I Played Thru All The OG Resident Evil Games For The First Time In 2019*
...and here's my nostalgia-free ranking of them.
*And yes, I know, I haven't gotten to REmake yet, that's coming.
List items
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Wow this game. I missed the RE series back in the day, and after a certain point it seemed too late to go back to them, since they seemed archaic, clunky and full of badly-aged design decisions. A period in gaming best written off as a growing pain, like the FMV craze of the 90s.
Boy was I wrong. RE2 is atmospheric, well-paced, well-designed, and a joy to play, with tons of replayability. I keep coming back to it again and again. It has become one of my favorite games of all time.
Versions played: N64(Leon A/Claire B), PSX (Claire A/Leon B)
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This one is definitely more primitive and rough around the edges than 2. That being said I absolutely enjoyed it and it held up better than I anticipated.
Like RE2 it's well-paced, and has a good atmosphere and an excellent sense of place.
And yeah, the voice acting is a BIG part of the charm.
Version played: PSX Director's Cut (non-Dualshock)
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I know some people have said this one is bad, this is where the series went wrong, etc etc, but I enjoyed the heck out of this one.
It's far more memorable and atmospheric than RE3, it features larger, more complex maps than ever before and is generally a clever, goofy, moody romp in the best series tradition.
Definitely outclasses RE3: Nemesis for me.
People have complained about some of the design (possible to save yourself into an area you can't leave, with a boss), but as long as you rotate saves and stockpile items it's seriously an overblown concern.
This game would be very tough if it was your first RE, but if you're a veteran of the series' gameplay, it's frankly a cakewalk.
Version played: Code Veronica X (Gamecube)
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This one is a lot of fun to play, and challenges you in different ways than the first two games (there are some excellent randomized elements, and tons of tiny but cool ways the game subtly shifts based on your actions), but it suffers from a nonexistent plot, a lack of consistent atmosphere, and because it feels like a bunch of leftover areas stitched together into a game, it lacks the first two game's strong sense of place.
Worth a play for sure if you like the series, but I wouldn't start with this one and I'd definitely rank it below the first two.
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TBD, playthru pending
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TBD, playthru pending
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