Darkside Chronicles Character Discussion.

[Mr_Zombie]

I must say though, it does frustrate me how it seems the CVX part of this game has been given no thought whatsoever. RE2 is fine. CVX, everyone's motives have changed. Everything's changed.

That's not fully true. It was already stated in this thread that they have changed Annette's and Sherry's characters in RE2 scenario completely as well.

Also, where does that 1982 year comes from?
Alexia injected the virus into herself not too long after she experimented on her father (which took place on 3rd March). Because her 15 years of slumber ended on December 1998 that would meant that the injection took place in the year 1983. So Alexander was still alive in January/February 1983.

[Vector]

WHAT!!!!!?????

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0cv8eslOs8

Is it just me or does Krauser look really...plain...without his scar?

[Det. Beauregard]

That's how I think of Alexia though. I judge her character through her writings, not the stupid, seconds long appearances in the game. Only her first transformation and her awakening are the cutscenes worth noting, and they're only two in the entire game. Her writings tell a completely different story though and that's what I like most, it's a shame we didn't get to see more.

If you take away the stupid cutscenes, I'd put a safe bet on that other than Alfred, Alexia was the most psychotic, crazed villain in the entire series. She exalted herself above the world. She wanted the entire world to be infected, she had her plans set in motion almost a decade before Wesker decided to do near enough exactly the same thing. She was delusional, psychotic and she had little to no capability to care about anyone or anything other than herself. On top of that, she was genius. So intelligent to the point where it is physically impossible to be more intelligent than her as she was genetically altered to maximise human potential for intelligence; making her incredibly dangerous. Also, as a mutant (I don't want to say B.O.W because her and Wesker weren't B.O.Ws, they were simply results of a virus-induced mutation) she is arguably the most superior in the series. She has a decent level of strength. Depending on which version is canon, she can either send Wesker flying into a door and stumble in awe of her power, or knock him into the air with a flick of the wrist, and dominate him in a fight. Most importantly, she retains her mind. She was infected when she came out of her tube but she was still able to stay in her human state, talk, and think. She could transform at will as well. It was never stated if she could turn back or not, although it's hinted at, given she transforms all the way back in GS2: CV, and at the final battle in CV, when she first arrives on the platform, she is in a semi state of transformation. Her skin is grey, but other than that, there are no visible mutations on her body whatsoever and she has to be given a minute to get back into her first form, in which time Chris and Claire prepare the Linear Launcher. If only she didn't have to, she'd still be alive and we'd all be her little ant slaves. =(

She had as much of a sadistic mind as Alfred, if not worse. It was her idea to inject a lethal virus into her own father. Given what we've seen what Alfred's capable of in his torture chamber, I dread to think what Alexia would do if she had her own torture chamber. We've seen what she does to dragonflies and how she has absolutely no respect for human life whatsoever. Pulling prisoner's limbs off one by one, perhaps?

Now that's what I like... an in-depth character analysis! I do agree that she was the most psychotic villain in the series, although it was difficult to narrow it down to her due to all the other choice candidates.

James Marcus was obviously crazy before he died, but his ridiculous lines about "having revenge on Umbrella [for murdering him] while the world burns in an inferno of hate" were just over-the-top cheesy.

Had we known more about the brilliant William Birkin, it might have been clear that he was the least insane of the major villains; he was the only one who even attempted to have a family, which I believe he truly did care about (although not as much as his precious G... "no one will take my creation from me!") Stupid HUNK.

I guess Nicholai could be considered the main villain of RE3 (not counting Nemesis here obviously). And while he was certainly a psychopath, he came off as just a dumb grunt; he obviously was no genius. Still, much of the character in my mind is straight out of Perry's Nemesis book, which isn't canon. So I guess there's no way to tell. Does anyone even know if he's dead or not?

When I think of RE4's villains, I generally don't even relate them to the main series storyline. However, I will mention Saddler, as RE4 was the birth of the whole stupid plagas thing. He was a generic religious cult leader villain who couldn't even dream of comparing to other series favorites. I enjoyed his line about cliches at the end of the game; ironic of course considering RE4's overall plot. Also, as much as I disliked him, Krauser was easily the most important villain of the game due to his past with Leon and the fact that he kidnapped Ashley. He was crazy, but until DSC comes out, no one really knows why. Besides, he's just another dumb grunt like Nicholai, but way less interesting.

