Welcome to the next installation of Books, Board Games, and More with Bryn! This month I am focusing on the wide world of Resident Evil. It’s spooky season, so let’s get zombified!
As you may or may not know, Resident Evil is a video game that originally came out in 1996. Paving the way for survival horror, it has expanded into a franchise with seemingly endless bounds. It’s still relevant nearly 30 years later and has become a staple in video game history, as can be seen in books such as The video game encyclopedia. From video games to adaptations, the library has all your needs covered!
Resident Evil was initially adapted into a live-action movie franchise starring Milla Jovovich. Some say it dragged on too long and strayed too far from the game but be the judge of that yourself. Get started with the first movie here (DVD).
Since then, it was also made into a CGI movie series starring the games’ characters, which started with Resident Evil: Degeneration (DVD), and has a CGI miniseries that happens during the same movie timeline called Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness (DVD), (Bluray). These have been overall well-received by fans that were waiting for the next game installment to be released.
Most recently, it was adapted as a live-action TV show called Welcome to Raccoon City
In terms of the games that started it all, you can start by playing Resident Evil: Origins Collection that we have for PS4 and Xbox One. This is comprised of the remasters of Resident Evil 0 and Resident Evil.
If you’re interested in exploring the rest of the games, I would recommend following the rough chronology. In general, the games have followed most of the same characters.
Resident Evil 2 (available on PS4 and Xbox One) as well as Resident Evil 3 (PS4) are available as remakes. Remakes, friends, not remasters- all new graphics, voices, models, and tweaks on the original stories to give them a refresh. Honestly, they’re solid games and I recommend them 100%.
Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles (Wii) is a prequel to the game Resident Evil 4. As a rail shooter style game, it’s an interesting concept and worth checking out for fun. Speaking of Resident Evil 4, this game also received a remake treatment but is currently unavailable. Instead, I recommend checking out the original game which our libraries have available on the Wii.
Next up would be Resident Evil: Revelations, which you can play on PS3 and/or Xbox 360. Revelations bridges the gap between the events in RE4 and the next game, Resident Evil 5. (Our Willoughby branch also has a copy of Resident Evil: Revelations: Official Complete Works, which details the art and concepts behind the game!)
Resident Evil 5 (PS4) is a unique addition to the franchise in that it was the first co-op game that could be played online or as split screen. It’s definitely not the strongest game in the series, but it’s not the worst, either. It’s fun to play with someone, but the AI controlling your partner might actually drive you insane.
Resident Evil: Revelations 2 (available on PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox One) takes place between the events in RE5 and Resident Evil 6. Resident Evil 6 (Xbox One) is my least favorite game in the franchise, personally. It’s fun to play co-op with another person, but the story and controls can be frustrating to the point of laughter.
The two newest games in the series, Resident Evil: Biohazard Xbox One, PS4 and its sequel Resident Evil: Village (Xbox Series X) (PS4) (PS4 – VR mode included!) change tactics by focusing on an entirely new set of characters (which also weave in Chris Redfield). The games are defaulted to play from the first-person perspective and provide some creepy, unsettling atmosphere and scares.
On a sidenote, if you’re looking for a non-video game option, check out Zombie Dice and/or the board game Pandemic! Zombie Dice is (you guessed it) a competitive dice game for 2 or more players. Pandemic, on the other hand, is a cooperative game where you work together with a group of 2-4 players to save the world from succumbing to a pandemic. (Hey, most zombie stories happen due to an outbreak, just saying.)
Just remember- if you’re being chased by zombies, you only need to be faster than the person next to you. Catch you next time!
-Bryn
