Summary
Zombies andResident Evilgames were once seen to be inseparable, but over the years, Capcom has shown they aren’t afraid to leave these bloodthirsty enemies behind to try out something new now and again. After the destruction of Raccoon City, it’s established that bio-organic weapons have become the latest trend among international warmongers and black market dealers. As a result, there have been a few times across the series where a protagonist has embarked on a hellish adventure full of creepy monsters and creatures, without ever coming across even a single zombie.
This doesn’t need to be a bad thing though, since having enemies who are a little faster and more strategic can ramp up the intensity of the gameplay, especially when multiple foes are on screen at once. Anyone out there who is looking to scratch thatResident Evilitch, and wants to see what other menacing monstrosities are out there in the series to discover outside the zombies, ought to try out these fantastic titles.
Though the Mercenaries mode was technically introduced with the originalResident Evil 3, thestandalone spin-off gamereleased for the 3DS decided to instead focus on the mode from the fourth and fifth mainline titles. This makes sense considering it allows the game to include faster enemies to ensure every match feels fast-paced, as the zombies are left out to make way for Ganado and Majini in all their wonderfully terrifying variants.
On the other hand, extracting enemy types from two games also results in a ton of variety. One moment, players will be taking on a swarm of scythe-wielding cultists in a castle, while the next, they’ll be shooting down giant infected bats with a grenade launcher. This game is an absolute blast to play, especially in short sessions, and since it’s all about giving players quick and fun matches to dive into, zombies just wouldn’t have been a good fit forThe Mercenaries 3D.
When Capcom teased thatResident Evil Revelationswould be leaning more into the classics by emphasizingsurvival horrorthrough its gameplay, many fans wondered if this meant the grand return of zombies. While this prediction turned out not to be true, the Ooze monsters, who assume the role of the main enemy type in this handheld spin-off, act very similarly to those classic monsters, and are just as, if not more terrifying.
The Ooze will randomly stumble around a room once they’ve been spotted until they get close enough to their target to bite their head off their shoulders. Needless to say, these guys are pure nightmare fuel, especially with that creepy design, and while there are a few other interesting enemy types, including the Hunters who make a surprising return, it’s really the Ooze who steal the show here, especially their boss variants.
Resident Evil Villageis a pretty unique entry in the series. The game leans heavily into the fantasy aesthetic, not only in terms of its traditional environments but also the enemies. Throughout the game, players will be stalked by lycans, ferocious werewolves who will quietly follow Ethan from behind before getting the jump on him when players least expect it.
There’s also a nice mix of mutant bosses packed into the game, especiallyLady Dimitrescu, who stands out for her creative design and sadistic personality. While there are some zombie-like enemies found in the depths of Dimitrescu’s lair, they act a lot more like ghouls as they can always be seen carrying weapons, and seem to have at least some level of intelligence. Outside of the enemies,Villagealso features a captivating story, which contains a surprisingly emotional ending sequence, and some truly breathtaking scenery to gawk at while exploring the hub areas.
In trying to stray away from theheavy actionthat came before it in games likeResident Evil 5and6, Capcom decided to strip back the enemies for the seventh game to place more focus on setting the correct ambiance and tone. As a result, Ethan doesn’t actually encounter that many enemy types outside of the Molded, though that’s far from a bad thing considering these mutants are already more than enough to get the heart pumping.
The Molded, as the name implies, are monsters formed from the hyper-advanced fungi that can be seen scattered across the Baker’s estate. It usually takes an entire magazine or two to take just one of these Molded enemies down for good, and consideringEthanisn’t exactly in any position to be pulling off roundhouse kicks whenever he pleases, it makes every encounter extremely intense. This isn’t even mentioning the Bakers themselves who act as the stalkers of the game, ensuring players ever feel truly safe from the beginning to the end of a playthrough.
After seeing how well-received the Ganado ofResident Evil 4became among fans for theirunique gameplay mechanics, Capcom decided to essentially reintroduce them in the following game, this time, as Majini. The Majini may look like normal people on the surface, but due to the effects of a Plaga, they have all become violent madmen who are more than happy to slice Chris and Sheva to pieces.
As the game goes on, the Majini will start to become more advanced and harder to take down, to the point where they will even start using gatling guns and rockets by the very end.Resident Evil 5also features some truly incredible boss encounters, many of which encourage players to get creative with the co-op mechanics to take down an enemy, such as luring them into an area before the second player presses a switch, which is always all so satisfying to pull off.
When people say thatResident Evil 4was a turning point for the franchise, many will point to the third-person camera angle as a prime example, but another major departure was the lack of zombies. Instead, Leon’s adventure to rescue Ashley will be disrupted by dangerous packs of villagers, cultists, and soldiers known as Ganado, and it’s fair to say that they play a lot differently from zombies.
Ganado are quick on the draw, always ready to swing an axe or machete Leon’s way if they see the opportunity, but because they can be staggered when shooting certain body parts, it opens up some pretty interesting combat mechanics.Resident Evil 4also features a healthy amount of enemy variety that doesn’t feel like it ever needs to rely on zombies. From invisible bugs to claw-wielding maniacs, there is no telling what will show up around every corner during a playthrough ofResident Evil 4and its remake.
