[Game Club] Resident Evil (1996)

Sean and Alon bite hard and dig deep into the seminal survival horror classic.

How does the game render reality? What’s at the core of the franchise? Why is your health never “good”?

You have once again entered the world of survival horror. Good luck!

Tune in next week for a conversation with Francisco Gonzalez of Grundislav Games about adventure games and his upcoming game Rosewater!

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Timestamps:

00:00:00 – Cold open

00:00:53 – Intro / admin

00:01:58 – Resident Evil, baby!!!

00:05:06 – Sweet Home + Alone In The Dark = Resident Evil

00:09:36 – It is a very iterative game

00:11:48 – Knowledge of Resident Evil prior to Game Club

00:16:15 – Alon taking reviews to task

00:18:27 – Going hater mode on a game we love

00:25:26 – It wants to be an action game

00:27:33 – Sean's path to violence

00:30:19 – The core of the franchise

00:32:45 – What makes it a survival (horror) game?

00:38:26 – Door sequences as part of the pace of play

00:40:36 – Alon's mom tried to warn us

00:42:27 – The container of Resident Evil is gigantic

00:46:50 – Is this a survival game?

00:49:10 – Your health is never "good”

00:49:55 – The game is generous

00:51:23 – Camera angles + sound design + sympathizing with Jill

00:54:34 – Rebecca + Barry – the presence of side characters

00:57:57 – The acting

01:02:47 – Thinking about the map the way you would irl

01:07:23 – Shinji Mikami on having the game "becoming a comedy”

01:14:01 – "This key is now useless. Would you like to discard it?”

01:15:53 – Sean goes map mode

01:21:32 – Alon goes Rambo mode

01:24:33 – The camera

01:28:47 – The spooky people you meet towards the end of the game

01:30:29 – The Camera + Tank Controls = Resident Evil

01:37:12 – The disempowerment of the player

01:45:22 – The comfort of Resident Evil

01:51:41 – Bosses(???)

01:55:21 – The not knowing

01:57:23 – The graphics

02:02:18 – Next week!

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Show notes:

Shinji Mikami

Tokuro Fujiwara

Sweet Home

Alone in the Dark

Doom