TheResident Evilgames aren’t afraid to get pretty dark when they need to, but while all the games will have a few creepy and unsettling moments, some ago above and beyond to send a chill down the player’s spine thanks to their darker story and characters. This shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, since the series is rooted inthe survival horror genreafter all, but the games are still very well known for their more lighthearted and cheesy moments which help it stand out from its competition.
With that being said though, at its core,Resident Evilcovers some very serious and horrifying topics within its games, putting a particular focus on the dangers of biological experiments going horribly wrong, and the impact this can have on regular civilians. It’s very easy to imagine just how dark and disturbing a series based around this could get, but these titles listed below take it to a whole new level.
The story ofResident Evil Revelationsdoes admittedly go to some pretty outlandish places, with many of the new characters simply being used as comic relief, but the main villain was an extremely terrifying individual who added a lot of darkness to the game’s overall tone. In order to gain more power for the FBC, and for himself, Lansdale unleashed a full-scale B.O.W attack on an entire city, just in an attempt to convince people that a “natural” occurrence like this could happen at any moment, forcing everyone to dedicate themselves to his company. After the city of Terragrigia was completely overrun with Hunters, Lansdale torched the whole area and its inhabitants with a parabolic reflector, completely decimating it.
Revelationsmight catch a lot of flack for its whacky characters and ridiculous story, but the fact that the main villain decided to literally create a chaotic outbreak purely for funding and public attention is an extremely creepy and dark plan.Resident Evil Revelationsdoes a good job at hidingjust how sinister its villain really isdue to the other characters being much more goofy and jovial, but when taking a step back and looking at Lansdale’s actions, he’s a very disturbing individual with an immense amount of power and control.
Resident Evil 6is definitelystill a very divisive game, but now that the series is in a much better place than it was 10 years ago, a lot of people have started to warm up to this action-oriented title over the years. The discussions about the quality of the gameplay overshadowed just how dark and gruesome the story actually was, especially with the amount of characters who experience some pretty horrific deaths.
Helena’s sister for example, Deborah, was abducted by the evil madman known as Simmons, before being used as a bargaining chip to force Helena into helping with his bioterrorism attack on city of Tall Oaks. Despite following his orders, Simmons went back on his promise, and injected Deborah with the C-Virus, forcing her to attack Helena and eventually die. Piers on the other hand was the one who managed to get a disillusioned Chris back on his feet, but the young soldier sacrifices himself to save his idol at the end of their campaign byinfecting himself with the virus. Not everyone is fond ofResident Evil 6’sgameplay, but the story does enter some very dark territory towards the end, which at least makes it somewhat interesting.
In the first few hours ofResident Evil 7, it can be easy to seethe Baker familyas the most terrifying and merciless enemies in the entire series, but Capcom does a perfect job at humanizing them later on, which adds a lot of emotion to the story. Ethan gains a flashback near the end of the game where Jack, in a completely sane state, pleads him to stop Eveline from killing anyone else after his own family was torn apart by her wicked powers.
This is actually explored even further in theBanned Footage DLCwhere fans get to see the Bakers acting as a normal and loving family who unfortunately got swept up in a very unfortunate situation. The game also contains some extremely dark notes and files, such as in Lucas' bedroom where it is revealed that he once locked a bully in his attic to get back at him, demonstrating just how maniacal he was even before Eveline arrived.
The Racoon City Incidenthas been showcased in multipleResident Evilgames, movies, and tv shows, but by far the most eerie and impactful depiction of the horrifying outbreak comes inResident Evil 2 Remake. Just looking at the bloody walls and smashed windows of the R.P.D already creates an unsettling atmosphere, but it’s in the files where players can learn more about the terrifying events that occurred just a few hours prior.
One police officer talks about how the police department became a safe haven for all civilians trying to get away from those who were infected, before eventually revealing that the T-Virus had already made its way into the building, resulting in a bloodbath. There are also many vivid and disturbing letters that can be found in the Orphanage and Chief Irons' office which really put into picture just how twisted the Raccoon City outbreak really was.
TheResident Evilgames are known for their creepy ambient settings, but no game captures the uncomfortable feeling of being all alone quite like the very first one.The Spencer Estateis full of very dark and disturbing secrets, with perhaps none being more well-known than the tragedy of Lisa Trevor who was abducted by Birkin and his fellow scientists at a very young age to be experimented on. By the time Alpha Team run into her, Lisa is barely recognizable due to the countless mutations she’s had to endure over the years.
Many fans also argue that the first game has some of the most memorable documents and files in the entire series because of how detailed and lengthy they are, but this also meant that there were a few that gave a gruesome description of the infection and how it worked.The Keeper’s Diaryfor example, is a long and very uncomfortable read as it shows the slow and gradual transformation of an innocent man, into a bloodthirsty monster who has given into his growing temptations. This was also far before the point where the series started incorporating more action into its games, which means the firstResident Evilis also just a lot more bleak and dark in its visual style too.
Unlike a lot of the games,Resident Evil Villagebarely has any lighthearted moments or quirky one-liners since the stakes are always so high, but the game only gets darker as it goes on. WhileEthan begins the story searching for his daughter Rose, he eventually learns from the Duke that his own child has actually been split up into different body parts which he must find to bring her back, which is already disturbing enough. Another difference between the eighth entry and its predecessors is that it actually doesn’t have a happy ending, and instead, has one of the most soul-crushing finales of any horror game.
Ethan discovers that he was actually killed back during the events ofResident Evil 7, and the only thing that is letting him live a fairly normal life was the Mold infection. Unfortunately, it’s going to crumble away before he can return home with his daughter. After everything Ethan goes through, despite being a regular civilian who didn’t ask for any of this, he still meets a horrible fate which is a really dark note to end on. Capcom also weren’t afraid to kill the majority of the side characters in the most brutal ways possible, such as being ripped open by the merciless Lycans, which also does a lot to show just how dark of a place the village really is.
