2012 is a big year for gaming. Each week there’s something new to behold, a story about the next big thing, hints of the direction huge series’ will take in their steady evolution, how the big three console developers plan to one-up each other and claim victory in this crazy little thing called the “console wars”
One of 2012’s biggest releases Reece and I will be looking out for is Resident Evil 6. The long running survival/action-horror series had its humble beginnings as a shoddy Playstation title with player controlled characters that moved like tanks against mindless, shambling, grotesque zombies and worse in a haunted, claustrophobic mansion.
But since its humble beginnings; Resident Evil has mutated into one of the biggest franchises in gaming. Expanding it’s horizons with tighter gameplay, a less cheesier story and some absolutely horrifying moments, Resident Evil holds in it’s decaying hands a legacy that spans just under two decades of critical adulation and a cult following which can’t get enough of stopping Bio-Weapons from taking over the world.
With the eighth title on the horizon as a potential Game of the Year, this is Retcon-Nation’s top ten, most horrifying, disgusting and complete WTF moments in the main series, from Zero to Five (excluding Revelations as neither of us have played it yet).
R: It’s rare I read all the diaries etc you find along the way but I remember reading one early on in RE4 that mention El Gigante and I remember being intrigued... hmmm what on earth could that be I thought. Well it never occurred to me to Google the term but when you see this awesome boss its worth not spoiling that first meeting.
He comes out, kills about 4-5 villagers and then looks down upon you with a thunderous roar, its awesome and it’s a tiny bit WTF, the initial “how am I going to beat this dude with a sodding handgun” comes to mind, not to mention it pays to be nice to animals, Resident Evil not only teaches us survival tips for the inevitable zombie apocalypse but also well grounded morals… good doggy.
H: By the time El Gigante makes his explosive debut in Resident Evil 4, we’ve already battled hundreds of Ganado, had a brief skirmish with Mendes and battled a lake monster. But probably, the most memorable boss in the game is El Gigante; who if your Spanish is a bit rubbish; is a giant.
Breaking out of its confines, taking several Ganado with him, El Gigante is an arena battle where you fight a thirty foot giant with a pistol, quick time events and a dog. Although the fight is quite easy when you know what you’re doing; the spectacle and the unveiling of the monster is what makes it so special.
08) Lisa Trevor
R: Ewwwwwww that’s not a pleasant sound, but it’s the wails of Lisa Trevor, introduced in REmake she makes her grand appearance and by golly it’s horrible, she’s the warped shell of her former self after years of being Umbrellas guinea pig helping, against her will, to produce the T & G Viruses. She’s tragic and a massive WTF moment, especially when I didn’t expect to see her ugly mug when playing REmake for the first time!
Her final moments where she dies in a deranged act to see her mother, is easily one of the highlights of the game. It’s as far removed from the cheesy, b-movie-esque feel the game as you could and one of the best editions of any remake in gaming.
07) Wesker’s Finale
R: Not so much a massive WTF moment but kinda’ cool seeing that it occurs in a volcano and Wesker is some kind of Cyborg half man, half virus monster and half plane.. so essentially he is Man-Monster-Plane hmmm yes.
It’s a great end to a great villain, he had already survived death before but I don’t see a way back for the evil tyrant this time, a rocket to the face should be enough this time.
06) Nemesis
R: So apparently there’s some dude going around killing S.T.A.R.S members, whatever, this is RE3 for crying out loud, what can they throw at us that we haven’t see before… oh… SHIT.
I’m not sure if his first appearance is more WTF or every time he pops by and scares the shit out of you randomly, because they are both some what drenched in WTF, I suppose him killing Brad with his tentacle hand thing was rather unpleasant, not to mention his somewhat unpleasant appearance, all that leather? Sheesh.
I’m not really a fan of him once he mutates beyond his awesome first few forms but he is a great character, one that if he was ever to make some kind of comeback would see the simultaneous joygasms of millions of RE fan boys across the world.
