(no subject)
Since the news about Revelations has been mostly about brand new characters, I decided I wanted to talk about it. (More like rant, as it were.)
This ended up being really long, and as I am a Capcom Unity member, I am debating on posting it on my blog there as well. We'll see. I figure I'd start here since I haven't updated in a while.
There are times I've wondered to myself "What happened to Resident Evil?" Maybe it's the fact that the games themselves have changed from the survival horrors we know and love to a more action style game play to bring in a wider audience. I won't deny that this is a good marketing move, especially with the new Resident Evil Operation: Raccoon City game expected to come out first quarter of next year. However with Resident Evil Revelations bringing back the feeling of survival horror, I can't help but wonder where Capcom is going with the new characters they are introducing.
Over the years there have been so many characters that have come and gone in the Biohazard games that I can't even keep track of them without some help. With the introduction of new characters I have to wonder: what about some of the characters from previous games who haven't gotten as much screen time as say Chris, or Jill, or even Leon? Leon has been saturating the Resident Evil name since his solo debut in Resident Evil 4 that he has now officially been in three games, two moves, and mentioned in two games he does not appear in. Chris has starred in three games himself, going on four now and the same for Jill. As much as I love Claire, even she has been in two games and a movie (and finally a debut in the Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D game). But what about the side characters introduce through the games like Sherry Birkin, Steve Burnside, Barry Burton, or Billy Cohen? There are so many characters for Capcom to choose from, it feels like they're just sitting on the wayside.
It strikes me as almost odd that they've set themselves up for so much potential with these characters just to fall flat. For example: Steve Burnside was infected with the t-Veronica virus and dies in Claire's arms after telling her he loves her. Shortly after this scene, we run into Albert Wesker who tells Claire and her brother Chris that Steve has the potential to be like him. Is there a possibility that Steve can come back from the dead and become a similar tyrant that Wesker is? Wesker leaves the idea very open ended, leaving the option open that Steve can return from the dead.
Let's not forget that we also have an entire cast of characters who are Raccoon City survivors thanks to Resident Evil Outbreak files 1 and 2. Yoko Suzuki worked for Dr. William Birkin and Umbrella Pharmecutical for a short time, which lead to a traumatic experiment on her that caused her to flee and block out the memories. However, the outbreak in Raccoon City has her remember and leads her to lean on Alyssa Ashcroft, a reporter from the game, and the other survivors to help her through it. Her relationship with Alyssa eventually leads to the pair exposing Umbrella's plans and the events of Raccoon City. Alyssa's reports even detail an event prior to the events of 1998 where she was attacked by Albert Lester in 1993 in a hospital in the Arklay Mountains. His daughter, Dorthy Lester, was last seen eating her co-worker and friend Kurt.
Bill Cohen is still alive as Rebecca let him go at the end of Resident Evil 0, Barry Burton is alive and well in Canada with his wife and children, the entire Outbreak cast can exist alongside of our main heros (as you can find Chris Redfield's medical records in the Raccoon City Hospital when he was admitted after the mansion incident), and let's not forget Carlos Oliveria from Resident Evil 3 who survives thanks to Jill Valentine. There are characters from Resident Evil Dead Aim and Survivor that we can look to as well as Manuela Hildago from the Resident Evil The Darkside Chronicles game.
Is it because these characters were just meant to have a supporting role? Rebecca Chambers, who had a brief cameo in Resident Evil, came back to star in her own game Resident Evil 0. Barry did show up in Resident Evil Gaiden with Leon Kennedy on the Gameboy Colour, but I'll be honest I don't know many people who have even heard of Gaiden, least of all played it. While I am looking forward to the new characters in Resident Evil Revelations, Jessica and Parker don't strike me as being characters that will reappear in later games much like characters listed above. Will we see them again? Who knows. There are rumours of Resident Evil 6 floating around with the emphasis of a reboot of the series with new characters, but what about the existing characters who are already established in the games massive franchise but have yet to really shine?
Maybe I am hopefully optimistic at some loose ends and plot holes being tied up, or the revelation of information about characters who have come and gone but still left a mark on the games as a whole. I, for one, would like to see some of these characters team up in a new way. Part of me hopes that the Outbreak characters will make an apperance in Operation: Raccoon City due to the nature of the game, but seeing as Leon is once again the main focus (despite the fact that Claire is confirmed for the game, and Jill most likely due to the time frame) I am not holding my breath. But who knows? Maybe we'll see Kevin or Cindy again, or have Sherry appear in her own game. I'm keeping an optimistic hope that the franchise itself can hold on to it's hardcore fans, while still making new experiences with their characters.
In the mean time, I've just been working quite a bit. It's been an up and down trip as I continue through life. I am stressed out, over worked, and exhausted but I am still loving every minute of life. Sure I get depressed, but recently I've come to find that it's nothing that huge to worry about right now. I'm still young and I have plenty of time to worry about the big decisions in life. I'm currently waiting for the title of my car so I can finally finish becoming a Florida resident, and I'm paying some fabulous bills but I find that I should worry less about them.
The hardest part is being so far away from my fiancee some nights. Being some nine hundred miles apart is going to be killer over the next few years but hey. It's going to be well worth it in the end. I think Comic Con spoiled me too much with being able to just sleep next to her. Hopefully with the holidays coming up we can try and work something out.
If not well... hey we've got next Comic Con or even PAX I hope.