RE5's villains (excluding Wesker) were also generic and boring, and clearly didn't have much going on upstairs. Irving was just some dumbass arms dealer who somehow thought sticking a plaga in his neck would make him the greatest thing since sliced bread. Excella (and her unnecessarily large chest, Stegosaur-sized brain, and lame accent) was largely unneeded, apart from the hilariously-attempted love interest for Wesker. These two were easily more comical than frightening.

Sergei (from Umbrella Chronicles) was clearly psychotic, but his character wasn't developed enough to know how nuts he really was. Besides, we already had a stereotypical evil Russian complete with funny accent in another game ("Ah! Anozer muhtant!"), so Sergei has always felt to me like milking the hilarious Eastern European cow. However, it was interesting to discover that all previous tyrants were based off of his form, so you have to wonder what lengths he went to (at his own expense) to see the plan to fruition. There's also that interesting file in the game, Wesker's Notes on Differential Mutations, which provides some more crucial insight into Sergei's motivations.

Finally - the man, the legend, the psychotic bio-engineer, the virus-infused sociopath himself - Albert Wesker. The counterpoint to William Birkin, "practical Al" was obviously a madman. And, until RE5, a smart one too. The key similarity between Wesker and Alexia was the amount of patience they each had. Alexia froze herself in a tube for fifteen years so that the virus inside her could make her the ultimate indestructible force; that, my friends, is patience. Wesker had patience, too, pulling the strings of his puppets from behind the scenes while occasionally, if need arose, going out and getting the job done himself. And while his master plan didn't seem as grand as Alexia's (most likely due to the overall suckiness of RE5), the goal was the same - control the world. Only mad men (or women) would make this their goal. It's too bad they're gone, because they would have made great partners - which one would backstab the other one first?!

[GuardhouseMusic]

Had we known more about the brilliant William Birkin, it might have been clear that he was the least insane of the major villains; he was the only one who even attempted to have a family, which I believe he truly did care about (although not as much as his precious G... "no one will take my creation from me!") Stupid HUNK.

Finally - the man, the legend, the psychotic bio-engineer, the virus-infused sociopath himself - Albert Wesker. The counterpoint to William Birkin, "practical Al" was obviously a madman. And, until RE5, a smart one too. The key similarity between Wesker and Alexia was the amount of patience they each had. Alexia froze herself in a tube for fifteen years so that the virus inside her could make her the ultimate indestructible force; that, my friends, is patience. Wesker had patience, too, pulling the strings of his puppets from behind the scenes while occasionally, if need arose, going out and getting the job done himself. And while his master plan didn't seem as grand as Alexia's (most likely due to the overall suckiness of RE5), the goal was the same - control the world. Only mad men (or women) would make this their goal. It's too bad they're gone, because they would have made great partners - which one would backstab the other one first?!

Oooh, this'll be fun, because I disagree with these two accounts.

Birkin IMO is one of the most self-serving, depraved, weak-minded and uncaring antagonists in the whole of the series (I think he's quite a few notches below Vincent Goldman though *brrrrr*). He does a great job of hiding it with his seemingly meek demeanor. The only SHRED of innocence we see in him is the family picture that Sherry holds (however, I will honor the idea that he has an ALRIGHT relationship with her because Sherry genuinely wants to find him...I think I'm the only one that digs what they're doing to her in DSC). He left his wife a raving lunatic, and his daughter in mortal danger. I'm not even talking about him inadvertently spilling the T-virus, but consider his actions. Did he think about his wife and daughter when he pointed a gun at the heavily armed USS? How about when his wife was grief-stricken in front of his dying body, did he comfort her? NO, he waited until she left to get revenge in a combination of pure impulse and delusions of grandeur ("sheer perfection"). Both human and mutated, Birkin only treats his daughter as the safe-keeper/next in line for the G-Virus. Even Curtis Miller retains some decent semblance of humanity. I would go so far as to assume his wife and daughter were convenient for his/Umbrella's cover. Plus, his drive to create the perfect BOW was spurred in a large part by jealousy towards a highly precocious 10-year old girl (guess who?)...read the file on Wesker's body in REmake.

On the subject of Wesker, I never saw him as a madman before his resurrection/RE5. Even in CVX and beyond he knew when to back down and keep a low profile. What was so impressive about Wesker was that he wasn't Spencer (not a power hog, wondered why Spencer wanted to research a virus in a place where infection's a shoe-in), he wasn't Birkin– he even said that when he met Birkin he gave up his scientific aspirations, dude knows when he's beat–, he wasn't crazy Marcus, or Vincent Goldman (who was the quintessential madman). My point being, Wesker was intelligent and he was in near-perfect control up until RE5. No glory, no weird experiments, no Godhood, just success and advancement.