H: While Mr X was a fun upgrade from the Tyrant in the original Resident Evil, Resident Evil 2’s sequel doesn’t just introduce a new enemy; he is, at his core, a game changing monstrosity that could quite easily, be the horrible, horrible face of the franchise.
The key difference between Resident Evil 2 and 3 is the inclusion of Nemesis. A seemingly unstoppable killing machine, complete with trenchcoat and rocket launcher, Nemesis is driven by one single objective; the elimination of S.T.A.R.S.
Like Birkin, you fight Nemesis numerous times in Resident Evil 3, each more difficult than the last. With each defeat; the creature comes back, often out of no where. Unlike Birkin however, who at his first appearance was driven by an almost animalistic drive; Nemesis continues his mission with a degree of intelligence.
It’s only at the end, after taking a bath in toxic waste and devouring a dead tyrant does Nemesis survival instinct override him and transforms him into another giant monster. But for the majority of 3, he’s not only the most unique entity, but literally the scariest thing in the game, something that all Resident Evil games after it, have yet to emulate with a single character.
05) Wesker Returns
R:With dialogue like that how can that moment not be WTF? So yeah, the big bad from RE1 is back, we all thought the Tyrant had straight up killed his ass but no, he had injected himself with a new virus beforehand and he is now SUPER WESKER! with glowing red eyes to boot.
Obviously now we know that but after playing through 2 and 3 with no hint of Wesker it was a big moment to see him come back from the dead, games would follow that filled in the gap around his resurrection but it was a great moment to play through and had many people going “huhhhh”.
H: If one thing could summarise just how crazy Resident Evil’s plot is; it’s the return of the first game’s main villain. Prior to Code:Veronica, the status of Wesker was pushing up daisies, having been killed by a Tyrant at the end of the first game. Sure, the tin foil hat brigade swore blind that Nemesis/Mr. X was him because...because, but they were crazy! Wesker not only died, he died on screen. In fact, in the original game, a Chimera also felt the need to munch on his corpse to cement the fact if you dared go back to the murder scene.
Well, the mad geniuses at Capcom decided to bring Wesker back for Xenu knows what reason. Not only did the guy return as the aristocratic badass of the original Resident Evil; but Wesker was sporting super human abilities, becoming the series new staple bad guy.
With all the events of Code: Veronica, Wesker’s return is by far the most shocking, but equally, one of the best moments, despite it’s implausibility.
04) Opening sequence to Resi 1
R: So we’ve entered the mansion, just been chased by blood thirsty dogs and we are now splitting up to check out the place, that Lovely guy Albert Wesker has sent you off and you hear a squelching sound, hmm ok lets go see what it is… WAH DA FUCCK!
The introduction to the T-Virus zombie is awesome, and pretty much all down to his eyes, because when I played RE1 it shit me up, hell even REmake did too and I was expecting it, especially the first time you hear the groan, the same groan that will announce any zombie you are in the same room as, both handy and terrifying at the same time.
It’s the first WTF moment in the whole franchise, maybe not the best but its place in this top 10 is solid.
H: Entirely fueled by nostalgia, ultimately a lightweight in the grand evolution of the franchise, but the opening sequence to the original title is a truly memorable series of events that lays the foundations for the game.
Although the original live-action opening sequence is notoriously cheesy and poorly filmed, the Gamecube remake is flat-out horrifying with excellent visuals, a low key but impressive score that plays equally intriguing but mainly tragic to poor Joseph’s horrible end and above all else, an atmosphere so thick, you can almost feel the cold October night and the adrenaline from the chase from the pack of Cerebus into the huge, bleak mansion.
Although later down the line, you’ll encounter things far more horrible than a lone zombie and a pack of undead pooches; the opening sequence of Resident Evil is a memorable and well crafted series of events, once that nearly twenty years later, is etched in lore as one of the most memorable events in one of gaming’s biggest franchises.
