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Silky · Apr 12, 2014

Before you come in here, /please/ don't shit up this thread with nonsense. I'd like to have some sort of debate/discussion regarding the topic (displayed below), and not some nonsensical drive by bullshit.

Following up from the recent string of survival-horror related threads, I'm still seeing the usual string of 'Resident Evil should return to it's roots and not be what it is now.' comments popping up. I can see where some cry foul at the recent RE releases. Some people believe it or not don't like Resident Evil when it's extremely over the top, and feel that the focus on the action/gameplay is only whittling away the atmosphere/eerie sensations the previous titles have established. Some people would rather have that focus of action downplayed/focused on one side mode not important to the games and their campaigns (Mercenaries) and instead return the games to it's traditional claustrophobic, intense and eerie environment. I /sort of/ agree.

I get the feeling that a lot of people would rather have the RE series be a restricting adventure game much like the first two titles (yes, I think RE1 and 2 are very restricting in terms of exploration and combat). While I did enjoy the original trilogy of RE games, I think it was necessary for Resident Evil to evolve itself to what we've seen in RE4 and soon later into RE5. But at the same time that evolution isn't enough. While I enjoy the direction they took into RE6 (sliding potshots are amazing ffs), I'll agree that this isn't the evolution that 'fits' RE.

I don't think Resident Evil really needs to return ALL OF itself to it's roots at the expense of less action because, as we've seen with Resident Evil: Revelations and to a lesser extent Leon's campaign in Resident Evil 6, I think Capcom is perfectly capable of maintaining that atmosphere and action simultaneously, much like Resident Evil 5 did.

Perhaps moderation would be better for Resident Evil? Give it the best of both worlds for fans of the action and the survival. Hit a middle ground. I think that's what Resi Evil 6 attempted but kind of failed considering the content of the campaigns.

TL;DR. I love Resident Evil, both old and new. I understand the complaints of RE6 but as of now I don't think that the RE series needs to devolve back to what it originally established in the first three titles. Instead, Capcom should take what they learned from Revelations and parts of RE6 and continue the next series with that template. Resident Evil should, and can exist, as a brilliant Survival Action title.

What do you think?

CookTrain · Apr 12, 2014

I'm one of those grumpy curmudgeons that would rather RE4 had been a new IP for everyone to fawn over and then Resident Evil as a plodding, meandering experience could be resurrected years later when it came back into fashion.

But then I loved Obscure 1 and 2, so... ignore me.

MormaPope · Apr 12, 2014

Just got a crazy idea recently, what if Resident Evil 7 is a open world horror game?

Imagine being in a city, overrun with zombies and all sorts of infected stuff, and you're given a simple goal but you have figure out the best way to traverse the environment. Better yet, in the outskirts of the city is a huge forest, a big mansion, and some sort of hidden research facility. Solving puzzles in a open world environment could be awesome too, tons of tools to complete the puzzle, but you gotta figure out how to use those tools correctly.

Shit, a character switching mechanic ala GTAV would be fantastic as well. Different movesets, strengths, weaknesses. You switch to one character and find out they used most of the ammo and items in the inventory, making the player search for more supplies.

Salsa · Apr 12, 2014

Revelations was the right amount of new mechanics with something a bit more akin to the old atmosphere

MavFan619 · Apr 12, 2014

I think the gameplay is certainly refined and feels great. It's mostly the environments that I don't enjoy as much. Which is why Leon's campaign especially early on was my favorite, it all felt suitably old school RE to me in atmosphere. I still need to finish Revelations.

Polioliolio · Apr 12, 2014

Throw it into a grave.

The story and characters get more ridiculous with each iteration, if just because of the amount of bizarro stupid events that have happened.

I say this as I casually enjoy RE6 co-op with my girlfriend... but I'm telling them, I can no longer take any of this seriously at all.

You can't tell me a human being can mutate into something 500 times heavier than it was within seconds. It makes no sense. Where did that extra mass come from? Particles in the air? At least try to explain it. If you tell me that it was growing in a tube like that for weeks, I can believe it, but it's hard to suspend disbelief when it's as silly as it is now.

And there's room for silliness, but RE tries to take itself semi seriously..

I could nitpick forever, but it's so videogamey in it's presentation, because it's trying to be generic hollywood so much.

