Resident Evil Series

[CraigTheCylon]

Speaking of, am i the only one to think that the name "Biohazard" fits that series of games way more nicely than "Resident Evil".

I mean, that's precisely what those games are about.

Still don't know if the Biohazard name is usable outside of Japan. Did that band give up on it yet?

To your question: I prefer 'Resident Evil' a lot more, actually, just because it doesn't clue you in on what's in store. 'Biohazard' - assuming you know what the word means - immediately ties the games in with perverted science and dark biology, which renders the attempts of the series to hide its own threats (especially in the first game, where you're meant to go in blind and follow a breadcrumb trail of clues about what's going on before it all becomes clear in the laboratory) a wasted effort. Meanwhile, 'Resident Evil' is less specific, simply implying an innate darkness that's been left to fester within wherever it is you are. It's not a name that always fits - the RE4-and-beyond era of globetrotting gunplay rarely sits still long enough for that kind of dread to apply - but for the classics and RE7 it absolutely works. Probably why 7 is the first one to keep 'Resident Evil' in its name in Japan.

[Agent Z]

Still don't know if the Biohazard name is usable outside of Japan. Did that band give up on it yet?

To your question: I prefer 'Resident Evil' a lot more, actually, just because it doesn't clue you in on what's in store. 'Biohazard' - assuming you know what the word means - immediately ties the games in with perverted science and dark biology, which renders the attempts of the series to hide its own threats (especially in the first game, where you're meant to go in blind and follow a breadcrumb trail of clues about what's going on before it all becomes clear in the laboratory) a wasted effort. Meanwhile, 'Resident Evil' is less specific, simply implying an innate darkness that's been left to fester within wherever it is you are. It's not a name that always fits - the RE4-and-beyond era of globetrotting gunplay rarely sits still long enough for that kind of dread to apply - but for the classics and RE7 it absolutely works. Probably why 7 is the first one to keep 'Resident Evil' in its name in Japan.

I always felt the globetrotting gunplay direction the series went in was inevitable given the protagonists were usually police or military. Whether or not that was a good thing is debatable of course.

It was a lot easier to return to the series' roots with Ethan who had no training in either field.

[Starter Set]

Still don't know if the Biohazard name is usable outside of Japan. Did that band give up on it yet?

To your question: I prefer 'Resident Evil' a lot more, actually, just because it doesn't clue you in on what's in store. 'Biohazard' - assuming you know what the word means - immediately ties the games in with perverted science and dark biology, which renders the attempts of the series to hide its own threats (especially in the first game, where you're meant to go in blind and follow a breadcrumb trail of clues about what's going on before it all becomes clear in the laboratory) a wasted effort. Meanwhile, 'Resident Evil' is less specific, simply implying an innate darkness that's been left to fester within wherever it is you are. It's not a name that always fits - the RE4-and-beyond era of globetrotting gunplay rarely sits still long enough for that kind of dread to apply - but for the classics and RE7 it absolutely works. Probably why 7 is the first one to keep 'Resident Evil' in its name in Japan.

RE7 totally deserves to be called "resident evil" indeed lol, no question there.

Man that was creepy.

[Guy1]

RE7 totally deserves to be called "resident evil" indeed lol, no question there.

Man that was creepy.

[Alan2099]

Speaking of, am i the only one to think that the name "Biohazard" fits that series of games way more nicely than "Resident Evil".

I mean, that's precisely what those games are about.

That's exactly why it was a worse name. It tells you what it's about. The first time you play Reisident Evil, you don't know what's going on or what the cause of it is.

[Immortal Weapon]

Resident Evil as a name stop making sense when the settings started to expand into cities and remote villages.

[CraigTheCylon]

Resident Evil as a name stop making sense when the settings started to expand into cities and remote villages.

Not to mention when there are recurring heroes and/or villains, not to mention making you play as one or more agents of a paramilitary outfit specifically trained to handle biological warfare, which kinda obliterates any mystery there may be over the nature of the threat.

Largely why I wish they'd deviate from mutagenic viruses more often. RE4 had a little bit of extra tension on original release because the Ganados were different enough from zombies - and the Los Illuminados' ritual affectations were thorough enough to be convincing - that you didn't honestly know what was happening, and given how different the game felt overall, you could dare to think it could be anything.

