With the recent release of the Resident Evil 5 demo, I've been subjected to something far more stomach-turning than hordes of the undead running amok in an African village. Of course, I speak of the Resident Evil fanboyism I assumed had ended long after the release of Resident Evil 4; you see, with the newest RE being made in the model of the series' previous game, purists are still upset that many of the things they've come to cherish about Resident Evil have been left to rot nearly 5 years ago. If you're a sane and functioning member of society, then you've probably realized that the Resident Evil 4 renovation was the best possible thing to happen to the series--and I commend you for your common sense. However, it's entirely possible that the drastic shift in the franchise still burns the living hell out of your beans; if this is the case, I bear you no personal grudge. I simply wish to ridicule your wrong opinions out of existence.
And now, friends, I present the Resident Evil arguments that need to die.
1. The game isn't even survival horror anymore.
This is correct. Resident Evil is now an action game--and it's so, so much better as a result. The series used to be about running past as many enemies as you could, while only taking out the few that were a serious threat--and the GameCube remake of the first RE even punished you for killing zombies by bringing them back to "life" in an even more ferocious form. Now, it's all about systematically clearing out areas full of ghouls, all while watching the ammo supply that the game gives you juuust enough of. There's a slight loss in scariness--to the point where even a notable wuss like me can now play RE--but the sheer joy added to the experience far outweighs the amount of pants-wetting you could be doing.
2. What happened to my precious Resident Evil story!?
You might have noticed that Capcom nearly washed their hands of the whole Umbrella/Raccoon City arc after Code Veronica. This is because A.) the logistics of basic plot elements barely made sense on their own and B.) there's no way in hell you could tie the events of the first four games together without several plot holes the size of Alaska. If you don't believe me, consult the Let's Play series of Resident Evil walkthroughs and see how little the stories make sense when someone is actually analyzing them.
3. ARGH why can't I strafe!?
The unique stop-and-pop fighting system of Resident Evil 4 and onwards is one of the few holdovers from the game's survival horror roots, and it really creates a set of mechanics unlike any other. Instead of Z-targeting an enemy (used in every 3D game since Ocarina of Time) and quickly turning it into Swiss cheese, you're forced to find a safe place and slowly kill the hordes of zombies that are on your tail--and said zombies usually block any way out on their approach. You could argue that the inability to run-and-gun in RE is an artificial way to add difficulty, but I respect that fact that it doesn't play like most action games.
4. Th-th-th-these aren't even zombies!!!
No matter how many Max Brooks books you've read, and despite how elaborate your undead apocalypse plans may be, zombies are fictional. And--God willing--they will be forever. This means that the definition of "zombie" is entirely reliant on whoever's interpreting the concept. So long as you get a bunch of humans who attack in large mobs, revert to completely animalistic states, and eat living flesh, I'm going to say you've got some zombies on your hands. But if you want to argue zombie semantics, I'd wager there are many areas on the Internet where you can do this. Just please don't bring it here.
Related Links:
Resident Evil 5: Continuing on the Transformation Trail From Horror to Suspense
Games to Film to Games to Film: Resident Evil Degeneration
The Resident Evil 5 Demo is Now for Everybody