Best thing they could do is stop having the characters doing judo chops and focus on a more realistic character that isn't roided out or like a secret agent super spy. Even if they did though, it doesn't erase the ridiculous nonsense they've already made part of the story.

I will drop money on brand new games, so let Resident Evil alone and see what else you can come up with.

Salsa · Apr 12, 2014

animlboogy said:
If you ignore half of the game entirely, sure. I personally thought that was a bad direction. Next time they try for that, they should actually put some puzzles in and not pad the game out with action sequences that make the worst parts of RE6 look spectacular in comparison.

I don't think it's that great, mostly cause it feels very limited, but it was enough to show there could be some sort of 'meet me halfway' for both RE "styles"

NoctisVsStar · Apr 12, 2014

RE5 dlc in the mansion was superb however I don't want the heavy action just for the sake of having a few more sales and attracting the bro crowd.

Silky · Apr 12, 2014

NoctisVsStar said:
RE5 dlc in the mansion was superb however I don't want the heavy action just for the sake of having a few more sales and attracting the bro crowd.

This comment doesn't make any sense, especially considering how RE5 is still the best selling RE and it's combat was a refined version of RE4 with co-op.

RE is already an established franchise with a multi-million series of films and merchandise. RE6's combat would never appeal to the 18-34 'dudebro' demographic. It's more complex than the average Action-shooter

Neff · Apr 12, 2014

I've said it once today already. But I'll say it again. I want Lost in Nightmares 2. It's the best blend of action RE and puzzles/exploration RE yet. I'd also be happy with a larger world to traverse as pitched by MormaPope, so long as it still has the puzzles and blocked-off areas to come back to later.

Polioliolio said:
I can no longer take any of this seriously at all.

Then don't. You're not supposed to.

Endo Punk · Apr 12, 2014

I don't care if they don't go back to survival horror as long as they move away from a straight up zombie shooter. I think open world would be the logical progression for the franchise.

Wellscha · Apr 12, 2014

RE franchise would've ended like Silent Hill if RE 4 didn't happen.

NoctisVsStar · Apr 12, 2014

Silky said:
This comment doesn't make any sense, especially considering how RE5 is still the best selling RE and it's combat was a refined version of RE4 with co-op.

I know brethen even though I don't like the game, that dlc pretty much is what I want from the RE franchise the atmosphere, the pace was great.

Yuterald · Apr 12, 2014

Here's my two cents. It's pretty much the stance I've had for a few years now;

As an old school Resident Evil fan, I feel like the series has lost its identity over the past few installments. As cool and great of a game that Resident Evil 4 was, it really did remove/abandon a lot of the core DNA that made Resident Evil what it was. The older Resident Evil games had such a unique identity/feel, but now they're just like every other 3rd person cover based shooter (with perhaps slightly more refined/deeper sub-systems/mechanics). The thing is, the games play more like action games now which isn't what the series stood for. I'm sorry, but I don't want to be dodge rolling and perfect countering/guarding in a Resident Evil game. I have other games that have established themselves as character based action games, so when I need that high adrenaline fix, Resident Evil is not the series I look to.

It is what it is at this point and I have no hope for it to ever return to its former glory. I'm just not the target audience for the games anymore and it's something I've just learned to accept.

dralla · Apr 12, 2014

What I love about the old games is that they have a great sense of place. The mansion, the police station, and to a lesser extent, the streets of RE3. You become so familiar with them over the course of the game and by the end, navigate them with ease. I like the focus on avoidance and resource management. These are my two favorite things about the 'classic' games, I'd love to see them build off these ideas.

Silky · Apr 12, 2014

Yuterald said:
Here's my two cents. It's pretty much the stance I've had for a few years now;

As an old school Resident Evil fan, I feel like the series has lost its identity over the past few installments. As cool and great of a game that Resident Evil 4 was, it really did remove/abandon a lot of the core DNA that made Resident Evil what it was. The older Resident Evil games had such a unique identity/feel, but now they're just like every other 3rd person cover based shooter (with perhaps slightly more refined/deeper sub-systems/mechanics). The thing is, the games play more like action games now which isn't what the series stood for. I'm sorry, but I don't want to be dodge rolling and perfect countering/guarding in a Resident Evil game. I have other games that have established themselves as character based action games, so when I need that high adrenaline fix, Resident Evil is not the series I look to.

