IGN - "The Best Resident Evil?"

[CubedSphere]

Just have to state that Archelon's massive post about RE4 "puzzles" is probably the best post I've ever read on this forum.

I never thought about it before, but you're right... the environments and fights themselves are the puzzles of RE4, with a few old school puzzles thrown in for good measure (like creating 6 deaths with the paintings and the slider puzzle).

I found navigating the hedge maze to be a bit of a puzzle the first time through as well.

Frankly, I don't miss the asinine puzzles of the 0, 1, 2, 3, and Code: Veronica. They rarely made sense to the plot or seemed logical at all and were never that hard (as Archelon wrote). They have nothing on the dynamic and interesting battles in RE4 that serve as puzzles in accordance with Archelon's argument.

The only thing I miss from the older games is the horror atmosphere, but aside from that the RE4/RE5 gameplay style is much more fun to play, imo.

[Archelon]

Not sarcasm. I'm simply pointing out the fact that what Capcom passes as puzzles nowadays are... overly, overly simple.

And my point was that the puzzles have been overly, overly simple for several games now. I don't see how RE4 and RE5 are any different. Like I said, the last puzzle that was even remotely thought provoking was maybe the water treatment plant puzzle in RE3.

[Canas Renvall]

Ah, sarcasm. Why bother with intelligent, thoughtful, mature discourse when we can simply rely on snarky comebacks to solve all of our problems?

Not sarcasm. I'm simply pointing out the fact that what Capcom passes as puzzles nowadays are... overly, overly simple.

[Henry Spencer]

I actually got into the series via RE4, so I have no qualms with this poll.

[Archelon]

The biggest "puzzle" of the RE5 demo was not running out of ammo gunning down the chainsaw majini to get the key to unlock the door.

The biggest "puzzle" of RE4 was the sliding tablets as Ashley in the castle. My first time, I got it in 2 minutes. The only reason it took so long was because I had to run back and grab the missing piece from the fireplace in the previous room.

Ah, sarcasm. Why bother with intelligent, thoughtful, mature discourse when we can simply rely on snarky comebacks to solve all of our problems?

[Canas Renvall]

The biggest "puzzle" of the RE5 demo was not running out of ammo gunning down the chainsaw majini to get the key to unlock the door.

The biggest "puzzle" of RE4 was the sliding tablets as Ashley in the castle. My first time, I got it in 2 minutes. The only reason it took so long was because I had to run back and grab the missing piece from the fireplace in the previous room.

[Archelon]

I didn't think RE4 was a good RE, mostly because it seemed hideously dumbed down. Puzzles? No. Shoot this instead. That'll make a good puzzle.

I've never personally considered puzzles an integral part of what makes a Resident Evil game a Resident Evil game, but then I'm usually alone in my beliefs of what makes a Resident Evil game a Resident Evil game. However, if you look at it from a standpoint of "dumbing down," it's been that way with the series for quite some time now. Many of the "puzzles" in the later games in the series were little more than "match this key to the corresponding lock."

In my experience, there haven't been any genuinely thought provoking puzzles since the first game, though I suppose I would give a nod to the water treatment plant puzzle from RE3. Many of the "puzzles" in later games, however, acted more as an impediment to the player's progress rather than something that really made you think. I think the puzzles in CODE: Veronica were better integrated into the gameplay as a whole than any of the other games aside from RE1, but none of them really made you think.

Then comes Resident Evil 4. It has puzzles, or at least what seem to be generally considered puzzles in the classic sense. Are any of these particularly thought provoking? No. They act more as a way of breaking up the action and pay lip service to the series' legacy, and little else. But that's really only looking at it on the surface, in my opinion.

The way I see it, Resident Evil 4 (and Resident Evil 5, as well, judging from the demo and what else we've seen of the game so far) is full of puzzles. However, they're a different kind of puzzle than what many people usually associate as being "puzzles." Take the opening village, for example. In a sense, that entire area is one big puzzle. Yes, you "solve" it by shooting stuff, but you're given several different ways of achieving this goal.

You can enter the two story house and block the doors and windows with bookcases. You can run around the back path to collect some supplies first. You can funnel them in through a door way and pick them off as they enter. Or you can just run head long into the fray guns blazing. It's a similar case with the bosses. Each boss has a weakpoint, but you have to figure out the best way to make them reveal that weakpoint, and several boss battles involve using the environment around you to your advantage.

In previous games, boss battles proved to be little more than the puzzles of the later games: an impediment to the player's progress. And while some may argue that the boss battles in RE4 required little more than just pounding away at them with your strongest armaments, it was no different with the bosses in the previous games in the series. The key difference with the bosses in RE4 was that they were more dynamic. You were given a lot more options of how to go about defeating them than you were in the previous games. Lots of people dislike QTEs, but they offered more versatility during boss fights than any of the previous games.

So, what? Does this mean that a game like Gears of War or Call of Duty has puzzles? In a sense, yes, but I think perhaps a more apropos comparison would be the new Prince of Persia to the Sands of Time trilogy. Many people were disappointed that the new PoP lacked the kinds of puzzles that were so prevalent in the SoT trilogy. However, in my estimation, the new PoP had just as many puzzles as the previous three games, but the puzzles were integrated directly into the gameplay and were not segregated off in such a way that you could say, "Okay, that was a platforming section, this is a combat section, there's a puzzle section, etc."

The "puzzles" in the game were the result of the constantly changing terrain depending on the order in which you defeated the game's bosses. When you needed to move across an area, you had to be able to figure out how you could get from point A to point B when there was far more corruption than there had been before. The world itself was one big puzzle that changed with each boss fight.