[Mr_Zombie]

Birkin only treats his daughter as the safe-keeper/next in line for the G-Virus.

I know that it was never stated in the game, but I always thought that it was Annette who put the virus in Sherry's pendent, not William.

Irving was just some dumbass arms dealer who somehow thought sticking a plaga in his neck would make him the greatest thing since sliced bread.

I disagree with you here. Yes, Irving was just an arms dealer (and, btw, that's one of things I like about RE5 - it actually uses the theme of BOWs black market; it's a shame that later on it changes into "I wanna be a god" theme with Wesker :/), but he wasn't dumb. He knew (or at least thought he knew) what he was doing all the time - Kijuju and the whole ambush on BSAA were planned from the beginning. It's just that both Sheva and Chris just kept surviving and going after him, forcing him to constantly running away; but he still thought that he's in control, that he has an ace upon his sleeve.
However, in the end, when all the other options failed and Irving wanted to escape with money, he was captured and forced by Birdlady to inject himself with the virus and finally get rid of Chris and Sheva. On the ship he knew that it's the end for him whether he kills both agents or not and that's why he acted the way he acted.

He wasn't the greatest character ever, but he wasn't bad as well. He's not there among RE craziest villains that kills people for no real purpose or just want to rule the world, he's just an arms dealer that wanted to do his job (sell BOW) but failed due to agents that didn't want to die.

[REmaster]

All I know is that if it's true that Wesker is only limited to a flashback, I'm going to be pissed...I mean I'm very excited to play the RE2 scenario and even the South America scenario even though it might be full of fail (Talos anyone?) but other than playing as Chris (which also might not happen), seeing all the cool scenes of Wesker beating ass was pretty much the only reason I played CV. Guess we'll just have to see.

[Alexia_Ashford]

That's not fully true. It was already stated in this thread that they have changed Annette's and Sherry's characters in RE2 scenario completely as well.

Also, where does that 1982 year comes from?
Alexia injected the virus into herself not too long after she experimented on her father (which took place on 3rd March). Because her 15 years of slumber ended on December 1998 that would meant that the injection took place in the year 1983. So Alexander was still alive in January/February 1983.

1982 comes from Code Veronica, the "History of Resident Evil" files in Resident Evil 5, and also the Resident Evil 5 Japanese booklet News Bot translated which dates his death as March 1982. Alexander has n.e.v.e.r been alive in 1983. Period.

1982

Alexia injects her father, Alexander, with the T-Veronica virus, but the experiment ends in failure.

1983

(December)
Wesker researches secondary exposure to the T-Virus. He begins to have reservations about Spencer’s plans.

Alexia injects herself with the T-Veronica virus and enters a fifteen-year cyrogenc sleep. To maintain the secrecy of this plan, it is reported that she died of accidental exposure to the virus.

[Mr_Zombie]

I don't remember 1982 (or even 1983) being mentioned in Code: Veronica at all (even Marco Cavagna in his RE Chronology used 1983 as the year of Alexander's "death" and he was very precise with dates) but you are right about RE5; I completely forgot about RE5 timeline.
So it seems that someone at Capcom fucked things up either with RE5 or with DSC.

[Guest]

1982 comes from Code Veronica, the "History of Resident Evil" files in Resident Evil 5, and also the Resident Evil 5 Japanese booklet News Bot translated which dates his death as March 1982. Alexander has n.e.v.e.r been alive in 1983. Period.

It also appears that you mention in the Resident Evil Archives book, pag 278.

It's a big mistake by Capcom...

[DarkMemories]

1982 comes from Code Veronica, the "History of Resident Evil" files in Resident Evil 5, and also the Resident Evil 5 Japanese booklet News Bot translated which dates his death as March 1982. Alexander has n.e.v.e.r been alive in 1983. Period.

No, it [Code Veronica] doesn't. I'm fairly certain it only gives the month and day of his death, March 3rd. 1983 +15=1998, unlike 1982 + 15 which would be 1997, totally incorrect for Alexia's reemergence.

Still doesn't explain why he's alive December 25, 1983 as suggested in the trailer, but still.

Not to mention that RE5 basically ripped most of its information from the Archives, which have proven to be unreliable in the past. Just saying.

[valentinesdead?]

No, it [Code Veronica] doesn't. I'm fairly certain it only gives the month and day of his death, March 3rd. 1983 +15=1998, unlike 1982 + 15 which would be 1997, totally incorrect for Alexia's reemergence.

Still doesn't explain why he's alive December 25, 1983 as suggested in the trailer, but still.

