All things Resident Evil (Biohazard)

[Simonsloth]

I seem to have fallen in love with resident evil 6?!! I half played it on release and hated everything about it but now for someone reason once I got a few hours in I realised that slowly I was falling for it!

I’m just starting campaign 3 with sherry so there’s plenty of time to have my mind changed!

[ReprobateGamer]

I seem to have fallen in love with resident evil 6?!! I half played it on release and hated everything about it but now for someone reason once I got a few hours in I realised that slowly I was falling for it!

I’m just starting campaign 3 with sherry so there’s plenty of time to have my mind changed!

I've always kinda liked RE6 (and RE5) but this is largely due to it being games that don't trigger my wife's motion sickness so she can actually pick up a controller and join in. Thus I've never had to deal with the partner AI - which often seems to be a source of frustration from the comments I've seen.

It also tipped it's hat towards Dark Souls with the Agent Hunt mode where other players were able to take control of one of the enemies at various points and use the enemy skills/attacks to try to take down the players: possibly the only instance of PvP in a canon game in the series? The control scheme was a little clunky (maybe deliberately so ...) and it took a long time to connect (it's possible to switch this off and you have to be searching as players are moving into an area that this feature was enabled for) but it was an interesting feature and something I wish that they would have spent more time upon - I don't believe you can pick to go into a game with friends on the other side by choice for instance.

And the co-op in this actually has the players on a par - unlike for RE:Revelations 2 where the co-op is distinctly asymmetric.

RE6 certainly isn't perfect - it's very definitely not my favourite game in the series for a number of reasons - but the co-op always remains a plus point for me.

Interested if you are liking RE6 in solo play, and if you have dabbled in Agent Hunt as one of the good guys (I've only ever invaded someone else's game)

[Simonsloth]

Has anyone played the resi 7 dlc? Just wondered if it’s worthwhile. I hear there are some highlights and lowlights.

[Craig]

On the recently released Code Veronica podcast there was a point of discussion that the violence seemed to have been lessened in this installment and I think I may be able to shed some light on it.

In 1997, there was a particularly grizzly and infamous set of murders. I won't go into the details too much as it's a fairly upsetting read (you can catch up here) but it involved dismemberment of the victims, and particularly because it was perpetrated by a teenager, media shared a lot of the blame.

Since then, dismemberment in games has been very taboo with it usually getting cut entirely. Even within this series, Resident Evil 4's chainsaw death was removed. In recent years, there have been several extremely violent games passing through (though of course still holding a high age rating) so time may be removed enough from the incident.

I could see Resi 2 being too far along to make changes for a 1998 release, but 3 I'm not sure. It could have taken a few years for the pressure to build on the publishers though.

[ThirdDrawing]

Here's some gameplay for the remake of RE2

https://gematsu.com/2018/06/10-minutes- ... 8-gameplay

[KSubzero1000]

I'm currently getting irrationally upset about this article about the upcoming RE2 "remake", especially this quote:

[...]"We had discussions on whether we could make a game that was everything for everyone," says Capcom Europe COO Stuart Turner. "For those guys who want tank controls and want fixed cameras... can we do that? "But the world has moved on and these players have changed. And if we did [introduce old school mechanics], these fans might play it and actually decide it's not what they wanted after all.[...]

Great. So now we're losing out on a unique design philosophy based on the mere conjecture that old-school fans might potentially not like having the thing they want (?!). Just fantastic. Pray tell, Mr. Turner, if the traditional RE formula is indeed so horribly outdated and unpopular, who exactly bought the current gen REmake re-release en masse to the point of smashing Capcom's sales expectations and prompting this celebratory video from the very own Yoshiaki "WE DO IT" Hirabayashi:



???

I can't think of any other franchise that continues to be treated so disrespectfully. There is no way that Halo Infinite will turn out to be a TPS or a top-down shooter while some 343 mouthpiece dismissively tells people to "move on". There is no way that the next Street Fighter will turn out to be a third-person brawler like ARMS while the official rhetoric becomes "It's still about punching people, right? What's the big deal?". Never gonna happen. But when it comes to RE, everything gets hyped up as long as it ticks the same two or three superficial presentation boxes while mechanical literacy and the desire for artistic preservation are being thrown out the window. It blows my mind. All they had to do was to adopt the impeccable REmake template. That's it.

