The ninth entry in the mainline Resident Evil collection is quick approaching, however in the event you’re pondering that it might be the splendid level to soar in for the first time, you’ll virtually definitely be left questioning what the hell is happening as you play by means of its opening hours. Resident Evil Requiem builds atop a three-decade legacy of survival horror, so that you’re going to have to do some homework earlier than you get began.
That will help you out, we’ve put collectively a (very condensed) synopsis of the fundamental Resident Evil story and every thing you want to know main into Resident Evil Requiem, offered in chronological order. As I’m certain you’ve already labored out, the following accommodates spoilers – heaps and plenty of spoilers – for the whole Resident Evil collection prior to Requiem.
Resident Evil Zero
July 23, 1998
It’s July 23, 1998. The Bravo Staff of Raccoon Metropolis Police’s elite S.T.A.R.S division is dispatched to examine various murders in the Arklay area. The group consider proof will be present in the space’s mountains, however their helicopter crashes earlier than they will attain their touchdown zone. Survivor Rebecca Chambers makes her approach in direction of a close-by spooky-looking mansion in an try to discover the remainder of Bravo Staff.
Earlier than she makes it to the home, Rebecca, alongside together with her newly acquired convict companion Billy Coen, come throughout an deserted coaching facility the place they uncover that its former director, Dr James Marcus, together with former associate, Oswell E. Spencer, have been chargeable for a brand new organic weapon dubbed the T-Virus: a lethal an infection that turns people into zombies and different monstrosities.
Resident Evil
July 24, 1998
The S.T.A.R.S. Alpha group is dispatched to discover out what occurred to the lacking Bravo group. Their search leads Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield, Barry Burton, and group chief Albert Wesker to the aforementioned grand property, the Spencer Mansion.
The gang splits up and discovers the horrible fates of the lacking S.T.A.R.S. members, who’ve been decimated by the monstrous outcomes of the T-virus. As he explores the mansion’s many rooms and hidden chambers, Chris finds Bravo group member Rebecca Chambers nonetheless alive.
Jill and Chris ultimately uncover that the Umbrella Company, a pharmaceutical firm with shady enterprise practices, is behind the unlawful experiments that led to undead horrors (and the odd outsized animal) roaming the mansion’s halls.
Finally, as soon as they attain a sinister laboratory hidden beneath the home, the duo uncover that Wesker shouldn’t be truly a loyal S.T.A.R.S. operative, however a traitor who works for Umbrella. Wesker infects himself with a pressure of the T-virus as a part of an elaborate plan that additionally includes releasing a brand new organic tremendous weapon, the “Tyrant”, from containment. Sadly for him, the creature swiftly kills him. After managing to defeat the Tyrant, the remaining S.T.A.R.S. group members escape the lab (comparatively) unscathed.
Our heroic survivors return to Raccoon Metropolis, solely to study that the corruption runs deep. They resolve to go rogue, leaving the RPD to examine the grand company conspiracy. Chris heads off to Europe solo, whereas Jill stays in the metropolis to study extra about Umbrella.
Resident Evil 3
September 28, 1998
It’s September 1998, only a few months after the Spencer Mansion incident, and Raccoon Metropolis is overrun with zombies. Umbrella sees the outbreak as a possibility to check its newest bioweapon, the experimental Nemesis; a hulking beast armed with a rocket launcher, tasked solely with the destruction of all remaining S.T.A.R.S. members.
Whereas Jill desperately tries to escape the outbreak with the relentless Nemesis scorching on her heels, rookie R.P.D. officer Leon S. Kennedy and Chris Redfield’s youthful sister, Claire, each arrive in Raccoon Metropolis at the worst doable time.
Resident Evil 2
September 29, 1998
After being separated following a automotive accident, Leon and Claire agree to meet up at the close by police station. Sadly for each of them, the constructing is already infested by the undead.
As she navigates the station’s harmful hallways seeking details about her brother’s whereabouts, Claire runs into Sherry Birkin, a younger lady pursued by a monstrous weirdo who not solely seems to be her Dad, but additionally Umbrella’s main scientist, William Birkin.
