Resident Evil I never completed - just couldn't get on with it) and the two Chronicles games on the Wii. Like I said, one of my favourite game series ever.

But Resident Evil 6? Well... It looks absolutely gorgeous, but Resident Evil it isn't! I don't know what they were thinking. I'm going to play it, but like a lot of others have said, it wont be a day one purchase. Either a rental (because come on, all the Resi games can be finished in a few hours) or a pre-owned a few months down the line. Hopefully, if I can put aside the fact it's supposed to be a Resident Evil game I'll enjoy it, because I love the Gears Of War games, the Uncharted games etc, and it does look like a competent enough cover shooter. I just know it'll get panned because it's not a Resident Evil game, which is a shame, but still...

[AndyKurosaki]

Apparently length-wise it's about 15 hours, but then you can bet a fair bit of that will be cutscenes. So it looks like few people plan to Day One it then...

[Pilgr1m]

Just fired up the demo for 6, so far so good!

[dezm0nd]

Is there an actual non-Dragons Dogma demo? I'll be interested in peeping it when it hits.

[Pilgr1m]

Think it drops around 18th September on both PS3 and 360

[TomFum]

I cant find the demo for 6 anywhere, where are you guys getting it from?

[JaySevenZero]

I cant find the demo for 6 anywhere, where are you guys getting it from?

There was an early access code for those who bought Dragon's Dogma.

[AndyKurosaki]

So Capcom are selling the 'Leather Jacket' edition of Resi 6 for £900. Nine. Hundred. Pounds. While people are entitled to buy whatever they want, anyone that pays that is utterly fucking insane.

[ratsoalbion]

Yeah, that's about £885 more than I'd pay for a nice, used leather jacket that didn't have the association with a (possibly) shit game.

[DomsBeard]

I think we should all chip in and buy me the jacket then I can jump a T-Virus Shark whilst wearing it. Surprised they haven't announced a version where you get Chris Redfields blood. Well I hope it isn't.....

TAXI

[ratsoalbion]

I might pay £900 to be involved in a 'Jill sandwich' though.

[AndyKurosaki]

I think a "muscles like Chris that let you punch a boulder apart" would sell better.
It has to be the most insanely over-priced special edition ever made.

[DomsBeard]

Did Barry Burton ever get his family back?.