Resident Evil: 5 Tropes That Are Overdone (& 5 We Can't Get Enough Of) (2024)

Many video game series have made their mark on the industry, but for 25 years Resident Evilhas been at the forefront of the medium and pushing forward horror in video games. There’s been a definite resurgence in the zombie subgenre of horror that has taken the undead creatures in many directions, but Resident Evil was ahead of the curve and has continued to be seen as the leading zombie video game.

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However, the Resident Evil games were instrumental in the popularization of the survival horror genre of video games, which has evolved from a niche interest to a mainstream category. Similarly, the Resident Evil series has evolved in several ways and it’s picked up and abandoned many tropes and habits, some of which are more successful than others.

10 Overdone: Cumbersome QTE Sequences

Resident Evil: 5 Tropes That Are Overdone (& 5 We Can't Get Enough Of) (1)

It’s fascinating to see how certain trends can completely take over video games as a whole and cause radical changes in control styles to service interests that don’t necessarily mesh with the established gameplay. Quick Time Event— also known as QTE— sequences became an unexpectedly popular phenomenon in all varieties of video games.

It becomes a nasty habit for Resident Evil during some of the middle entries in the series, when the franchise’s action sensibilities are at their highest. They definitely became overdone, but have thankfully calmed down and are no longer an extraneous presence.

9 Can’t Get Enough Of: Inspired Jump Scares

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Jump scares are a mixed bag and they can represent both inspired and lazy impulses from horror, but they can be much more effective in video games because of the extra level of immersion.

The Resident Evil games have been pulling off effective jump scares since the very first game and they’ve continued to be some of the most frightening moments in the series. Even the games that aren’t very scary have at least one successful jump scare. It’s a type of horror that can be done in a lot of different ways and allows Resident Evil to get creative.

8 Overdone: New Characters WithConvolutedTies To The Existing Lore

Resident Evil: 5 Tropes That Are Overdone (& 5 We Can't Get Enough Of) (3)

The Resident Evil series has been going on for so long that it’s had opportunities to bring many new characters into the mix, usually in tandem with someone else’s exit.

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It’s become common for Resident Evil to eventually reveal some dark past for these characters that actually makes them tied to past characters rather than truly representing something new. Resident Evil 6’s Jake Muller, for instance, turns out to be Wesker’s son and it adds to the needlessly convoluted lore of the series. These chances to explore new territory just cling to the past.

7 Can’t Get Enough Of: Swapping Between More Than One Protagonist

Resident Evil: 5 Tropes That Are Overdone (& 5 We Can't Get Enough Of) (4)

A tradition that’s been present since the original Resident Evil is to tell a narrative through more than one protagonist, who can either be swapped between within the narrative or featured through complimentary stories. This is such a fun way to give out information and it’s helped Resident Evil introduce some excellent protagonists that are still present to this day.

Admittedly, some of the later Resident Evil games push this principle too far with excessive playable characters, but they’ve learned how to apply restraint and maintain this element as a highlight.

6 Overdone: Unnecessary Escort Missions

The Resident Evil games are able to cater towards multiple styles and genres of gameplay and it’s what helped the series stick around for so long. One feature that’s prominent in Resident Evil 4and gets returned to on multiple occasions is that the player will need to protect a defenseless character on an escort mission.

This change of pace that requires a more disciplined and strategic mindset isn’t a bad idea, but the series just begins to turn to it too often to the point where it’s a bit of a tacked on cliché and not actually justified.

5 Can’t Get Enough Of: Boss BattlesAgainst Gigantic Creatures

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Resident Evil has come a long way from just being a series about zombies and there’s been exceptional variety in not just the common enemies that are faced, but also the boss battles that occur.

RELATED: Resident Evil 8: 10 References To Other Games In The Series

Even the early games in the series figure out how to create thrilling spectacles with giant monsters, like Resident Evil 2’s giant alligator or any of the lengthy final Tyrant boss battles that occur through multiple stages. Resident Evil 8 is the apex of this with bosses that are on a whole other level, but are all such memorable experiences.

4 Overdone: Stories Always Coming Back To Umbrella& S.T.A.R.S.

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Resident Evil has been able to establish a comprehensive mythology over the course of its core series and spin-off titles, which is typically very satisfying. It’s helped that the games have eventually been willing to remove themselves from Raccoon City, but they’re still shackled to the heavy involvement of Umbrella and S.T.A.R.S.

Their omnipresence can definitely rob elements of tension and fear. Resident Evil 7 fixed this to some degree with Ethan, but then it slowly moves back to Chris Redfield and removes the everyman from the equation by the end of Resident Evil 8.

3 Can’t Get Enough Of: Emergency Escape Sequences

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One staple of the original Resident Evil games that’s slightly fallen out of fashion is that any final battle set in a secret Umbrella laboratory would be followed with a time-sensitive self-destruct sequence where the player has to escape.

There’s an extra level of pressure present as a clock counts down on the player and threatens defeat even after the accomplishment of taking out the boss. The series knows to not overuse this device and it’s left as a nostalgic challenge that’s due to make a return.

2 Overdone: Characters Have Grown Into Action Movie Caricatures

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There’s a natural urge for a series to get bigger with each new installment and Resident Evil is certainly guilty of this, in some games more than others. Resident Evil remains a horror series, but it really leans into the action angle for Resident Evil 5 and 6. The characters follow suit and they begin to feel like the action stereotypes that are in movies.

Characters perform martial arts, engage in elaborate fight sequences, and even punch boulders, all of which heightens things a little too far and removesmuch of what made them likable in the first place.