Seems Billy B had deliberate to betray his company masters and promote his newly developed G-virus, however he was gunned down by Umbrella earlier than he had the probability. As he bled out, William managed to infect himself with the G-Virus. His monstrous kind massacred Umbrella’s troops and proceeded to dump each the G- and T-virus formulation into Raccoon Metropolis’s water provide, creating the monumental mess all our characters now have to take care of. Good one, Willy.
In the meantime, Leon runs into Ada Wong, an FBI agent searching for the G-Virus for her personal investigation into Umbrella’s corruption. The two resolve to kind an alliance, for now…
Leon and Ada run into Birkin’s spouse, Annette, who shouldn’t be an enormous fan of the pair. They comply with Annette deep underground to a secret Umbrella facility known as NEST in hope of securing the G-virus pattern.
Just about concurrently, Claire additionally arrives at NEST, seeking a vaccine for the now-infected Sherry. Leon manages to acquire the G-Virus pattern however runs into the hideously deformed William, who mortally wounds his spouse. As she struggles to maintain on, Annette reveals to Leon that Ada shouldn’t be what she appears: she’s truly a mercenary wanting to promote the G-Virus to the highest bidder. Ada arrives on the scene and calls for the G-Virus, however earlier than Leon can hand it over, Annette manages to shoot her, sending each Ada and the virus pattern falling into the lab’s seemingly bottomless chasm.
In the meantime, Claire finds a vaccine for Sherry. As Annette administers it to her daughter, Claire tangles with an out-of-control William. Sherry is cured, however Annette ultimately dies of her accidents. The facility is about to self-destruct, and Claire, Sherry, and Leon board a prepare to escape.
With NEST destroyed, the crew lastly handle to escape the nightmare and, on the outskirts of Racoon Metropolis, vow to proceed their combat in opposition to Umbrella.
Resident Evil Outbreak
September 23 – October 1, 1998
Whereas Jill, Leon, and Claire are coping with their very own points amidst a zombie outbreak, eight different Raccoon Metropolis residents are additionally in a determined combat for survival. Amongst them is a neighborhood journalist, Alyssa Ashcroft, who’s making an attempt to shine a highlight on Umbrella’s evil methods. Bear in mind her title, because it’ll turn out to be useful if you begin enjoying Resident Evil Requiem.
Alyssa manages to escape Raccoon Metropolis earlier than the authorities annihilates the whole space with an evidence-destroying thermobaric missile strike, carrying data that would expose Umbrella as soon as and for all.
Resident Evil 3 (continued)
October 1, 1998
Elsewhere in Racoon Metropolis, in the hours earlier than the missile strike, Jill Valentine is contaminated with the T-Virus. Happily for her, Carlos Oliveria – an uncharacteristically pleasant Umbrella mercenary – arrives on the scene to not solely remedy Jill, but additionally assist her discover the essential vaccine that would save the metropolis. Sadly, the authorities has a unique “remedy”; our heroes uncover the plans to wipe out Raccoon Metropolis, which is publicly defined away as the solely certain methodology to eradicate the zombie outbreak.
Carlos and Jill head to one other underground lab, this time creatively known as “NEST 2”. Sadly, the Nemesis continues to be alive and really a lot nonetheless in pursuit. Jill and Carlos handle to take out the abomination as soon as and for all, and with the vaccine pattern in hand, handle to escape the metropolis earlier than the missile hits. Sadly, Nicholai, Carlos’s former colleague/secret operative, is ready for them and manages to destroy the vaccine vial. Jill and Carlos take down Nicholai, leaving him for useless, and escape simply earlier than government-approved thermobaric hellfire arrives to fully demolish Raccoon Metropolis for good.
And as is custom, our hero vows to take down Umbrella earlier than the credit roll…
Resident Evil: Code Veronica
December 27-28, 1998
Three months after escaping from Racoon Metropolis, Claire Redfield, nonetheless seeking her brother, makes an attempt to raid a European Umbrella facility. Issues go south and she or he’s captured, taken to an island jail dominated over by Alfred Ashford, the governor of Rockfort Island.
As is necessary for a Resident Evil sport, an outbreak happens, and amidst the chaos Claire is freed, permitting her to get to work on the lookout for Chris and escaping the island. Sadly, Mr. Redfield is nowhere to be discovered, so after a lot hassle, Claire tries to escape in a aircraft. Ashford, who’s revealed to have a break up persona dysfunction and infrequently believes himself to be his twin sister, Alexia, remotely takes management of the aircraft and crashes it into one other Umbrella facility, this time in Antarctica. Knocked unconscious, Claire has a dream that seems to be the plot of Resident Evil Survivor 2. Bizarre.
