The Resident Evil series is synonymous with survival horror in video games. While the games have always given players a tense, downright terrifying experience, they’ve yet to really strike a chord with audiences with their movie adaptations. This is mostly due to the fact that while the games are focused on atmosphere, deliberate pacing, and actual horror, the movies are focused entirely on watching Mila Jovovich killing monsters in over-the-top action sequences.
There’s nothing wrong with a little mindless action. However, when something like a movie adaptation fails to capture the spirit of the original series, the word “adaptation” becomes something of a misnomer. Luckily for Resident Evil fans, Netflix has already announced that it plans to release a series of its own. While that series is meant to be an animated show that will be considered canon within the series, they’ve also announced a live-action series. The series is supposed to be loosely based upon the games, but the hope among fans is that this will do a better job than the current movie franchise has of capturing what made the games great. To that effect, here are some of the best games that should be taken into consideration when making this new series.
What the original Resident Evil lacks in competent controls it makes up for in spades with its atmosphere. The game thrives on using the player’s fixed perspective to subvert expectations and provide truly great jump scares. Subsequent games in the franchise have made improvements, but have always kept elements of the first game in one way or another. Netflix should definitely look back to the game that started it all for their adaptation if they hope to capture the spirit of what makes the series great.
It’s not that the second game in the franchise shouldn’t be looked at closely when Netflix makes its live-action series. It’s just that the third game in the franchise has The Nemesis, a character that relentlessly stalks the player throughout the game. The Nemesis, or a character like the Nemesis would be a great addition to a Resident Evil live-action movie in that it would help to include a constant sense of tension. The movie could also take inspiration from chase movies. Think Mad Max: Fury Road, but with more of a horror theme.
It’s odd to think that the original version of Resident Evil: Revelations was something of a showcase for the young 3DS’s capabilities. The graphics are astounding for a handheld game, let alone one that you can play entirely in 3D. The plot and setting of this game are what land it on this list of games for Netflix to take serious note of.
The story follows Jill Valentine as she explores a boat at sea looking for her lost friends and exploring the mysteries of the monsters and virus that ravaged the ship prior to her arrival. The boat aspect is the most important here, as the claustrophobic passages of the ship are the closest that the series has come to the original game’s sense of tension.
Resident Evil 7 is in a league all of its own within the series. It ditched the characters that the series was well-known for like Chris Redfield and instead focused on a smaller-scale story of a man trying to find the woman he loves. This leads him to a home of redneck crazies that have gone murderously insane. The game may be something of a departure and a risk for the series, but the fact of the matter is that it is the best suited to a series adaptation. It’s essentially the Texas Chainsaw Massacre of Resident Evil games, and that’s a marriage of franchises that fans of both the games and of the movies can get behind.
Resident Evil 4 may just be the most popular game in the entire series. It’s certainly one of the most played, having been released on essentially every single system since the GameCube. The story revolves around series favorite Leon Kennedy having to traverse the horrors of a remote village in order to rescue the President’s daughter. The game is full of twists and turns, while the setting of the game still instills terror to this day.
This is an honorable mention because it is so well-known that Netflix would somewhat be setting itself up for failure if it borrows from this particular entry in the series too heavily. While it should use plot elements sparingly, certain terrifying characters like Chainsaw Man. It should also try to retain the game’s sense of dread as well as its excellent pacing. Players are kept on their toes constantly while playing the game, and hopefully, a series based upon it would inherit these elements.
