LogFAQs > #952030259

I know this is a day late but I had expected and hoped to get my internet back yesterday but it was today instead. Nevertheless, on we roll!

Welcome, my fellow B8ers, to a project Ive had cooking in the back of my mind ever since the calendar year rolled over yet again. Yesterday marked the 25th anniversary of my favorite franchise of all time: Resident Evil. Resident Evil is a series I feel has been with me my whole life, whether it s from my mom playing it while I wasnt even a year old yet back in 96, to ten years later when Id play that original game in the series myself for the first time ever, to the most modern releases in a series that may very well be more popular than it ever has been before. The growth of this series has been nothing short of astounding to witness, and since I was 10 years old, Ive been here for the peaks and valleys of its RE2 remakes and its Umbrella Corps and everything in between. Still, were not really here to discuss series history as it pertains to reality; rather, we are here today to discuss its in-depth, in-universe lore and history. By all accounts, the storyline of Resident Evil is one of convoluted plot points, new viruses arriving on a weekly basis, inconsistent character appearances, and a whole spiders web of conflicting canon and non-canon sources. So, why do I care about this so much? Well, despite everything, theres an inherent mystery of the unknown that keeps me coming back and mining the depths of REs files, character moments, and enemy encounters to their fullest extents. Its story has been tied into its gameplay from day one: finding leftover notes from former survivors wasnt just an exposition dump, it was a way to truly immerse the player and accent the horror of the mansion, a warning to not end up like the brain-munching sucker you just wasted on the way to read said file, a way to give human context to otherwise faceless mooks, and an indispensable tool for literally solving some of the mansions most esoteric puzzles. Playing as an officer of the law, you also felt like it was your duty to collect this evidence and make sure whoever was behind this was brought to justice. Throughout the series constant gameplay changes and iterations, this method of storytelling has always been a consistent identity marker for the franchise, an ingenious method of making each new game feel scary again as you uncover the carnage of yet another viral outbreak and the tragedies and atrocities that happened sometimes mere moments before your untimely arrival. This narrative device is something oft mimicked in the survival horror genre, but I feel like no game truly captures the sense of awe and mystery you get from the RE series, either over-explaining things with boring walls of text or just using files as puzzle-solving tools like Silent Hill generally does. But, thats really just one reason why I adore the series lore; its just the cherry on top of complex conspiratorial plots, a goofy, diverse personality-driven cast, and some of the most messed-up monster backstories in the entire horror genre. Prepare yourselves for a deep dive of the series lore that spans video games, movies, mangas, and stage plays? Yes, It will all be discussed here, today and in the next few weeks as the 25th anniversary of Resident Evil gets underway, so strap in and prepare yourself for one of the most wild rides in all of video game storytelling, and we will start not with a game, but appropriately, a file.

Before we begin, Id like to provide a little overview for what this timeline project will entail:
1. ALL canon entries in the series no matter what they are (this should be obvious). Any events that take place prior to Weskers Report 2 will be discussed as they come up.
2. Original AND Remake events will be discussed, except in the case of RE1 as its in my opinion that OG RE is largely irrelevant story-wise and anything in that game can be found and then some in REmake.
3. Some non-canon entries will be discussed in the context of canon events, and they will be marked.
4. I will highlight certain files, characters, enemies, or even items if I find them interesting enough to bring up
5. Please allow concessions for simultaneous events. For example, its a lot easier for me to cover something like Claire A/Leon B by playing through all of the former first instead of switching constantly between the two, even if that would be more timeline accurate.
6. Since RE games often have multiple pathways, scenarios & endings, I will only be focusing on the most agreed upon canon of events with maybe only some mentions of other possibilities for fun.
7. Feel free to ask me any questions pertaining to the franchise along the way! Its very possible I could miss something, get something wrong, or gloss over something so its important keep me in check and on my toes!

The timeline (yellow highlight is canon):
https://1drv.ms/x/s!AuizEczRvCHkiHLuXEUvAjkV7cjY?e=7daJ9Q

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I've decided to put my fears behind me. I'm not going back.
https://imgur.com/a/du8zgsT - https://imgur.com/a/VTNzDEW