It is what it is at this point and I have no hope for it to ever return to its former glory. I'm just not the target audience for the games anymore and it's something I've just learned to accept.

You say this as if they haven't proven themselves to continue maintaining their original RE roots...which they did more or less with Revelations.

What is the 'core' DNA of a Resident Evil game? I think RE4 kept it the same.

SolidSnakex · Apr 12, 2014

animlboogy said:
Simply being slower paced horror games doesn't mean much to me. Look at the fate of Silent Hill. Let smaller developers come in and make RE/SH style tributes. I don't think RE itself needs to be intentionally anachronistic.

SH's fate was due to Konami taking it out of the hands of the main developers behind the series and giving it to people that don't know what the hell they're doing. It had nothing to do with the style of the game. Plus SH never was as popular as RE.

One of the main things old RE's had going for them is that they were focused. The developers knew exactly what they wanted them to be. This is even the case with RE4. I can admit that RE4 is a great game, even though it's not a good RE, and one thing that made it great is that they basically threw away the horror elements. They were making an action game and that was that. And because of that focus it turned into one of the most influential games for this past generation. RE5 and RE6 were unfocused. And this is especially true with RE6. You could kinda get the feeling that everything was going off course when they started talking about how one section would be like the old games and another would be like the recent ones. In other words, they were trying to make a game that would please everyone instead of making a focused product. And it showed in the end.

Whatever direction they go in they should just stick with it instead of trying to please people. If they want to make another action game, then fine. Do that and don't try to shoehorn in some horror sections to please fans of the old games. And the same goes for if they decide to go back to having it lean more on its horror roots.

Glittering Crux · Apr 12, 2014

Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil: Revelations are my two favorite Resident Evil games. I've played all the numbered titles and beaten them except for 1 which I really couldn't get into because I found it really hard to just walk past zombies.

I thought Resident Evil 6 was very fun. The level design was mostly bad but I think it has great combat mechanics. I'd definitely like to see similar mechanics in a future Resident Evil game with more level design / scenario that allows for them to shine. I think there is a place for two kinds of Resident Evil games: multiplayer action games like 4-6 and slower games like Revelations. I'd rather they never return to 1-3's style though.

Freeman · Apr 12, 2014

I don't like RE4 and never did, its not as offensive as 5 but it takes away all the elements that made the series interesting to me.

Maybe its better for them to continue the action route and let other studios tackle survival-horror. Capcom has gone to great lengths to justify their transition to action and bastardization of the series even if it never really resulted in superior sales to the original games.

Perhaps there are still ways to make the series worse, maybe adding more trolls, intelligent zombies and explosions does the trick.

Teknoman · Apr 12, 2014

animlboogy said:
Legitimate puzzles and not skipping around between characters would be a great start.

My thoughts exactly. As for the mutation thing, super accelerated cell growth? Sure its outlandish, but so are things being undead and sentient plants...no one complained about The Thing's transformations.

At any rate, they can use other biological weapons much like the new idea with the plagas. Doesnt have to be lots and lots of virus variations, as long as they dont try to cater to crowds outside of the RE fanbase. Street Fighter doesnt try to cater to Fight Night or UFC fans, so why should RE cater to fans of other shooters that have nothing to do with it's style?

Personally I think the control style of RE4 (which we see worked just fine in games like Dead Space 1 among others) , a focus on puzzles and so on in the style of the first 4 games (yes Code Veronica came before 4), and finding a way to capture that feeling of isolation again, would work wonders.

It would also help if the soundtrack was geared more towards the earlier entries. While RE was never really scary aside from jump scares, the general atmosphere and sound environment did provide an overall creepiness.

peace · Apr 12, 2014

I think a modern-graphics version of the same kind of game as the first RE would be incredible. You could have lots of extra animations, meaning incredible creatures, and ways to interact with the scenery, or just more atmospheric stuff going on while you play the game...Got to be careful not to over do it though.

QuantumZebra · Apr 12, 2014

SalsaShark said:
Revelations was the right amount of new mechanics with something a bit more akin to the old atmosphere

Revelations was solid. They need to go that direction if RE is gonna stay relevant.

I DO however like the co-op they have been pushing, and mercenaries mode.

DodgyGeezerFella · Apr 12, 2014

Removing all the retardedly over the top "action" moments and cheesy character freak show anime attitude twattery would be a good start, along with the "chapters" (way to kill the pacing and immersion). The game should revolve around a person caught up in the chaos of an outbreak, not specifically going into one, and mix it up with mutated humans and animals, none of this black ooze and t-rex crap.

