Summary
As anyone who has any experience with the series will know all too well, theResident Evilgames can end up getting pretty outlandish with their stories, resulting in plenty of twists and turns throughout the wider narrative to keep players guessing. This can also apply to the gameplay, where a game can suddenly introduce a new enemy or mechanic seemingly out of nowhere, making for some pretty bizarre segments. While the majority of these shocking moments are fondly remembered by fans, others, for one reason or another, ended up receiving mixed opinions, with some loving them, while others questioned if they were really necessary.
Whether it’s a sudden character death, a strange piece of lore, or even simply a scene that goes too over the top with its action or humor, there are plenty of moments throughout this much-beloved survival horror series that have ended up becoming somewhat polarizing.
Resident Evil 4is a weird game, there’s no denying that, but throughout Leon’s grueling mission to save Ashley from the Los Illuminados, arguably the most outlandish thing he finds himself doing is running away from a giant statue that suddenly springs to life. This is a gameplay segment that comes not long after Leon and Ashley take refuge in Salazar’s castle, with players being randomly thrown into a hecticQTE segmentwhile a gigantic creepy depiction of Salazar stomps its way toward Leon.
The fans who have embraced the more action-oriented gameplay style thatResident Evil 4brought to the table love this section, considering it’s just one of many QTE sections like this that go all-out with their presentation and tension. Those who were hoping for the game to be more in line with the slow and methodical survival horror roots of the series weren’t as fond of this one, though, something Capcom seemingly acknowledged by keeping the statue’s legs stationary in theResident Evil 4 Remake.
By the timeResident Evil 6had arrived, discussions were beginning to crop up concerning whether it might be time to introduce some new protagonists into the series to freshen things up. This was before Ethan made his way into the story, meaning the likes of Leon, Chris, and Claire had all been on plenty of adventures already, and while they all still deserve to play a key role in the games, it felt like6was the opportunity to introduce some fresh blood.
Piers, a young and courageous BSAA soldier who helps to keep Chris on the straight and narrow for much of the game, was a character who could have easily assumed the role of lead protagonist in a future title, but unfortunately, he meets his untimely demise at the end of his debut game. After injecting himself to hold off theHAOS B.O.W, Piers dies in an underwater base, leading some fans to call this a waste of a character, while others praised the moment for its emotional impact on the story.
ThoughResident Evil 4confirmed that the series was beginning to stray into the action genre, the fifth mainline game accelerated this by implementing plenty of chaotic set pieces and tons of new melee combat abilities. However, the aesthetic and dark story still made it feel somewhat grounded in horror, so at the very end of the game, when Chis is tasked with punching a boulder triple his size to step over some lava, it was a moment that everyone would come to form their own opinion on.
Nowadays, it’s often embraced as little more than an absurdly funny moment that has become one of the mostwell-known memes from the series. At the time of the game’s release, though, when fans were still cautiously wondering where the series was ahead, it felt like a step too far for some. Either way, it’s a moment that has been referenced by Capcom themselves numerous times, such as with Heisenberg calling it out during his boss fight inVillage.
TheResident Evilseries is no stranger to over-the-top villains, but the Queen Leech might just take the cake for being the most outlandish of the bunch. At certain points inResident Evil 0’sstory,Rebecca and Billycatch a glimpse of a strange man in a robe who is clearly up to no good, but it’s not until the final area of the game that players learn exactly who, or what, this being actually is.
It turns out this depiction of James Marcus is an evolved leech who witnessed Marcus' murder at the hands of Umbrella with its own eyes. In an attempt to get revenge, the leech assumed the form of Marcus but was eventually stopped in its tracks by Rebecca and Billy. Whether this moment was too ridiculous or simply a weird but intriguing reveal has been up for debate ever since the game was released back in 2002.
Though Chris does appear on the box art ofCode Veronicato let players know right from the get-go that he’s part of the story, it can be easy to forget about him, considering he’s absent for the first half of the game. After spending hours playing as Claire and getting engrossed in the story, the game, without any warning, will jump players over to Chris' perspective, with him becoming the new protagonist for the rest of the game.
This decision wasn’t a problem for some people, but the reason others came to dislike it was because all the items they hadn’t put in the item box as Claire wouldn’t show up for Chris to use. Players who were well-prepared and organized with their box items, therefore, didn’t mind this change in character, but needless to say, those who didn’t would not have been all that thrilled considering how admittedly jarring of a switch it was.
To sayResident Evil Villagestarts off with a bangwould be putting it mildly. After barging into Ethan’s home and shooting his wife to death, Chris proceeds to steal Ethan’s daughter, Rose, while keeping his true intentions a mystery. While there’s no doubt this stands as one of the most memorable intros in the series, many people struggled to agree on whether it was worth it, considering it makes Chris look a little dumb in hindsight.
Because Chris barely even says a word to Ethan during this whole exchange, despite admitting later in the game that he probably should have told him everything, the scene becomes a bit silly. However, that doesn’t take away from how shocking and impactful it is, getting players hooked into the story right off the bat as one of the series' most iconic heroes seemingly turns into a villain.
Though there have been some exceptions throughout the series, theResident Evilgames tend to remain rooted in reality, putting much of their focus on scientific experiments gone wrong as opposed to anything occult or supernatural. Whether the series should explore the concept of otherwordly enemies and superpowers in the future wasn’t something that was commonly discussed - at least, it wasn’t until people finally got their hands onVillage.
In the post-credits scene, Rose, who is now all grown up and seemingly being watched over by a secret organization, is shown to possess unique superpowers and abilities that the normal human doesn’t because of her involvement with the Mold. This would be expanded on in theShadows of Rose DLC, where players are able to use these powers freely to defeat enemies; a breath of fresh air for some fans but a step in the wrong direction for others.
To understand why this single line in the intro ofResident Evil 4has been so controversial, it’s important to put into context what was built up in the games leading up to this. Almost everyResident Eviltitle, includingCode Veronica, ended with the protagonists promising to put an end to Umbrella once and for all as a form of punishment for their crimes. Outside a single bonus story in theUmbrella Chroniclesspin-off game, though, fans never got to see this final battle unfold.
This is why, when Leon revealed the corporation had simply gone bust due to their stocks taking a hit, it was met with mixed opinions. On the one hand, throwing away this subplot so casually was a real gut punch for longtime fans who wanted to see where things were heading, but then again, it also allowed the series to leave Umbrella behind to explore new groups and factions. After all, many people love thatResident Evil 4feels like its own standalone story, but the decision to remove Umbrella in this way, even today, remains a hot topic of debate.
