In recent years, the horror genre has come back from the dead, so to speak.
The thirst for first-hand accounts of spine-tingling and mind-bending horror stories has only grown.
Enter the survival horror genre. Originating in 1996, the phrase ‘survival horror’ was born during one of the most iconic horror game debuts of all time: Resident Evil.
Survival horror is a subgenre that puts the protagonist in highly distressful or graphic situations. The goal? To survive…with limited resources. Weapons ammunition, melee weapon durability, health aids and save checkpoints are few and far between. It’s up to players to use their materials strategically.
Capcom’s first Resident Evil (original: 1996; remake: 2002) game quickly became a bestseller, along with one of the templates for survival horror.
The survival horror gaming industry quickly came with large competition. Not long after the first Resident Evil release, Konami released another haunting first among many of an ongoing series: Silent Hill (1999).
Between games, remakes, film and TV adaptations, Resident Evil gained mainstream popularity over its active 30-year run.
Resident Evil Requiem’s Commercial Release
On February 27, the ninth game of the Resident Evil series was released to the public. Resident Evil: Requiem quickly became the most talked-about game, achieving a three-day peak of 213,976 players on Steam, as of writing.
A timid and fresh-faced FBI technical analyst, Grace Ashcroft, investigates the latest in a string of mysterious deaths among survivors of Raccoon City. The latest case, she follows a man who died at the condemned Wrenwood Hotel.
A (very…very) Brief Review of Resident Evil’s Main Storyline
Raccoon City is an abandoned and now-quarantined fictional city in the American Midwest. It’s ground zero of the infamous T-virus, with infected turning into cannibalistic zombies.
On a rescue team’s journey to find the origin of the cannibalistic attacks outside of Raccoon City, monsters, blood and gore await.
The virus’s roots are a corporate bioweapon that broke containment, leading to the famous Raccoon City Incident, where an outbreak occurs in the city itself.
This is only the beginning of a 31-game series. That’s counting spin-offs, remakes and more.
The best of this series gives a beautiful look into how it redefined and shaped the future of gaming and the survival horror genre.
Resident Evil
The original Resident Evil is where it all began. As clunky and limited as mid-to-late 90s 3D gaming was, it immediately became a hit. IGN best described the quirks of the original that now are part of the resident Evil package: “…unintentionally campy dialogue,” and the “so-bad-it’s-good voice acting.”
The 2002 remake of the 1996 original made the dated mechanics—tank controls and static camera—enhance for the story and experience. The remake also included subplots and exaggerated darkness and graphics.
Both versions of the first game show the beginning of one of the most culturally impactful franchises in horror gaming history.
Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4 (original: 2004; remake: 2023) branches into a separate storyline, where Leon travels to the Spanish countryside to save the President’s daughter Ashley Graham from a zombie-like cult.
The original game set the standard for survival horror games at the time from a locked camera angle and tank controls, into the famous third-person perspective associated with the later sequels.
Of course, the action and survival sequences are some of the most well-loved pieces of gaming throughout the entire series. The boss fights in Resident Evil 4 are some of the most memorable in the series.
The character design left players on their toes, a variation of enemies and monsters to battle at every turn before the opportunity to save the President’s daughter strikes. The expanded narrative, smoother control interface and upgraded graphics in the 2023 remake reignited fans’ nostalgia and love.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
The series resumed after a four-year-break with a new story. Focusing on Ethan Winters, he ventures in search of his missing girlfriend Mia in Resident Evil 7 Biohazard (2017). The famous storyline takes a break, with a family plantation in Louisiana crawling with a family of mold monsters.
The break from the typical zombie-virus-outbreak story hooked players back into the Resident Evil universe.
Biohazard was also the first game of the series to fully immerse the player in first-person experience. All prior Resident Evil games played exclusively in third person. The first-person experience of death, life and rebirth get up-close and personal. This stuck with players for its immersion and attention to gruesome detail.
This only scratches the surface of the expansive Resident Evil universe and lore.
Where Requiem Comes In
Requiem picks back up on Raccoon City’s ruins. The virus is still infecting and killing survivors of the initial outbreak. Former police officer now-agent Leon Kennedy returns, and players are both Leon and Grace investigating the mysterious deaths as more about Raccoon City is unveiled.
Many reviews highlight the high-quality graphics run by Capcom’s own RE Engine, created in 2017 for the release of Biohazard.
Calling back to the series origins, gamers can customize their encounter with the undead. Between the two playable characters, there is an option to change between third or first-person experience.
The Resident Evil series continues to baffle and scare players from around the world. Though only publicly accessible for a few days, Resident Evil: Requiem already faces widespread acclaim.
Known for its haunting setting, character design, questionable soundtrack choices and cringe-worthy dialogue, Resident Evil will easily stay in the forefront of the gaming and entertainment world for another 30 years.
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