1 Can’t Get Enough Of: The Creepy Use Of The First-Person Perspective

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The Resident Evil series begins from a fixed third-person perspective that has a lot to do with the technological limitations of the times. This third-person view has been present for most of the series, although the fixed camera angles have progressively vanished and other aesthetics shifts have taken place.

Resident Evil 7 and 8 find great success and amplify the horror through a first-person perspective. The series hasn’t run this change into the ground and it’s still finding exciting ways to use first-person to its advantage. It’s been a rejuvenating change.

NEXT: Resident Evil: 10 Things You Never Knew About The Biohazard Manga

Resident Evil: 5 Tropes That Are Overdone (& 5 We Can't Get Enough Of) (2024)

FAQs

Resident Evil: 5 Tropes That Are Overdone (& 5 We Can't Get Enough Of)? ›

Critics felt that Sheva's character was added to address the issue of racism, though Karen Dyer said the character had been in development before the first trailer was released. Takeuchi denied that complaints about racism had any effect in altering the design of Resident Evil 5.

What is the controversy with Resident Evil 5? ›

Critics felt that Sheva's character was added to address the issue of racism, though Karen Dyer said the character had been in development before the first trailer was released. Takeuchi denied that complaints about racism had any effect in altering the design of Resident Evil 5.

Why Resident Evil 5 failed? ›

The simple reason why Resident Evil 4 is so loved while Resident Evil 5 is so hated is the simple fact that Resident 5 was the first game in the franchise that first introduced co-op gameplay. When two players can play the game together. Co-op gameplay is bad for horror games.

Why didn't Resident Evil 5 age well? ›

#1) The game design didn't age well at all in many aspects, one being that many of the maps don't feel like they ever were designed for Co-op in mind and also think balancing is throwing out a crap ton of enemies.

Which resident evil game is controversial? ›

Resident Evil 5: Examining Race, Controversy, and the Potential for a Responsible Remake. Resident Evil 5 remains a fascinating and divisive entry in the long-running horror franchise. While its gameplay innovations brought in new players, its portrayal of setting and antagonists drew widespread accusations of racism.

Why Resident Evil 6 failed? ›

Capcom took a risk to attract players who enjoy a wider range of genres, but in this case, the risk wasn't rewarded. Instead of having elements to appease everybody, RE6 ends up feeling disjointed and unsure of which genre it's supposed to be part of.

Is Resident Evil LGBTQ? ›

Game director Al Yang confirmed Tyrone's sexual orientation on Twitter for Pride Month. Again, Yang said they didn't want Tyrone's sexual orientation to be the basis of the character. Both games are multiplayer-focused (or exclusive), and both games featured characters who are gay despite no mention of it in-game.

Is Resident Evil 5 harder than 4? ›

RE5 is harder by far. Plus, it's harder to properly use the knife. In RE4, I could beat a whole group of Ganados with knives and kicks. RE 5 is definitely harder than the Wii version of RE 4 (best version IMO) plus the melee attacks don't seem as powerful.

Why can't Resident Evil 5 be remade? ›

Resident Evil 5's stage-driven structure is simply inferior to this design. A modern recreation of it would only further highlight its flaws, especially coming in such close proximity to masterclasses like the remake of Resident Evil 2. Remakes can, of course, completely redefine the structure of their source material.

Why is Resident Evil 6 different? ›

Resident Evil 6 presents new gameplay mechanics such as rolling in any direction and running while shooting and sliding. The game also features a four-player co-operative mode. When playing in single player mode, the player can allow another player to join in online at any time.

Is Resident Evil 6 inappropriate? ›

Blood splatters gratuitously, and there is also gore as it's possible to dismember, decapitate, or impale these creatures and do this to innocent humans. Contain strong language, including the words "f--k" and "s--t".

Can a 12 year old play Resident Evil 5? ›

It has some disturbing moments (zombies mutate and other stuff). I would reccomend this to players 16+ since it's a sci-fi/horror game and not very realistic.

Is Resident Evil banned in China? ›

Plus, Resident Evil in general, is banned in China. Resident Evil has had a long and complicated history of regulation in China owing to the political separation of the Chinese mainland from Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Why is RE5 set in Africa? ›

So for the setting we thought, how about the place where humankind was born?" Takeuchi told Famitsu. "Well, I'm not a scientist, so I don't know how things might change in the future, but we thought we would use Africa, which is now called the birthplace of humanity, as the model."

What was wrong with RE5? ›

Resident Evil 5 was met with controversy in the lead-up to release over its portrayal of Africa and Africans, which was considered by some to be insensitive or outright racist.

What is the controversy with the Resident Evil 5 trailer? ›

As Platt puts it, the trailer is “problematic on so many levels, including the depiction of Black people as inhuman savages, the killing of Black people by a white man in military clothing, and the fact that this video game is marketed to children and young adults.” I'm going to set aside the “marketed to children and ...

Why was Netflix Resident Evil so bad? ›

From the utterly unlikable protagonist who gets almost everyone she comes in contact with killed through her arrogant stupidity, to inconsistent world-building between what does and does not constitute a post-apocalypse, to its frankly bizarre tonal whiplash between moments of horror and misfire referential humor ...

Is there anything inappropriate in Resident Evil? ›

Parents need to know that Resident Evil has extremely gross and graphic violence, with many disgusting deaths and truly icky monsters. Characters are in extreme peril and most of them are killed. There is very strong language and a brief sexual situation with nudity.

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