The True Essence of a Resident Evil Fan?

[Canas Renvall]

Off-topic, but...
@Det: Welp, now I know you're on GameFAQs. Was just looking through the RE:REV forums and saw that exact comment copy/pasted.

[Spera01]

This thread is childish and pointless. However, I guess I'll add my two cents for the hell of it.

So what makes a true Resident Evil fan? Some argue that being a true Resident Evil fan would be to buy every game without hesitation. Others say that as long as you love the series no matter what, you are. This is not the case though, as it just makes you a sheep.

Resident Evil has been around for a long time. I'm lucky enough to have been with the series since the very beginning. I was quite young when I played the first RE. Around the age of 7 I believe, my brother brought it home and I watched him play it. While scaring the shit out of me, it eventually sparked my love in the series and I played most of the games as they've been released up to this date. Now going by some other peoples arguments, this could make me a true fan since I've been there from the beginning. Perhaps you're right, but if we're going by that argument, there's more to it than that.

A true RE fan should be able to point out the series faults. Why a game could be good, and why it could be bad. They should also have a basic knowledge of the series including the story, gameplay, and characters. However, even that doesn't make you a true RE fan.

Now that you've bared with my rambling so far, you want to know what a true Resident Evil fan is? It's simple. It doesn't exist. News Bot put it quite nicely:

If you like the series, you are a true fan. That's it.

If you're able to enjoy one or all of the games within the series you're a fan. You shouldn't have be to forced to like the games that are differentiating themselves from the series (such as ORC) and you shouldn't have to be the person to shell out ridiculous amounts of cash for a beta or product from the series. The eventual truth is, you like the series, you're a fan. Hell, we're all signed up on a RE fan site. Shouldn't that be proof enough? Otherwise, we wouldn't be here right now.

I've always hated the war between fans that has begun to spark with this series. It reminds me of the childish console wars, which I still see to this day on places such as youtube and other sites. It's ridiculous.

[rehunk88]

I'm amazed Darkmoon hasn't just swung the ban hammer on you already rehunk88.

You pull the same crap almost every day fighting with other members on the forum and putting up nonsensical rants that I wont even get into.
Switch to decaf.

what kind of rants ? so its not okay to debate against other members ?
so what your saying is if i dont agree with someone i cant say anything about it ?

in this case with darkmoon ( yeah i went overboard i admit that) but i think your overreating with the rest because you just dont like me.
now let it go mate.

[Vector]

I've been with the series since watching my uncle play RE1 when I was about 7 years old, and I've played most of the games, but not all. Does that make me any more or less of a fan than somebody who started with RE4 and has since gone back to play the rest of the series, old and new? No. Just different. The question is pretty lame, to be honest.

[Dark_Chris]

what kind of rants ? so its not okay to debate against other members ?
so what your saying is if i dont agree with someone i cant say anything about it ?

in this case with darkmoon ( yeah i went overboard i admit that) but i think your overreating with the rest because you just dont like me.
now let it go mate.

Point is your huge wall of text is always full of nonsence. And please try to pay more attention on your grammar. Thanks.

[rehunk88]

Point is your huge wall of text is always full of nonsence. And please try to pay more attention on your grammar. Thanks.

I don't recall speaking to you.. who are you again ?

It's nonsense not nonsence :3

[Dark_Chris]

I don't recall speaking to you.. who are you again ?

I'm someone who getting on your nerves very easily and I enjoy it because you are such a debil (that's my native language, can't say that in english cuz I would be banned...which may happen anyway with this off-topic).

It's nonsense not nonsence :3

Differences between us is english isn't my native language, but yours is right?

[rehunk88]

I'm someone who getting on your nerves very easily and I enjoy it because you are such a debil (that's my native language, can't say that in english cuz I would be banned...which may happen anyway with this off-topic).



Differences between us is english isn't my native language, but yours is right?

You started it not me now stay on topic please.

[Canas Renvall]

I'm someone who getting on your nerves very easily and I enjoy it because you are such a debil (that's my native language, can't say that in english cuz I would be banned...which may happen anyway with this off-topic).

I looked this up on www.wordreference.com. It doesn't matter what language it is, calling someone a dickhead is openly insulting another member. Please refrain from it, because we will find out.

Now everyone, please try to get on topic again. This is getting to be a major headache to sift through.

[CrimsonElder]

IN MY OPINION. A true RE fan is someone who has played ALL the games. By that I mean Zero,1,Remake,2,3,Code,4,5, Watched Degeneration and have played or planning to play Revelations. Outbreak, Chronicles X2, Survivor and Dead Aim should also be on your list HOWEVER they are not essentials. You should try to play through at least the main series once a year, have read a buttload of information VIA books/internet. Have the soundtracks, some merchandise (What is available to you) You HAVE TO also own all the games. I dont mean every port but you should have at least 1 copy of each game and a console to play them. Then your a true RE fan and I have failed to meet one in person so far. Which sucks.

