Summary
Creating a strong sense of immersion in a horror game is important to help make players feel as if they are there living the nightmare for real. As a result, theResident Evilseries has always done an admirable job at sucking players into the experience through the use of graphical quality, audio design, and many more clever techniques that come together to produce an eerily realistic experience.
While not every game in the franchise has succeeded in achieving this, it’s become clear that when Capcom wants to create an immersive horror experience, they are more than capable of doing so. When it comes toResident Evilspecifically, though, these entries do the best job at immersing the player into their scenarios.
ThoughResident Evil 2and3hadallowed players to explore Raccoon City,Code: Veronicadrops them in an entirely new environment: Rockfort Island. Because of how much backtracking is involved in the game, it means that players will become very accustomed to the island, and since it’s made up of so many different departments, such as the palace, barracks, and private residence, it feels less like a video game hub world and more like an actual locale that could exist in real life.
Another way Capcom madeCode: Veronicaimmersive was through the use of lighting and how Claire’s pocket lighter would create shadows of the people and objects around her. This may seem like a small touch, but it’s important to preface that barely any games were doing this in the early 2000s, and it added a lot to the realism ofCode: Veronica’s gameplay as a result.
The Darkside Chroniclesis a re-telling of bothResident Evil 2andCode: Veronica, alongside a campaign focusing on Leon’s mission with Krauser as part of Operation Javier. Since this game isan arcade-style FPS shooter, players are constantly in the thick of the action, with moments of safety being few and far between.
What’s more is thatDarkside Chronicles' campaigns are always upping the ante with the enemies that are thrown at the player, meaning there’s never any telling what monstrosities will appear around the next corner.Darkside Chroniclesis an offering that allows players to feel as if they were right there with the main characters during their adventures in Raccoon City and Rockfort Island, making for an underrated gem that excels when it comes to immersion.
Though the remake ofResident Evil 4is still split up into chapters, making the village, castle, and island their own open-hubs, it avoids the immersion-breaking loading screens that appeared in the original. Another way the remake improves in this area is the enemies. In the originalResident Evil 4, enemies would follow specific attack patterns and would always react in a specific way when being shot in the head, leg, or arm.
ForResident Evil 4Remakethough, the Ganado are made to be much more unpredictable, as can be seen during the chaotic village horde section where groups will try toambush Leon and block his path. Of course, the huge graphical upgrade that comes with the RE engine also makes each area and enemy of the classic survival horror gem all the more realistic this time around.
Resident Evil 0is a rather unusual game in the series that takes a few bold risks in its gameplay, the most obvious being that players now control two characters instead of one. Since players will need to be strategic aboutwhere they place Rebecca and Billy, it means that they always need to be aware of their surroundings and focused on the game at all times, since being too inconsiderate can easily get one or the other killed.
This level of immersion is only enhanced by the fact the game ditches item boxes altogether, meaning players can drop items on the floor to come back for later if they need to. Not all fans were happy with these alterations to the classic formula, but if anything, they do an excellent job at engrossing players into Rebecca and Billy’s journey by encouraging them to be more attentive to the game and the areas they explore.
TheResident Evil Remaketook what made the original so special and remodeled it with a new coat of paint to create a title that is a masterclass in immersion.Once players arrive in the Spencer Mansionand are given control of their character, all they can hear is the faint wind whistling through the windows, alongside the eerie ticking clock from one of the rooms. The lack of music makes the mansion itself feel like a creepy abandoned building that also looks astonishingly real from a visual standpoint.
Whilethe door loading screenscan seem a little outdated to some nowadays, they also go a long way in setting out an immersive atmosphere, forcing players to move around each area methodically rather than running and gunning. It also needs to be mentioned that the game features some outstanding lighting effects, with candles and lightning strikes shining up each room to add even more realism to the Spencer Mansion as an area.
When it comes to ramping up immersion in theResident Evilgames, the first person view has truly done wonders for this franchise, as perfectly demonstrated inResident Evil Village. DespiteVillageleaning heavily into its storybook-like aesthetic, the first person camera angle paired withthe lack of music and 3D audiostill manage to make each and every area Ethan visits feel like real places.
Resident Evil Villagealso dials down the HUD to avoid breaking the player’s immersion, and tutorials are virtually non-existent. To become fully engrossed in Ethan’s second horrific adventure, players should throw a pair of headphones on and turn on the HDR to experience the game in all its horrific beauty.
One way Capcom succeeded in making theResident Evil 2Remakea horrific yet also utterly immersive experience was by making the zombies scary again. These might just be the most realistic zombies ever seen in a game, slowly shuffling around the narrow corridors of the RPD and only lunging towards the player if they end up getting too close.
Pair this with an amazing use of darkness and the vivid screams and howls from the zombies as they bash through the doors, and there’s no wonder whyResident Evil 2 Remakeis considered such a scary entry in the franchise. All of this is taken to a whole new levelonce Mr. X enters the fray, where players will be able to hear his boots stomping on the ground from afar thanks to the impressive audio design, which is used to great effect here.
Resident Evil 7was a turning point for the franchise in more ways than one. Not only did it introduce a first-person view, allowing players to get up close and personal with the Baker family and their mold-infested estate, but it also marked the debut of the RE engine, which drastically improved the graphics. What results is a horrific adventure that immerses players into the experience from the moment they leave Ethan’s car and step foot into the Baker’s household.
While the impressive graphics allow players to feel as though they are right there with Ethan on his journey to rescue Mia, what also makesResident Evil 7feel so real is the amount of attention to detail featured throughout the experience. Whether it’s the small indications of decay in each of the rooms or even the sound cues that ring off every now and again to remind players that they are being followed, it all comes together to create one of the most immersive horror games ever made.