After playing Public Assembly, in particular, I think it will be much the same with RE5. You're given far more options in how you choose to deal with a situation than any game in the series before now, even RE4. So, in that sense, much like the newest PoP, the world itself is the puzzle.

Granted, if you're playing through the game a second time with all of your upgraded weapons, then it'll be much easier to just go in guns blazing without any concern for using the terrain to your advantage, but I just liken that to playing through any of the previous RE games a second time, because you'll already know the solutions to all of the puzzles.

[News Bot]

no, it just appears that way, RE1 is the highest selling RE game, it's just capcom is retarded an counts RE1 directors cut,a dn RE1, Duel Shock edition and all the after released as complete seperate games.

if you simply add them together, not including Remake, as that is seperate, RE1 still sold higher than RE2 did.

funny thing is, capcom themselves don't know this, cause in the degeneration special features someone says RE2 was the highest selling, a common misconception.

here's my proof,and here.

RE2 IS the highest selling. It sold nearly 5 million on the PS1 alone. It was ported to the Gamecube, PC and Dreamcast also. Add those up and it outs RE1.

[Daargoth]

argh my picks!!

1. Resident Evil 1
2. Resident Evil 2
3. Resident Evil 4
4. Resident Evil:CV (yeah I liked it)
5. Resident Evil 3


sorry RE0 doesn't make my top 5.....it was...ok...

[Vector]

Me say
1. 2
2. 3
3. 4
4. 1
5. C:V

Keep in mind I never played REmake.

lies. I enjoyed RE4 and I even played all the past REs before and I thought RE4 reinvented the series. Who cares if the story is cheesy.....

When it comes to story, there's a big difference between cheesy, and outright disgustingly chunky diarrhea SHIT.

[Daargoth]

Gameplay-wise, for the "new generation" of gamers, maybe. Story-wise, it's quite atrocious...no one can deny that.

lies. I enjoyed RE4 and I even played all the past REs before and I thought RE4 reinvented the series. Who cares if the story is cheesy.....the WHOLE DAMN SERIES IS FILLED WITH UBER CHEESINESS!!!!111!!12!

[REmaster]

The original Resident Evil will always be my favorite, but in terms of the best overall game in the series, as far as the story,graphics and "survival horror" vibe go, I have to pick the Remake all the way. In my opinion that game is everything resident evil is suppose to be.

[Darkmoon]

I didn't think RE4 was a good RE, mostly because it seemed hideously dumbed down. Puzzles? No. Shoot this instead. That'll make a good puzzle. Also, the only reason for these maps? Treasure. Because you certainly won't need to explore or track where you've been. And as for horror...eh. Look, this guys in a oven. Scary enough for ya?

My problem is I think they could have quite easily done both horror and action. There's no need for one or the other. For some reason Capcom chose to turn a horror series into an action one. I guess it's because Devil May Cry was popular or something. But 3.5 certainly suggests you can use the new system and still have plenty of horror elements and, you know, scares. You can have your cake and eat it.

For me, the top 5 RE's are...
RE2
REmake
RE3
Outbreak 1& 2 (they were meant to be one game anyway, damnit!)
CODE: Veronica.

The only reason the Outbreaks aren't higher up that list is the iffy NPC AI. I found playing as normal survivors in Raccoon City a real fun experience. Heck, if they'd given it halfway coherent story instead of partially unrelated scenarios it would likely have the best story from dint of realism. Not, you know, that realistic. But more so than the other games.

[Mr. Spencer]

Resident Evil 2, I have many fond memories of that game along with the original Metal Gear Solid. Both prime examples of series that were once great, now ruined by modern expectations. MGS4 killed MGS, but RE still has hope. It still has a chance!

Oh, and REmake was equally superb. Incredibly atmospheric, realistic graphics thanks to the pre-rendered backgrounds that have become iconic of the series, and overall a well polished and immersive game.

So, to summarise:

1.) Resident Evil 2
2.) Resident Evil (REmake)
3.) Resident Evil: Dead Aim - Yes, I kid you not. Grossly underrated.
4.) Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (More or less RE 2.5)
5.) Resident Evil 0 - Well, /I/ liked it.

Code Veronica was pretty weak and holds up rather poorly today. Even the earlier PSX titles hold up better, again courtesy of pre-rendered backgrounds. RE4 kind of revolutionised the games industry with the over-the-shoulder camera view and all that gubbins, but at the same time it killed what made RE so special, unfortunately things that made the original games so great - the camera angles, the narrow corridors, the tank-like controls - none of that will fly in this day and age, with the standards that have been set. Kids won't play games like that, those kind of games won't sell or appeal to the mass market.

Sure, you or I might enjoy them but it's a whole different generation today. A generation which RE4 has helped to perpetuate. It's happened now, there's nothing we can do about it. Games must evolve, and if they don't evolve, they die. Simple as that.

[Yzak]

It's not surprising. I actually hold the opinion that RE4 was the weakest of the games (sadly, on the subject of assuming, I hate being lumped into the group of flamers who hop around forums hating on everybody who loves RE4 most just because I agree with the general opinions they hold about it and Leon), I still really loved RE4. And as someone who has those opinions it makes me that it's so popular and many who got it there haven't played the other games, but there's a line between that undeniable feeling and being an open nutgobbler about it to everybody. Rakkoon made a good point.

My favorite RE games are really hard to rank. ):

1) RE3
2) ... possibly RE0 and RE:CV
3) I CANNOT RANK THE REST. I love them all so much. So they all go here. Including what I am expecting of RE5.
4) RE4
5) Gaiden lol. Even though it's not canon.