The Untold Tragedies of Classic Resident Evil

Its true horror lies at the edge of our imagination, beyond zombies and monsters

Resident Evil VII marks a true return to form. Specifically, a first-person mutation of the series’ original form. Hallways, herbs, pistols, shotguns, puzzles — the 2017 entry in Capcom’s long-shambling series is a slow-paced trek through a veritable house of horrors.

Absent from the list of things many consider classic Resi is the series’ pervading sense of tragedy, something that’s almost impossible to itemise. A half-decent crack at it might include its foreboding musical score, its identifiably human foes and those small, seemingly inconsequential notes.

At a closer look, those notes reveal a world of unspoken tragedies brought solely by the hand of man — a meta-narrative that imbues Resident Evil with a sense of humanity not entirely present in the game proper.

One of those notes tells the story of a love-struck researcher penning his final words to his love, a document that all-too-briefly expands Resident Evil’s repertoire into something beyond the confines of its genre. It adds a touching layer of humanity to a situation drowned by inhuman monsters.

Every kill shot ends one tragedy, only to begin…