Overall it's a really great game, and it's the kind of RE game I've been hoping for since RE6 and bc I really didn't care for RE7/RE8/the Winters storyline. Best part of this game is it brings in lore and elements from almost every single RE game and feels like it ties it together well enough/addresses some things that needed to be addressed
More spoilery thoughts below:
Well RIP Alyssa Ashcroft 🪦💐 I was certain she wasn't really dead but they didn't even entertain that a little bit. Alyssa/Outbreak fans deserved better than have her die as part of Grace's backstory 😭
Loved the different environments and I wish we spent more time in Wrenwood. The RC ruins were fun, even though I don't know how that much of the city is still (relatively) standing. But I don't know enough about nuclear bombings to dispute it
Best classic zombies in any game, with more intelligence and personality. The blister heads are like a reworked version of RE1make's Crimson Heads (the zombie comes back mutated if the zombie corpse isn't dealt with) that I've wanted to make a return since RE2make should've included it. Design wise they are clearly meant to resemble Lickers, the next stage of zombie evolution after Crimson Heads 👍
Loved this. Capcom didn't need to do that but I'm glad they did!
I loved the subversion in Grace's story with her not actually being some kind of special experiment/having special blood or powers since that's been a major part of more recent protag's stories (Jake, Ethan, Rose)
Surprisingly enough since the trailers and most of the game was pretty grim, the main theme of the game is hope. Grace and Leon and Emily all get a happy ending
Love the connection to Greek mythlogy irt Pandora's box. After Pandora released all the evil/ills in the world she closed the box and left only one thing behind. Hope. Pandora is where they stored Elpis, the last thing Spencer wanted to leave behind after everything Umbrella caused.
Annnnnd I love the subversion of having Elpis be a antiviral miracle cure instead of a bioweapon or new virus
Leon is such a sweetheart and I'll have to think on it but it might be my favorite game of his? They're really building on the theme of "If you don't try to save one life, you'll never save any" 🥺 Leon said at least I saved you Grace (bad ending) 🥺 There's no way out but I'll stay and sit here with you 🥺
I'm trying not to base my thoughts on this game too much on what could have been, but. Damn. If Jill was the protag it would've hit a lot harder since she lived in RC for at least two years and would've visited the locations. Leon doesn't have that history with the city, so much as with the outbreak and the RPD specifically. And the nostalgic angle Capcom was going for is a bit off... like it's specifically nostalgic for Leon and only Leon's POV, and for mainly the RE2make's version of events. Yet RE2make is more recent than the last chronological game Leon was in (RE6)
That being said looking at Marvin's desk Leon will say "Officer Kennedy reporting for duty 🥺"
Not one mention of Jill or Claire or Ada. Are they infected and turning like Leon and Sherry? I'm not really sure the reason behind the lingering mutated T-Virus infection makes any sense, especially irt Sherry's G-Virus immunity + healing powers in RE6 and also the lore behind Jill's antibodies after being vaccinated/cured. Will have to research later.
I'm not really sure how to feel about making Spencer remorseful (but not quite redeeming him). I'm sure the inevitable RE5 remake will shed more light on this and it's not.... technically retconning or contradicting any canon so
I wasn't at all interested in Gideon from the trailers but ngl he's probably one of the best new villains they've added. Love him absolutely missing the point of Elpis and being like "A cure....... Spencer's an evil genius 😏😏" I really wish they didn't have him disappear for a quarter of the game just to show up right at the end anyway
So.......... Wesker clone huh? Are the black marks on his face from the mutated T-Virus (like Leon and Sherry) or from Uroboros? If it's the latter, it basically confirms Wesker is alive post-RE5?
My reaction to seeing Zeno: Wesker..? Why did they make him wear that. He doesn't dress like that [wearing white] Oh never mind, that's a Wesker-coded trench coat.
Clone or not, Leon does not recognize Wesker or his unique powerset (fucking dodging bullets). I never considered that Leon would not know specifics about Wesker
The ending for me put a slight damper on the whole game, by the tease of what's probably another Leon/Chris team up. For all the criticism of Leon being overused he hasn't been in a new game since RE6 (13 years in-game) (and Leon certainly is treated better than Jill, Claire, and Ada, don't get me wrong)
BUT Chris was just in RE5/6/7/8 back to back + Revelations + Vendetta + Death Island. Not to mention If/when CV and RE5 get remakes. Does Capcom know they have more than the two characters.
