Summary
Resident Evilhas firmly cemented itself as one of the most influential and greatest horror franchises of all time. Spawning countless sequels, spin-off games and other forms of media such as novels and movies, there are none that can deny the reach of this series.
Not merely relying on monster design to illicit fear,Resident Evilalso demonstrates mastery over sound design, atmosphere, and crafting eerie and dreadful locations the players are unfortunately forced to explore. From the zombie-torn streets of Raccoon City to the claustrophobic corridors of Spencer Mansion, there are plenty of locations throughout the franchise that are a true test of courage to set foot inside.
There are arguments to be made thatResident Evil: Revelationsreturned the franchise back to its survival horror roots after the more action-focused outings as seen inResident Evil 5andResident Evil 6. BSAA agents Jill Valentine and Parker Luciani aresent to the cruise shipthe Queen Zenobia as it is the last known location of other field agents, Chris Redfield and Jessica Sherawat.
The cruise ship itself is an eerie location, drifting lost in the ocean, leaving no place for escape. Dark corridors drip with the atmosphere, creating a feeling of isolation and claustrophobia. To make matters worse, the cruise ship is not as abandoned as originally thought, home to all manners of horrific creatures that will make players wish it was just a ghost ship.
Villagewas the continuation and conclusion of the Ethan Winters saga. InResident Evil 7,Ethan traveled to Louisiana to save his wife, and inVillage, he ventured into a remote Romanian village to rescue his daughter, who was seized by Mother Miranada as a key ingredient in a ritual to bring back her own daughter. Ethan has to faceeach of the Four Lordsto recover the dismembered Rosemary, each with their own location.
By far, the most frightening location of all was House Beneviento, home to Donna Beneviento and her doll Angie. While not the strongest, she uses hallucinations to trick her enemies, and Ethan suffers through some truly nightmarish visions. The house is terrifying enough with the cornucopia of dolls on display, but the hallucinogenic only makes each inch of the house more terrifying, especially when players see a massive monstrous baby dragging itself through the dark.
Resident Evil 3: Nemesisintroduced the terrifying titular juggernaut deadset of murdering all remaining S.T.A.R.S. members, and Jill is next on the menu. Nigh unstoppable, the players have little choice but to flee every time he appears, which unfortunately can happen at random,stalking them wherever they may be.
Jill will travel to many different locations in her bid to escape Raccoon City, and while the indoor locations may be the most remembered, one should not forget about the city streets themselves. They offer no reprieve from the horrors within, instead throwing players to the wolves, quite literally in some cases. And with Nemesis constantly hot on their heels, the streets of Raccoon City remain horrifying.
The remake ofResident Evil 2brought players back to the Raccoon City Police Department and other locations as either rookie cop Leon or concerned sister Claire. Both arrive at the police station sooner or later to see that it has fallen, just as most of the city has. There is only one other survivor, Marvin, who eventually succumbs to the bite. And the cherry on top of it all is theindestructible Mr X, who is never really far from the player.
Police stations should be places of safety for those fleeing from dangerous situations, but it may even be more dangerous than the streets. Zombies have taken over the dark, blood-stained corridors, Lickers cling to nearly every surface, and Mr X is an ever-present threat. All these combined make RPD one of the hardest locations to brave.
As if the Baker Mansion and Jack weren’t enough of a nightmare, players next have to deal with Marguerite in the Old House, a building completely separate from the main mansion where they will face their second boss fight. The bridge that leads to the house is eerily decorated with old dolls, and from there, it only gets worse.
Those afraid of insects should tread with care, as theBaker matriarchhas an infinity for all things creepy and crawly. Hives of flying insects infest every room, and several doors are covered in spiders that leap at players who draw a little too close. Even when cleaning all these horrible critters with fire, the ruined Old House remains one of the most unwelcoming locations in all ofResident Evil.
MostResident Evil 4fans would cite the castle as the best section of the game, and while they may not be wrong, it might not be as deserving of the title as the scariest location in the game when compared to the Island’s Medical Facility. The island does tend to veer more strongly into combat-focused gameplay, but the medical facility brings back terror with a vengeance.
This is the part of the game where players will firstencounter the regenerators, one of the most infamous creatures in all of horror gaming history. Unkillable without a scope, these tall and gangly creatures extend their limbs to snatch prey from afar and maneuver with uncanny, flailing movements that can make them hard to predict. There is little scarier inResident Evil 4than walking through the facility’s dark and oppressive passages, only to see one of these creatures lumbering towards Leon.
Resident Evilremake is the quintessential way to experiencethe first game in this iconic series. It recreates the atmosphere and horror of Jill and Chris’s exploration of the Spencer Mansion with enhanced graphics, maintaining the fixed camera angles to hide what may be shuffling towards them off-screen. After being besieged by monstrous dogs, the S.T.A.R.S. team flees to the safety of the mansion, only to soon discover there is little sanctuary to be found.
The Spencer Mansion is resplendent with its grandiose rooms, large scale, and opulent decor draped over every surface, but there is an undeniable eerie atmosphere hanging on every chandelier and tapestry. Perhaps it’s the awareness that it is a horror game, or more likely, Capcom just crafted a location that perfectly struck the balance of macabre beauty. Beneath all the glitter and gold is a whole menagerie of monsters awaiting the players.
