I feel like for the first time in a gazillion years i've been so pleasantly exposed to the gameplay and atmospheric elements of something that bears the name Resident Evil.
I am one of the old school guys who got into the franchise back in 1999 with Resident Evil 3 - a game that i stared playing in December 1999 and finished in 2001 i guess.. I could not find some gemstone, and there were more hardy puzzles to solve. Since there was no internet, and i did not have my own computer - it led to delays.
On what road Resident Evil 4 stared, other games took that road downhill all the way up until now. I am sure many of you feel the same. Every game since Resident Evil 4 was disappointing at least in some ways, or in many ways. The rule of thumb was that every game had a new story to offer and not until 2019 we truly had a real remake of some progenitor game, not just a graphical remaster. I will remind that Resident Evil Remake came in 2002, so it took 17 years.
Original Resident Evil 2 is the best game in the whole series, simply because of the massive content and playing hours it brings. You don't get two scenarios, you get 4! And even though for a single run i like the gameplay and atmosphere of Resident Evil 3 or Code Veronica a bit more, having in mind that there are no alternative runs in those games, Resident Evil 2 (1998) is easy the best game ever made in the franschise. Resident Evil 3 is simply too short, and you only play as Jill, and while Code Veronica is 4 times that length with both Chris and Claire gameplay time combined, replay ability is the same. Also the original Resident Evil (1996) was evidently no way up to the level/class/standarts the later games brought to bare.
Expectations were high, but having experienced the incompetence of development in the latest franchise series, i was afraid this remake would turn into a flop. I guess someone finally bashed some brains there at Capcom not to make another Resident Evil 7.
The police station segment is amazingly improved compared even to the original game. The station has been expanded with new rooms and different level design overall, atmosphere mustered where it needs to be, the color tones look like they belong in a horror game, you can turn on the classic soundtrack, because the new one is bland. The inclusion of a relentless, non-stop chasing Tyrrant was greatly needed, the expenditure of how zombies walk, attack, react to damage is on point, unlocking secrets is super satisfying and rewarding, making lickers absurdly strong was absolutely need to make the game feel like a real survival horror, and not a blast through them all action.
Most importantly, there are no quick time events, for the first time ever! That was so appreciated. Even Resident Evil 4 had them, for which alone i would never give it a 10.
After finishing the police station, the mood was amazing. Resident Evil 7 felt like crap after that.
I also greatly appreciated the design in the sewers - i thought that the sewers were majorly improved from the original in terms of level design and length. But at this point i realized that the best part was the police station. What a great satisfaction it was to find a secret door leading way back to the police station!
The laboratory section was a HUGE disappointment, however, not only compared to original, but also as a stand alone. Uninspired level design, not challenging enough, the loss of horror atmosphere. Very booring back tracking, which was not the case in the police station. Plat monsters were not challenging enough, the whole level 2 restriction area felt shallow. On the other side the level 3 restriction area was even worse - not a singe monster, just an area to get the G virus or the antivirus and trigger the boss battle - that was the lowest point of the game, at which point i even said F^^^ this!
Gladly the boss battles made it up. They are pretty comparable to the original battles, that's why they at least were not disappointing, and the Birkin design was kept to the original without any Resident Evil 5/6/7 bull****. On a grand scale, the boss battles of Resident Evil might be the weakest part, but they made the ending satisfying.
Few disappointments
1. If Sherry can duck, why can't the adults? Would have been nice to evade Tyrrant's flying fist or licker's pounce by just ducking under in time!
2. It's ridiculous that knifes degrade to nothing - would have been better to have one knife and a grinding machine to sharpen them from time to time.
3. Jill had to use a tool to make bullets from powder - it's really stupid that you can just mix powder into bullets without any tool.
4. Movement speed could have been faster - i think it's ridiculous that zombies can sprint faster than you for some short time, most unrealistic.
5. I wish there was a slow walk option - the only way to properly pass lickers. Would have made the atmosphere much better...
6. Jumping over simple obstacles would be in order - something i appreciated in Resident Evil 4/5/6/7.
7. If you don't have a item, you can not push zombies away or reduce their biting time - this is very very inexcusable; in every Resident Evil game you could minimize the time the zombies bite you or just push them away successfully just by pressing some random buttons. This was missed the most.
So imagine, even with all of these negatives, i find this game the best release since Resident Evil 4. But it could have been even so much better...
