The 30 Day Resident Evil Challenge - Day 27

Q: Favorite concept art from RE?

A: My favorite TYPE of concept art would definitely have to be character art.  

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Asking to pick one single image of concept art I feel is a bit of a demanding question. So I've broadened it a little bit, since much of Resident Evil's universe is eye candy. 

I own several Resident Evil art books, and enjoy flipping through them immensely to see what was going through the minds of the designers while the game was in development. Looking at all the different images for levels, enemies, weapons etc is all very exciting. But to me personally, looking at all of the great ideas that they had for how characters look is the most interesting. I feel as if it has the most diversity when it comes to design, and allows you to play a lot artistically. They usually have a lot of great (and not so great) designs. It really makes you wonder how it is that they were able to narrow it down to just ONE design and pick the final cut that goes into the game. In one instance, I can't find myself thinking of these characters in another way... but there's another side of me that thinks "what if?" This isn't just for the main campaign, but it's also interesting to see what design choices they've come up with for optional costumes for things like Mercenaries Mode.

The 30 Day Resident Evil Challenge - Day 26

Q: Leon or Chris?

A: LEON, OBVIOUSLY. 

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I love Chris for many different reasons, and I certainly think that he is one of the best male Resident Evil characters that the universe has to offer. But Chris can never get in the way of my life long crush on Leon. I'm choosing Leon subjectively based upon my personal biased and favoritism. I'm not here to argue over who's better when it comes to game appearances, story lines, skills, character, etc because they are both fantastic and those subjects are on a completely different realm! 

The 30 Day Resident Evil Challenge - Day 25

Q: What do you think is the most challenging RE game?

A: Hard question to answer, but I would say Resident Evil 0.

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I'm sure that there are a lot of other Resident Evil games that are much more cruel and unforgiving than this one. Code Veronica, for example, I've heard can be very tricky. But, I haven't played Code Veronica, so I can't give my opinion about it. 

Out of all the Resident Evil games I've played, Resident Evil 0 was the only one that I've ever played on Hard, and that's my main reason for picking this game. I did manage to finish it on Hard, but just barely. It was truly an epic challenge, and I felt like my heart was just going to fly out of my chest when I had finally killed the Queen with my very last bullet. I was also able to get 100% completion on achievements by finishing Wesker Mode and Leech Hunter Mode (I played the HD version). Not only was this difficult, but I was very proud of myself when I did finish, so it was also very gratifying. 

Some of the things that make RE 0 difficult are the partner switching between Rebecca and Billy, having to carry the Grappling Hook around for an extended period of time, limited inventory space, no item boxes, and it also features some tricky bosses (that stupid bat in the church, oh my god). The enemies are also tricky. Mimicry Marcus for example has a very long reach and can be difficult to outmaneuver in a small space. Eliminators and Cerberus enemies are quick and can relentlessly attack unless you have the foresight to know that they're around the corner ahead of time and you gain the upper hand. Lastly, of course, we are faced with Hunters that have the ability to instantly kill you if you're not careful. There are other enemies too, but these are the more frustrating encounters that I found myself dying to more often than not. 

It takes careful planning to play Resident Evil 0 effectively, and to take full advantage of both Billy and Rebecca. To maximize your inventory's potential, to memorize the array of puzzles. It's really a complex game, even with it's short length and playing on Hard is certainly a challenge! 

The 30 Day Resident Evil Challenge - Day 24

Q: Who would you most like to see as a couple?

A: Jill and Chris for life! #valenfield

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I love these two. And who couldn't? They have a long and complicated history, but regardless, they always have amazing chemistry on screen. They mutually respect and care about one another as colleagues -- and it was obvious right from their appearance in Resident Evil that they were going to have a long lasting relationship. Even though these two have been brought together countless times by tragedy, they still manage to always find each other.. no matter what the cost. In every game that they appear together, their strong bond showcases itself brilliantly.

The way that they look at one another speaks volumes, without ever having to have a single word spoken. Even though neither party has never (and probably never will) come out and said "I love you," or will admit their feelings.. it's pretty obvious to everybody else. It was simply meant to be right from the early goings. 

The 30 Day Resident Evil Challenge - Day 23

Q: What’s the highest score in Mercenaries you’ve ever gotten?

A: Since you said Mercenaries and not Raid Mode, I found my highest score from Resident Evil 6 (360).

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I never played Resident Evil 4's Mercenaries, I spent most of my time playing Mercenaries in Resident Evil 5 and 6. I'm sure that's not a terribly high score, but as you can see, I've spent a lot of time playing it! It's an absolute blast to play on your own or with a friend. I definitely prefer Mercenaries over Raid Mode. 

The 30 Day Resident Evil Challenge - Day 22

Q: Least favorite boss battle?

