Resident Evil Retrospective

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The break-out zombie vehicle this year will surely be Resident Evil 6, the first true numbered sequel since 2009's RE5. While the movies have their own plot in motion, the Resident Evil games have been moving from Mansions and Cities to Spain and Africa. The characters are lined up and the three full campaign sequences put the spotlight on Chris Redfield, Leon S. Kennedy, and a newcomer. Let's recall the events that brought us to this point.

2002 - Resident Evil 0

A prequel to the first RE game sees the STARS Bravo Team sent to the Arklay Mountains outside of Raccoon City. When the helicopter crashes, Rebecca Chambers is separated from the others and stumbles upon a zombie-infested train. Assisting her is Billy Coen, a man sentenced to death by the military.

The two discover an underground Umbrella facility where the T-Virus was bred and born. People get lost, boss fights ensue, and, shockingly, the facility's self-destruct sequence is started. When Rebecca and Billy escape, they find the Spencer estate. At the end of the game, Rebecca declares Billy "officially dead" and the go their separate paths.






1996 - Resident Evil

In 1998, Alpha team finds Bravo team's helicopter and no survivors. When dogs attack and kill one of their members, the team reaches shelter in a mansion. Wesker, Chris, Jill, and Barry are separated and explore the mansion, at first discovering a member of Bravo team quickly becoming zombie chow.

Below the mansion is… holy crap, a secret underground Umbrella facility! Monsters attack, killing Wesker after its revealed that he was a double-agent for Umbrella. When… you won't believe it… the self-destruct system is activated, the player reunites with either Chris or Jill and escapes with either Rebecca or Barry. When the group gets to the roof heliport and calls for the chopper, Tyrant attacks. The monster is defeated and the group finish their escape.


1998 - Resident Evil 2

Two months later, the citizens of Raccoon City have almost entirely been transformed by the T-Virus. Leon, a rookie cop, and Claire, a college student looking for Chris Redfield of STARS, head to the RCPD building. With the police force dead and dying and Chris leaving for Umbrella headquarters in Europe, the two split up, an entirely advisable move in a zombie outbreak. *end sarcasm*

Leon sets out to find evidence of Umbrella's foul play and Claire runs around the city for some silly reason. All of this involves the discovery of the G-Virus, a little girl with a bioweapon around her neck, and a possible cure. Leon and Claire ready the vaccine, save the little infected girl, and board a self-destructing train. Seriously.

Leon and Sherry escape with the intention of taking down Umbrella while Claire is off to continue searching for her brother. It's also suggested that Ada Wong, who double-crosses our heroes, escapes Raccoon City with the G-Virus pendant.


1999 - Resident Evil 3: Nemesis

In September 1998, STARS member Jill Vallentine tries to escape Raccoon City. On her way to the police department, former teammate Brad Vickers is killed by the monster Nemesis. After fleeing, Jill meets with the Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Service team which is quickly narrowed down to just Carlos Oliviera thanks to the violent handiwork of Nemesis and a pack of zombies.

Nemesis continues pursuit, destroys an evacuation helicopter, and nearly kills Jill. Carlos creates a vaccine, leaves Jill soon after and the two eventually meet up in… a secret Umbrella facility. How many of these things are there?

Nemesis reappears, is defeated, and Jill escapes Raccoon City with Carlos. Raccoon City is, once again, destroyed by a nuclear blast.


2005 - Resident Evil 4

Six years later, Leon Kennedy is sent to rescue the President's daughter. Wait… what?

Ashley Graham has gone missing in Europe and Leon finds her in Spain where a cult has kidnapped her. The cult has injected Ashley with Las Plagas, a mind-controlling virus. On his way to kill the cult leader, he receives chemicals to suppress the Las Plagas infection from another agent and has to face off against Jack Krauser, a fellow agent responsible for the kidnapping of Ashley. Working with Krauser is Ada Wong and cult leader Osmund Saddler. Knowing Krauser will turn on him, Saddler orders Krauser to fight Leon, knowing either's death will ultimately benefit him.

Leon wins the fight, recovers Ashley, and eradicates the virus from their bodies. Leon fights Saddler and, with Ada's help, defeats the leader. While Ada escapes with a sample of Las Plagas, Leon and Ashley escape via jetski. The Island explodes behind them (possibly by means of self-destruction).


2009 - Resident Evil 5

Five years after RE4, Chris Redfield is sent to Africa as part of the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance where he works with Sheva Alomar to arrest Ricardo Irving before he can engage the black market with a bio-organic weapon. A mysterious hooded figure aids them on their mission, and Chris and Sheva discover the source of the T and G-Viruses, the Progenitor Virus (P-Virus, huh?).

Chris and Sheva discover… an underground… secret… Umbrella facility where thousands of capsules are holding human test subjects. Among the capsules is one labeled "Jill Valentine", though there's no one inside. Wesker shows up and reveals that Jill is under his control by way of mind-control device. Chris and Sheva free Jill, and then follow Wesker in pursuit. Wesker sends a mutated monster after Chris and Sheva learn from Jill that Wesker needs persistent doses of the virus to maintain his power. When Chris and Sheva force Wesker's escape bomber plane into a volcano, they fight and force Wesker into the lava.

Wesker continues fighting and tries to take down the escape helicopter piloted by Jill. That's when Sheva and Chris just start shooting rockets at Wesker. Seriously, what's going to take this guy down?


2012 - Resident Evil 6

And that brings us to today! Are you ready for Resident Evil 6's release on October 2nd? This'll be the first time the game has launched simultaneously across Western territories 2 days before the Japanese launch.

Resident Evil 6 also introduces Dark Souls-like multiplayer and three separate single-player campaigns, all of which can engage in cooperative play like RE5.

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