Resident Evil - Atmospheric Locals (personal choices)

[Zombie Fred]

As the title implies, there have been many locations in the series we have ventured and explored through out but what games in the series have left a great impression on you, that made you stop and think on the enviroments and atmosphere around you?

My personal choice I have to pick would be some of the locations in the Outbreak games. I still remember the experience I had when me (and my friends via line on the PSN back when Outbreak 2 was online in Europe) first exploring the Arklay mountains, venturing in the broken down hospital with the axe wielding man coming relentlessly to kill you. This scenario had the strongest atmosphere by far; sound design, lighting, the forest itself and how they made the infected creatures a part of the flora/plant vegetation itself as if they were camouflaged, all added to the dreary feeling of the forest itself was not as it seemed when you first get introduced to this scenario.

You can’t help but panic and feel tense when you were running your very life, having to be careful to not slip or you could be hanging on the side of the building for your life due to the hazards that surround the area, while playing cat and mouse with a relentless enemy.

This is just one example for me anyhow. I am sure there are much others here that have some great choices and excelent reasons to point why

[Trent]

The dining room from RE1 always struck me as scary and remained in my mind. The music and the silence perfectly represents Resident Evil.

[Det. Beauregard]

I should probably preface this "novel" by stating that I think location and atmosphere are the most important part of any game - not characters, weapons, enemies, etc. Would you be satisfied playing a game with interesting characters and a diverse arsenal of weaponry in which you run down a linear set of drab corridors with nothing to explore? If you would, go play RE5 (haha I joke, kind of). Anyway, I’m the kind of gamer who likes exploring every nook and cranny for useful stuff, so location and atmosphere means a lot to me.

I completely agree with Zombie Fred about the Flashback scenario. Great atmosphere and attention to detail. I would have preferred to explore the hospital without Axe Man or unlimited botanic zombies, but oh well! Other Outbreak scenarios that also have great atmosphere in my opinion are Hellfire, Decisions Decisions, and Wild Things. I wish Capcom had released the other scenarios they had made for Outbreak!

As for non-Outbreak games, there's plenty of creepy atmosphere to be found for me. For RE0, the training facility and Marcus' underground lab were both very atmospheric. I particularly enjoy the latter; a place where a mad scholar performed countless experiments on innocent victims, under a church nonetheless! The eerie music helped a lot, too.

The Remake obviously contained the Spencer estate, which is probably the creepiest location in the series (save for maybe some CV areas). As I said above, the music plays a large part in this - mostly ambient, unsettling sounds with very little sustained rhythm. And as Trent said, the dining hall was very tense, with lightning flashing through the windows, the creepy stained-glass window, and hunters on the return trip!

As for RE2 & RE3 (which I tend to view as one long game/story due to the similarity in graphics and locations), the atmosphere was of a different type. The previous games (and CV) had isolated, remote locations, but these games put you in the thick of it all. I'll never forget the first time I stepped out onto the streets of Raccoon City in RE2, playing not as a battle-hardened trooper (e.g. Chris, Jill) but as a simple college girl trying to find her lost brother. The sounds of zombies' cries riding on the wind as you scramble into alleyways and around blind corners... it's a completely different vibe than previous games.

Obviously, the high point of RE2 was the (bathroomless) RPD, whereas RE3 highlighted the city itself and the creepy clock tower. I feel that a lot of RE games lose atmosphere as the end of the game nears, however (excluding CV), and these two are no exception. The dead factory and park were kind of dull to me, and while Birkin's lab was very memorable, it was very bright and lacked the tension of previous environments.

Code: Veronica, my favorite RE game in terms of just about everything but core gameplay, had some amazing locations. I honestly can't think of one location in the game I didn't like or think was creepy as hell. I'll admit that the underground sea cave airport and the means of getting there (submarine) was kind of silly, but the location itself was interesting. Rockfort Island pretty much summed the atmosphere of this game up - remote, isolate, and hopeless. From the tense prison with its secret underground torture chamber to Alfred's creepy-ass palace and private residence, the locations were full of win. Even the military training facility, a location that would be dull and boring in most games, was interesting to explore. Finally, the Antarctic base, while not as diverse as Rockfort, was still very haunting with its atmosphere of chilling, morally void scientific experiments. Seeing these locations in 3D in Darkside Chronicles was a dream come true for me.

While at first it took me a while to warm up to RE4, much of the game is very atmospheric. The village in particular is a section I enjoyed more than the others, due to the eerie stillness that permeated the air. It was very different for a RE game, but still not foreign (well, I guess it kind of was foreign, haha). I also really enjoyed seeing it during the day and at night, as it added more layers and character to the environment. The castle, while not as interesting, was very different for RE, and actually contained a lot of tense atmosphere. Finally, the island was a tad bit dull compared to what preceded it, but still more interesting than many other RE endgame locations.