Ashford, believing Claire to be a spy, pursues her in a quest for revenge. However after he’s fatally wounded, he frees the actual model of his sister, Alexia, who has been cryogenically frozen this whole time, her physique riddled with a brand new virus known as T-Veronica.
In the meantime, again on Rockford Island, none apart from Chris Redfield reveals up, on the lookout for Claire. However moderately than discovering his sister, he runs into his previous pal/mortal enemy, Albert Wesker, who’s alive, tremendous sturdy, and on a mission to discover the T-Veronica pattern. Seems he had truly deliberate to be killed by the Tyrant again in the Spencer Mansion, as that will guarantee he may attain the full potential of some experimental virus he was contaminated with… or one thing.
The pair make their approach to Antarctica, the place Chris hopes to be lastly reunited with Claire, and Wesker hopes to safe the T-Veronica pattern. A restored, very highly effective Alexia turns into the last boss of Chris’ newest journey, and everybody escapes the facility earlier than – you guessed it – it self-destructs.
Wesker claims a virus-infected corpse to experiment on. Chris and Claire vow to take down Umbrella… are you seeing a sample right here?
Resident Evil 4
Autumn, 2004
Six years have handed, and the Umbrella Company is now lengthy gone due to a authorities suspension and inventory worth crash. Is that this the lamest approach doable for an enormous unhealthy to exit? It’s definitely up there.
Leon S. Kennedy, former rookie RPD officer, is now a authorities agent with full permission to roundhouse kick anybody who stands in his approach. He’s despatched on a mission to rural Spain, the place the president’s daughter, Ashley, is being held by kidnappers. As he explores the space, he discovers that not solely are the kidnappers a part of a cult known as Los Illuminados, however they’re additionally all contaminated by a model new mind-controlling parasite: Las Plagas.
As Leon hunts for Ashley, he unexpectedly bumps into somebody he thought lengthy useless, Ada Wong, who may be very a lot alive and is as soon as once more on the hunt for virus samples.
After rescuing Ashley, Leon confronts the cult’s chief, Saddler, and, with the assist of Ada, defeats him, bringing down the parasite and all the hordes it contaminated. As soon as once more exhibiting her true colors, Ada takes a pattern of Las Plagas and escapes by helicopter, however not earlier than – you guessed it – setting the base to self-destruct.
Leon and Ashley handle to dramatically escape on a jet ski, which they seem to trip all the approach from Spain again to the US. I imply, they in all probability simply went again to the mainland and took extra conventional routes, however imagining they jet-ski’d throughout the Atlantic is funnier, so let’s simply say they did that.
Resident Evil: Revelations
2005
Shortly after the occasions of Resident Evil 4, our authentic protagonists, Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine, develop into concerned in a brand new investigation into organic natural weapons. They uncover a brand new pressure of the T-Virus known as T-Abyss, developed by evil organisation Il Veltro, which plans to use its new weapon to infect a fifth of the world’s oceans.
Plenty of evil plots and betrayals unfold, involving names and organisations that largely don’t characteristic in the wider collection aside from one: the Bioterrorism Safety Evaluation Alliance, or BSAA. Chris and Jill are founding members, and this new organisation’s motives develop into the driving pressure for these characters going ahead.
Naturally, Chris and Jill survive the occasions of Revelations, taking us straight into the subsequent chapter of Resident Evil.
Resident Evil 5 – Misplaced in Nightmares DLC
August, 2006
Two years after Resident Evil 4, our authentic large unhealthy, Wesker, continues to be on the unfastened. Chris and Jill, now working below the banner of the BSAA, comply with a thread that ought to lead them to Umbrella’s founder, Oswald E. Spencer. As a substitute, they run into Albert Wesker, who has killed Spencer.
Wesker, seemingly much more highly effective than earlier than and now dodging bullets for enjoyable, is greater than a match for Chris and Jill. To avoid wasting a wounded Chris, Jill sacrifices herself, sending each her and Wesker to their deaths. Chris, understandably, is a bit unhappy.
