What are your favorite Resident Evil spin-off games and why?

[Sgt. Demblant]

Here's the full list, taken from Wikipedia:

Revelations
Revelations 2
(Edit: okay, let's consider these a sub-series if you prefer. Please, let's discuss the games and not debate semantics about the term spin-off, lol)

Survivor
Survivor 2 – Code: Veronica
Dead Aim

Outbreak
Outbreak File #2

The Umbrella Chronicles
The Darkside Chronicles

Gaiden
Operation Raccoon City
The Mercenaries 3D
Umbrella Corps

Mobile games:
Resident Evil: The Missions
Resident Evil: Confidential Report
Resident Evil: Genesis
Resident Evil: Mercenaries Vs.
Resident Evil: Degeneration
Resident Evil Assault The Nightmare
Resident Evil Zombie Buster
Resident Evil Uprising
Resident Evil Outbreak Survive

In anticipation of RE2, I've been diving deep into my Resident Evil backlog in the last few weeks. I started with finally platinuming Zero (which took me like 6 playthroughs but was quite fun) and beating the DS port of 1 with Chris. I didn't want to play another mainline one right away since I wanted to avoid overdosing on the formula before RE2's release.

So I thought now would be a good time to discover or revisit some of the spin-offs.
And honestly, to my surprise, the Chronicles games might be at the top of my list. I had never beaten either of them but I'm having a ton of fun with Umbrella Chronicles right now. It is by far the longest on-rails shooter I've ever played. I'm 8 hours in and just reached the final boss. Granted, I have replayed several missions since I'm a completionist, but still. And wow, this game is challenging as hell. Even on easy, getting an S rank is pretty tough. Plus this is one of the few Wii games that still looks okay today on my tv.

I enjoyed the Revelations games at the time but they can't really keep my interest whenever I try to go back to them. Raid mode was brilliant though.

I bought Mercenaries 3D on a whim when it was on sale for like 10 euros on the eshop. And I was very pleasantly surprised to be honest. It's a very robust and enjoyable package. Maybe it wasn't worth the full retail price when it launched but I found it to be quite addictive. I wouldn't mind a downloadable Mercenaries game on modern systems.

I am quite intrigued by Gaiden but I've never played it. And I'm not familiar with the other spin-offs.

So, what are your thoughts?
And I'd be curious to hear about the mobile games if anyone here has played them.

 

[MrH]

Revelations 2, 1 was terrible but 2 was Resident Evil perfection, it had more horror in 5 minutes than RE6 did in the entire game.

 

[StarPhlox]

Why are the Revelations (Revelaitons) games considered spin-offs though? They aren't numbered entries (neither is Code Veronica) but they are considered canonical just like 0-7 and CV.

 

[Jawmuncher]

Since the majority of this thread will just be Revelations (IMO, they should be considered more mainline than spinoff. Even if 95% of these spinoffs are canon still).

Regardless, Outbreak 1 & 2 are easily my favorite spinoffs. Just because the cast of characters and uniqueness really set it apart from basically anything else out there. The closest thing has been the indie outbreak game. Which I've never played.

 

[Noodle]

I'm replaying Revelations 2 in anticipation of RE2make and it's so good.

All the best gameplay elements of RE4 and RE5 distilled and blended (that not so coincidentally plays very similar to the RE2 demo). Claire and Barry returning. Whipsmart characterisation with people actually acting intelligent and working to get themselves out of a situation. The episodic structure makes for great pacing, especially as Barry's follow-ups are more action focused compared to Claire & Moira's more horror focused segments. I'm loving all the subtle callbacks to previous games ("Now who's the master of unlocking!"). There's a great remix of RE4's village map in Episode 2.

There are some issues with the dialogue ("Holy balls, my life is fucking awesome") and the hidden treasures for bonus XP are ludicrous. It requires you to switch to an unarmed character and methodically scan every single wall of every single room. I often finish chapters with less than half obtained.

 

[Sgt. Demblant]

Why are the Revelations (Revelaitons) games considered spin-offs though? They aren't numbered entries (neither is Code Veronica) but they are considered canonical just like 0-7 and CV.

Click to shrink...

Well, maybe spin-off isn't the right term. They're more like a side series. I think Capcom treats them as such and I don't mean that in a bad way. They're like appetizers between mainline entries.