03) The First Village RE4
R:Ah the First Village in RE4, they just keep fucking coming?! Your only 5 mins into the game and you come across a lovely little village, ok just a few seconds before you saw the villagers burning one of the coppers but they may have had a decent explanation for it and the dude you just shot up in the first house might not be representative of the rest of them right?... right?!
So you get down there and the music changes, always a sign in RE4 that shits about to go down, your surrounded by enemies that not only run but also have weapons that they throw at you, oh and the fuckers can climb ladders too.
RE4 was a massive step for the franchise in going more action and upping the ante with the villains, but couldn’t they have broken us in a bit more gently instead of giving us a heart attack 5 minutes into the game?!
Worst bit for me was when they climb up through windows when you think yours safe, putting ladders back up etc… screw that I miss my slow mo zombies!
H: Resident Evil 4 was a make or break moment for the series. For those used to fixed camera angles, idiotic enemies and claustrophobic environments, the opening segments of Resident Evil 4, where Leon investigates a village and everyone within a three mile radius tries to kill him, is a triumph.
What makes the moment so unusual is that the village showcases the game’s modus operandi in ten minutes. Your control of Leon is miles better than the games preceding it, the enemies, the appropriately titled Ganado come from all angles with a pack mentality and weapons. They naturally try to dodge gunfire, they carry melee objects to attack. Individually weak, but in a mob, they prove to be more dangerous than the zombies before it.
Just when all hope seems lost, a bell signals for everyone to clear off. The mystery is set in motion and, as the fools we are, we press on, rather than get the National Guard to blitz the entire area.
Although there are far, far more grotesque entries on this list (including from Resident Evil 4), the opening village is a truly great moment where the element of surprise and terror is in full motion.
02) William Birkin
R:My favourite Birkin moment is during the RE2 B scenario (I think) when you come across Birkin's first G-Form and he quickly mutates and grabs the metal bar, that’s a great moment and my favourite of the Birkin G forms. Of course he quickly degrades further and further into his various G forms, it’s all pretty awesome and even with the (now) old school graphics it’s pretty horrible.
The story of RE2 is fantastic and introducing Birkin as the villain is great, he doesn’t disappoint and the encounters you have with him are always fun.
One of the main reasons I yearn for a RE2 remake is so we can see G-Virus Birkin in HD and in his full gory glory, we probably won’t ever see that but maybe one day.
H: Whilst Resident Evil 2 upped the ante by going from a single mansion to large portion of a city, the natural call for more horrifying creatures was answered by one man, who believed in his ultimate creation so much, he decided to become it.
William Birkin is, in short, one of the series trend setters. After taking a dose of his G-Virus, he spends most of his time representing something that wandered off the set of The Thing but should have been part of the Aliens franchise. If beaten, he comes back, stronger and far less human then before, to the point where part of the fun in the game is not only trying to beat him, but wondering how on earth can things get worse (and trust me, they do).
To add to his nastiness, he impregnates several people with his embryos (including, and no jokes here, his ten year old daughter), giving birth to G-Types; unstable, feral, skinless monsters that make the zombies look far less dangerous than before. By the end, Birkin becomes a large, gelatinous, tentacle blob monster that’s only vaguely human quality; is his insatiable desire to kill Leon and Claire.
01) Regenerators/Iron Maidens
R:And now we come to my favourite WTF moment in the RE franchise so far, perhaps an odd choice but when it comes down to atmosphere and also the amount of squirming and yelling at my television these bastards gave me, they deserve high billing!
I suppose it’s similar to the El Gigante really, you are in the autopsy rooms, dried blood and evidence of awful experiments everywhere, and “Regenerators” mentioned in diaries, odd things hanging from the wall and you find yourself in a quest to find a new scope for the rifle.
Then you get it and to celebrate getting this cool new feature you see a cut scene of some absolute weirdo looking thing falling from the ceiling and walking slowly towards you, now if you paid attention to the diaries you knew to use the new scope and take the plagas out before blowing this motherfucker to smithereens, if you didn’t then well your wasting a lot of ammo and getting pretty anxious whilst this thing stalks you!
