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Resident Evil (known as BioHazard in Japan), developed by Capcom, is the name of a successful franchise of horror-adventure video games that are credited with popularizing the "survival horror" game genre, in which the goal is to avoid being killed by monsters, undead and assorted evil creatures bent on attacking you, although Alone in the Dark is often cited as the first game in the genre.
The success of this franchise has spawned several computer games, a comic book series, novelizations, and two Hollywood action films. While the games mostly adhere to a consistent storyline there are enough deviations from the game plot within the films and novels to be considered alternate storlines.
The first game (Resident Evil, 1996) takes place in the fictitious Raccoon City, a typical midwestern American urban setting controlled economically by the Umbrella Corporation, a conglomerate that produces a wide array of consumer products. Raccoon City's elite S.T.A.R.S. (Special Tactics and Rescue Squad) are dispatched to investigate strange gruesome murders outside the city in the surrounding Arklay Mountain and Raccoon Forest area.
The Bravo team disappears, and the Alpha team is sent to recover them and continue the investigation. They discover evidence that Umbrella is conducting illegal and unethical research into biological warfare.
Each title sheds more light on Umbrella's operations and background, how far-reaching they are, and what lengths they will go to in order to keep their operations a secret. More recent titles touch on the governments attempts to take down Umbrella.
The Resident Evil series is controversial both for its violence and bloodshed as well as for Capcom's dealings with Nintendo to make the Resident Evil series exclusive to the GameCube at least for the core story based titles. Resident Evil Dead Aim and the two Resident Evil: Outbreak games are available for the PlayStation 2.
Resident Evil is based on a game known as "Sweet Home" (which in turn, was based on a Japanese horror film). Sweet Home was released only in Japan by Capcom, sometime in the late 1980s for the Famicom (Nintendo Entertainment System). Resident Evil borrowed many elements from Sweet Home including the mansion setting, the puzzles, and even the "door" loading screen. This was confirmed by Shinji Mikami, producer and director for some of the titles, during an interview.
Most of the games in the series are played from a third-person perspective, viewing the characters from a generally overhead camera angle as they move through pre-rendered environments. These static backgrounds have been a bone of contention for many fans of the series, although Code: Veronica X uses a more dynamic camera system, featuring a fully animated environment (akin to Silent Hill).
Many of the games allow you to chose from one of two main characters which will affect which parts of the story are revealed with additional secrets, weapons and endings unlocked after completing the game by both characters.
The following titles have been published or announced and are listed in game time-line order where applicable.
Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.
Before the Mansion. Before the disaster. Evil is Born.
Set in 1998 just two days before the events of the original Resident Evil this game tracks the progress of S.T.A.R.S. Bravo team, specifically Rebecca Chambers and ex-marine Billy Coen as they begin to unravel the horror of Umbrella. The game finishes with Rebecca heading to the Spencer Mansion where the next game picks up.
Instead of choosing a character at the start of the game and playing through this game lets you switch between Rebecca and Billy at will which is central to solving some of the puzzles.
The other members of Bravo team are obviously present as are Alpha leader Albert Wesker and Umbrella exec Dr. William Birkin.
The original game opens on the evening of 24 July 1998 after contact is lost with the S.T.A.R.S. Alpha team. Bravo team are sent out to rescue Alpha and to continue the investigation into the number of grisly murders near the vicinity of Raccoon Forest. After finding the downed Bravo chopper Alpha are attacked and find themselves running for the protection of a what was believed to be an abandoned mansion.
The game gives you control of either weapons specialist Chris Redfield or ex-thief Jill Valentine as they look for another way out and try to locate the Bravo team. Unfortunately for them the Spencer Mansion is an intentional elaborate maze of rooms, locks, puzzles and surprises.
The game also features other S.T.A.R.S. members including Alpha team leader Albert Wesker, former SWAT Barry Burton and trainee biochemist Rebecca Chambers.
The events of this game are novelized in Resident Evil: The Umbrella Conspiracy (book 1 in the series) by S.D. Perry, 1998, ISBN 0-671-02439-6.
Re-release of the original Resident Evil with a new mode featuring various small additions to game-play.
Further refinement of the Directors Cut with remixed soundtrack and support for Sony's Dual Shock controller.
The Resident Evil franchise comes to the GameCube with this remake of the original. Featuring all new graphics and sound the plot and map remain mostly unchanged with Chris and Jill still being the two main selectable characters however almost all puzzles have been changed. It is also now necessary to decapitate or burn Zombies to prevent them from regenerating again.
The game features many additional modes, secrets and various endings over the original as well as revealing the fate of the mansions architect George Trevor and his daughter Lisa Trevor. It reveals the names of Umbrella executive William Birkin and Alexia Ashford which contribute to the unravelling plot.