Or fuck it just re-make Resi 2 with RE4 tank controls and make everyone happy.

Spring-Loaded · Apr 12, 2014

Neff said:
I've said it once today already. But I'll say it again. I want Lost in Nightmares 2. It's the best blend of action RE and puzzles/exploration RE yet. I'd also be happy with a larger world to traverse as pitched by MormaPope, so long as it still has the puzzles and blocked-off areas to come back to later.

Not that I've played many/any other co-op survival horror games, but Lost in Nightmares had some legitimately scary moments for me, even when playing in a room full of people. Melee attacks weren't one-hit kills and ammo was limited. There was some build up to the first enemy encounter and there wasn't a cutscene that showed exactly where the the enemy was coming from...

xandaca · Apr 12, 2014

SalsaShark said:
Revelations was the right amount of new mechanics with something a bit more akin to the old atmosphere

Urgh, I hated Revelations. Cutting between stories completely killed any atmosphere or suspense, of which there was very little to begin with. It would've been better had it just been Jill and Parker investigating the boat, but the latter half of the game was still an almighty slog. Cards on the table, I'm not particularly keen on action Resi, even Resi 4, and it would be nice for the series to focus on atmosphere and suspense again even if not going full survival horror as per the classic games. It no doubt needs to move with the times and I don't get the impression that modern audiences would accept a Resi 2-style game as a AAA title anymore, but reducing it to just another third person shooter, and a particularly dreary one at that, just seems unimaginative and reeks of playing safe.

Silky · Apr 12, 2014

Teknoman said:
Street Fighter doesnt try to cater to Fight Night or UFC fans, so why should RE cater to fans of other shooters that have nothing to do with it's style?

Double edged sword in regards to SF

Doctor Ninja · Apr 12, 2014

BTW, you repeated an entire paragraph in the op, I don't think it was intentional.

Anyway,I'll mirror what I said in an earlier thread. RE6 is great mechanically but it's the level design that ruined it. They need a better sense of pacing and ditch all the shitty set pieces and QTEs.

NIN90 · Apr 12, 2014

The franchise has moved on. Maybe so should the fans 10 years after RE4's release.

Let indies and other smaller devs do survival horror. There's no way a AAA classic RE would sell right now and Capcom is all about that AAA cash.

Polioliolio · Apr 12, 2014

Neff said:
Then don't. You're not supposed to.

It breaks the rules of the world over and over again.. I understand that this is games later, but I can believe, and I was supposed to believe through the game, that a tyrant type monster could grow in a tube.. that a man could mutate into a monster. That zombies and other mutations are the result of a virus.

As it gets increasingly extravagant, it loses its appeal.

It's a cartoon now, and that's a little disappointing for a lot of people, I'd say.

Enlil · Apr 12, 2014

they can do what ever they want. The Evil Within is were I am going. Wouldn't make sense for capcom going back to there roots now. those who like action can go for RE, those who like horror will go for the evil within. it's good to have both.

Social · Apr 12, 2014

SolidSnakex · Apr 12, 2014

NIN90 said:
Let indies and other smaller devs do survival horror. There's no way a AAA classic RE would sell right now and Capcom is all about that AAA cash.

How do you know this when no one is even willing to attempt it? The traditional games were doing just fine before Capcom got the bright idea to move the series exclusively to the Gamecube.

Freeman · Apr 12, 2014

NIN90 said:
The franchise has moved on. Maybe so should the fans 10 years after RE4's release.

Let indies and other smaller devs do survival horror. There's no way a AAA classic RE would sell right now and Capcom is all about that AAA cash.

How do you know that? Every time they released a classic resident evil it was successful.

I don't think the public interested in bad games is that much larger the those interested in survival-horror.

fvng · Apr 12, 2014

pre-rendered backgrounds + tank controls + shit polygonz, lets do it

Man God · Apr 12, 2014

RE:R was the first game in the series that really had me jumping the entire time since REmake.

I'm not one of those people that think RE4-6 aren't horror because of the sense of empowerment giving by the expanded controls and focus on action either, there's tons of terrifying encounters in RE4 especially with the regenerators, wolverine dudes, most of the bosses, and the plaga versions of the dogs. RE:R though just had this great sense of dread, powerful regular fights, just the right amount of ammo and supplies so you're almost always running a bit low, some incredible minibosses and boss fights that are built up perfectly and decent inventory management with the three gun system.