 A: Jack Krauser - Resident Evil 4

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I answered this question with how much I enjoyed fighting in mind, rather than critique the enemy design. It was hard to pick out of all the Resident Evil games that I've ever played. There are a few bosses who are really a doozy. If I had to list my top 5 least favorite boss battles, I think that would have been an easier question to answer.

However, I had to rank Krauser's fight as number one for the simple fact that all forms of fighting him are terrible.. on all difficulties, no matter the method used. The QTE knife fight when you first encounter him is easy to screw up, and catches you off guard if you're not paying attention. Fighting him in the main game as Leon is tough even with the knife trick. When it gets down to the wire, it turns into a timed fight... there are those stupid drones to take into account, and he loves to play cat and mouse with you. God forbid you get some decent damage in before he tosses a flash grenade and runs away. 

Fighting him as Ada isn't any less frustrating. If anything, it's more frustrating. It's a lot of running around on incredibly small platforms, hoping to EVENTUALLY hit him when he's not guarding or running at you like a maniac. You have to have your dodging down to perfection, or else you simply don't stand a chance. 

The 30 Day Resident Evil Challenge - Day 21

Q: Best line someone has said throughout the game series?

A: I can only pick one?

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One can never forget the "Jill Sandwich" and "Master of Unlocking" lines that eventually became very popular memes (and respectfully so, because damn right Barry Burton is awesome). But picking a single line that I love above all else is impossible. One of my favorites things about the franchise as a whole is the awkward yet hilarious humor that comes out during the best of times (and often unintentionally).

For the most part, I think I like Leon's "one-liner's" best, partially because I think his character was written with sarcastic and cheeky lines on purpose. Jake in Resident Evil 6 also has some very enjoyable dialogue. Here's a list of 10 ones that come to my mind (besides the obvious ones):

1. "I was almost a Claire Sandwich!" - Claire Redfield, Revelations 2

2. "I see that the President's equipped his daughter with ballistics too." - Luis Sera, Resident Evil 4

3. "Where'd everybody go? Bingo?" - Leon Kennedy, Resident Evil 4

4. "You can't have her, she-Wesker!" - Barry Burton, Revelations 2

5. "No thanks, bro." - Leon Kennedy, Resident Evil 4

6. "Jill and Barry together... in hell!" - Wesker, Resident Evil
7. "Watch out! It's a monster!" - Jill Valentine, Resident Evil
7. "It's always something with women!" - Jake Muller, Resident Evil 6
8. "You want STARS? I'll give you STARS!" - Jill Valentine, Resident Evil 3
9. "Been fantasizing about me, have you?" - Billy Coen, Resident Evil 0

And finally (for extra measure), this gem.

The 30 Day Resident Evil Challenge - Day 20

Q: Least favorite creature?

A: Infected humans

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I was willing to accept a change in direction when Resident Evil 4 was released. As much as I love when things stay the same, you never know what else might be out there if you limit your options. It was the start of the more "action based" Resident Evil games, so a more intelligent enemy to go along with it made sense in a way. This certainly turned down the spooky aspect of it all, but it did provide more options when facing these types of enemies.

The human enemies that were first introduced were a nice hybrid cross of a human and a zombie. Ganado were slow, and primitive, using basic weapons like axes, sickles, maces, pitchforks, etc. But, they were smart enough to just be a bit more of a challenge than a slow and shambling zombie. They continued that trend into Resident Evil 5, and so it didn't come as a surprise to me when you fight similar "infected villagers" (Majini) throughout most of the game (in their many forms).

It was when they started to introduce the "heavy duty" humans where I began to lose my patience. When you get to the island in Resident Evil 4 and in the later chapters of Resident Evil 5, you start to see "military style" infected who have high powered weapons and riot shields. You also see the "Gatling Gun" Majini.. who much to your annoyance, never runs out of ammo. This was a game changer for me. An ever lasting negative stain on the franchise.

It no longer becomes about survival. It's no longer about that looming threat of a primitive monster who's coming to eat you. It becomes all about mowing your enemy down before they can kill you first. You have no opportunities for knife attacks, melee, or to simply run away to conserve ammo. The only reason these enemies are threatening to the "survival" aspect of it is because they require so many bullets to kill that you'll be hurting for ammo by the time you've finally managed to kill them. This shifts it from survival horror to a military shooter, which is not what I signed up for.

I was happy with Resident Evil 6 when I saw that there was an attempt made to include a wide variety of creatures, and that there was a return of the classic zombies that we have grown to know and love. But, I felt the same problems arising with the J'avo type enemies.. who were all some strange meshing of guerrilla soldier and insect. Even though I think a very honest attempt to scale it back to the level of classical Resident Evil was made, I couldn't shake my past negative experiences with how combat against these types of enemies had become. That ship had sailed, and combat against humanoid type enemies feels tedious.