I still think the original Resident Evil 2 is better, which is a shame, because Resident Evil Remake (2002) is so much improved from the original Resident Evil (1996).
I am one of the old school guys who got into the franchise back in 1999 with Resident Evil 3 - a game that i stared playing in December 1999 and finished in 2001 i guess.. I could not find some gemstone, and there were more hardy puzzles to solve. Since there was no internet, and i did not have my own computer - it led to delays.
On what road Resident Evil 4 stared, other games took that road downhill all the way up until now. I am sure many of you feel the same. Every game since Resident Evil 4 was disappointing at least in some ways, or in many ways. The rule of thumb was that every game had a new story to offer and not until 2019 we truly had a real remake of some progenitor game, not just a graphical remaster. I will remind that Resident Evil Remake came in 2002, so it took 17 years.
Original Resident Evil 2 is the best game in the whole series, simply because of the massive content and playing hours it brings. You don't get two scenarios, you get 4! And even though for a single run i like the gameplay and atmosphere of Resident Evil 3 or Code Veronica a bit more, having in mind that there are no alternative runs in those games, Resident Evil 2 (1998) is easy the best game ever made in the franschise. Resident Evil 3 is simply too short, and you only play as Jill, and while Code Veronica is 4 times that length with both Chris and Claire gameplay time combined, replay ability is the same. Also the original Resident Evil (1996) was evidently no way up to the level/class/standarts the later games brought to bare.
Expectations were high, but having experienced the incompetence of development in the latest franchise series, i was afraid this remake would turn into a flop. I guess someone finally bashed some brains there at Capcom not to make another Resident Evil 7.
The police station segment is amazingly improved compared even to the original game. The station has been expanded with new rooms and different level design overall, atmosphere mustered where it needs to be, the color tones look like they belong in a horror game, you can turn on the classic soundtrack, because the new one is bland. The inclusion of a relentless, non-stop chasing Tyrrant was greatly needed, the expenditure of how zombies walk, attack, react to damage is on point, unlocking secrets is super satisfying and rewarding, making lickers absurdly strong was absolutely need to make the game feel like a real survival horror, and not a blast through them all action.
Most importantly, there are no quick time events, for the first time ever! That was so appreciated. Even Resident Evil 4 had them, for which alone i would never give it a 10.
After finishing the police station, the mood was amazing. Resident Evil 7 felt like crap after that.
I also greatly appreciated the design in the sewers - i thought that the sewers were majorly improved from the original in terms of level design and length. But at this point i realized that the best part was the police station. What a great satisfaction it was to find a secret door leading way back to the police station!
The laboratory section was a HUGE disappointment, however, not only compared to original, but also as a stand alone. Uninspired level design, not challenging enough, the loss of horror atmosphere. Very booring back tracking, which was not the case in the police station. Plat monsters were not challenging enough, the whole level 2 restriction area felt shallow. On the other side the level 3 restriction area was even worse - not a singe monster, just an area to get the G virus or the antivirus and trigger the boss battle - that was the lowest point of the game, at which point i even said F^^^ this!
Gladly the boss battles made it up. They are pretty comparable to the original battles, that's why they at least were not disappointing, and the Birkin design was kept to the original without any Resident Evil 5/6/7 bull****. On a grand scale, the boss battles of Resident Evil might be the weakest part, but they made the ending satisfying.
Few disappointments
1. If Sherry can duck, why can't the adults? Would have been nice to evade Tyrrant's flying fist or licker's pounce by just ducking under in time!
2. It's ridiculous that knifes degrade to nothing - would have been better to have one knife and a grinding machine to sharpen them from time to time.
3. Jill had to use a tool to make bullets from powder - it's really stupid that you can just mix powder into bullets without any tool.
4. Movement speed could have been faster - i think it's ridiculous that zombies can sprint faster than you for some short time, most unrealistic.
5. I wish there was a slow walk option - the only way to properly pass lickers. Would have made the atmosphere much better...
6. Jumping over simple obstacles would be in order - something i appreciated in Resident Evil 4/5/6/7.
7. If you don't have a item, you can not push zombies away or reduce their biting time - this is very very inexcusable; in every Resident Evil game you could minimize the time the zombies bite you or just push them away successfully just by pressing some random buttons. This was missed the most.
So imagine, even with all of these negatives, i find this game the best release since Resident Evil 4. But it could have been even so much better...
I still think the original Resident Evil 2 is better, which is a shame, because Resident Evil Remake (2002) is so much improved from the original Resident Evil (1996).
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