If it had just a few more real puzzles in it it would be the perfect mix of old and new. Raid mode is also amazing and should be in every game ever.

I hope they continue down both paths myself. More games like this, more games like 4. I'm sure one day they'll Remake 2 and the hardline fans of the genre will quit their whining.

Silky · Apr 12, 2014

NIN90 said:
The franchise has moved on. Maybe so should the fans 10 years after RE4's release.

Let indies and other smaller devs do survival horror. There's no way a AAA classic RE would sell right now and Capcom is all about that AAA cash.

Multi-million dollar movie/game/merchandise IP Resident Evil not being successful

:lol

Teknoman · Apr 12, 2014

peace said:
I think a modern-graphics version of the same kind of game as the first RE would be incredible. You could have lots of extra animations, meaning incredible creatures, and ways to interact with the scenery, or just more atmospheric stuff going on while you play the game...Got to be careful not to over do it though.

I'd be fine with this.

Ogs said:
Removing all the retardedly over the top "action" moments and cheesy character freak show anime attitude twattery would be a good start, along with the "chapters" (way to kill the pacing and immersion). The game should revolve around a person caught up in the chaos of an outbreak, not specifically going into one, and mix it up with mutated humans and animals, none of this black ooze and t-rex crap.

I could definitely roll with this, of course it doesnt have to be the standard zombie virus mutation, since that does seem to be getting old at this point.

Spring-Loaded said:
Not that I've played many/any other co-op survival horror games, but Lost in Nightmares had some legitimately scary moments for me, even when playing in a room full of people. Melee attacks weren't one-hit kills and ammo was limited. There was some build up to the first enemy encounter and there wasn't a cutscene that showed exactly where the the enemy was coming from...

People can say what they want about LiN, but it did get the general atmosphere of your expected RE situation correct.

xandaca said:
Urgh, I hated Revelations. Cutting between stories completely killed any atmosphere or suspense, of which there was very little to begin with. It would've been better had it just been Jill and Parker investigating the boat, but the latter half of the game was still an almighty slog.

Yes, ever since the introduction of chapters, i've felt that it really takes you out of the game. A safe room should be the point where you "take a break", not a load screen. And yes, a giant boat lab would have been the best way to roll with the rest of Revelations, not jumping from character to character and flashbacks.

Silky said:
Double edged sword in regards to SF

How so?

Winterfang · Apr 12, 2014

Resident Evil roots are campy, badly controlled games with a nonsensical stories that relied of jump scares to get a reaction. Resident Evil fans are crazy to want that shit back.

Silky · Apr 12, 2014

Teknoman said:
How so?

The community/playerbase Capcom sells it's fighting games too is still a noticeably small amount of people. This is the norm of fighting games. Sure it's successful within it's own ecosystem but those sales alone won't continue the flow of FG rreleases from capcom. They'd do well with catering to those external audiences, though not as radical as other franchises did.

Spieler Eins · Apr 12, 2014

It doesn't need to return to it's roots to stay successful. But if you want quality titles, they ain't ever gonna touch REmake and RE2 with the casual route since RE4. Well, it's not like they could ever beat these masterpieces after firing all their talent, but right now they aren't even coming close.
I guess that one half of Revelations was a very good compromise, but that game flopped on HD consoles even harder than the 3DS version, so that will certainly be dropped.

BoosterDuck · Apr 12, 2014

you still got Evil Within

Silky · Apr 12, 2014

Iron Badger said:
you still got Evil Within

Not interested.

Fancy Clown · Apr 12, 2014

Yeah, I don't think it needs to go back to 'tank control' and save rooms and the like, but it needs to retain the spirit of the originals I think.

Here's what my ideal reboot of Resident Evil would be (posted this in another thread a while ago about remaking your favorite series):

Fancy Clown said:
I'd do a hard reboot of Resident Evil.

Ditch all the convoluted continuity and 'characters' and everything.

In designing the game I'd focus on the title (Resident Evil) and make the theme actually relevant to it, rather than the game being Biohazard and just being called RE for the states version. So, it would probably deal with themes of inherent violence and evil in both nature , and people.

