Team Talk: What’s the best moment from the Resident Evil series?

---

Capcom’s recent Resident Evil 25th anniversary celebrations got us thinking about the long-running survival horror series’ best moments, which, naturally, immediately set our skin crawling. There are tons of games, but just one iconic moment to choose. 

What stands out to you? Let us know in the comments below.

---

by James Michael Parry

---

@James_Parry

---

by Team PTC

---

@pass_controller

---

James

Exploring the Spencer Mansion in the GameCube remake of Resident Evil was a terrifying pleasure – I think I even got the official strategy guide to give myself a fighting chance. Far from the over-the-top approach we reached by Resident Evil 4 and its giant animated statue boss, this setting was all about atmosphere.

One corridor on the ground floor still sticks in my mind. Going down it the first time you’d see a pane of glass crack, then, when you walk down it again, the window breaks and lets in a pack of zombified dogs.

I had to put the game down for several days...

My ultimate highlight though, was investigating a diary of the keeper. His story starts off fairly straightforward, talking about a poker game with a couple of buddies, but as the story continues, it’s clear his itchy skin isn’t getting any better and all is not well at the mansion. The entries end simply with: “Itchy. Tasty.”

As you stop reading, the wardrobe behind you opens and the keeper leaps at you, throwing you into a frantic panic. For me it’s the epitome of survival horror and the main reason that the series sticks in my mind.

Things don't end well for Steve.

---

Sam

Resident Evil is one of my all-time favourite franchises and picking just one highlight from a lifetime of fandom is incredibly hard. As such, I’ve settled on a bit of a cop out.

I have fond memories of playing my older brother’s copies of the original trilogy, then commandeering RE4 to complete countless playthroughs. I was far too young, but it was almost unavoidable while sharing a bedroom with my years-older sibling and his teenage tastes.

Although the series has gone somewhat off the rails at times, recently, Resident Evil is back at its best. RE7 and the upcoming Village (based on its playable demo) both offer a great new take on the franchise, though it’s reliving those old memories in the excellent remakes that’s most special to me.

Resident Evil 2 (2019) is an exceptional remake of a classic entry. Yes, I’m choosing an entire game rather than a specific moment - there are too many highlights to pick between in that game alone! The introductory zombie in the petrol station, battling lickers inside the police department, evading the Tyrant’s constant pursuits. There’s never a dull moment during the perfectly-paced campaign.

Leon's first day at work is pretty rough, he even misses his own welcome party.

---

Liam

I have a complicated relationship with the Resident Evil series, so I have mixed feelings when it comes to celebrating its anniversary. The original game, which I first encountered around 7, absolutely terrified me and probably led to my irrational fear of zombie games.
 
Having grown up in a Nintendo household, I thought I was safe from the series until RE2 somehow ended up on N64. Still not brave enough to play myself, but a little bit older and tad more curious, I would watch (from a safe distance, of course) as my older brother tackled Raccoon City’s zombie problem and almost, almost, found myself enjoying it.
 
There were other missteps; a brief dabble with RE3 on a borrowed PlayStation, and years later I bought and quickly returned a copy Resident Evil 0 on GameCube after incorrectly thinking I had matured enough to brave its content.
 
It wasn’t until Resident Evil 4 that I played and enjoyed a Resident Evil game. The focus on action over horror definitely helped, but it was the Chicago Typewriter unlock that made things really fun.
 
Watching my brother blitz his way through enemies and bosses with the ridiculously overpowered submachine gun was both hugely entertaining and cathartic and is definitely my best memory of the series.

"Stranger, Stranger! Now that's a weapon."

---

What's your favourite Resident Evil memory? Let us know below.