The music is perfect, somewhat similar to the T-1000’s theme in Terminator 2, its cold and metallic and it’s coming for you, these things scare the shit out of me and I hated every second of being in a room with one, which makes them perfect Resident Evil characters.
The Iron Maidens are all the same but with a more dangerous attack set and well a pretty scary looking spike thing going on, especially when they get hold of you and you see the cool scene where they utilise those spikes… bastards.
H: So, you’ve cleared Disc One of Resident Evil 4, you’ve killed Salazar, you’re on the military island and minus the Ganado with guns, this should be a breeze right? I mean, what else could there possibly be that could strike fear in the hearts of you, brave player?
I’ll tell you what, this thing. This damn…thing! I mean, look at it!
A tall, grey, humanoid creature with breathing problems, a big mouth and the handy ability to literally regenerate itself. If you blow its legs off; it’ll flop like a fish to get you. If you take out its midsection, it’ll quickly grow that too. Hell, take its head off and it’ll grow a new one, just so it can gnaw at you.
The Regenerators are one of those enemies where in retrospect; you love them for being a creative, unusual and memorable creature that offers new gameplay elements and a fresh retake of the old guard. On the downside, the creature is utterly terrifying, with a dreading theme tune, a lumbering, unstoppable pace like the zombies of old and just when you think you’ve got them beat, they come back with fresh new spikes and a new name; the appropriate moniker Iron Maiden.
With the eighth title on the horizon as a potential Game of the Year, this is Retcon-Nation’s top ten, most horrifying, disgusting and complete WTF moments in the main series, from Zero to Five (excluding Revelations as neither of us have played it yet).
10) Leech Zombie debut
R: I suppose RE0 needed a new type of zombie for us to tackle, to save us from the normal T-Zombie I guess but this guy was disgusting and where the T-Zombies introduction was more atmospheric and creepy this is just plain disgusting.
R: I suppose RE0 needed a new type of zombie for us to tackle, to save us from the normal T-Zombie I guess but this guy was disgusting and where the T-Zombies introduction was more atmospheric and creepy this is just plain disgusting.
The games all have their key moment of goriness but the first Leech Zombie you come across in RE0 is a great scene and has that “The Thing” feel to it for me, the head popping off and then the body falling apart to reveal the leeches, was a great moment and the first play through it does leave you with a somewhat contorted look upon your face.
H: If there’s one thing Resident Evil needs, it’s more “eeeeew” moments. Case and point; the cutscene that showcases the Leech Zombie is memorable as it is disgusting. Whilst the leeches are an incredibly destructive force (a swarm manage to take down an entire freight train), together, they form a strange creature that looks like the title’s main villain Dr. Marcus.
It’s debut cutscene is short and sweet, with poor Becky Chambers basically conveying the audiences reactions to watching an old man’s head roll off before a swarm of leeches form to make a single entity. It’s disgusting, it’s weird and that’s just the way we like it.
H: If there’s one thing Resident Evil needs, it’s more “eeeeew” moments. Case and point; the cutscene that showcases the Leech Zombie is memorable as it is disgusting. Whilst the leeches are an incredibly destructive force (a swarm manage to take down an entire freight train), together, they form a strange creature that looks like the title’s main villain Dr. Marcus.
It’s debut cutscene is short and sweet, with poor Becky Chambers basically conveying the audiences reactions to watching an old man’s head roll off before a swarm of leeches form to make a single entity. It’s disgusting, it’s weird and that’s just the way we like it.
09) El Gigante
R: It’s rare I read all the diaries etc you find along the way but I remember reading one early on in RE4 that mention El Gigante and I remember being intrigued... hmmm what on earth could that be I thought. Well it never occurred to me to Google the term but when you see this awesome boss its worth not spoiling that first meeting.