If you came to me and said your an true hardcore RE fan and I found out you had played 4,5 and watched the Paul Anderton movies then I'd laugh in your face. No offence you maybe a fan but your are certainly not a true hardcore fan. It would be like saying I am a true hardcore Star Wars fan but I have only seen Phantom Menace, Attack Of The Clones and Revenge of the Sith.

[Det. Beauregard]

@Det: Welp, now I know you're on GameFAQs. Was just looking through the RE:REV forums and saw that exact comment copy/pasted.

Yep, never bothered to change my account over there. I've had MorphineChild for a LONG time.

[Smiley]

The only reason I'm hating on ORC is because of the care free approach to making the game fit in. We are a passionate fanbase, and had it not been for the fanbase and certain individuals piecing it all together then we wouldn't have as a good an idea as we do regarding the storyline and backgrounds.etc.

Then a game comes along, ignores most of the established canon and pisses on all that hard work. As a game I couldn't care less how it played or anything. Survivors a load of shit, but I love it because it works as a story and is a great chapter of the series. At least it contributes somewhat.

ORC doesn't contribute anything, other than gaping contradictions, and that's why i'm hating on it. Like Darkmoon says, you have to be able to voice your opinions either way. Capcom generally get a free pass from for a lot of things, I praise them immensely, so it's only right I'm able to voice my opinion when I actually don't like something.

It is a care free approach, but it's based on two games that had a "play-as-you-go" storyline that was broken down into a canon based on outside supplemental material. And the chronicles spin offs certainly didn't do them any justice in their recaps. This game is not part of the main storyline so whatever you do, you're playing this for the benefit of the USS adventure in the popular city outbreak. Not because you're re-living RE2 and RE3.

It doesn't piss over the previous work. RE2 and RE3 still exist, and Capcom had given many ways the fans can play those from countless ports to choose from. Capcom also consented to collaborate with a new developing team and make the first RE tactical co-op shooter in the series. It's not another outbreak and not a traditional sequel. So your expectations are in the wrong place. You can still hate the game for what it is, but expecting anything more from it than that was a mistake.

I also think that as I've matured I realized how this "passionate fanbase" is perhaps a little too passionate when it comes to these games. Unless it's a main game entry or caters to it in some way everything else isn't given fair ground for judgement. I hate the RE movies, but not because they're not 100% like the games as some fans feel it has to be. The Walking Dead TV show doesn't follow the comics 100%. it creates brand new characters, kills off characters that lived in the comics while letting dead characters survive on the show. Changes things around. Yet it's still entertaining because the story and characters are well written.

I don't see the story of the games as "well written" as I did when I was eight. Perhaps it was the way they were translated, but the characters are cliche'd, the narrative is all over the place, and way the series has grown over the years has made the games less scary. Bigger production creates more action and less fear. It happens too often in the horror genre. The game that started this entire series was B-movie cheese fest. Then you look at its remake and see a lot of potential in this franchise if these games were taken seriously. Then you look at RE4 from the same director and note how it thrives and relishes on the cliche's and cheesy quality despite looking larger in scale. The action won't go away, and the fans won't stop picking at the "canon" until this series unravels in its mess. Because sooner or later new people will take this franchise if it still keeps going, and a reboot will happen. Or a new outlook on the same characters and events. Maybe it will go back to form or grow into a pure action series. Time will tell.

[DarkMemories]

The "true fan" debate is what keeps me from posting or visiting RE forums as much as I like. I'm sick of hearing about a dichotomy that simply doesn't exist. My first (played) RE game was RE2, but that doesn't stop me from calling RE4 the best game in the series. I've always been a bit of an oddball when it comes to RE, what with me defending RE4 as horror for around seven years now, but even so I acknowledge the good and the bad of the series (every entry).

There are no "true fans" if we're going to use strict definitions. To me, it's just being passionate about the series in general, as with any medium. I enjoy RE for what it is, but I won't hesitate to call it out when I feel it's gone off track.

[Darkmoon]

There are no "true fans" if we're going to use strict definitions. To me, it's just being passionate about the series in general, as with any medium. I enjoy RE for what it is, but I won't hesitate to call it out when I feel it's gone off track.

I do apologise for this thread. I did create it because I was ticked off about being yelled at for stifling free speech despite telling said person being free to do this themselves. Not my best move, I'm happy to admit, but we all do silly things from time to time. It was meant to prove the point that telling someone they aren't a good fan because of such and such (in my case, thinking ORC is a festering pile of shit) is a stupid thing to do, which has hopefully now been shown, because everyone one of us has a somewhat different definition.

Still, it's fascinating to see how different people feel in different ways, so some good has come from this thing after all.

I do agree with your stance. Support a series you love, but don't support it blindly. The 'It's Resident Evil and you must support it' mindset is outright harmful.

[Carnivol]

Wont gobble up any and all that's labeled with the RE name (Paul W.S. Anderson stuff, for instance), but ... I'm always trying to be somewhat positive and open-minded as far as taking the series "other places" goes. (Experimenting with the formula, trying new things, new characters and evt. putting old ones into new types of situations/experiences, etc.)



I like games. I hate repetition.