[Agent Z]

Not to mention when there are recurring heroes and/or villains, not to mention making you play as one or more agents of a paramilitary outfit specifically trained to handle biological warfare, which kinda obliterates any mystery there may be over the nature of the threat.

Largely why I wish they'd deviate from mutagenic viruses more often. RE4 had a little bit of extra tension on original release because the Ganados were different enough from zombies - and the Los Illuminados' ritual affectations were thorough enough to be convincing - that you didn't honestly know what was happening, and given how different the game felt overall, you could dare to think it could be anything.

Then again, considering the first game's protagonists were a team of elite soldiers, the more action-focused direction wasn't really unnatural for the franchise. I honestly question if the franchise was entirely about mystery and survival horror to begin with. I'd actually say RE7 (which I like) is arguably a bigger departure from the franchise than 5 and 6.

[CraigTheCylon]

Then again, considering the first game's protagonists were a team of elite soldiers, the more action-focused direction wasn't really unnatural for the franchise. I honestly question if the franchise was entirely about mystery and survival horror to begin with. I'd actually say RE7 (which I like) is arguably a bigger departure from the franchise than 5 and 6.

They didn't really FEEL like elite soldiers, though. Likely the only reasons for the protagonists being S.T.A.R.S as opposed to, say, random hikers who stumble on the Spencer Estate after getting lost in the Arklays were (1) to justify them being armed to start with, (2) to give them a decent reason to not just bail at the first sign of trouble - i.e. they're meant to be investigating stuff, and (3) one or more homages to a particular film, since classic RE is lousy with nods to old movies. My immediate thought would be Aliens, which also features a squad of ostensibly 'elite' gun-toting badasses going into an unknown threat, dying a bunch, and being forced to run and hide from the monsters. Plus videogames in general love referencing Aliens.

Besides, RE1 is followed by RE2, where one of the heroes is a college student whose only combat skills are summed up as "knows someone from the first game", and the one who is trained for bad situations is greener than grass and spends most of the game being dragged around by a spy and having his opinions ignored. So, no, I don't agree that we were ever playing a true action game, or controlling action heroes, in the classic titles.

What did make a difference was Capcom's reluctance to let any of these characters go. It makes perfect sense that Chris, Jill, Leon and Claire would be cover-hugging, karate-kicking death machines who can shoot the cap off a bottle from 200 yards out nowadays because they've been around so long, and pure experience makes a believable teacher. If the developers had dared to kill off some of the big names, the series' evolution would feel a lot less natural.

[T00.Mch_t00.Lttl]

Well technically Resident Evil series ended at each game without much plans to do a follow up. Also, Shinji Makami gets way too much credit and I think it was for the best he was pushed away. The Evil within was an absolutely terrible game and Resident Evil 4 was not that great in the series as a whole. Hideki Kamiya is responsible for the greatness of the strongest core titles in the series which are Resident Evil 2 and 3. Mikami only directed Resident Evil 1 and 4 which imo are the weakest in the series.

[Alan2099]

What did make a difference was Capcom's reluctance to let any of these characters go. It makes perfect sense that Chris, Jill, Leon and Claire would be cover-hugging, karate-kicking death machines who can shoot the cap off a bottle from 200 yards out nowadays because they've been around so long, and pure experience makes a believable teacher. If the developers had dared to kill off some of the big names, the series' evolution would feel a lot less natural.

I think killing off a few of the returning characters would only benefit the games at this point. It would help highlight horror aspects of the series again. You're not safe. Nobody is safe. You don't know what's going to happen next.

[Agent Z]

I think killing off a few of the returning characters would only benefit the games at this point. It would help highlight horror aspects of the series again. You're not safe. Nobody is safe. You don't know what's going to happen next.

Does killing Wesker in 5 count?

[Alan2099]

Wesker's already been killed before. There's no impact there.

[comicscollector]

I prefer the Resident Evil name to Biohazard name.I was just aware of the Biohazard name a few years after i had played first RE1 and RE2.
The first RE game i played was the first one way back in the PS1,so the Resident Evil name have always been a name that made more sense to me.
RE1 starts in a mansion so with the game having the player exploring the mysteries of the mansion,the Resident Evil name always looked to me to be the right name of the franchise instead of the Biohazard name.

[Immortal Weapon]

Biohazard makes more sense now as viral outbreaks is a regular occurrence and cities are getting nuked to contain them.