Resident Evil 5
March 4-6, 2009
Virtually three years after Jill’s dying, Chris is tasked with apprehending terrorist Ricardo Irving, who’s promoting bio-organic weapons in Africa. Alongside along with his new associate, Sheva, Chris discovers that the locals are contaminated by a modified Las Plagas parasite. The duo set out to clear up the disaster, however Chris has one other factor on his thoughts: the BSAA believes Jill may nonetheless be alive.
After defeating a mutated Irving, Chris and Sheva study that Tricell, the firm that funds the BSAA, has taken over Umbrella’s seedy work together with – shock, horror – Albert Wesker, who may be very a lot nonetheless alive and has been conducting human experiments. Sadly, certainly one of his victims is Jill, who’s additionally nonetheless alive and now below Wesker’s management.
Chris and Sheva handle to subdue Jill and take away Wesker’s mind-control machine earlier than it’s too late. Wesker tries to flee on a aircraft, which crash-lands in a volcano. After some boulder punching, Chris and Sheva lastly kill Wesker as soon as and for all, and all is nicely in the world… for now.
Resident Evil: Revelations 2
January, 2011
Claire Redfield is now a member of TerraSave, an anti-bioterrorism taskforce, and as soon as once more finds herself trapped in an island jail, this time together with her new associate, Moria Burton, daughter of Barry Burton. Bear in mind him from the Spencer Mansion incident? He’s the “Jill Sandwich” man…
Jill and Moira are directed round the jail’s labyrinth-like halls by somebody recognized solely as the Overseer, all whereas being stalked by mysterious monsters. After the whole playbook of typical Resident Evil hijinks involving different survivors, shady companies, and betrayal unfold, it’s revealed that the Overseer is a girl named Alex Wesker. Though she shares the surname, she’s not truly a relative of the collection’ notorious villain, however moderately a toddler who was kidnapped for her “abilities” and inducted into “The Wesker Venture”, a sinister plot developed by Umbrella founder Oswell E. Spencer to attempt to develop a race of superior beings. Alex has been doing her personal experiments on the jail island, making a contemporary batch of monstrosities.
Finally, Claire and Moria nook Alex, and with nowhere left to run, Alex commits suicide. However not earlier than, after all, setting the base to self-destruct. Claire manages to escape, however sadly, Moira is trapped below the rubble. Enter large daddy Barry.
Six months go earlier than Barry reaches the island, who has been desperately chasing Moria’s SOS sign. However earlier than discovering his daughter, he comes face-to-face with Alex, who’s now closely mutated into her disgusting last kind, full with orange glowing weak factors. Happily, each a still-alive Moria and a returning Claire armed with a rocket launcher arrive to swing the odds in Barry’s favour.
In the epilogue, Claire receives a message about Chris and his jaunt to China, the place he’s off to deal with one other bioterror menace…
Resident Evil 6
December 2012 – June 2013
Subsequent up is Resident Evil 6, which options three interwoven campaigns, and all of it will get actually, actually messy. So strap your self in….
In 2012, a brand new virus is developed by an organization dubbed Neo-Umbrella, led by somebody who seems to be Ada Wong. Mercenary Jake Muller is immune to the virus, on account of being the little one of Albert Wesker (who has… let’s say “distinctive” DNA in spite of everything these experiments), and so is believed to be the key to making a vaccine.
In 2013, the American president decides sufficient is sufficient with all these bioterrorism incidents, and that it’s time to reveal what actually occurred in Raccoon Metropolis. Nevertheless, earlier than he can spill the beans, there’s one other viral assault. The president, now a zombie, should be taken down by his loyal agent, Leon Kennedy.
Ada Wong arrives on the scene to inform Leon that Nationwide Safety Advisor Derek Simmons is affiliated with Neo-Umbrella, and is behind the terror assault that zombified the president. Leon heads to China in pursuit of Simmons. Chris Redfield, now wracked by post-traumatic stress and a thirst for revenge after his group was slaughtered by Ada, additionally heads to China. As does Jake, as a result of, you understand, plot.
It’s no secret that Resident Evil 6 is the most convoluted sport in the collection, so let’s simply get by means of this rapidly:
- Chris finds out Jake’s true identification, and regardless of a clumsy second the place Chris tells Jake he killed his dad, they largely work it out.
