Summary
Backtracking, that is, running back through previous areas to acquire key items or extra loot, has become somewhat of a staple inthe survival horror genre. It was arguably the very firstResident Evilgame that kicked off this trend by encouraging players to return to parts of the Spencer Mansion they had already seen before to open up new areas and snoop out any hidden secrets, but the truth is, not everyone is a fan of backtracking.
Some players simply want to run through the game and enjoy the story and gameplay without having to worry about returning to a previous locale to grab what they need or move on to the next stage. Thankfully, there are a fewResident Evilgames that work this way with barely any backtracking included.
InResident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, players take control of a secret group of Umbrella agents who are tasked with cleaning up the streets and protecting Umbrella’s interests during the Raccoon City incident. UnlikeResident Evil 2though, where players must carefully navigate the city and be considerate about items and ammo,Operation: Raccoon Cityis more of a run-and-gun experience which is still a lot of fun, but doesn’t require all that much brainpower.
The main objective for each of the levels will be pushing throughhordes of zombiesin order to reach the next level, making it more centered around intense shootouts rather than being a slow and methodical kind of game. Considering this game also supports 4 player co-op, there’s rarely a need to backtrack for the sake of finding extra ammo, since at least 1 agent will always have some on standby.
Just as the name implies,Resident Evil The Mercenariesfor the 3DS is a game based around thefranchise’s popular extra game mode. The aim of the game here is to rack up as many kills as possible in a specified time limit, unlocking new weapons, skills, and skins along the way. As a result, the game doesn’t contain a story and is essentially just for those who want to dive in and blast a few Ganado heads off as part of a short but sweet gaming session.
It’s a much more casual experience in comparison to the mainline titles, and since each level is one big area, backtracking doesn’t even exist within theMercenaries 3D. Pair this with a lack of puzzles or key items, and while it may play very differently from other games in the series,The Mercenariesis still a blast to play, especially with a friend.
Resident Evil Revelations 2came out at a pretty weird point for the series. On the one hand, it was still incorporating elements of third-person action which had been ushered in withResident Evil 4, but this game was also clearly trying to harkan back to the survival horror titles of old, which ended up making ita pretty terrifying experience.
One thing it doesn’t replicate from those games though is backtracking, since it is an episode-based game that is mostly linear for each of its chapters. There are still some tricky puzzles that can leave players stuck in a room for a few minutes until they and their companion figure out how to progress, but running back to previous areas won’t be necessary this time around.
Resident Evil 6caught a lot of flak upon its release for leaning too much into the action genre, largely leaving behind its survival horror roots. However, while it’s nowhere near as scary as the other games, one benefit the game does have is how streamlined and simple it is to play.
There’s an abundance of ammo spread out across each area, along with stashes of herbs and medicine players can keep tucked away, ensuring they never need to retrace their steps just to be prepared for what’s to come. Even Leon’s campaign, which is designed to be the most similar to classic entries, never really forces the player to run back for something due to its linear structure, which applies to each of the campaigns.
The Darkside Chroniclesis afirst person arcade shooterthat chronicles some of the franchise’s most important stories, alongside throwing in a few new ones. Because of the gameplay structure, the player doesn’t actually have the ability to move their character, since they will be confined to aiming and holding off any enemies who get too close, similar to theHouse of the Deadgames.
It might be a drastically different way to playResident Evilfrom what most people are used to, but it’s a nice breath of fresh air that also cuts out any backtracking. As a result, this, and its companion piece, theUmbrella Chronicles, can be the ideal way for some players to enjoy the stories ofCode VeronicaandResident Evil 2, for example, if they don’t enjoy the amount of backtracking featured in those original games.
Since the originalResident Evil 3is considered one of the classic entries, it does contain a fair amount of backtracking, keeping in line with the 2 games that came before it, but the 2020 remake is a little different. Capcom made the decision withResident Evil 3 Remaketo make it a much more linear experience, closing off certain locales and removing entire areas like the clocktower to offer a short, but still enjoyable horror thrillride that has virtually no backtracking involved.
One could argue that, since Carlos must venture through the R.P.D, this could be considered a form of backtracking, but since this isn’t the same game asResident Evil 2, it feels more like revisiting an area with a new, albeit bloody, coat of paint.Resident Evil 3 Remakestill stays mostly true to its original counterpart, but those who weren’t fond of the backtracking should enjoy this iteration a lot more.
Resident Evil 5is a game that always places key items in front of the player’s current location, usually reserving them for the very end of the level before a cutscene. This way, players never need to worry about whether they missed a key or item the need to return to somewhere they’ve already been, and can instead direct their focus to surviving the swarms of Majini andB.O.Wsthey’ll come up against as they venture throughKijuju.
The only time backtracking might be required is if players accidentally miss out on the weapons which will randomly appear in attache cases, but since these are so bright and sparkly, they are very hard to miss. Additionally, collecting all the BSAA emblems may require players to return to previous areas, but this isn’t necessary for a standard playthrough.
