The Resident Evil franchise is like this sprawling jungle, a mix of brilliance and, well, questionable swamps. Seriously, some entries just make you go, “What were they thinking?” But that’s the charm, right? It’s evolved, flipped around, and sometimes doubled back through different styles, always keeping us on our toes. I mean, remember when it just hit co-op hard in the 2000s? People were into that. Except now, they’ve kinda swerved away again. Fans aren’t too thrilled about that, but hey, change keeps things interesting. So, let’s kind of meander through the series and dig up those co-op gems that stand out. Because, why not?
Resident Evil 5 and 6. Man, people are split on these. Like, they’re not hailed as gospel in the Resident Evil Bible or anything. RE5 takes you all the way to Africa. Chasing Jill Valentine around sounds like a good time, I guess. But c’mon, topping RE4? That’s like racing against an Olympic sprinter. And RE6? It got slammed so hard that Capcom had to hit the reset button. But, irony alert, the co-op in these intense, action-packed games kinda wraps you in a blanket, making you forget their flaws. Pretty neat, right?
Now, let’s tiptoe over to the A-Tier, where stuff nearly hits the bullseye. Revelations 2, for instance. It’s not a mirror image of the 2012 game, thankfully. Claire and Moira, what a duo. Moira’s got this whole “guns are bad” vibe, leaving combat to Claire. It’s wacky, yet somehow works. And oh, the Outbreak games — dude, these had four-player online stuff, way ahead of its time. Seems like they predicted some of the future of gaming. Nostalgia trip, here we go.
So, what about those middle-packers? Operation Raccoon City and The Mercenaries 3D. The former leans heavily into third-person cover shooting — echoes of its release period, right? And Mercenaries — arcade vibes through and through. It feels like RE but with a sprinkle of chaos. Both solid, but not groundbreaking. Kind of those dependable middle-shelf wines you settle for.
Now, if you’re just craving action, the Chronicles games are okay-ish. They funnel you into tight paths, blasting away without much of a story hug. Cooperative play here is, let’s say, perfunctory. Like, you’re not diving deep into what makes RE tick, you know? Just pew pew and move along.
And oh, the dark side. Resistance and Umbrella Corps. These guys just didn’t gel with fans. Resistance showed promise, had these cool little sparks of creativity, but it was plagued with issues. As for Umbrella Corps, it barely stood up straight. Glitches galore, soulless as they come. One of those games you just shake your head at.
So yeah, that’s the co-op ride through Resident Evil’s world. Bits of genius, flashes of meh, and some pure WTF moments. Keeps us all coming back, doesn’t it?
