Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness photo : NetflixThe Resident Evil multimedia franchise was at a crossroads between the 2000s and the start of 2010. Resident Evil 4 was a big success. It moved from the stiff, spooky horrors of the PlayStation era, to something larger and more action-focused, though slightly less scary. Resident Evil 5's critical reception, which aimed to do even more of the same thing, has fallen as time passes. This is at least partly due to the fact that it centers on a white man who goes into Africa to kill predominantly Black zombies. Paul W.S. was not stopped by a declining critical reception. Anderson's Resident Evil movie series was still going strong when Resident Evil 5 came out.AdvertisementCapcom's developers followed the same path as the movie to create Resident Evil 6. This meant that any plot was just an excuse for professional, virtually invincible zombie slayers to be assembled without the slightest hint of horror. It was fun to see a woman kill monsters without any superpowers. When the money was flowing in, the developers at Capcom realized that it was indeed a lot fun. Resident Evil 6 is, unsurprisingly, terrible. It's also boring, which is perhaps even more surprising for a game that focuses primarily on cool zombie set pieces.Reviews Pre-Air Resident Evil - Infinite Darkness C+ Resident Evil - Infinite Darkness Based on Resident Evil videogame series Starring Nick Apostolides and Stephanie Panisello, Ray Chase, JonaXiao. Complete season available for reviewSorry for the history lesson. But that brings us to Resident Evil, Infinite Darkness. This Netflix limited series is computer-animated and based on Resident Evil. Infinite Darkness takes place right before Resident Evil 5's events, just before the games get too bad. This makes it an interesting time capsule to an old era of Resident Evil. The games, 7 and Village, have moved away form bombastic action to more unnerving first person horror. Johannes Roberts, the director of the reboot, says the movie series will get a 1990s-set remake that will reflect the John Carpenter-esque tone.It would be easy for people to conclude that Resident Evil 2: Infinite Darkness is bad. This is because it's a throwback of an era nobody wants to forget. It is not going to be mistaken for high art. However, what didn't work in video games, and what didn't make sense in Milla Jovovich's movies, actually works in a CG TV series of four episodes. Infinite Darkness can manage a complex plot that involves multiple government conspiracies and biological terrorism as well as a war in a Middle Eastern nation. However, it doesn't lose its edge by focusing too much on the diminishing returns from larger and more terrifying zombie monsters.While the show does not assume that you are familiar with Resident Evil history, it doesn't require any. The show assumes that you know the basics of zombie viruses. Claire Redfield, a woman who was once a cop survived several zombie adventures. Leon S. Kennedy, who is also a cop, is always in the president's good graces for saving his daughter. You will be able to recognize the main beats, even if you are familiar with zombie tropes.Resident Evil 6's early sequence (a zombie attack on White House) is almost ripped right off the show. However, it's better played here because the TV series makes the smart decision to pitch the entire episode in complete darkness. The only light in the chaos is provided by flashes from gunfire, which are able to see into the rooms of the White House. It's awesome! It's cool!AdvertisementInfinite Darkness doesn't represent the best expression of Resident Evil, but it is a good start to the Who is this for? debate that hangs over all tie-ins and video game adaptations. Instead of giving videogame fans what they want, or disregarding videogame fans, Paul W.S. did what was best for them. Anderson is not the only one who wants it. It seems that the Infinite Darkness team ignored everyone and found a place in Resident Evil where they could tell their story about government conspiracies, zombie-related PTSD, and the lovable Leon Kennedy. This is not an important part of the ongoing storyline. The games are doing something completely different now and it won't provide any context for the future movies. However, it has been able to let go of those expectations and created a TV series that is far better than most video game adaptations.
