Especially in earlier years, not all dialogues in video games were as good as those we know today from AAA games. A legendary zombie classic from the PS1 is the perfect example of this.
What game is it about? In 1996, Resident Evil was released by Capcom on the PlayStation 1. While the game wasn’t the founder of survival horror, it is arguably one of the most important titles in the genre. The intricate map and the accompanying backtracking are still essential components of the series today.
But even though the zombie theme combined with bioweapons sounds so serious, the first Resident Evil is also known for its absurd dialogues, which steal the seriousness from even the most difficult situation. One particular quote even earned the game a Guinness World Record.
Next year, fans can expect the next horror trip of the series:
The Master of Unlocking
What quote is it about? In 2002, the Guinness World Records named the sentence: Here’s a lockpick. It might be handy if you, the master of unlocking, take it with you.
(in German: Hier ist ein Dietrich. Es könnte praktisch sein, wenn du, der Meister des Aufschließens, ihn mitnimmst.
) In the game, the character Barry says this to the player character Jill.
On their official website (guinnessworldrecords.com), the decision for the award
is justified by citing various sources that mention the sentence in rankings of the worst dialogues in video games. The US magazine Electronic Gaming Monthly is specifically mentioned, as it also selected the line as the worst video game dialogue in 2002.
If you want to see for yourself, you can purchase the original (not the 2002 remake) on GOG and PS4/PS5.
You can see the dialogue in the game here:
The first Resident Evil is a feast for trash fans
Is that the only bad
line in the game? No, even though the story of the Resident Evil universe has become more comprehensive over the years, it was quite absurd from the beginning. Another famous line is: That was too close. You were almost a Jill Sandwich.
(in German: Das war zu knapp. Du warst fast ein Jill-Sandwich.
) Barry says this again to Jill after she almost gets crushed by a trap.
Already in the first part, the story of Resident Evil did not take itself seriously. The game even starts with a live-action sequence featuring real actors reminiscent of trash films from the 80s. When you look at very American names like Chris Redfield
or Albert Wesker
, you also notice the trash factor.
This becomes even more evident when you look at the later writers of the series. One of the key figures was Noboru Sugimura. He worked on Resident Evil 2 and Code: Veronica among others. Previously, he wrote as an author for Tokusatsu series (such as Ninja Sentai Kakuranger). These are series like Mighty Morphin Power Rangers that rely on exaggerated action and explosions.
Has Resident Evil changed over the years? Yes and No. Depending on the game, the story is a bit more serious, especially part 7, but the trash factor is still present. Completely absurd dialogues still occur from time to time, and the action has taken on crazy aspects.
Think of the epic dodge moves by Leon in Resident Evil 4 (via YouTube) or Chris punching a massive rock (via YouTube). But that is also what makes it charming, as few series mix horror with situational comedy.
Within the series, Master of Unlocking
became a little Easter egg that has been referenced multiple times in dialogues. Even The Last of Us alludes to it in an achievement. Why the series is so good gameplay-wise, you can find out here: A zombie game on Steam is so good, I want to buy it again just to play it on the train