RE5 had some interesting locations, but in my opinion the “levels” weren’t created to their full potential. For example, a third world town in Africa, a swamp/tribal village, an immense ancient underground city, a(nother) hidden underground lab, and a massive freighter sound like semi-interesting locations, but the level designers felt the need to make them mostly linear, most likely due to the forced co-op. The only area I really liked in RE5 was the endgame rush through the exploding engine room, as it reminded me somewhat of CV. Anyway, the “hidden” items were quite easily discovered in comparison to previous games, save for a few of those emblems (which I did like). And of course, the volcano! What the hell were the developers thinking?! I don’t mind exploring volcanoes – in Mario or Zelda games! It felt completely out of place for Resident Evil!

RE5’s DLC, on the other hand, was more on-track with atmosphere. Lost in Nightmares, while relatively small, was very creepy. Even Desperate Escape, which I initially thought I would dislike due to the action elements, was set up rather nice. The communications facility in particular was very entertaining, and I had discovered many hidden alcoves with useful goodies.

Finally, I’ll mention the last chapters of Umbrella Chronicles and Darkside Chronicles. While I did enjoy the Russian Umbrella facility (particularly the outdoor portions on the catwalks), it lost a bit of atmosphere as each chapter progressed. The village, dam, and mansion in Operation: Javier, however, were far more interesting. The visuals were amazing; the most notable would have to be looking down at the South American jungle from the top of the dam. I want to kick Capcom’s ass for not letting us explore these locations in a free-roaming game, but sticking them into a damned rail shooter!

Well, I think I covered most of the games. Let’s hope Revelations will hold up – by the screenshots and artwork, it looks like it might. Can’t wait to explore the ship, even if the one in Dead Aim was a bit dull.

[kevstah2004]

I like the atomsphere of the first game best reminds me of Edwardians with there secret hideaways.

[Smiley]

REmake's atmosphere really drew me in. I still remember how awestruck I was at how well they redesigned the mansion.

To me the best atmosphere is the kind that tells a story, and you get a sense of it just by observing all the aspects of your surroundings.

You look at Lisa's bedroom and her mother's grave and you can get an idea of what the Trevor family has been through during their time in Spencer's estate.

This is just a personal preference of mine. I think a lot of the other RE games have great atmosphere. Especially within the main series. Look at the environment of Code Veronica, RE4 or the ones involving Raccoon City.

[Beanovsky Durst]

For me in first place is Remake. All of the locations inspired me to know more about the researchers, the Trevor family, and Spencer and his fascination with cranks (now I know he was a man of refined taste LOL).

Second is Survivor. Even if it feels like Raccoon City 2, I really wanted to know more about Sheena Island, for such a small place sure it could tell you a lot of story.

[Smiley]

I'm going to jump in real quick and point out a few things about RE4 and RE5's atmosphere since there's a fare share of players that would quickly dismiss the kind of tone it provides on the grounds of the action gameplay diminishing their sense of horror. I won't justify or make excuses for those games, but I would like to delve into those areas.

The RE series likes to expand with each game. The first one took place in a residence that turned out to be much larger than initially realized. Within the secrets lied many layers to the structure from the lab to the outdoors. The second game explored part of the city and delved further into a police station (again larger than expected) which furthered into the sewers and labs underground. The third game had taken the city itself as a whole and gave you more to explore. In the remaining Outbreak games it always felt like a continuation of the levels inspired by RE2. Code Veronica wanted to explore the reaches of many locations. A whole island followed by an arctic base. But even then one can't deny where some of the inspiration came from. After all there was an estate created to replicate the mansion from RE1. Some of that followed in other games like Lost in Nightmares and the training facility in Zero.

RE4 and RE5 on the other hand took a more foreign approach. They looked to other countries as Code Veronica did and took it from there. The graphics weren't angled so you had a wide view of all your surroundings that faced your character. One can say that RE5 was a beat-by-beat of RE4, and they're mostly right. However, the atmosphere took on a more exotic and ancient approach where as RE4 was more murky and creepy.

Take the villages. You get a sense of these parasitic creatures trying to maintain living the lifestyle of their host and failing on some parts. They work, and only attack when they sense a known threat. You have the warning signs, the skeletons used as warnings and souvenirs, the piled up corpses rotting on the farm, the moving burlap sacks.

RE4 and RE5 also delve into relics and remains of the lost and forgotten. You have uncovered fossils and where the cult has been digging up the parasites in RE4 where in RE5 you have an ancient tribe under the influence of the plagas. You also have Salazar's castle in RE4 that shows the designs of a madman running the legacy of the family that perished the plagas, but you further learn that he was created that way and just as much a pawn as the rest. The labs themselves are interesting in RE5. You're looking for Jill in one of many, MANY countless test tubes that reach miles below underground. You find abandoned Umbrella technology connected to new Tricell technology and discover creaters like the beta lickers that remain in those labs.