- Simmons dies.
- Chris’s buddy, Piers, is wounded, then grows a brand new arm thanks to the C-Virus, and saves Chris.
- Jake kills his boss, who’s not price speaking about.
- We uncover that there are two Adas, with one being an imposter known as Carla.
- Lastly, all the good guys win and go their separate methods.
Mainly, rather a lot is happening, and it’s not excellent. Possibly simply ignore this bit – I extremely doubt something that occurs right here can have any implications for the way forward for Resident Evil.
Resident Evil 7 Biohazard
July 19-20, 2017
In 2017, Ethan Winters is on the lookout for his lacking spouse, Mia. His search ultimately leads him deep into Louisiana, the place he finds her imprisoned by the Bakers, a really odd and really disgusting household.
Ethan is captured by the household’s patriarch, Jack Baker, and compelled to be part of a vomit-inducing dinner with Jack’s spouse, Marguerite, son Lucas, and a mysterious aged lady. It seems the whole household is contaminated by one thing known as “mould”, a type of parasitic, fungal virus that has the additional benefit of accelerating your resilience, however the draw back of creating you only a bit gross.
Facet notice: you’ll find a newspaper clipping written by Alyssa Ashcroft in the Baker’s home. Bear in mind her from Resident Evil Outbreak? Seems she’s nonetheless a journalist, now investigating the disappearances in Louisiana.
After escaping and managing to kill hideous types of each Jack and Marguerite, Ethan reunites along with his spouse and develops a serum to assist shake off her obvious mould an infection. The couple try to flee on a ship, however the vessel is capsized by a mysterious creature that seems to be a “lady” named Eveline. This little one is definitely a bio-weapon that Mia, who’s truly a undercover agent, was tasked with escorting. Eveline is chargeable for the Baker household’s mind-altering an infection as a result of she was determined to create her circle of relatives. You realize, like all bioweapons are. Basic stuff.
Ethan injects Eveline with a toxin, which causes her to revert to her true kind: the mysterious previous lady from the Baker’s disgusting dinner. It seems she’s been quickly getting old. In fact, a senior is hardly a super last boss, so Eveline mutates into an enormous blob like all traditional Resident Evil large bads do, and after a climatic confrontation with Ethan (who will get just a little assist from a not too long ago arrived army squad), she’s lastly destroyed.
In a last twist, the chief of the army squad is revealed to be none apart from Chris Redfield, who emerges from a helicopter branded with the Umbrella brand. Man, issues have actually modified round right here.
Resident Evil 7 – Not a Hero DLC
July 20, 2017
Chris and his group pursue Lucas Baker, who had averted Eveline’s thoughts management thanks to a serum offered to him by a brand new shadowy organisation known as The Connections.
They have been the ones behind Eveline’s creation, and Lucas had been gathering knowledge on her for them. Naturally, he deliberate to betray his masters, as a result of Lucas is a Resident Evil villain, and that’s apparently a part of the contract.
After working his approach by means of a collection of traps, Chris manages to kill a mutated Lucas. He then returns to base to take an pressing cellphone name…
Resident Evil Village
February 8-10, 2021
Over three years later, Ethan and Mia have settled in Japanese Europe, however their new-found household bliss is violently interrupted by Chris Redfield, who shockingly and mercilessly weapons down Mia and kidnaps Ethan and his little one, Rose.
Ethan wakes to discover himself in a rural village that has been besieged by a horde of marauding lycans. On a determined quest to discover Rose, Ethan works his approach by means of the deserted village and into a close-by fortress inhabited by vampires, most notably an unlimited goth mommy known as Woman Dimiterscu.
Woman D, together with a wider group of oddities together with a fish man and a cowboy Magneto, all belong to cult that worships Mom Miranda; a god-like, mold-infected matriarch who, in a quest to resurrect her useless daughter, Eva, turned consumed by the an infection and unfold it to her 4 elevated lords and homes. Ethan discovers a crest for these 4 lords that appears eerily comparable to Umbrella’s brand.