 

[DSP]

Revelation 2.... I think it's only one that is any good so that's easy...

 

[Bansai]

Revelations spin-offs.

It's possible I'd like Outbreak series more, but I never got the chance to play it. :/

 

[Detail]

Outbreak 1& 2 for me, revelations isn't really a "spinoff" imo, it's more mainline.

Outbreak had a really varied cast of people and a unique approach, loved them.

 

[Detail]

Revelation spin-offs.

It's possible I'd like Outbreak series more, but I never got the chance to play it. :/

Click to shrink...

You can play it on PC via emulator, if you own a copy of outbreak you can rip it and then play with people online via PCSX2, I would highly recommend it.

 

[Chaos2Frozen]

I really really like Revelations 2.

Good story, great characters and the gameplay was a good mix of action and old school suspence.

I'm probably one of the few people that loved the weekly format- The cliffhangers zingers at the end of each episode were really effective.

 

[KDC720]

As a Resident Evil lore nerd I really dug the Chronicles games. They are fun rail shooters but I also enjoyed them filling in a lot of the gaps in the series overarching story up to that point.

I also replayed Revelations 2 recently. That game does a really great job in balancing tone much like 4. The camp and horror are done very well, and the game also has some of the best character moments in the series. It's a neat bridge between 5 and 6 as well.

 

[FiXalaS]

I don't count Revelations as spin offs, just side games, so I will say Dead Aim

 

[Miamiwesker]

Revelations are not spin offs.

That said the Outbreak games were my favorite. Probably hard to enjoy it now without online but at the time it was a crazy unique take on old RE. Put many many hours into it.

 

[imbarkus]

Dead Aim was very enjoyable. I'm glad I went through the trouble of playing it on a CRT with Guncon2.

Survivor was a bummer with a controller.

OP: Gaiden is pretty hard to go back to. All combat is that button-press timing, not really fun. You should make sure you do a tour through Master of Knifing on RE DS.

 

[Dusk Golem]

I really, really like Revelations 2 (despite the first Revelations being only okay to me), but the Revelations games are not spin-offs.

Dead Aim I think is very underlooked, it has some issues but some really good bits as well.

 

[Fancy Clown]

Revaltions games are the only ones I've played that could be considered spin-offs I guess. Rev 2 is very solid so that.

I did briefly play a mobile resident evil when I was younger that was kinda cool. It had a bunch of branching paths and was played in the classic style. Edit: it was Resident Evil: The Missions

 

[Mugy]

Darkside Chronicles alongside Mercenaries 3D.

In the case of the first one, it did a great work re-telling the stories of the first three games. Operation: Javier was also very interesting because they bring up back Jack Krauser from RE4, to tell us a little more about how him and Leon get to know each other. I think Krauser is a great concept for a character, so much that i actually wanted him to feature in the Marvel .vs Capcom series as a playable. Darkside Chronicles also does a excellent job in the gameplay aspect. Its very cinematic and fun and that was the reason that got me hooked up, since the last on-rail shooter i played before this one was House of The Dead II on Dreamcast. The jump was HUGE. After that i tried out some other on-rail shooters for Wii, HOTD: Overkill and Dead Space. And while the second one was great too, i just didn't have the same impact for me (maybe it was the setup. Resident Evil as a franchise is pretty charming).

Also the Co-Op is great. I cannot stop recommending it if you like just hang out with friends and play some co-op couch game.

Mercenaries 3D just because i like the mercenaries mode from the series. But specially since RE4. I think from 4-6, the best mode of all of them was the mercenaries. RE4 is insanely fun for record-breaking (im not sure why RE4 hasn't been updated with a leadboard option). RE5 mode for the gold edition had a lot of new characters and was still solid, and in RE6 was just the proof that it was the campaign of the game that sucked. RE6 gunplay was the best one of the bunch, if you had enough space to maneuver.

Put all of that together and yeah, its fun.

 

[SofNascimento]

Darkside Chronicles alongside Mercenaries 3D./QUOTE]

We need a new Mercenaries game...

Click to shrink...

 

[J_ToSaveTheDay]

I liked both of the Revelations games, personally. They did a great job cutting the difference between action RE and old-school RE, and felt like really good experimentation with what a modern RE game could be by fusing the most prominent elements of both. I think 2 is much stronger than 1 overall, but I got 1 as a 3DS game fairly early in the 3DS cycle and it felt very impressive for a handheld game -- but not so much as a console game.

