Summary
Resident Evilis a staple in the world of horror gaming with a fan base that has reverently stuck around through its multiple eras and changes in direction. The games have undergone some fairly dramatic transformations between the beginning on the PS1 and the most recent entries on PS5. Despite so many new features being implemented and entirely different genres being introduced to various titles, some unwritten rules have become a constant throughoutmuch of theResident Evilfranchise.
The fact thatResident Evilhas changed so much across its nine main series games and various remakes does mean a lot of these rules won’t be applicable to everything. Whether it is viewed as inconsistency or a proclivity for experimentation, this is certainly a series of games that likes to try new things, and it’s not easy to pin down consistent rules as a result. Some certainly do exist, though.
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Unwritten Resident Evil Rule #1: Don’t Shoot Unless It’s Necessary
MostResident Evilgamesseldom give the player more than what they absolutely need to progress through each stage of the game. Sometimes, in the face of limited ammo and overwhelming enemies, players must resort to desperate measures. The unwritten rule here is to use a knife whenever possible in order to conserve ammo. It’s not the ideal monster-killing method, but it’s better than running out of bullets during that intense boss fight where using the knife is far less plausible. There will be times in many games when observant and intuitive players will be able to find a surplus of resources via things like bonus puzzles, but even then those bullets should be carefully conserved.
Unwritten Resident Evil Rule #2: Keep Track Of Items and Puzzles
Resident Evilgames are known, often notorious in their earlier years, for intricate level designs and hidden secrets. The unwritten rule of exploration is that players should scrutinize every nook and cranny searching for hidden items, notes, or clues that might aid with progressing in the game.Any strangeResident Evilitemthat the player stumbles upon will certainly come into play at some point down the road, and thus needs to be kept in mind for when the player runs into an obstacle to avoid needless backtracking or internet searching when the solution to a puzzle could be sitting in the player’s storage box or inventory.
Unwritten Resident Evil Rule #3: Inventory Management
Speaking of inventory, theinventory system inResident Evilgamescan be a puzzle in itself. Players must master the art of inventory management, fitting items into a limited grid and ensuring the correct weapons are available to the player at the correct time. The unwritten rule here is simply to always carry a balance of healing items, ammo, and key items. It’s a tough decision to figure out what the player will carry and what will be left behind, but it is a crucial skill throughout the series.
Bonus Resident Evil Rule: Embracing The Horror of the Old and the Camp of the New
Resident Evilbegan as a revolutionary way to terrify gamers at a time when video games couldn’t rely on pure visual spectacle to bring the horror. Ironically, as the visuals of the games progressed over time, the horror was gradually replaced by a kind of ‘action movie’ tone that dominatedbothResident Evil 5andResident Evil 6. The franchise wound up returning to its fear-based roots with the seventh and eighth games, and it definitely has implemented the aforementioned spine-tingling visual spectacle in its modern era, but many fans of the franchise are defensive of accepting every era of the franchise as it is. Some argue that the appeal of aResident Evilgame doesn’t necessarily have to hinge on how much it petrifies the player and that the more action-oriented entries to the series should be enjoyed as they are.
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