Resident Evil Zero

Finally, with the beating of Resident Evil Zero, I have beaten the seven games of the Resident Evil main series. And aside from an on-rails shooter side game, I probably won't have to play another til Resident Evil 7 comes out, and that aint even announced yet. Anyway, this is the fifth game of the franchise, nestled in between fellow Gamecube games Code: Veronica and RE4. Chronologically, however, this is the prequel, taking place before everything else. You play as Rebecca Chambers, a rookie cop (there are so many rookie cops in Resident Evil) as well as Billy Coen, an escaped death row inmate out to prove his innocence. While gameplay is mostly the same as usual, a few gimmicks were introduced. First, you could switch between the two characters to use their unique abilities (Billy's more powerful, Rebecca can mix chemicals and herbs) as well as take different paths and shout out basic commands at eachother. Second, rather than multiple immersion-breaking boxes where you can stash your loot and find it again further on in the game, Resident Evil Zero is strict about leaving items places- if you can't carry that extra first aid kit, you've got to leave it there and maybe you'll come back to it later. I would have liked this idea had it not led to me completely missing the grenade launcher in the game, but it wasn't too necessary so I'll quit my bitching. Anyway these two gimmicks were just that- gimmicks! They were neat for a bit but hardly progressed the series forward, and it's obvious that the series was on its last breaths at this point- a change was needed, and it came in the next installment. And on that note, I think it's time to break down the Resident Evil series with some rankings:

1. Resident Evil 4- an easy choice for number one. A lengthy but action packed game that will scare the pants off you but never takes itself too seriously.

2. Resident Evil 2- perhaps due to my playing it immediately after the first installment, but this was leaps and bounds better as a sequel. Also of note- the top two games star Leon Kennedy.

3. Resident Evil Code: Veronica- the only other game in the series to nail the over-the-top atmosphere. The surprise antagonist here is even better than Wesker.

4. Resident Evil 5- The solid gameplay of 4 was improved slightly, but gone was the scary and fun atmosphere, replaced with a serious trek through Africa.

5. Resident Evil Zero- Tried a few new things, but ultimately didn't leave much of a mark.

6. Resident Evil 3- I played this just a few months ago, and barely remember anything about it other than the awkward villain's grunt- "Stars.... Stars...." Not very threatening.

7. Resident Evil- Seems like blasphemy to put the one that started it all last eh? But man, this was just a chore to get through. I never got frustrated with the others nearly as much as the first.

So there you have it folks, my opinions on the Resident Evil series in a nutshell. Will I continue ranking the series I play as I finish them, like here and with The Dark Tower? Yeah, probably.