The article writer pulling the double-whammy of shitting on tank controls while simultaneously failing to understand what tank controls actually are is just the icing on the cake. And the constant references and comparisons to RE4 are infuriating. RE4 uses a single-analogue setup and a specific gameplay loop based on precise positioning, enemy staggers and melee combat. The RE2 "remake" uses a dual-analogue setup and the same watered down bullet sponge combat as the Revelations games minus the melee moves, as far as I can tell. Apples and Oranges. Some people really don't know what they're talking about.

That's exactly what I meant when I mentioned how the trend towards homogeneity comes at the cost of creative diversity in the other thread. At least the AAA sphere seems to become more creatively bankrupt by the minute. Everything looks the same and controls the same and works the same and nobody seems to care about anything other than instant gratification and the lowest possible barrier of entry.

I mean, the game does look great. The thing is however, everything with half a budget behind it looks great in 2018. But a game needs more than looks to be great.


I'm sorry about the hyper-negative post guys. I'm probably just a running gag at this point, but everything about this situation upsets and saddens me to no end.

[Alex79]

And to take a different opinion, I'm much more likely to play the Resident Evil 2 remake now it's this format rather than a reskin of the old game. Much as I love the old Resident Evil games, I've played them so many times, but I never got more that an hour or so in to REmake on the PS4 before giving it up. (Aside: I did play and enjoy the original REmake on Gamecube, but that was, well, it must be almost 15 years ago?)

I'm not trying to be contrary, I'm just much more interested in the game now. I'd never have bought it if it was just a prettier version of Resident Evil 2. I may have played a bit when it inevitably came to PS+, but Capcom are looking for sales, and this game will sell more than the version you were hoping for. For better or for worse, time moves on I guess.

I think the game will look, and be, great. I appreciate how you feel about Resident Evil 7, and how much you dislike some of the changes it made to the series, but the general game buying public seem to disagree.

[Alex79]

In 1997, there was a particularly grizzly and infamous set of murders. I won't go into the details too much as it's a fairly upsetting read (you can catch up here)

Jesus...

Never heard of that before.

Wish I still hadn't.

That's the stuff of horror movies.

[KSubzero1000]

And to take a different opinion, I'm much more likely to play the Resident Evil 2 remake now it's this format rather than a reskin of the old game.

Mate honestly, I see where you're coming from. I genuinely hope you like the game when it comes out.

It just goes back to this constant push towards homogeneity and risk-adverse nature of the industry. There are about a dozen current gen games that look and work in a similar way as the RE2 remake. But nobody is making anything even remotely resembling classic RE anymore. RE2 would have been the perfect opportunity to show confidence in the series' roots, and I'm sad to see them taking the easy way out.

I'll still play it, mind you. I'm sure it'll have cool twists and elements. But I doubt it'll be as memorable as the old ones considering its generic foundation.

[Alex79]

I think for me, the opportunity to explore the world in first person is what excites me the most. Just literally seeing what everything looks like. "Oh there's this, oh yeah I remember that, that looks cool. Wow look at that..."

I'm hoping the enemies are more like the original than the molded were though.

[Simonsloth]

I’m on the fence.

I preferred 7 to the previous two entries so a new direction is sometimes needed. However Resident Evil 2 is my favourite classic entry so the fact they are changing it worries me.

I would have preferred if they did a REmake style refresh on this game instead and left their other ideas for resident evil 8.

I’ll still buy it and hope that I’m wrong.

[KSubzero1000]

I would have preferred if they did a REmake style refresh on this game instead and left their other ideas for resident evil 8.

Precisely. I've come to terms with the notion that future entries in the series will probably be aimed at a different audience than me. It's not easy to admit it, but I get it. But when remaking a classic such as RE2, I would expect a higher level of respect and understanding of the source material they're dealing with.

Here's a fan cover of the RE2 save room music that expands on the original and shows how the same track could sound with modern audio quality:


...Now imagine how marvelous it would have been if the entire game had received the same treatment.

Nintendo have a great track record of Metroid and Fire Emblem remakes that respect and preserve the original games' identities. I don't see why other companies shouldn't be held to the same standard.

[DomsBeard]

Well Resi 7 have save areas with music too so hopefully 2 will have the same.

I have high hopes for this

Great piece of music by the way.