I hope everything is going well in the mean time for you guy. Let's positive thinking, right?
This ended up being really long, and as I am a Capcom Unity member, I am debating on posting it on my blog there as well. We'll see. I figure I'd start here since I haven't updated in a while.
There are times I've wondered to myself "What happened to Resident Evil?" Maybe it's the fact that the games themselves have changed from the survival horrors we know and love to a more action style game play to bring in a wider audience. I won't deny that this is a good marketing move, especially with the new Resident Evil Operation: Raccoon City game expected to come out first quarter of next year. However with Resident Evil Revelations bringing back the feeling of survival horror, I can't help but wonder where Capcom is going with the new characters they are introducing.
Over the years there have been so many characters that have come and gone in the Biohazard games that I can't even keep track of them without some help. With the introduction of new characters I have to wonder: what about some of the characters from previous games who haven't gotten as much screen time as say Chris, or Jill, or even Leon? Leon has been saturating the Resident Evil name since his solo debut in Resident Evil 4 that he has now officially been in three games, two moves, and mentioned in two games he does not appear in. Chris has starred in three games himself, going on four now and the same for Jill. As much as I love Claire, even she has been in two games and a movie (and finally a debut in the Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D game). But what about the side characters introduce through the games like Sherry Birkin, Steve Burnside, Barry Burton, or Billy Cohen? There are so many characters for Capcom to choose from, it feels like they're just sitting on the wayside.
It strikes me as almost odd that they've set themselves up for so much potential with these characters just to fall flat. For example: Steve Burnside was infected with the t-Veronica virus and dies in Claire's arms after telling her he loves her. Shortly after this scene, we run into Albert Wesker who tells Claire and her brother Chris that Steve has the potential to be like him. Is there a possibility that Steve can come back from the dead and become a similar tyrant that Wesker is? Wesker leaves the idea very open ended, leaving the option open that Steve can return from the dead.
Let's not forget that we also have an entire cast of characters who are Raccoon City survivors thanks to Resident Evil Outbreak files 1 and 2. Yoko Suzuki worked for Dr. William Birkin and Umbrella Pharmecutical for a short time, which lead to a traumatic experiment on her that caused her to flee and block out the memories. However, the outbreak in Raccoon City has her remember and leads her to lean on Alyssa Ashcroft, a reporter from the game, and the other survivors to help her through it. Her relationship with Alyssa eventually leads to the pair exposing Umbrella's plans and the events of Raccoon City. Alyssa's reports even detail an event prior to the events of 1998 where she was attacked by Albert Lester in 1993 in a hospital in the Arklay Mountains. His daughter, Dorthy Lester, was last seen eating her co-worker and friend Kurt.
Bill Cohen is still alive as Rebecca let him go at the end of Resident Evil 0, Barry Burton is alive and well in Canada with his wife and children, the entire Outbreak cast can exist alongside of our main heros (as you can find Chris Redfield's medical records in the Raccoon City Hospital when he was admitted after the mansion incident), and let's not forget Carlos Oliveria from Resident Evil 3 who survives thanks to Jill Valentine. There are characters from Resident Evil Dead Aim and Survivor that we can look to as well as Manuela Hildago from the Resident Evil The Darkside Chronicles game.
Is it because these characters were just meant to have a supporting role? Rebecca Chambers, who had a brief cameo in Resident Evil, came back to star in her own game Resident Evil 0. Barry did show up in Resident Evil Gaiden with Leon Kennedy on the Gameboy Colour, but I'll be honest I don't know many people who have even heard of Gaiden, least of all played it. While I am looking forward to the new characters in Resident Evil Revelations, Jessica and Parker don't strike me as being characters that will reappear in later games much like characters listed above. Will we see them again? Who knows. There are rumours of Resident Evil 6 floating around with the emphasis of a reboot of the series with new characters, but what about the existing characters who are already established in the games massive franchise but have yet to really shine?
Maybe I am hopefully optimistic at some loose ends and plot holes being tied up, or the revelation of information about characters who have come and gone but still left a mark on the games as a whole. I, for one, would like to see some of these characters team up in a new way. Part of me hopes that the Outbreak characters will make an apperance in Operation: Raccoon City due to the nature of the game, but seeing as Leon is once again the main focus (despite the fact that Claire is confirmed for the game, and Jill most likely due to the time frame) I am not holding my breath. But who knows? Maybe we'll see Kevin or Cindy again, or have Sherry appear in her own game. I'm keeping an optimistic hope that the franchise itself can hold on to it's hardcore fans, while still making new experiences with their characters.
In the mean time, I've just been working quite a bit. It's been an up and down trip as I continue through life. I am stressed out, over worked, and exhausted but I am still loving every minute of life. Sure I get depressed, but recently I've come to find that it's nothing that huge to worry about right now. I'm still young and I have plenty of time to worry about the big decisions in life. I'm currently waiting for the title of my car so I can finally finish becoming a Florida resident, and I'm paying some fabulous bills but I find that I should worry less about them.
The hardest part is being so far away from my fiancee some nights. Being some nine hundred miles apart is going to be killer over the next few years but hey. It's going to be well worth it in the end. I think Comic Con spoiled me too much with being able to just sleep next to her. Hopefully with the holidays coming up we can try and work something out.
If not well... hey we've got next Comic Con or even PAX I hope.
I hope everything is going well in the mean time for you guy. Let's positive thinking, right?