Resident Evil: A franchise that defined the zombie genre

Resident Evil is one of the most well-known horror video game franchises today, with a history spanning nearly three decades. It comprises survival horror, third-person shooter, and first-person shooter games in which players must survive in areas infested with zombies and other terrifying monsters. This game series single-handedly brought zombie survival games into the mainstream. 

Building upon the success of video games, this franchise has expanded its domain into live-action film series, animated films, television series, comic books, novels, audio dramas, and merchandise. Furthermore, the series has got decent success in every area it entered. But when combined together, it makes Resident Evil the highest-grossing horror franchise in history. 

Capcom, the Japanese game studio, is behind the creation of this horror game series. First released in 1996, this title by Shinji Mikami and Tokuro Fujiwara became an instant fan-favorite.

Resident Evil 1 got praise for its graphics and gameplay. However, it also received criticism for its writing and voice acting. Overall, the game was successful in bringing zombie slasher video games into the mainstream industry. 

It was first released on the PlayStation and became the highest-selling PS game at that time. Resident Evil 4 brought more advancement to the series as the series shifted to a more third-person shooter style. This 2005 title achieved praise for the evolution of the survival horror and third-person genres.

Recent entries of the series and adaptations to other media

The series received mixed reviews with the follow-up titles Resident Evil 5 (2009) and Resident Evil 6 (2012). Both titles were criticized for their control scheme and execution. But to gain the trust of the audience once more, the series did a soft reboot with the following title.

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (2017) introduced an entirely new protagonist with the elements of survival horror and first-person perspective making their return. Furthermore, Resident Evil Village (2021) followed in the footsteps of the seventh installment and found success.

This video game series is Capcom's best-selling horror game series, with 142 million copies sold globally as of March 31, 2023, and has proven to be a cash cow.

The monetary success of the game is also replicated by the live-action adaptations of the series. The films have grossed over $1.2 billion and are the third-highest-grossing video game film series currently, even if it has received mostly negative reviews, primarily due to the storyline and effects put into the series.

The film series also saw a reboot with the 2021 release, Welcome to Raccoon City. The movie follows the events of Resident Evil 1 and Resident Evil 2. Furthermore, the movie director has stated he wants to adopt the story of Resident Evil – Code: Veronica and then Resident Evil 4 next. And the film’s success on video-on-demand might open the way for more titles coming after the reboot.

Release timeline of all the games in Resident Evil

Currently, there are ten main games released in the franchise. They are mentioned below in the order they were released.

• 1996’s Resident Evil
• Resident Evil 2 in 1998
• Resident Evil 3: Nemesis in 1999
• 2000’s Resident Evil - Code: Veronica
• Resident Evil Zero in 2002
• Resident Evil 4 in 2005
• 2009’s Resident Evil 5
• Resident Evil 6 in 2012
• Resident Evil 7: Biohazard in 2017
• 2021’s Resident Evil Village

The studio has also released four remakes of the earlier titles: Resident Evil (2002), Resident Evil 2 (2019), Resident Evil 3 (2020), and Resident Evil 4 (2023).

There have also been numerous spin-offs and mobile games of the series. These games in their release order are mentioned below.

• Resident Evil Survivor in 2000
• 2001’s Resident Evil Survivor 2 - Code: Veronica
• Resident Evil Gaiden in 2001
• Resident Evil: Dead Aim in 2003
• 2003’s Resident Evil Outbreak
• Resident Evil Outbreak: File #2 in 2004
• Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles in 2007
• 2009’s Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles
• Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D in 2011
• Resident Evil: Revelations in 2012
• 2012’s Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City
• Resident Evil: Revelations 2 in 2015
• Umbrella Corps in 2016
• Resident Evil: Resistance in 2020
• Resident Evil Re: Verse in 2022

All of the series titles are available on practically all major platforms. The titles have been out for all the consoles from Xbox and PlayStation along with PC and mobile games.

History of the development of the Resident Evil series

The development of the first entry in the Resident Evil series began in 1993. Capcom's team was pushing for the game to be launched under the title 'Biohazard' first. They managed to do so successfully in Japan but encountered a problem in the West. There was already a game with that name and a band with the same name was famous there too. However, the name 'Resident Evil' emerged victorious in a competition among the company's workers.Most of the storyline of the early entries revolves around the Umbrella Corporation. This evil company is responsible for secretly developing deadly viruses to make bio-organic weapons. Furthermore, they were responsible for making a lot of mutated plants and zombies like Nemesis for their gain. Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, and Leon S. Kennedy were the two main protagonists during this era.

After Resident Evil 4, the theme of the game shifted to the aftereffects of the downfall of the Umbrella Corporation. Their research was now in the black market leading to multiple bio-terrorist attacks. But Redfield and Valentine create BSAA to counteract it. Furthermore, the fifth and sixth entry of this series follows these protagonists trying to save the world from bioterrorism.With Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, Capcom introduced us to a new protagonist, Ethan Winters. He is a common civilian who becomes entangled with bioterrorism. However, he ultimately gets the upper hand with the help of Redfield and BSAA. But, in the end, he sacrifices himself to destroy a mass attempt at bioterrorism to save his family.

Use of RE Engine by Capcom

Capcom developed the RE Engine to develop the next generation of Resident Evil games. Furthermore, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard was the first game to use the engine. Since then, it has been used in a variety of the company's games, such as Devil May Cry 5, Monster Hunter Rise, and Street Fighter 6.

The new engine has granted the studio ease of access in making their Resident Evil titles more horror-heavy. Furthermore, the latest two titles of the series use a first-person perspective and stress horror and exploration rather than action. Capcom has also been remaking the earlier entries of the series using their new engine. Till now, Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3, and Resident Evil 4 have received their remakes.

Critical and commercial successes of the franchise

The early entries of this series, Resident Evil, Resident Evil 2, and Resident Evil 4, all have earned multiple Game of the Year honors. Guinness World Records has named it the best-selling survival horror series.

Resident Evil 4 remake has sold over three million copies in its initial two days of release. Furthermore, it became the fastest-selling Resident Evil game. The film series has also earned praise from the fans, making an everlasting impression on the zombie horror genre.