On the other end, Nintendo is making a Splatoon 2 after the huge success Splatoon 1 was, which I'm happy about.
So yay for new creative IPs I guess?
I mean Nioh and RE 7 were released recently to critical acclaim, and neither are necessarily cookie cutter molds I'd say so it's not all doom and gloom.
Oh boy don't even get me started on resident evil. *This is actually me ironically getting started on resident evil*
Who can forget the first two resident evils? Survival horror to its core, stimulating and pulse pounding in all the right ways. Specifically resident evil 2, I have such fond memories. A formula I wasn't going to get to taste until resident evil outbreak for the playstation 2.
Resident evil 3 is the one most people forget about, but it was okay on its own merit, but lets save these great ones for a side discussion because there's so much to talk about.
Then resident evil 4 rolled around, oh god why does everyone and their dog think this game is gods gift to mankind? This game got so much critical and consumer acclaim that their assholes are still quivering, ready for another plowing by this games inevitable 20'th port.
And don't get me wrong, it's a decent game, I liked it. But I don't remember it the same way everyone else seems to.
As an action thriller game RE4 was very well executed, the transition from the janky tank controls of the originals to a new over the shoulder third person view is a welcome change. But it baffles me that so many idiots think that this game was the first to ever do it, a little game called Psi Ops the mind gate conspiracy comes to fucking mind and I'm sure other titles did it even before that.
That said it leaves me desiring more as a horror game. Long gone were the subtle atmospherics and chilling, crawling terror of the originals and introduced were a bunch of action set pieces with more of those new parasite zombies then you could shake a stick at. Say hello to quick time events and less than a few hours into the game you're already watching literal giants smashing dudes with all the subtlety of a light saber abortion.
To me resident evil 4 represents the reason that Crapcom thought people wanted more over the top helicopter crash sequences, running from explosion sequences, big machine guns with lots of bullets. They didn't realize what made RE4 popular was that they tried to improve the previous formula, not abscond with it entirely.
They lost sight of what makes scary actually scary.
And that's how we ended up with resident evil 5, also known as CHRIS REDFIELD THE GAME. Jesus I have to admit I had a blast playing this game co-op, so that entertainment value definitely counts for something. But again, we've lost most of the subtlety and atmospherics that made the originals what they were.
Instead of being terrified to turn the corner, afraid that my last couple shots in my gun wont be enough to save me from what awaits. We find ourselves in a total power fantasy, where Chris Redfield reduces every enemy to a pile of steaming gack with the greatest of ease. The kind of fantasy that makes it difficult to actually be afraid, or difficult to actually take the plot seriously at all.
I found myself asking insane questions like "why am I in a quick time event where I'm shooting motorcycle zombies?" and "Why does a boiled egg take up as much inventory space as a case of grenade launcher ammo?"
Resident evil 6 was much the same and again I have to admit I had a blast playing it co-op, lemme just say, RE5 and RE6 are hot garbage. These games suck ass, they aren't great by any stretch. I merely found enjoyment in that, playing with friends.
In Resident Evil 6 half the cast feels like bullet time super heroes, rather than humans trying to survive. The final boss in Leon's campaign had like 6 transformations and the battle lasted like half an hour. This game is so over the fucking top, the only way you can call it horror is in the way the series is not only dead and rotten, but being beaten like a dead horse.
Not only that, but the best plot was Chris's sidekick peirs, I legitimately felt feels and it surprised me.
But I digress, I've been watching a play through of Resident Evil 7 and got to say that it's a welcome return to form. I'm glad the survival and horror are actually back in the game. Something we lost long ago when Leon re appeared in RE4 suddenly able to suplex zombies so hard their heads explode and finding ammo under every blade of grass and rock.
I really like that they've also done away with the los plagas bullshit too, I found them very vague and disinterested compared to the original T virus. Let's just say thematically the umbrella corporation tickles my fancy much more than tricell ever did.
