Summary
While the core survival horror gameplay loop of theResident Evilgames has been retained for most entries, the stories can vary wildly in their quality, tone, and how over-the-top they are. It’s no secret by now that theResident Evilseries has conjured up plenty of bizarre and exaggerated narratives as part of the games, but while some are still somewhat grounded and realistic, there are others that stand out for how experimental and out-there they end up becoming.
However, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, since these kinds of unorthodox stories can add a lot of memorability to the game, making for a horror experience that will linger in the brain long after the credits roll. For anyone out there who wants to know how over-the-topResident Evilcan really get, these are the games that have some of the most unexpected and outlandish stories in the franchise. Before jumping in, this list will contain partial spoilers for each game mentioned.
Code Veronica’sintro is a stark contrast to the slow and suspense-filled opening scenes that came before it. Instead, it shows Claire running through an Umbrella facility while being shot at by a helicopter and guards as she goes, making for an action-packed sequence that stands out for how flashy and outlandish it is. While the game does attempt to remain somewhat grounded after Claire escapes fromRockfort Island’s prison, Alfred and his exuberant persona ensure players never feel like the story is becoming too stale or predictable.
Of course, there’s also Steve, who can often be seen either jumping through windows and spraying machine guns at Bandersnatchers or making dad jokes to try and impress Claire. Things only get crazier once players are taken to Antarctica, where the story begins to take even more twists and turns. Needless to say, the randomness ofCode Veronicaand the weirdness of many of its characters grant it a story that has become acknowledged for its outlandish and over-the-top sequences.
Leon’s task at the beginning ofResident Evil 4is simple; rescue the president’s daughter from a dangerous cult who are based in agricultural Spain. However, before even reaching Ashley, players already get a taste of just how outlandish the game’s story can be when they encounter a giant troll living in a nearby cave,a gigantic salamander, and a mysterious merchant who can seemingly teleport to always be ahead of Leon.
It’s when reaching the castle though, that it becomes clear Shinji Mikami and Capcom decided to get extra creative with the story, introducing the irritating Count known as Salazar, and even throwing in characters who many thought were dead from previous games, specifically Ada and Krauser.Resident Evil 4is a game that feels like it’s constantly trying to one-up itself with how over-the-top it can get the longer it goes on, and that goes for both its story and gameplay.
Resident Evil: Revelations, a spin-off title released for the Nintendo 3DS, was promised by Capcom to be a return to the series' survival horror roots, and while that certainly applies to the gameplay, the story is much more ambitious and larger-than-life than many would have first predicted.Revelationsintroduces a ton of new characters to the franchise, all of whom have their own motives and ambitions, leading to plenty of secrecy andbetrayalsto keep things fresh.
From the trailers, players are led to believe the game would be a simple rescue mission to save a wounded Chris who has been kidnapped onboard a spooky ship, but in the game, this Chris turns out to be a fake, opening the floodgates to a much more exaggerated, but still fun, plotline.
While the first three games felt somewhat grounded with their heavy focus on biological experimentation and the devastating impact of deadly viruses,0was the first time fans felt Capcom may have been getting a little too carried away with their stories. The game followsRebecca and Billy, an unlikely duo who must first attempt to escape a train full of zombies, leeches, and a giant scorpion.
While this might sound pretty strange, the intro cutscene, which shows a robed figure singing opera in the background while watching the train from afar, already sets the stage for just how different this plot is going to be. Once the Queen Leech is introduced and takes the form of a younger James Marcus, things get even more insane and outlandish, which is admittedly all part ofResident Evil 0’scharm.
At the beginning ofRevelations 2, the story follows Claire and Moira, who have woken up in a prison with some kind of bracelet attached to their wrists. So far so normal forResident Evilstandards, butRevelations 2’sstory shifts into high gear once Alex Wesker, one of the Wesker children, shows up out of nowhere and explains the bracelets will immediately forcibly mutate anyone who feels fear.
That’s not all though, as soon after, Natalia, a little girl with superhuman powers, also joins the fray, and is protected by none other than Barry Burton from the very first game.Revelations 2’sstory is packed full ofbizarre revealsand shocking moments that make the game ideal for those looking for a wild and unpredictable story to complement the gameplay.
Ironically, despite being touted as the most ‘grounded’ and survival horror-esque campaign of the bunch leading up toResident Evil 6’srelease, Leon’s campaign is by far the most outlandish of all four. While it starts off simple enough, with Leon and his new companion Helena navigating their way through a zombie-infested campus and city, after they leave the catacombs and are chased by a ferocious shark, the story just keeps ramping up to absurd degrees.
Not only are Leon and Helena forced to land a plane where every other passenger has become a zombie, but they then also crash-land a helicopter and eventually take on the main antagonist,Simmons, whose forms include a dinosaur, a tiger, and a giant fly. If all of this sounds like some kind of chaotic fever dream, that’s exactly what it feels like, and while the other campaigns in the game also have plenty of over-the-top moments, Leon’s is packed full of them after the second chapter comes to a close.
WhileVillageis all about Ethan’s desperate attempts to rescue his daughter, Rose, after she has been kidnapped, this mission is much less straightforward than it initially sounds. Not only is it soon revealed Rose’s body parts have been literally separated into their own flasks, but the individuals holding the flasks are four creepy lords who all look like they were ripped straight out of a sick and twisted fairytale.
Whether it’s the childish fish monster known as Moreau or the fan-favorite Dimitrescu who resides in a castle alongside her vampiric daughters, it’s clear Capcom went above and beyond with the weirdness of this game to make it stand out from anything that came before. The storybook-like aesthetic that feeds intoVillage’sstory makes it a lot less grounded and more fantastical than what fans are used to, resulting in a plot that could have been pretty basic but ends up being very over-the-top and fun to follow thanks to its vibrant enemies and unforeseen plot twists.