Okay, I'd also change up the representation of the titular 'evil' from biohazards and evil corporations, to unexplainable supernatural-like phenomenon and cult activity. Even though this is a big shift for the series, I would definitely keep the core spirit of RE alive and have plenty of homages (that I will get to later).

Tonally the game needs to be scary as hell, and while it would be focused primarily on body horror and tense enemy management, there would also be some disturbing psychological horror. The main character (either a new character, or a rebooted version of Leon) could be kind of a smartass so there could be a little bit of humor, but overall I'd want the game to be serious and have some actual dramatic heft in the writing.

The game would have you travel to a remote mountain town in the United States where you are investigating child disappearances (the reason you can't leave or call in back up with be explained with some cult magic, like when you first arrive you see the town is surrounded by a ring of salt and later you find out that was part of some ritual or something). The scares would ramp up a little slower as members of a mysterious cult led by a prodigal son of a wealthy mansion owner show up, and they start performing rituals on the said disappearing children and bringing creatures into the world as well as changing the townspeople into ganado like freaks. And then you get to explore the town, forest, swamp, fields, and cliffs that make up an open world. I wouldn't want a huge GTA style open world, but rather something that is densely crafted to perfection, and feels manageable to explore but with plenty of secrets and optional scary 'sidequests' you can find.

At the center of the map however there is a big old mansion that a decent chunk of the story is set in (maybe 30%) but that won't unlock all of it. So you can explore the mansion and unlock rooms in between story sections if you want, and find secrets (like pages of some cult book that act as a cool illustrated bestiary), as well as some spooky shit once you unlock the basement or attic. This would basically be a throw-back to RE1. There would also be access to cars and other vehicles to help you travel, but those can get mobbed by enemies (imagine driving in a lightning storm, only to crash into a tree as a mob of freaky villagers hunt you down).

As you explore the world if you run into enemies you can either avoid them via stealth or take them on with your limited resources (you really have to decide what would be best, and on harder difficulty you would have less resources so you would have to rely more on stealth). Environmental progression would mimic the old RE games in that you slowly 'unlock' more areas of the map, and there will be frequent returns to areas you have already been to but there will be a new twist or scare when you go back.

As for boss fights I'd take a little inspiration from MGS in that there would be quite a bit of them, and a ton of effort would go into them. Like one boss fight could be set inside a house you are locked in against a chainsaw wielding maniac, and another could be against some creepy serpentine corpse-monster in the swamp where it can pull you underwater. And even a boss that can hunt you down throughout the whole world map.

As for controls it would take a little inspiration from The Last of Us but even more fluid, because I'd want combat and stealth to be super dynamic, and chases to be fast paced, fluid, and terrifying. An example of why fluid controls in RE could be awesoem: you're being chased through a little neighborhood area, you just manage to hop a fence to lose your pursuers and you stealth around, only to be jumped by and enemy who you wrestle off you and the horde is on you again so you open fire behind you as you run to the nearest car, or house to blockade yourself into.

There would also be some form of inventory box, and weapons collection (although I'd want the weapons to be more grounded). Also you would be able to pick up melee weapons from the environment (think condemned) because you will be frequently out of ammo.

kunonabi · Apr 12, 2014

Silky said:
You say this as if they haven't proven themselves to continue maintaining their original RE roots...which they did more or less with Revelations.

What is the 'core' DNA of a Resident Evil game? I think RE4 kept it the same.

Than you really don't understand classic RE.

There is also a giant misconception about what we want as classic RE fans. The series saw numerous advancements and new mechanics added throughout it's lifespan. Usually these were limited to a single game instead of becoming a regular feature. We would want the series to start combining and improving on these elements while continuing to add new ones. We wanted the games to naturally evolve in a way that allowed the core elements of the series to continue on.

That didn't happen and instead it turned into an action series. Which is fine if that is what Capcom and the market wants. It's also acceptable for me to take my money elsewhere as I'm not obligated to give it to them just because of the title on the box.

grandwizard · Apr 12, 2014

I don't think it does either. I have a problem when a series 'reinvents' itself but ends up turning into something generic to follow trends (such as the latest Tomb Raider). I don't have a problem when that reinvention leads to something unique and interesting like what happened with Resident Evil 4. The reason I don't want Resident Evil to go off course is purely because they still end up making unique as hell games, just in the action genre. You really can't point to other third person shooters that play like them, except the qualities they share from eachother.