Ethan’s journey to rescue Rose and take down Miranda’s lords ultimately leads him again to Chris Redfield, who explains that the Mia he gunned down wasn’t truly Mia in any respect, however moderately a shape-shifting Mom Miranda. Miranda believes Ethan and Mia’s daughter, Rose, is the successor of bioweapon, Eveline, primarily based on the undeniable fact that each her mother and father have been contaminated by the mould. After Miranda lastly confronts Ethan in her true kind, she explains that the mould will assist rebirth Rose as her personal daughter. With out hesitation, Miranda rips out Ethan’s coronary heart.
Chris and his squad launch a full assault in opposition to Mom Miranda, battling by means of her waves of monsters and destroying a big mould barrier that protects her. As soon as inside, Chris and the group uncover a big mould root known as the Megamycete; the supply of the mould that plagued each the village and the Baker household. Seems the Megamycete not solely infects its victims, but it surely additionally absorbs their DNA and reminiscences.
Chris vegetation a bomb, however earlier than destroying the mould as soon as and for all, he passes by means of Miranda’s lab for one final lore dump. He discovers the entirety of her plan to discover a appropriate vessel for her daughter’s consciousness to be reborn into. Miranda was additionally chargeable for the creation of Eveline, working with The Connections.
That’s not the most surprising revelation, although: Chris discovers that Oswell E. Spencer, founding father of Umbrella, was truly a scholar of Miranda’s and started his work on the progenitor virus primarily based on her teachings. To honour this, he designed Umbrella’s brand after Miranda’s 4 lords’ image. So not solely is Miranda chargeable for every thing in Resident Evil 7 and Village, however she’s the inspiration that began this whole 30-year, virus-riddled affair!
After Chris exits the exposition-packed hallway, he encounters the true model of Mia, who’s very a lot alive and divulges that Ethan isn’t fairly useless, both. It seems that Miranda didn’t kill Ethan in spite of everything – Jack Baker did, approach again at the begin of Resident Evil 7. Ethan was contaminated by the Mildew, which had stored him transferring and “alive” this whole time, and defined how he may repeatedly reattach physique elements with only a little bit of therapeutic juice.
Regardless of his mould an infection, Ethan is falling aside, solely ready to muster simply sufficient vitality for one final stand in opposition to Mom Miranda. Upon defeating the large unhealthy as soon as and for all, he arms his daughter over to Chris and agrees to keep behind with the detonation machine that may activate the bomb planted on the Megamycete, destroying the village, the mould, and himself as soon as and for all. Ethan triggers the explosion as Chris, Mia, and Rose escape.
Resident Evil Requiem
October 2026
The upcomming adventures of Leon Kennedy and Grace Ashcroft happen in 2026. If the trailers are to be believed, the story will take us to the bombed out stays of Raccoon Metropolis, in addition to the Rhodes Hill Power Care Middle, which we explored in our hands-on preview. However till we play the full sport, we do not know what this chapter will imply for the Resident Evil timeline.
Resident Evil Village – Shadows of Rose DLC
2037
In 2037, a teenage Rose learns about her talents, certainly one of which is the energy to join with a surviving piece of the mould root recovered from the incident 16 years prior. After jacking in, Rose enters a brand new realm stuffed with the reminiscences of the Megamycete’s victims. She takes a jaunt by means of a model of the village her father was as soon as trapped in, guided by the spirit “Michael”, who is definitely Ethan’s remaining consciousness. As she explores, Rose is taunted by the trapped consciousness of Mom Miranda, who’s determined to escape this realm of reminiscences. With the assist of Ethan and her newfound talents, Rose manages to defeat Mom Miranda and share one final second together with her father earlier than she returns to the actual world. In the aftermath, she visits Ethan’s grave whereas shadowed by a mysterious agent who calls her Eveline. After threatening him, Rose reveals she has talents that even Chris doesn’t learn about.
And there we go. That’s the whole plot of Resident Evil – nicely, all the stuff that really issues. Sure, we ignored some bits right here or there, however there’s rather a lot to cowl in the wacky world of Resident Evil, and that needs to be every thing you want to know earlier than diving into Resident Evil Requiem. Now, excuse me whereas I set my base to self-destruct and vow to get my revenge.
Dale Driver is an Affiliate Director of Video Programming at IGN. Be totally bored by following him on Bluesky at @daledriver.bsky.social