Outbreak was also really interesting back in the PS2 days and I feel like I enjoyed my participation in them. I still love the idea of a more-than-2-player survival-horror style RE, and would love to see Capcom take another shot at it, but back then the interface and gameplay were a bit rough.

 

[trikster40]

Outbreak by far. Playing it with my friends is actually one of my favorite RE memories. That, and the very first one. Still remember the first time the dogs jumped in the hallway.

 

[J_ToSaveTheDay]

in RE6 was just the proof that it was the campaign of the game that sucked. RE6 gunplay was the best one of the bunch, if you had enough space to maneuver.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, this was my takeaway from 6 as well. Mercenaries mode in that game really feels like it lets the combat design shine. The campaign is filled with a lot of bad level design and weak encounters that really stifle the great action gameplay that the game has, though it's not ALL bad -- there are sections of the campaign that utilize the combat really well, IMO. I think the only weak point in RE6's combat is that the cover system is completely garbage, and generally unnecessary unless the encounters demand its use.

 

[data west]

A new outbreak using the moon engine would do gangbusters in this post left 4 dead, dead by daylight world

 

[Acorn]

Resident Evil revelations because they were the first small steps towards classic R.E. They were still action focused overall but it was the closest to classic re we would get before the remakes and 7.

 

[Sgt. Demblant]

Darkside Chronicles alongside Mercenaries 3D.

In the case of the first one, it did a great work re-telling the stories of the first three games. Operation: Javier was also very interesting because they bring up back Jack Krauser from RE4, to tell us a little more about how him and Leon get to know each other. I think Krauser is a great concept for a character, so much that i actually wanted him to feature in the Marvel .vs Capcom series as a playable. Darkside Chronicles also does a excellent job in the gameplay aspect. Its very cinematic and fun and that was the reason that got me hooked up, since the last on-rail shooter i played before this one was House of The Dead II on Dreamcast. The jump was HUGE. After that i tried out some other on-rail shooters for Wii, HOTD: Overkill and Dead Space. And while the second one was great too, i just didn't have the same impact for me (maybe it was the setup. Resident Evil as a franchise is pretty charming).

Also the Co-Op is great. I cannot stop recommending it if you like just hang out with friends and play some co-op couch game.

Mercenaries 3D just because i like the mercenaries mode from the series. But specially since RE4. I think from 4-6, the best mode of all of them was the mercenaries. RE4 is insanely fun for record-breaking (im not sure why RE4 hasn't been updated with a leadboard option). RE5 mode for the gold edition had a lot of new characters and was still solid, and in RE6 was just the proof that it was the campaign of the game that sucked. RE6 gunplay was the best one of the bunch, if you had enough space to maneuver.

Put all of that together and yeah, its fun.

Click to shrink...

Looks like we have similar tastes. I've only played the first handful of missions in Darkside Chronicles. But I'll go back to it once I wrap up Umbrella Chronicles. And yeah, it's great that we get to see Leon interact with Krauser.

 

[Adamska]

I actually had a lot of fun with Gun Survivor on the PS1 since I played it with a GunCon, but I know it's a flawed game. I suppose the Outbreak games are still the most interesting spin-offs due to the online component. I would rate the Chronicle games higher if the camera on those games wasn't complete ass.

Edit: also, I think it's a shame that Mercenaries and Revelations 1 weren't ported for the Vita, such a waste.

 

[Sargerus]

Outbreak #2 by far. REV1 is one of the worst games of the franchise. REV2 is okay.

 

[BocoDragon]

I think it says something that despite playing all of these at one time, I don't want to vote for any of them? I think RE's track record with spinoffs has failed to produce many "great" games. There is no Final Fantasy Tactics or MG Rising: Revengeance in the RE series where a spinoff is so good that some people might legitimately consider it the best part of the series.

I guess Revelations is the one I'd choose with a gun to my head, since it is, at least, more survival horror game.