RE4 and 5 are the most similar, with the latter adding a coop focus and more linear progression. However RE6 is in a whole different dimension, and even with its faults I would rather play it than another Gears of War clone or any other third person shooter where you spend the majority of time behind cover and fighting regular enemies with guns who also sit behind cover.

People are too easily fooled by the setting and circumstances of the games also, Resident Evil Revelations is an action game that has monsters in it just as much as RE4 and 5. Just because is it set on a spooky ship does not make it a throwback to original Resident Evil. This line of thinking led to Capcom making Leon's Chapter 1 of RE6, where they made a boring chapter where you can't use any of your new abilites but only walk around a place with the occasional scream in the distance. This was in effort to placate the people who want old scary Resident Evil back, but they just ended up making a poor playing chapter that is most people's first introduction to the game.

NIN90 · Apr 12, 2014

Silky said:
Multi-million dollar movie/game/merchandise IP Resident Evil not being successful

:lol

There's a clear trend in sales data after RE2 release. RE3 and CV (the ones that weren't exclusive to GC) each have sold considerably worse than the previous installment.

..and then RE5 comes around and doubles or even triples the sales of classic RE titles.

Am I really having this discussion right now?

Freeman said:
How do you know that? Every time they released a classic resident evil it was successful.

Yeah, 10 to 15 years ago and every consecutive classic RE sold worse than the one before.

Bony Manifesto · Apr 12, 2014

I just miss the games being set in a single location. I like it when you pick up a key and have to think back and look at your map to plan where you should go next. With the newer REs(and a lot of modern games) you just sort of keep pushing forward with no sense of the destination you're aiming for.

I also miss the extreme scarcity of resources. Making the decision to try to conserve ammo and run past an enemy is something that's gone from modern RE games, as the more enemies you kill, the more resources you get - there's no reason not to obliterate everything in your path.

Gxgear · Apr 12, 2014

Capcom's going to follow where the money is, and RE6 was one of their best selling games. Would personally prefer something along the lines of Revelations than 6 though.

Man God · Apr 12, 2014

Bony Manifesto said:
I just miss the games being set in a single location. I like it when you pick up a key and have to think back and look at your map to plan where you should go next. With the newer REs(and a lot of modern games) you just sort of keep pushing forward with no sense of the destination you're aiming for.

I also miss the extreme scarcity of resources. Making the decision to try to conserve ammo and run past an enemy is something that's gone from modern RE games, as the more enemies you kill, the more resources you get - there's no reason not to obliterate everything in your path.

Both of these are parts of RE:R. Well, most of RE:R takes place in the same area. There's a few neat little side missions that involve other characters in other places but unlike RE6 they take about 5-20 minutes each and don't overstay their welcome.

The main character is in the same place for almost the entire game.

Yuterald · Apr 12, 2014

Silky said:
You say this as if they haven't proven themselves to continue maintaining their original RE roots...which they did more or less with Revelations.

What is the 'core' DNA of a Resident Evil game? I think RE4 kept it the same.

Revelations was awful. The fact that so many people clamored for a game more along those lines for a mainline followup boggled my mind. Revelations was a portable RE6. It was just as all-over-the-place as that game was. Way too many different playable characters, too many ideas with no restraint. With all the back and forth scenario switching, the game felt like it had no cohesiveness. The ship was somewhat competently designed and it did provide a lot of what I was looking for as far as design/flow-wise in an RE game, but when you fragmented the ship segments with linear/scripted ass scenarios where you played as one of the new boner-looking characters, it all fell apart for me. Don't even get me started on the Chris segments where you fought endless hordes of Hunters in some stupid ocean satellite base or whatever the fuck that game was about.

Resident Evil, for me, is a "run" game. RE was about surviving with limited resources and learning a layout/flow of an established/interesting space so the player could cut corners/establish better routes. RE4 was a campaign game with pseudo-limited inventory, unlimited saving, checkpoints, and no end-game ranking/results screen, etc. Despite being packed with unique content/scenarios/bosses, etc. it's way too long and way too campaign-y. It's great for what it was going for and every game following it has tried to capture its essence/flow, but not only have they failed, they've further established themselves as something ever more un-Resident Evil-like than RE4.

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I don't think Resident Evil needs to 'return to it's roots'

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