[Alex79]

I don't know if this is already common knowledge, but I know a lot of people are disappointed Resident Evil 2 remake is first person on the RE7 engine. I've seen a Lets Play of it and it was all in third person view. It was the first time I'd seen that, does everyone else already know this?

EDIT: Erm ok, so it seems everyone knew this was third person all along! I don't know why I thought it was first person!?

[dezm0nd]

I've never thought of it as first person once we saw gameplay footage this year which is all we've had to go on.

[KSubzero1000]

RE2make has never been first-person. All the trailers and screenshots released so far have shown a conventional over-the-shoulder perspective. Dunno where you got this from?

[Alex79]

Dunno where you got this from?

The only footage I watched of the game was the E3 reveal, and I don't know, I think I just assumed and then didn't pay any attention after that, haha.

[KSubzero1000]

I watched a grand total of two interesting videos on the topic of the upcoming RE2make today.




The first one is from one of the most vocal RE7 fans on YouTube and is very optimistic. His core argument being that tank controls / fixed camera angles are an inherently inferior design choice and that the modern RE games are more player-friendly but also more efficient horror products by virtue of their new formula. I can't say that I agree with many of his conclusions, but I have to admit that he's articulating his points very well.




The second one is a bit more informal / amateurish, but he is also more critical of the artistic changes. Overall, I think he's a bit too dismissive of the signature action RE gameplay, but it's nice to see someone diving into the audiovisual side of things. I was beginning to think I was the only one who cared about the music!


I want it to be good, but... I'm conflicted.

[Michiel K]

I love that camera perspective analysis in the second video!

[raisinbman]

I haven't played Resident Evil 8, but I watched Matt McMuscles playthrough, and it seemed really weird. I admit I'm not the biggest Resident Evil head, and my experience with the series is limited to MVC2/3. Some thoughts:

Spoiler: show

While it RE8 reviewed well, it seems to be more of an action game than a horror game, but there's a way to fix it: Call it Silent Hill.

Of course there's more action-y resident evils, but it does seem to be going in direction that's close to what they were trying to avoid(RE5/6). If he's supposed to be an everyman, the story isn't believable. If he's in silent hill and actually a mold monster? Bingo.

Chris acts very strange and makes bad decisions which could've prevented this whole adventure. Well, if this was silent hill, him being under the influence of the titular hill would have it make sense. Or even if he was some sort of illusion or remnant.

Similar could be said for Ethan, as his mannerisms are completely unbelievable as he switches from clueless with what's happening around him, to some sort of duke nukem-esque figure flipping the bird and delivering 1 liners after downing bosses, to having next to 0 reaction when he finds out his daughter was turned into 4 macguffins. Painfully.

I think the change of franchise could also could be used to explain any number of plot points or strangeness in the story. In this changed version, this could also explain why Ethan ressurrects/people don't look at him funny/him not knowing he's a mold...thing.

An interesting note they could've played up would be if they showed Ethan becoming less and less 'human'(ie: random people reacting to him in horror, a room of zombies not caring if you're there because you're already 'dead'), or giving hints(well, more hints if people are exploring) of his state.

If they were more forthcoming with Ethan being a mold thingie, they could've also played with the 'who's really the monster', and it could've been a conceit to wrestle with.


Side notes:

Obviously, Capcom wasn't prepared for Lady D to capture gaming's heart. But as we've seen with the recent #JackoChallenge, people will NEVER stop being thirsty. Probably should have let her not be killed off so early, possibly making it a 'choose your path' situation.

With Mr. X being the threat he was in the recent 2 remake, it also seems a bit of a shame for Lady D to be so easily foilable. It seems like they copped out and had her turn monstrous instead of being a more intricate deal.

In the game, there's alot of hand gore(apparently the devs could only really think of this sort of punishment to show you 'experiencing' what Ethan was). But they had very little choice because they REFUSED to show us Ethan. I think this would've helped with the 'horror' point.

Ethan Winters is a Bad Character. This doesn't take much explaining, but the devs, before release(and of course because they continued using him from 7) talked about him very favorably. I went over it earlier in my writeup but he's not good. I don't know if it was simply PR speak, or japan really sees something in Ethan I don't, but regardless, he's dead so I guess its a moot point.

I recognize most of the voice acting is camp, but early on, it seems like a demo for the female voice actresses' ASMR.

EDIT: in listening to the giant bombcast, they pointed out to me resident evil is to come off as schlock, so most people should ignore my comment here. I'll keep it for posterity