If the Suspense Doesn't Kill You, Something Else Will.
This game starts on September 29 1998 and takes place in Raccoon City itself - now overrun with the aftermath of Umbrella's experiments. Take control of either Claire Redfield, searching for her brother Chris, or Leon S. Kennedy a rookie cop arriving for his first day at RPD (Raccoon City Police Department).
Supporting cast on this outing includes Umbrella exec Dr. William Birkin, police chief Brian Irons, A chinese woman named Ada Wong who works for the "Agency", lost child Sherry and her searching mother Annette Birkin.
This episode is novelised in Resident Evil: City of the Dead (book 3) by S.D. Perry, 1999, ISBN 0-671-02441-8.
Marking a departure from earlier games you are forced to play as Alpha team's Jill Valentine. The location and time frame are the same as that in Resident Evil 2 and while the game runs in parallel there is no obvious cross-over with the storyline and game-play running shorter than many other instalments in the series.
Alpha team pilot Brad Vickers from the original makes a brief appearance and there isn't much to further the plot other than the ultimate fate of Raccoon City in the final scenes and the epilogue files reveal more about various characters from both this and the Resident Evil 2 episode.
Once again a novel based on the game is available, Resident Evil: Nemesis (book 5) by S.D. Perry, 2000, ISBN 0-671-178496-X.
This title's first part follows Claire Redfield as she continues her search from Resident Evil 2 for brother Chris. The game is set in South America within the confides of an Umbrella-run prison camp where Claire has been sent after her arrest at Umbrella's Paris facility. This game sees 3D backgrounds now being used instead of pre-rendered ones.
The second part of the story sees the return of Chris Redfield who has come to the island to rescue his sister. The plot reveals that Umbrella is not the only company performing such hideous experiments into biological warfare.
Other characters present for the story include former Alpha leader Albert Wesker, Umbrella founder Edward Ashford's grandchildren Alfred and Alexia Ashford and fellow captive Steve Burnside.
S.D. Perry skips writing an original novel in the series giving us Resident Evil: Code Veronica (book 6) by S.D. Perry, 2001, ISBN 0-671-78498-6.
Almost identical to the previous Dreamcast version but with some additional scenes and secrets.
Set in the isolated city of Sheena Island around November 1998 this game is a major departure from the series deviating from the third-person perspective to first-person shooters. You take control of a man suffering from amnesia trying to discover who he is whilst also trying to stay alive.
Claire Redfield's dream of an alternative Code Veronica scenario developed in conjunction with Namco. Has no bearing on plot.
S.T.A.R.S. Alpha team member Barry Burton is ordered to check out a cruise ship that has been infected and to rescue RPD's Leon S. Kennedy.
Starts onboard the Umbrealla owned ocean liner Spencer Rain that has been infected with an experimental T-Virus, stolen from Umbrella's Paris labs by former employee Morpheus Duvall. You take control of Bruce McGivern of the Anti-Umbrella Pursuit Investigation Team, a US government task force with the sole purpose of taking down Umbrella.
The story also features Fong Ling, an agent for the Chinese government with the second half of the game taking place on another island research lab.
An attempt at making an online Resident Evil game, Outbreak introduces a cast of civilians trying to escape Raccoon City and its growing zombie population. Each civilian brings a different ability to the table (one has an increased inventory, one can mix anti-viral medications, one gets a powerful (but limited in ammo) handgun, etc.) and players must work as a team to escape. Both online and offline play are available, with team members being controled by AI offline and by other players online.
As of this writing (9/3/2004), Outbreak is one of only three games which can use the US PS2 hard drive (the others being SOCOM II and Final Fantasy XI).
Set in 2004 some six years after the events in Resident Evil 2 and Umbrella has finally been destroyed by the US Government. You take the control of U.S agent and previous Racoon City Police rookie Leon S. Kennedy as he is sent on a mission to Europe to rescue the president's abducted daughter.
A secret experiment. A deadly virus. A fatal mistake.
Takes place a few days before the original game. Umbrella have sent a special ops unit to their biological warfare lab hidden beneath a mansion on the outskirts of Raccoon city to find out why contact has been lost.
The film ends with Alice waking up in Raccoon City, now a city of the dead connecting in with the start of the Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis games.
Starring Milla Jovovich as Alice and Michelle Rodriguez as Rain Ocampo. Written and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson who directed the movie Mortal Kombat, also based on a videogame.
Available as a novel titled Residen Evil: Genesis by Keith R.A. DeCandido, 2001, ISBN 0-743-49291-9.
My name is Alice and I remember everything.
Taking off right where the last movie left Alice meets up with Jill Valentine where they learn that the research facility beneath the mansion was nothing compared to The Hive which sprawls out beneath Raccoon City and houses the Nemesis project.
Written again by Paul Anderson but directed by
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