Feature: Resident Evil vs. Silent Hill: Horror Series Showdown! Subscribe to this RSS feed

The final five categories!

Innovation:

Sequels aren't often known for drastic innovation. However, Resident Evil 4 bucked this pre-established trend with tremendous results. In this title, the old fixed-camera perspective found in previous releases was completely scrapped, and was replaced with an over the shoulder view that allowed for better control while maintaining the ruthless gameplay of previous titles.

Silent Hill, on the other hand appeared to be innovating at the rate of biological evolution (which is slow for those of you who have mentally evolved more gradually). By continuously releasing games with very minute changes, this series may eventually share the same fate as the evolutionally-doomed dinosaurs (that's extinction for those aforementioned cognitively-challenged evolvers).

Winner: Resident Evil

Shocks/Scariness:

We've already mentioned how both titles have been successful in establishing a frightening tone, but Resident Evil differentiated itself by focusing on action and adding more abrupt scares. For example, many still recall the first time that zombie-dog crashed through the window in the original Resident Evil. And like most, it caused me to drop a load faster than Jill Valentine drops her tube top in my dreams (which is unusually quick). Sudden frights were a common occurrence in all of the Resident Evil titles, with Silent Hill being content to create more of a gradually mounting mood.

Winner: Resident Evil

Story/Narrative:

Five simple words describe the plot utilized in all of the Resident Evil titles: escape from massive zombie outbreak. Sure, there's an occasional person to save, or non-zombie to kill. But, usually you're either slaughtering or avoiding massive coalitions of the undead in an attempt to reach safety.

Each Silent Hill title features a unique story wrapped around a mysterious character, that slowly (sometimes painfully so) reveals itself as you progress through the game. Not only do these stories often drive the player to the finish, but they can be altered through the various choices the player has made throughout the game. Unfortunately, on occasion these stories make little to no sense. Still, one should applaud Silent Hill's effort and its attempt to distinguish itself.

Winner: Silent Hill

Characters:

Since the voice-acting in both games is so routinely bad, it's tough to ever feel any real connection or empathy for either title's characters. But because Silent Hill often changes characters in each title with little or no connection to the previous releases, they become more easily forgettable. Resident Evil not only employs a number of characters over and over again, but many have previous connections (whether it be through relation or fate) to one another, so we are perpetually reminded of their traits and motives.

Also, due to the nature of the game, at times Resident Evil's characters allowed me to feel a bit more empowered (a large thanks goes out to the rocket launcher for that), and as a result, those characters left a longer lasting impression on me. I also may have mentioned earlier that Ms. Valentine's tube top still courses through my nocturnal sub-conscious fantasies, which helps as well.

Winner: Resident Evil

Hollywood Adaptation:

While almost no one would call either of these titles' eventual film translations good, most everyone would call Resident Evil's movie releases terrible. Screen Gems/Sony Pictures International: maybe you can explain where the main character of many of the Resident Evil video games (Chris Redfield) was while shooting your movies, because, I certainly don't remember seeing him make an appearance in any of your films.

Ultimately, Silent Hill stayed more true to horror movie roots, choosing to focus on atmosphere (like the game that inspired it), than Resident Evil's unfocused incorporation of other elements such as action and drama.

Winner: Silent Hill

Overall Fight Winner: Resident Evil (5-4)
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While each bloodthirsty title holds a special place in our sinister hearts, Resident Evil has simply been able to command excellence in more categories throughout these immoral franchises' tenures. Yet, with both series' having next-generation sequels already in progress who knows what direction this fight may take in the future. But for now, in our opinion, Resident Evil can proudly lay claim to being the best survival horror franchise on the planet.

Decide for yourself!

Which survival horror series reigns supreme in your book? Go to SucksorRules to let your voice be heard!