He comes out, kills about 4-5 villagers and then looks down upon you with a thunderous roar, its awesome and it’s a tiny bit WTF, the initial “how am I going to beat this dude with a sodding handgun” comes to mind, not to mention it pays to be nice to animals, Resident Evil not only teaches us survival tips for the inevitable zombie apocalypse but also well grounded morals… good doggy.
H: By the time El Gigante makes his explosive debut in Resident Evil 4, we’ve already battled hundreds of Ganado, had a brief skirmish with Mendes and battled a lake monster. But probably, the most memorable boss in the game is El Gigante; who if your Spanish is a bit rubbish; is a giant.
Breaking out of its confines, taking several Ganado with him, El Gigante is an arena battle where you fight a thirty foot giant with a pistol, quick time events and a dog. Although the fight is quite easy when you know what you’re doing; the spectacle and the unveiling of the monster is what makes it so special.
08) Lisa Trevor
R: Ewwwwwww that’s not a pleasant sound, but it’s the wails of Lisa Trevor, introduced in REmake she makes her grand appearance and by golly it’s horrible, she’s the warped shell of her former self after years of being Umbrellas guinea pig helping, against her will, to produce the T & G Viruses. She’s tragic and a massive WTF moment, especially when I didn’t expect to see her ugly mug when playing REmake for the first time!
Poor girl.
H: While it kept the tank controls and the inane dialogue, the Gamecube remake of Resident Evil did change things. Sure Richard still dies in the end, Crimson Heads introduced more tedious backtracking and did I mention that the characters still move like tanks but can now instantly spin?
No?
But anyway, from a story perspective, the addition of Lisa Trevor is what everyone remembers. An experiment that quite literally makes all others seem humane and logical, Lisa Trevor is a walking factory of various ailments, viruses, tentacles and tragedy.
A lumbering woman with the faces of her victims attached to her vaguely humanoid form, she’s preluded early on from the lower realms of the mansion with her chains and cries, but reveals herself later in a claustrophobic skirmish in a cabin before a final showdown in a crypt where she can quite easily kill a supporting character (and change the ending to the game).
A lumbering woman with the faces of her victims attached to her vaguely humanoid form, she’s preluded early on from the lower realms of the mansion with her chains and cries, but reveals herself later in a claustrophobic skirmish in a cabin before a final showdown in a crypt where she can quite easily kill a supporting character (and change the ending to the game).
Her final moments where she dies in a deranged act to see her mother, is easily one of the highlights of the game. It’s as far removed from the cheesy, b-movie-esque feel the game as you could and one of the best editions of any remake in gaming.
07) Wesker’s Finale
R: Not so much a massive WTF moment but kinda’ cool seeing that it occurs in a volcano and Wesker is some kind of Cyborg half man, half virus monster and half plane.. so essentially he is Man-Monster-Plane hmmm yes.
It’s a great end to a great villain, he had already survived death before but I don’t see a way back for the evil tyrant this time, a rocket to the face should be enough this time.
It’s an end of an era, when playing the game I didn’t expect to see Wesker fall, I did expect him to get away again, so when we witness his demise I was somewhat WTF about it but it was a great move, there’s only so much you can take of one villain. He has set up most of the franchises big plot points, so he is a major piece of the jigsaw, but the guy took a rocket bukkake to the face so y’know, thanks but bye Wesker, no more of your lame British evil guy accent, douche…
H: Although Resident Evil 5 was a good game, it didn’t change the landscape nor offer near as many memorable moments as 4. If anything; at times the game spent a good portion of time repeating the same moments, but adding the multiplication factor.
The ending though, is spectacular and an appropriate the series’ then big bad Albert Wesker. His final form is a strange reincarnation of the Tyrant (giant claw, exposed heart, takes a military budget to take down). It’s unusual to see the normally calm and stoic Wesker driven utterly mad to the point of doing the staple Resident Evil thing of taking a virus and becoming a monster but it makes a thrilling end.