 

[ItIsOkBro]

Revelations 2 is a great Resident Evil game

+awesome characters
+ammo starvation
+interesting enemies and bosses
+fantastic level design with real sense of place
+good shooting / melee mechanics
+decent story

Unfortunately it shares a few flaws with the last two main games

-lackluster enemy variety. by episode 3 i'm pretty sure it stops introducing new enemies. that's half the game..
-the reuse of what was staged as a boss as a common enemy. cheapens the "boss", poor attempt enemy variety

And finally it loses points for the derpy ending choice

 

[bane833]

Darkside/Umbrella Chronicles. Didn´t play Outbreak and both Revelations where mediocre at best.

 

[Strangelove_77]

I wanted to vote for Revelations 2 but it's bundled with the first game. The first game is fucking awful. It's so bad that I just wont vote. Can't give the impression that I like it.
Oh well.

 

[How About No]

I voted for Rev2 but i don't even know if those can be considered spinoffs

 

[LabRat]

revelations 2 is my favourite spinoff. it was clearly made on a tight budget but the writing is so good and memorable. quotes like

"jump on a dildo boss"
"i will always need you, but for now i have this" *barry points at this revolver*
"who is the master of unlocking now?"
"i was almost a claire sandwich"

just made this game so enjoyable. barry in general is one of the best resident evil characters ever.

 

[wafflebrain]

Let's be real, Evil Within is a spin off. Spiritual successor and what not but still one of the best marriages between the choked thick atmosphere of REmake coupled with RE4 mechanics (sans tank controls obviously). That medieval style village area with the chainsaw dude near the beginning is still one of the most memorable areas I've explored in a survival horror title.

 

[Encephalon]

I'm not terrible fond of the original game, but Outbreak File 2 is a hell of an experience. There's a sense of despair and brutality to it that's feels oddly missing from the mainline titles. It works.

 

[Ahti]

Both Revelations-games, especially the second one.

 

[Arklite]

Revelations 1 and 2. Rev1's Raid mode is the best post game additon since Mercenaries. Rev2 has probably the most interesting and well considered plots in RE, for whatever that's worth. I thought the characters were uncharacteristically well done.

 

[StraightToHell]

GAIDEN!!!

I think I'm one of the few that enjoyed the combat - it was a great way of translating it to handheld - but I wish it had more puzzles.

 

[Sgt. Demblant]

GAIDEN!!!

I think I'm one of the few that enjoyed the combat - it was a great way of translating it to handheld - but I wish it had more puzzles.

Click to shrink...

Do you think it's still approachable today? How hard is it?
It has always looked interesting to me from a distance but I never tried it and I've heard mixed things over the years.

 

[StraightToHell]

Do you think it's still approachable today? How hard is it?
It has always looked interesting to me from a distance but I never tried it and I've heard mixed things over the years.

Click to shrink...

Generally, it's not that hard, although it's got an awful difficulty spike at the end. If you can find a copy, it's worth a look. I think it would have been remembered more fondly if it had had a stronger plot with more supporting characters and more traditional RE survival gameplay. It's more streamlined that it needed to be.

 

[Pyro]

No love Operation Raccoon City? I really liked how it combined the Left 4 Dead formula with classes/special abilities for the characters.

Plus the total fan fiction endings where you could kill or save crucial characters was fun.

 

[curtismyhero]

Revelations 2 is the perfect sweet spot of taking re5 co-op with some classic re horror. I have also been a sucker of re's side characters, so finally playing as Barry really did it for me. I hope that Capcom continues the Revelation line, AFTER a proper re3 remake. :)

 

[Sgt. Demblant]

Generally, it's not that hard, although it's got an awful difficulty spike at the end. If you can find a copy, it's worth a look. I think it would have been remembered more fondly if it had had a stronger plot with more supporting characters and more traditional RE survival gameplay. It's more streamlined that it needed to be.

Click to shrink...

Thanks. Yeah, I'll try to track it down. Too bad it's not on the 3DS virtual console.

 

[Gradon]

Outbreak easily. Classic Resident Evil online is everything I ever wanted. I am not a competitive person so I've always loved the co-op online modes of RE and Outbreak is where my online gaming originated. I love those games so much.

 

[xrnzaaas]

I haven't played any of them yet, planning to do it with Revelations 1 and 2.

 

[Kromeo]

Revelations 2 is the only one I would say i found a good game. The Outbreaks were a good idea but the A.I was god awful and online barely existed back then

Revelations 1 and the light gun games were alright but I wouldn't play any of them again