The Resident Evil franchise has been scaring horror enthusiasts for generations. With the remake of Resident Evil 4 here, those scares are sure to continue. While the franchise has been known for terrifying moments, there are times when the titles have taken a more humorous turn.
Titles in the Resident Evil franchise are filled with hilarious moments. These can range from cheesy dialogue to odd scenarios. Whether these cases are intentional or not, they provide some much-needed levity between otherwise tense moments. Here are some moments that provide these horror games their charm.
8 Jill Sandwich
One of the hallmarks of the early Resident Evil games is its cheesy dialogue. The writing can often be clunky, and the over-the-top voice acting, along with the pantomiming character gestures, makes the character conversations even more hilarious.
Resident Evil is known for coining one term in particular: Jill Sandwich. In Resident Evil, Jill’s fellow team member, Barry, breaks down a door and rescues Jill from a trap in which the ceiling is lowering fast on her. Saying that she could’ve been a “Jill Sandwich” is an unconventional way to describe being crushed to death.
7 Punching The Boulder
Resident Evil 5 had a lot to live up to after Resident Evil 4 reinvented the franchise. While Resident Evil 5 is a fun action game in its own right, the game does tend to embrace the ridiculous. Such is the case in the final boss battle with a mutated Wesker in the mouth of an active volcano.
At one moment, the protagonist and longtime franchise character Chris Redfield has to make a path across the lava, so he punches a giant boulder to tip it over and make a bridge for himself. This is acted out through what are now the games’ infamous quick-time events. The moment became so notorious, that a boss in Resident Evil 8 roasted Chris for it.
6 The Merchant
Resident Evil 4 is already a cheesy good time, kind of like playing through a schlock horror B-movie. Leon S. Kennedy’s journey through the game will require all the munitions that he can find. Fortunately, he has help from a mysterious source.
The merchant in his dark robes and purple face mask instantly became one of the standout characters in the game. His enthusiastic greeting and exaggerated accent make him a welcoming stranger to greet. Resident Evil fans can’t help to chuckle at his cackle when he tells Leon to “come back any time.”
5 Luis Shooting Leon
Leon is not alone in Resident Evil 4. He receives occasional help from Luis Serra, the smooth-talking Spaniard who has a thing for the ladies. In one pivotal moment in the game, he, Leon, and Ashley are stuck in a house surrounded by foes, and they must fight off the onslaught. That is, of course, if Luis doesn’t shoot Leon first.
If Leon accidentally (or intentionally) shoots Luis too many times, a cutscene will play of Luis aiming his gun, saying “Adios Leon,” and promptly killing him. Capcom must have known that Resident Evil fans would mess with Luis in this fashion, which makes this death a clever, entertaining surprise.
4 STARS
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis tells a new story that parallels the events of Raccoon City. It brings Jill Valentine from the first Resident Evilback into the spotlight and introduces players to the mythos of the Nemesis, a monster that relentlessly hunts Jill throughout the game.
Nemesis is a creature of few words, but in his pursuit of Jill, he shouts one word: the acronym S.T.A.R.S, the special task force Jill was in during the first Resident Evil game. It is in a low, growling voice that is easy to want to imitate, and it has been reinterpreted in the appearances Nemesis has made in several titles in the franchise.
3 Dance Leon, Dance!
Resident Evil 6 is one of the more controversial entries of the franchise, focusing more on bombastic action pieces. After its release, the property got another revamp in the form of the well-received Resident Evil 7.
Resident Evil 6 is split between three campaigns and has more of a focus on bombastic set pieces and over-the-top monsters. A unique “feature” of this entry in the franchise is the fact that players can rapidly swap back and forth between weapons, causing character animations to change quickly as well. It is possible to make Chris Redfield do the Cha Cha.
2 Ashley, Get In The Dumpster
As Ashley’s guardian in Resident Evil 4, Leon must protect her from the assailants infected with the parasite called Las Plagas. He can tell Ashley to wait while he checks for threats ahead, or he could take a less hygienic approach.
Leon can order Ashley to hide in a dumpster, which is not the ideal place for the President’s daughter. It is hard to blame Ashley for not wanting to jump down a garbage pit later in the game. Fortunately for her, this will not be an option in Capcom’s Resident Evil 4 remake.
1 The Tofu Survivor
Resident Evil is full of scares, but the developers also add elements to liven things up a little. In the original Resident Evil 2, a minigame called Tofu Survivor can be unlocked. It is similar to Resident Evil 2’s The Fourth Survivor, except that the protagonist is a giant block of tofu.
The sight of a giant chunk of tofu battling zombies may seem like something to laugh at initially, but this minigame is even tougher than its inspiration. The tofu block only has a knife and a few herbs, so anyone playing should be prepared for the ultimate challenge.