Why Are You Punching A Boulder, Chris?
While fans of this survival horror juggernaut have been introduced to a fresh wave of scares courtesy of the Resident Evil 2 remake, it’s easy to forget that for the longest time the franchise had been on a downwards spiral filled with more stupid moments than we care to admit…
#5: Chris’s Biceps
“Resident Evil 5†(2009)
It’s not just parts of the writing and gameplay where “Resident Evil†has sometimes fallen short, but also in their character designs. While most of them are your ordinary, run-of-the-mill video game protagonists, there was quite a lot of criticism levied towards Chris Redfield’s character model in the fifth game; namely, his arms. To put it bluntly, he has a pair of ridiculously oversized biceps, muscles so extreme that players found it hard not to make a steroid joke at every opportunity. Thankfully, this was toned down considerably in his later appearances.
#4: Jet Gameplay
“Resident Evil 6†(2012)
It was supposed to be the biggest and best “Resident Evil†yet, combining everything Capcom had learned after sixteen years making the series, but it was inherently unrecognizable as a “Resident Evil†title. The segment where this is most obvious is during Chris’s campaign, where players will have to board a jet plane in order to strategically take down an aircraft carrier. Yes, really – aerial combat in “Resident Evilâ€. When you’re done with the boat, an enormous B.O.W. will also appear which you need to take down, all while trying to master some very awkward flight controls.
#3: The Whole Plot
“Resident Evil 6†(2012)
With every new game or movie, the over-arching plot and lore of the “Resident Evil†franchise just gets more and more convoluted. This all came to a head in “Resident Evil 6â€, when at its core, the complex plot was really just a story about a guy who couldn’t get a girl to like him. Simmons’ obsession with Ada, whom he clones to create Carla –quickly proves to be a pushover – and is ultimately his downfall. During his boss fight, after going through a dozen different forms from a dinosaur to a giant fly, Simmons is finally pushed off a building and impaled. Because apparently bullets aren’t good enough.
#2: “Jill Sandwichâ€
“Resident Evil†(1996)
It’s no secret that lots of English translations of Japanese games are full of errors – but there’s only so far something can be considered an error before it becomes bad writing. “Resident Evil†not only cemented Jill Valentine in history as the “master of unlocking†– but at one point, she was also nearly turned into a “Jill sandwich†by a boobytrapped room with a descending ceiling. You’d think Barry would take his partner almost dying a little more seriously, though Jill just laughs it off, too. Maybe this would have been overlooked as well, if it wasn’t for the notoriously shoddy English voice acting we were also subjected to.
#1: Punching the Boulder
“Resident Evil 5†(2009)
By the end of the fifth numbered title, Wesker has finally mutated beyond all recognition; a giant, monstrous shadow of his former self. The big show-down against him takes place, first of all, in the mouth of an active volcano – which is plenty dumb all on its own. But the part players remember most distinctly is Chris making a path for Sheva to cross the treacherous lava by pushing an enormous boulder into it. Or, rather, punching an enormous boulder into it. This is just a short QTE, but the fact that Chris was even capable of moving the rock – which is at least five times his size – speaks for itself.
Be sure to check out the video below to see our picks for the Top 10 Biggest Changes in Resident Evil 2 Remake.
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