If you don’t know what to do, it’s a tough fight that seemingly has no end, but eventually, if you notice the glowing heart, you’ll know immediately to aim for that.
H: Although Resident Evil 5 was a good game, it didn’t change the landscape nor offer near as many memorable moments as 4. If anything; at times the game spent a good portion of time repeating the same moments, but adding the multiplication factor.
The ending though, is spectacular and an appropriate the series’ then big bad Albert Wesker. His final form is a strange reincarnation of the Tyrant (giant claw, exposed heart, takes a military budget to take down). It’s unusual to see the normally calm and stoic Wesker driven utterly mad to the point of doing the staple Resident Evil thing of taking a virus and becoming a monster but it makes a thrilling end.
If you don’t know what to do, it’s a tough fight that seemingly has no end, but eventually, if you notice the glowing heart, you’ll know immediately to aim for that.
Eventually Wesker ends up waist deep in molten lava and its here where Chris and Sheva, after several hours and teases, finally put an end to the nightmare nearly fifteen years in the making. The world is saved, the villain is put down with no way of returning (…probably) and game ends with a happy ending that could quite easily finish the series (but hasn’t).
06) Nemesis
R: So apparently there’s some dude going around killing S.T.A.R.S members, whatever, this is RE3 for crying out loud, what can they throw at us that we haven’t see before… oh… SHIT.
I’m not sure if his first appearance is more WTF or every time he pops by and scares the shit out of you randomly, because they are both some what drenched in WTF, I suppose him killing Brad with his tentacle hand thing was rather unpleasant, not to mention his somewhat unpleasant appearance, all that leather? Sheesh.
I’m not really a fan of him once he mutates beyond his awesome first few forms but he is a great character, one that if he was ever to make some kind of comeback would see the simultaneous joygasms of millions of RE fan boys across the world.
H: While Mr X was a fun upgrade from the Tyrant in the original Resident Evil, Resident Evil 2’s sequel doesn’t just introduce a new enemy; he is, at his core, a game changing monstrosity that could quite easily, be the horrible, horrible face of the franchise.
The key difference between Resident Evil 2 and 3 is the inclusion of Nemesis. A seemingly unstoppable killing machine, complete with trenchcoat and rocket launcher, Nemesis is driven by one single objective; the elimination of S.T.A.R.S.
Like Birkin, you fight Nemesis numerous times in Resident Evil 3, each more difficult than the last. With each defeat; the creature comes back, often out of no where. Unlike Birkin however, who at his first appearance was driven by an almost animalistic drive; Nemesis continues his mission with a degree of intelligence.
It’s only at the end, after taking a bath in toxic waste and devouring a dead tyrant does Nemesis survival instinct override him and transforms him into another giant monster. But for the majority of 3, he’s not only the most unique entity, but literally the scariest thing in the game, something that all Resident Evil games after it, have yet to emulate with a single character.
05) Wesker Returns
R:With dialogue like that how can that moment not be WTF? So yeah, the big bad from RE1 is back, we all thought the Tyrant had straight up killed his ass but no, he had injected himself with a new virus beforehand and he is now SUPER WESKER! with glowing red eyes to boot.
Obviously now we know that but after playing through 2 and 3 with no hint of Wesker it was a big moment to see him come back from the dead, games would follow that filled in the gap around his resurrection but it was a great moment to play through and had many people going “huhhhh”.
H: If one thing could summarise just how crazy Resident Evil’s plot is; it’s the return of the first game’s main villain. Prior to Code:Veronica, the status of Wesker was pushing up daisies, having been killed by a Tyrant at the end of the first game. Sure, the tin foil hat brigade swore blind that Nemesis/Mr. X was him because...because, but they were crazy! Wesker not only died, he died on screen. In fact, in the original game, a Chimera also felt the need to munch on his corpse to cement the fact if you dared go back to the murder scene.