The 30 Day Resident Evil Challenge - Day 19

Q: Do you own any Resident Evil merchandise besides the games? 

A: Yes!

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But of course. I own the official guides for Resident Evil 4 and 6, the Resident Evil Revelations, Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6 art books, two posters of Leon Kennedy, and two figurines: one of Leon and one of Chris. I own most of the games in hard copy and each version of them that was released. I also have the Resident Evil novels that were written by S.D. Perry, if those count!

One day, once my collection grows.. I'd like to share pictures of everything I own!

The 30 Day Resident Evil Challenge - Day 18

Q: Least Favorite Resident Evil Game? 

A: Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City

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The game was met with an overwhelming amount of criticism and got plenty of bad reviews. I decided to keep in mind that the game wasn't well favored, but wasn't going to pass my own judgement until I had actually played it.

The worst part of is that it's not a bad game if you look at it as a stand alone, but as a Resident Evil game, yes, it's bad. As a game itself, it's a pretty mediocre shooter. However, I have a difficult time viewing it as a title that I think belongs as part of the Resident Evil franchise. It was essentially an excuse for Capcom to capitalize on the popular "third person shooter" genre of gaming with some slight Resident Evil fan service shoved in to draw in more sales.

The franchise has been drifting further and further away from the original structure that the older games had, but I really genuinely have loved most of the newer releases (5, 6, Revelations, Revelations 2, etc). I think the trick is to have a combination that works.. using material from the Resident Evil universe and combining it with newer game mechanics, if that's the direction that they want to go. Operation Raccoon City just didn't have the right combination and I really felt cheated.

Was able to complete the main campaign with a friend in less than four hours. The online is dead, and the amount of DLC is ridiculous. The amount of money they want you to pay versus how much game play and enjoyment you get from it is robbery. I can't give this one a recommendation, and that simply breaks my heart.

The 30 Day Resident Evil Challenge - Day 17

Q: Favorite boss battle?

A: Ricardo Irving

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This was a hard question to answer. But, I feel that overall, Resident Evil 5 definitely has my most favorite boss battles. They all stick out in my mind because they'e so unique.. not to mention you fight super GIGANTIC creatures.

There's something oddly satisfying about shooting the absolute shit out of a giant evil sea creature monster.. thing. Although you have high powered weapons, you're still stranded on the boat deck. He swims around you, giving a feeling of constant threat.. a sense of panic. 

When I played Resident Evil 4, I remember thinking how awesome Del Lago was, and it's still one of my favorite boss battles to date. The fight against Irving is a step up from that and is so reminiscent of that fight for me, which is probably why it's the one that pops up in my head first as my top favorite. The instant death scene where he eats you is the cherry on top of the sundae. 

The 30 Day Resident Evil Challenge - Day 16

Q: Least Favorite Female Character?


A: Jessica Sherawat

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Because I mean.. look at her. She doesn't even look like somebody you can learn to like. Aside from her outfits just being plain ridiculous.. her personality is god awful. Her nonchalant and flirtatious attitude towards pretty much everything and everyone doesn't give me any time to take her the least bit seriously.

Maybe she was meant to be comedic relief. Maybe she was specially designed to be a character that you couldn't take seriously. Or one that you weren't SUPPOSED to like. In any case, she's a poor fit that they shoehorned into an otherwise fantastic game. 

The 30 Day Resident Evil Challenge - Day 15

Q: Do you prefer the zombies or creatures infected with Las Plagas?

A: Zombies

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Zombies all the way! They remind of more classic Resident Evil. Fighting zombies makes it have a more horror feel instead of like I'm playing a shooter. 

The villagers infected with Las Plagas in Resident Evil 4 were bearable, but it got sort of ridiculous fighting infected soldier enemies in Resident Evil 5 and 6. It just took away from what I'm used to thinking of when I think of Resident Evil. If I wanted to fight soldiers, I'd play some Call of Duty. 

The 30 Day Resident Evil Challenge - Day 14

Q: Favorite male character?

A: Leon Kennedy.

Leon Kennedy.

Leon Kennedy.

Leon Kennedy.

Leon Kennedy.

Leon Scott Kennedy.
<3

The 30 Day Resident Evil Challenge - Day 13

Q: Were there any parts in the games that made you laugh? 

 A: Yes! Plenty.

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Let's make a list...

