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The Japanese survival horror game series called “Resident Evil” is known all over the world. For the past 20 years, we’ve seen lots of movies and spin-off games based on the series. References to the series have appeared many times in current pop culture, such as in the famous TV Show “Breaking Bad,” where two guys argue about which game is better, Left 4 Dead or Resident Evil. To celebrate the upcoming release of “Resident Evil VIII” (May 7th, 2021), let’s recall how it all began two and a half decades ago.
Resident Evil
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Release date: 22nd March 1996
Platforms available: PC, PS1, PS3, PSP, PSV, GameCube
The first game in the “Resident Evil” series was released in 1996 as a project of Japanese video game developer Capcom Co., Ltd. On the Japanese market, the game came out as “Biohazard,” and until now, all games from the “Resident Evil” series appear under this name as well. Initially, the game supposed to be a remake of another survival horror titled “Sweet Home”, but the developers saw more potential in it. The plot tells of the S.T.A.R unit soldiers’ adventures in Raccoon City and their fight against bloodthirsty zombies.
Resident Evil 2
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Release date: 21st January 1998
Platforms available: PC. PS1, PS3, PSP, PSV, GameCube
Less than two years after the first installment’s success, the Capcom game developers decided to release a sequel. “Resident Evil 2″ featured primarily better graphics and a much longer and developed storyline. The two main characters (policeman Leon and reporter Claire) try to save the town of Raccoon from destruction and stop the dangerous T-virus, which turns people into zombies.
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
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Release date: 22nd September 1999
Platforms available: PC, PS1, PS3, PSP, PSV, GameCube
In the third installment of the series, players return to Raccoon City, which, this time, has been infected with the G-Virus, leaked by the Umbrella Corporation. The third part of the game is characterized primarily by improved combat elements — it added, among others, rotating the character 180 degrees, dodging attacks, creating ammunition. We also can’t forget about the ambient music that adds a bit of creepiness.
Resident Evil 4
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Release date: 11th January 2005
Platforms available: PC, PS2, Wii, GameCube, Android, iOS
Six years after the release of the third installment, fans finally got another one. “Resident Evil 4″ wasn’t a game similar to the previous ones in the series. The players took on agent Leon S. Kennedy’s role, with a mission to rescue the US president’s daughter. Unlike the earlier games, the developers decided to focus more on logic puzzles than combat elements.
Resident Evil 5
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Release date: 5th March 2009
Platforms available: PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Switch
In the 5th part of the game, Capcom Studio has abandoned the classic “Resident Evil” ambiance. The game was more like an FPS than survival horror; developers also gave the co-op mode more emphasis. Nevertheless, players loved “Resident Evil 5,” and it’s the best-selling game of the series of all time, with 13 million copies sold.
Resident Evil: Revelations
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Release date: 27th January 2012
Platforms available: PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, WiiU, 3DS
Even though it’s a spin-off and a side project, its output was so great that we decided to include it in this article. The action of “Resident Evil: Revelations” takes place between the events presented in the 4th and 5th installments. The main characters are Jill Valentine and Parker Luciani, who are looking for missing soldiers on the Queen Zenobia ship. During their search, they come across people infected with the T-virus.
Resident Evil 6
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Release date: 2nd October 2012
Platforms available: PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Switch
After the iconic 5th installment of the game came out, fans of the series were clamoring for more. Anticipating the sixth “Resident Evil,” they got a total of 9 remakes and spin-offs referring to the previous games. In 2012, the next part of the Resident Evil series came out where players got as many as 4 story campaigns: Chris Redfield, Jake Muller, Leon Kennedy, and Ada Wong. You could say the game went back to its roots — again, zombies and the T-Virus were the storyline’s theme.
Resident Evil: Revelations 2
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Release date: 2nd October 2012
Platforms available: PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Switch
Fans of the series loved the spin-off “Revelations” so much that the developers decided to release its sequel. This time, the action takes place between the events presented in parts 5 and 6; above all, we can see many references to the side characters of the previous games. Players take on the roles of Claire Redfield and Moira Burton and attempt to stop the menacing T-Virus.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
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Release date: 24th January 2017
Platforms available: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch
Resident Evil 7 is a game completely different from all the others from the series. The seventh installment of the game has much more horror in it than the previous parts. Players take on the role of an ordinary man named Ethan who is searching for his missing wife. It’s interesting to note that, this time, a person from outside Japan wrote the game’s script. The game also offers a first-person view, which gives an entirely unique experience.
Resident Evil 2/Resident Evil 3 (Remakes)
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Release date: 25th January 2019/3rd April 2020
Platforms available: PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox One
Between the 7th and the 8th installment, the developers decided to go back to their roots and release two full-fledged remakes of the second and third games in the Resident Evil series. It’s a faithful representation of the already iconic games, but with better graphics, different voice acting, and available for the latest gaming platforms.
Resident Evil 8: Village
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Release date: 7th May 2021
Platforms available: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
Soon we’ll be able to play the next part of Resident Evil. From what we know from the previews, it’s supposed to be a continuation of Ethan Winters and his wife’s story. So far, we don’t know much about the game, but PlayStation 5 players can already try out its demo titled “MAIDEN” (find it here).
7 Interesting facts about the Resident Evil series
At the very end, we’ll provide you with some facts you might not have known about “Resident Evil”:
- The game “Devil May Cry” originally intended to be a spin-off to “Resident Evil 4.”
- “Resident Evil” has its theatrical play entitled “BIOHAZARD: The Stage.”
- Game developers explored haunted places and houses, searching for inspiration.
- The first “Resident Evil” game appears in the “Guinness World Records: Gamer’s Edition 2008” in the category “Worst Game Dialogue Ever.”
- To date, there have been 6 full-length films based on the “Resident Evil” series.
- If we count all spin-offs, remakes, and mini-games, there have been a total of 36 games from the “Resident Evil” franchise.
- The developers came up with the “Resident Evil” game idea after watching “Night of the Living Dead.”
Summary
You have to admit that the games from the “Resident Evil” series have something special about them. Why not play them all in order, to celebrate the release of a new part of the game? Think about it, and if you decide to do so, we hope you have a pleasant time.