Well, the mad geniuses at Capcom decided to bring Wesker back for Xenu knows what reason. Not only did the guy return as the aristocratic badass of the original Resident Evil; but Wesker was sporting super human abilities, becoming the series new staple bad guy.
With all the events of Code: Veronica, Wesker’s return is by far the most shocking, but equally, one of the best moments, despite it’s implausibility.
04) Opening sequence to Resi 1
R: So we’ve entered the mansion, just been chased by blood thirsty dogs and we are now splitting up to check out the place, that Lovely guy Albert Wesker has sent you off and you hear a squelching sound, hmm ok lets go see what it is… WAH DA FUCCK!
The introduction to the T-Virus zombie is awesome, and pretty much all down to his eyes, because when I played RE1 it shit me up, hell even REmake did too and I was expecting it, especially the first time you hear the groan, the same groan that will announce any zombie you are in the same room as, both handy and terrifying at the same time.
It’s the first WTF moment in the whole franchise, maybe not the best but its place in this top 10 is solid.
H: Entirely fueled by nostalgia, ultimately a lightweight in the grand evolution of the franchise, but the opening sequence to the original title is a truly memorable series of events that lays the foundations for the game.
Although the original live-action opening sequence is notoriously cheesy and poorly filmed, the Gamecube remake is flat-out horrifying with excellent visuals, a low key but impressive score that plays equally intriguing but mainly tragic to poor Joseph’s horrible end and above all else, an atmosphere so thick, you can almost feel the cold October night and the adrenaline from the chase from the pack of Cerebus into the huge, bleak mansion.
Although later down the line, you’ll encounter things far more horrible than a lone zombie and a pack of undead pooches; the opening sequence of Resident Evil is a memorable and well crafted series of events, once that nearly twenty years later, is etched in lore as one of the most memorable events in one of gaming’s biggest franchises.
03) The First Village RE4
R:Ah the First Village in RE4, they just keep fucking coming?! Your only 5 mins into the game and you come across a lovely little village, ok just a few seconds before you saw the villagers burning one of the coppers but they may have had a decent explanation for it and the dude you just shot up in the first house might not be representative of the rest of them right?... right?!
So you get down there and the music changes, always a sign in RE4 that shits about to go down, your surrounded by enemies that not only run but also have weapons that they throw at you, oh and the fuckers can climb ladders too.
RE4 was a massive step for the franchise in going more action and upping the ante with the villains, but couldn’t they have broken us in a bit more gently instead of giving us a heart attack 5 minutes into the game?!
Worst bit for me was when they climb up through windows when you think yours safe, putting ladders back up etc… screw that I miss my slow mo zombies!
H: Resident Evil 4 was a make or break moment for the series. For those used to fixed camera angles, idiotic enemies and claustrophobic environments, the opening segments of Resident Evil 4, where Leon investigates a village and everyone within a three mile radius tries to kill him, is a triumph.
What makes the moment so unusual is that the village showcases the game’s modus operandi in ten minutes. Your control of Leon is miles better than the games preceding it, the enemies, the appropriately titled Ganado come from all angles with a pack mentality and weapons. They naturally try to dodge gunfire, they carry melee objects to attack. Individually weak, but in a mob, they prove to be more dangerous than the zombies before it.
Just when all hope seems lost, a bell signals for everyone to clear off. The mystery is set in motion and, as the fools we are, we press on, rather than get the National Guard to blitz the entire area.
Although there are far, far more grotesque entries on this list (including from Resident Evil 4), the opening village is a truly great moment where the element of surprise and terror is in full motion.
02) William Birkin
R:My favourite Birkin moment is during the RE2 B scenario (I think) when you come across Birkin's first G-Form and he quickly mutates and grabs the metal bar, that’s a great moment and my favourite of the Birkin G forms. Of course he quickly degrades further and further into his various G forms, it’s all pretty awesome and even with the (now) old school graphics it’s pretty horrible.
