Resident Evil (1) really has a different vibe compared to the rest of the series

This is kind of a “no duh” analysis, but it’s something that has always lived rent free in my head.

The first Resident Evil really has such a different vibe compared to the rest of the series, even RE2 to some extent.

There is a certain point which Resident Evil reaches anime levels of plot armor & flashy combat, like in RE6, RE4, & RE Code Veronica.

Then there is the gritty area of RE5 which felt like a mid 2000s Action Thriller with oversaturated cinematography.

But Resident Evil (1) always had an atmosphere that reminds me of 1980s Zombie Splatter Horror films, the cheesy intro that feels like a Cop Propaganda video, the mansion that feels so oldschool, & the mad scientist subplot, it all just makes me think of Re-Animator, Night of The Living Dead, & Zombi.

Which just makes it feel all the more jarring seeing Leon go Anime protagonist mode in RE4 & RE6 having all the melodramatic ass scenes.

I know not everybody is a fan of RE7 & RE8, but I like that they returned to the oldschool Horror vibes that the series was severely missing since even the 90s.