Back in 2019, I undertook the daunting task to rank every single mainline Resident Evil entry. It wasn’t easy. Going through my memories of each game and assigning it with a specific number was a challenge, all the more so because I love most of them so much.
But while my preferences fluctuate based on specific memories that occasionally recur, I think that most entries ended up roughly where they’re supposed to be. Since then, however, I’ve wondered – what about spin-offs? These are the games that don’t have a glaring number next to the title to indicate their importance. Believe it or not, some of these titles are good enough to be considered part of the main series.
Fast-forward to 2020 when the whole world is literally on lockdown. Is there a better time to cover a virus outbreak series? And so I determined to do just that – I shortlisted 5 of the best best Resident Evil spin-offs and ranked them from the worst to the best.
5. Dead Aim
Dead Aim was released in 2003 exclusively for the PlayStation 2 and is seemingly one of the less prominent spin-offs in the series. Albeit it’s more or less your typical Resident Evil game during exploration, it switches to a first-person perspective when engaging in combat. As such, it was meant to be played with a light gun, but is perfectly playable (and enjoyable) with a regular controller.
Plot-wise, Dead Aim follows U.S. agent Bruce McGivern, who’s tasked with preventing a terrorist going by the name of Morpheus Duvall from unleashing the t-Virus upon the world. Dead Aim is a product of its time, with cheesy dialogue, an abundance of dramatic slow-motion set pieces and a one-dimensional villain who looks like a hybrid of Liquid Snake and Sephiroth. Bruce is no more than your typical pretty-boy hero who always saves the day, and his mandatory love interest, a Chinese agent by the name of Fong Ling, may as well just be Ada’s twin sister. As far as I know, none of these characters were featured in any other entries, and for evidently good reasons.
Taking all of that into account, you could argue that Dead Aim is on this list only because of the lack of choices. But as mediocre as it is in comparison to the other entries, it still has its upsides. For one, the game took place on a cruise ship environment which was surprisingly atmospheric, and the game had one of the better save room themes in the series. It wasn’t received too well by critics and is by no means an essential Resident Evil experience, but if you’re looking to delve into some of the spin-offs, Dead Aim is a good place to start.
really good information
Code Veronica isn’t a spinoff RE games. It’s part of the mainline story.
It’s debatable. Other than concluding Claire’s search for Chris, it doesn’t do all that much to move the story forward. And because I didn’t include CV in the mainline ranking, putting it on the spin-off list seemed all the more appropriate.
Why do you think it’s debatable? Shinji Mikami was the producer of RE:CV, do you think he would be involved in a spinoff RE game?
I’ve always seen CV as a spin-off, for the reasons outlined above. Its story is a bit too ridiculous for a mainline entry and none of its events are continued after that.
Mikami’s involvement doesn’t necessarily indicate that it’s a mainline entry. If it’s a common consensus that CV is a mainline entry and I’m wrong, then I’m wrong.