The story of RE2 is fantastic and introducing Birkin as the villain is great, he doesn’t disappoint and the encounters you have with him are always fun.
One of the main reasons I yearn for a RE2 remake is so we can see G-Virus Birkin in HD and in his full gory glory, we probably won’t ever see that but maybe one day.
H: Whilst Resident Evil 2 upped the ante by going from a single mansion to large portion of a city, the natural call for more horrifying creatures was answered by one man, who believed in his ultimate creation so much, he decided to become it.
William Birkin is, in short, one of the series trend setters. After taking a dose of his G-Virus, he spends most of his time representing something that wandered off the set of The Thing but should have been part of the Aliens franchise. If beaten, he comes back, stronger and far less human then before, to the point where part of the fun in the game is not only trying to beat him, but wondering how on earth can things get worse (and trust me, they do).
To add to his nastiness, he impregnates several people with his embryos (including, and no jokes here, his ten year old daughter), giving birth to G-Types; unstable, feral, skinless monsters that make the zombies look far less dangerous than before. By the end, Birkin becomes a large, gelatinous, tentacle blob monster that’s only vaguely human quality; is his insatiable desire to kill Leon and Claire.
In a choice between Mr X and Birkin; the latter wins by a considerable margin. Not only was Mr X done better by the next game in the series, but Birkin set a foundation in the series; someone will take something they shouldn’t and gosh darnit, it’s going to look disgusting afterwards.
01) Regenerators/Iron Maidens
R:And now we come to my favourite WTF moment in the RE franchise so far, perhaps an odd choice but when it comes down to atmosphere and also the amount of squirming and yelling at my television these bastards gave me, they deserve high billing!
I suppose it’s similar to the El Gigante really, you are in the autopsy rooms, dried blood and evidence of awful experiments everywhere, and “Regenerators” mentioned in diaries, odd things hanging from the wall and you find yourself in a quest to find a new scope for the rifle.
Then you get it and to celebrate getting this cool new feature you see a cut scene of some absolute weirdo looking thing falling from the ceiling and walking slowly towards you, now if you paid attention to the diaries you knew to use the new scope and take the plagas out before blowing this motherfucker to smithereens, if you didn’t then well your wasting a lot of ammo and getting pretty anxious whilst this thing stalks you!
The music is perfect, somewhat similar to the T-1000’s theme in Terminator 2, its cold and metallic and it’s coming for you, these things scare the shit out of me and I hated every second of being in a room with one, which makes them perfect Resident Evil characters.
The Iron Maidens are all the same but with a more dangerous attack set and well a pretty scary looking spike thing going on, especially when they get hold of you and you see the cool scene where they utilise those spikes… bastards.
H: So, you’ve cleared Disc One of Resident Evil 4, you’ve killed Salazar, you’re on the military island and minus the Ganado with guns, this should be a breeze right? I mean, what else could there possibly be that could strike fear in the hearts of you, brave player?
I’ll tell you what, this thing. This damn…thing! I mean, look at it!
A tall, grey, humanoid creature with breathing problems, a big mouth and the handy ability to literally regenerate itself. If you blow its legs off; it’ll flop like a fish to get you. If you take out its midsection, it’ll quickly grow that too. Hell, take its head off and it’ll grow a new one, just so it can gnaw at you.
The Regenerators are one of those enemies where in retrospect; you love them for being a creative, unusual and memorable creature that offers new gameplay elements and a fresh retake of the old guard. On the downside, the creature is utterly terrifying, with a dreading theme tune, a lumbering, unstoppable pace like the zombies of old and just when you think you’ve got them beat, they come back with fresh new spikes and a new name; the appropriate moniker Iron Maiden.
In a game with lake monsters, giants, head erupting parasites and giant tentacle monsters, it’s amazing how something so simple can be so effective. Not only are they one of the games best new enemies, but also one of the entities that encompasses all that is so good about Resident Evil; in one shambling, scary looking form.
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