Even in terms of the "military" sections there's still things of interest. Sure the guns and action sound dull, but the mass of the army and the technology they had lead you to see just how much time was put into preparing their spread of infection to the world. From the battleships to the armories. There's plenty to observe in these linear games.

[TheSelfishGene]

I'm thinking the farm in RE4 at night is my absolute favourite.
The darkness and the rain. You've just accquired Ashley and now have to protect her. You've also just encountered your first las plagas, so all the ganados are so much more deadly. And they've put bear traps on the ground to try and prevent your escape.

This single part in RE4 is soooo amazingly well done that I think it trumps any other part of any of the other games. And RE4 is a long way off being my favourite game. But this sequence to me felt like the first real gameplay test in the game, and it had me totally absorbed and scared - that's how effective the envionment was.

I really like all the upturned rooms in the police station in RE2 too. You get a feeling that people were there and trying to survive. Whereas other parts of the station were alot more sterile.

[Trent]

I really like all the upturned rooms in the police station in RE2 too. You get a feeling that people were there and trying to survive. Whereas other parts of the station were alot more sterile.

You'll be able to write a novel on just the main hall of the police station. The locations tell that much about the story.

[Alexia_Ashford]

RE2's main hall. Obviously I love the story and characters in CODE: Veronica, but for everything else, RE2 is pretty much my favourite game. The atmosphere/music in the main hall is just awesome and brings back such a sense of nostalgia. Also I loved the underground part of RE2 because I remember being scared shitless as a child of the autopsy room, and I love the music there too. Just everything about RE2 really <3.

[Zombie_X]

For me it was in RE1 on PS1. It's right after you fight Yawn for the second time and go down the hole into the basement. That area was eerie and the music was great in this area on the Directors Cut Dual Shock version.

I also liked the area after you go through the kitchen and use the elevator to go to the second floor. Those new hallways and library areas were very creepy, especially when you find the zombies munching on people in the basement.

[Wrathborne]

hmmm....Well I love the mansion in the REmake, and am a sucker for the Village in RE4, I think my favorite has to be the RPD in RE 2. Its not as scary as the mansion, but you get the feeling that you are literally stuck in the middle of desperation and chaos.

Every RE game for the most part has had its own feeling, but I like RE2's the most.

[Det. Beauregard]

Even in terms of the "military" sections there's still things of interest. Sure the guns and action sound dull, but the mass of the army and the technology they had lead you to see just how much time was put into preparing their spread of infection to the world. From the battleships to the armories. There's plenty to observe in these linear games.

I have to say that I never really gave it that much thought, but you're absolutely right. The military sections were rather drab and linear in my opinion, after having gone through the colorful swamp villages and Indiana Jones caves. But parts of chapters 5 and 6 really do have a nice attention to detail, even if they are a bit less exciting to play through.

I'm thinking the farm in RE4 at night is my absolute favourite. The darkness and the rain. You've just accquired Ashley and now have to protect her. You've also just encountered your first las plagas, so all the ganados are so much more deadly. And they've put bear traps on the ground to try and prevent your escape.

This single part in RE4 is soooo amazingly well done that I think it trumps any other part of any of the other games. And RE4 is a long way off being my favourite game. But this sequence to me felt like the first real gameplay test in the game, and it had me totally absorbed and scared - that's how effective the envionment was.

I completely agree with you here, but throw in the pueblo at night, too. Especially after coming out of the save room in the tunnels, where the serene music lures you into a false sense of security. You walk out and a ganado immediately screams at you, putting you on edge even though you know the location well. Those sections were so creepy. I actually think the entire village from RE4 (day and night) is one of the most atmospheric locations in the entire series, regardless of the more action-packed gameplay.

I really like all the upturned rooms in the police station in RE2 too. You get a feeling that people were there and trying to survive. Whereas other parts of the station were alot more sterile.

Oh yeah, that's a nostalgia trip right there. I still remember playing RE2 for the first time (my first RE game), and even though I was 15, I was constantly on edge due to stuff popping out at me and the haunting files. "It's tongue can pierce a human torso in an instant." That's messed up.

[CrimsonElder]

I love the Mansion in Remake in general. I think the way it is all mapped out is perfect. From the Main Hall, The Corridors, Lisa Trevors Shed, The Labs, Its all great. Got to love The Police Station in Re2 and the start of Nemesis. Cant really narrow it down. Il just have to say the Mansion.

[Trent]

Oh if they only made a remake of RE2...