Not to mention that RE5 basically ripped most of its information from the Archives, which have proven to be unreliable in the past. Just saying.

Lol, of all the dates they could have picked out of the year, they picked Christmas for that video?

Hey look Alexander, Alexia and Alfred have a present for you. . .

[Alexia_Ashford]

It doesn't make it wrong, because Alexia tested Alexander before she went into her cryochamber. He was her first test subject and it was a failure, so she needed to carry out further investigation on the virus before she injected herself with it. She wouldn't have injected herself directly after seeing what happened to Alexander. She needed time to prepare herself first.

Also, saying RE5 ripped most of its information from Archives. Eh? What do you have to back this up? Even if it did, Archives or not, the exact year of his death is dated in a canon game. End of. Besides the fact someone from Capcom told me something completely different about where they get their info.

[DarkMemories]

I highly doubt Alfred's diary skipped a year between his March 3rd and April 22nd entries, which is where the information is given.

And RE5 did rip most of its information from the Archives; the majority of those entries in the History of Resident Evil file are word for word from the Archives timeline. All the RE5 team did was add data for UC and 4 and maybe a minor edit or two.

The point is that the Archives were inconsistent; especially when it came to the English translation.

But if someone from Capcom told you, it must be right. I mean, they've never been wrong/misinformed, have they?

Oh wait, there was Chris Kramer and his infamous Barry hypothesis...

[Alexia_Ashford]

I highly doubt Alfred's diary skipped a year between his March 3rd and April 22nd entries, which is where the information is given.

And RE5 did rip most of its information from the Archives; the majority of those entries in the History of Resident Evil file are word for word from the Archives timeline. All the RE5 team did was add data for UC and 4 and maybe a minor edit or two.

The point is that the Archives were inconsistent; especially when it came to the English translation.

But if someone from Capcom told you, it must be right. I mean, they've never been wrong/misinformed, have they?

Oh wait, there was Chris Kramer and his infamous Barry hypothesis...

Why? What have you got to base your hypothesis from that you highly doubt they'd be a year apart? Your argument has no basis whatsoever. You're forming it on your own opinion, when it's already been disproven by exact dates in a file in a canon game. How can you deny that? You have no proof of where they got their information from, it is again, your own opinion. Start showing me some facts first.

[DarkMemories]

Why would Alfred's diary, which gives the March 3rd date of Alexander's transformation, skip a year ahead for the very next entry of April 22nd, where Alfred describes Alexia telling him that she will undergo a fifteen year cryogenic sleep? Or are you saying that Alexia waited a year after Alfred's entry to do so?

Alfred's diary (the relevant portion is italicized):

January 30th
There's a sealed room in the
hallway located inside of the
Antarctic facility. I don't
know what is hidden there, but
I do know how to get in.
I can use the three jewels that
each one of our three family
members wear as proof of being
a legitimate descendant of the
Ashford family. The only problem
is, I do not know how I can gain
possession of my father's proof.

February 17th
I finally succeeded in entering
that sealed room. I never could
have imagined that such an insane
secret existed regarding the birth
of both Alexia and myself...
I hate my father. That fool,
Alexander... Now it is obvious
that we were merely created in
an attempt to cover my father's
blunder. I can never trust him
again. I must regain the glory
of the Ashford family with my
sister.
I have nothing to be afraid of,
as long as Alexia is with me.

March 3rd
Alexia carried out the experiment
on the human body that we've
been talking about. Our useless
father must be happy now, since
he can finally contribute to
the Ashford family.
The only thing we should be
careful about is that the
butler, Harman, does not
become wise to our activities.

April 22nd
The experiment resulted in failure.
Our father was useless after all.
Even worse, he turned into a
dangerous monster that is
competely out of control.
We tied him down and locked him
up in an underground prison cell.
However, Alexia seems to be close
to a solution. Beyond all my
expectations, she now says that
she wishes to conduct the
experiment on her own body.
On top of that, she feels she
must be kept asleep for 15 years
in order to accomplish the
experiment. Thanks to that idiot,
I can't see my dear Alexia for as
long as 15 years.
Alexia is going to sleep, with all
of her trust relying upon me.
Now, I am the only one who can
protect Alexia.

Again, no year is given. However, it is a more logical to assume that's it been 15 years rather than the 16 it would take if we go by RE5's (taken, again, directly from Archive's timeline) information.

I'd much rather believe logical assumptions about CVX based on CVX information than rely on RE5's timeline that borrows mostly from the often inept Archives book.

If you can provide an alternative to my proof not from RE5 or the Archives that shows the year as 1982 rather than 83, I'd be glad to hear it.