1. Everything Leon says, for starters. His one liners are classic. 
2. Mostly everything Leon does, also. Such as nearly strangling Ada to death before apologizing, his realization that nobody ever listens to him, telling Claire "it's over" before immediately following up with "it's never over!" and his beyond AWFUL driving abilities.
3. When Leon rejects Ashley at the end of Resident Evil 4. Owned. 
4. Leon's hair being absolutely fucking fabulous no matter what is going on around him. 
5. Hiding Ashley in trash cans.. where she belongs.
6. Shooting Ashley for fun when you're tired of her dumb ass. 
7. The fact that Salazar can actually take himself seriously, because LOL. 
8. Wesker taking himself seriously, because LOL. 
9. Saddler's giant tentacle penis.. thing.
10. The Resident Evil 4 merchant. He is both extremely bad ass and goofy.
11. Ada being an icy bitch and loving it. 
12. Barry's attempts at being a cool dude, but really, he's just good at bad dad jokes. Gotta love Barry.
13. Jake asking for an absurd amount of money and then being all, "Nah, I'm good." 
14. Claire's "Claire Sandwich" joke. Oh my god. The. Best.
15. When Helena actually thought she had a chance with Leon against Ada. HA. 
16. The calling out system while playing cooperatively in Resident Evil 5 and 6. Annoying the absolute shit out of your partner with it is definitely one of the best feelings ever.
17. Chris' boulder punching shenanigans. That's ridiculous. 
18. Raymond Vester and that STUPID hair. 
19. Unlocking the rocket launcher and then just playing god and blowing everything to smithereens. 

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The list goes on and I hope that never ever changes. 

The 30 Day Resident Evil Challenge - Day 12

Q: Favorite villain?

A: Carla Radames (Resident Evil 6)

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Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Simmons crossed the wrong woman and sure found out the hard way. Carla's way of getting revenge and taking out her hatred and jealousy is what made her the perfect villain. It's impressive that she managed to do more damage on a wide scale in her one appearance as a villain than Wesker ever did in his several appearances. This girl wanted destruction, and she sure got her wish.

On her path of destruction she manages to create nearly every B.O.W. seen throughout Resident Evil 6, including Ustanak and Haos. She infected nearly the entire population of China, turning them into zombies. She's responsible for Ustanak chasing Jake and Sherry, for Chris' men getting killed in Edonia, and obviously, for Ada's identity crisis. While all of this is going on, she still has time to make the C-Virus even more powerful, to fool Derek Simmons and to form Neo Umbrella. 

Carla is perfect because she wasn't destined for destruction, but then everything happening around her made her into the villain that she was. Her seemingly simple goal of destroying Derek Simmons and everything he stood for turned into something much, much more complicated. 

The 30 Day Resident Evil Challenge - Day 11

Q: What part in the games scared you the most?

Jump scares usually get me. Especially dogs jumping through windows, or Hunters all of a sudden charging me. But that's more of a game mechanic more than it is a "part" or "moment."

I can't think of anything specifically, because Resident Evil doesn't really scare me. But, it sure does keep me on the edge of my seat and creates a nice challenge that keeps me alert and aware, but also paranoid. I feel as if the Resident Evil franchise has always been good at surprising me. Capcom never fails on delivering the unexpected when I least expect it! 

The worst thing is thinking I'm safe.. and realizing I'm not. Being chased by enemies when I'm ridiculously low on ammo or health. Trying to take down a boss I think is going to be near impossible. It delivers a sense of panic that's hard to describe. 

Resident Evil is always best played late at night with the lights off to add to the atmosphere! 

The 30 Day Resident Evil Challenge - Day 10

Q: Most underrated female character?

A: Sheva Alomar (Resident Evil 5)

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I was really disappointed that Sheva never got another appearance. I thought that she was a great character. She had a very naive and somewhat sweet personality differing from the battle hardened ladies who have seen it all. There was something very endearing about her. I feel as if her and Chris really had a lot of respect for one another and worked well as a team. The interactions between them were good and they just.. clicked. She is competent, cheerful and doesn't annoy me in the slightest. 

She doesn't have a lot of backstory which is maybe why they didn't bring her back for any other appearances, but I for one would have been very happy to see her again. 

The 30 Day Resident Evil Challenge - Day 9

Q: Favorite Creatures? 

A: Lickers

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I've never really thought of it much before, since I focus more on the other aspects of the games, but I'd have to go with the Lickers. They're creepy, a very original "horror" type of enemy design for a creature and something I think of immediately when I think of Resident Evil. 

They were one of the first enemies that really truly scared me. They instill a type of panic and worry inside of me that I can't describe when I see them. 

The 30 Day Resident Evil Challenge - Day 8

Q: What was the first RE game you played? 

A: Resident Evil 4

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Resident Evil 4 for the Gamecube. <3 Unfortunately, I was born after the Playstation 1 era so I missed out on a lot of the early games. I also went with the Nintendo systems over the Sony systems so there weren't many other options!

Luckily, the game made such an impression on me that I decided to play other games in the series.. and I've now played most of them to this date.