Appreciating the Resident Evil Spin-Off Games

Resident Evil is an expansive series, with upwards of two decades worth of titles having releases since its inception in the late 1990s. While there are more than a handful of mainline games, 10 counting Resident Evil 0 and Resident Evil: Code Veronica X, the series has seen it’s fair share of spin-off titles. This has included competitive first person shooters, multiplayer focused survival titles, and rail shooters. While there are many, these are among the best Resident Evil spin-off games worth checking out in some capacity.

Resident Evil Outbreak

Arguably ahead of its time, Resident Evil Outbreak is a online multiplayer Resident Evil game where players can pick one of several characters to escape Raccoon City. Each character has their own strengths and weaknesses, which groups will need to plan around when completing objectives. Additionally, Outbreak features unique locales for players to explore, and while zombies remain the bread and butter enemy, Outbreak has its own plethora of frightening foes to encounter. It also featured an infection mechanic, which when bitten by zombies would increase your infection rate until you’d eventually turn. It’d only make sense for Capcom to give Resident Evil Outbreak a third chance, since multiplayer games are hugely popular. Either way, it’d just be great to have Outbreak on something that isn’t the PlayStation 2 at this point.

Resident Evil: Code Veronica (X)

While I don’t consider Resident Evil: Code Veronica X a spin-off game, it’s labeled as one. Starring Claire Redfield, Resident Evil: Code Veronica X extrapolates on another founding family of the Umbrella Corporation. Additionally, her brother Chris Redfield appears as a side character, along with Albert Wesker, the then series antagonist. This game provides some important character development for the pair, which helps create a more rounded experience when playing Resident Evil 5. It’s definitely one of the hardest Resident Evil games in the series, but worth playing since it’s story is largely significant to the overarching plot of the original first six games. While Capcom hasn’t made any announcement to remaster or remake the game, a fan made demo for a remake was previously made available on PC.

Resident Evil Gaiden

No longer part of the Resident Evil canon, Resident Evil Gaiden was a Game Boy Color exclusive. It featured Barry Burton, Leon S. Kennedy, and a mysterious young woman known as Lucia as the three protagonists. Set on an infected cruise ship, Leon and Barry are set with investigating the events that led up to the eventual outbreak. Combat was QTE based, with players using ranged and melee weapons to take down zombies and other gruesome monsters on the ship. However, like Code Veronica X, Resident Evil Gaiden is extremely punishing. It’s also extremely hard to find. That said, it’s worth giving it a shot if you manage to find a way to play the game, just for the fun twist at the end.

Resident Evil Survivor

The first first person perspective title in the Resident Evil series, Resident Evil Survivor (or Gun Survivor) is set after the events of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3. It features amnesiac protagonist Ark Thompson as he uncovers secrets about the Umbrella Corporation. Like Code Veronica X, playing Survivor enhances your experience with later titles in the series. But it isn’t a necessary title to understand the events of the mainline games. That said, some elements of Gun Survivor do get a very brief nod in Resident Evil 0, and Ark Thompson does have a little bit of backstory with series protagonist Leon S. Kennedy.