Summary
After exploding in popularity in the early to late 1990s with innovative and unique framchises likeResident Evil,Mega Man, andDino Crisis,Capcommanaged to successfully carry this momentum into the 2000s, which many consider to be the golden age for the company. During this time, it seemed as though Capcom was coming out with a smash hit title each and every year, and although they placed the majority of their focus on survival horror, they were also dipping their hands into entirely new genres in an attempt to appeal to as many people as possible.
Even to this day, many people are crying out for several of Capcom’s games from the early to late 2000s to be fully remade for a new audience, which just goes to show how fondly some gamers look back on those years. There’s a plethora oficonic Capcom titlesfromthe 2000sthat players fell in love with, so it’s time to reflect on what made them so good in the first place and why they have garnered such positive reputations from fans and critics alike.
While the firstDino Crisiswas very much rooted in the survival horror genre, Capcom decided to change the focus slightly in the sequel by making it much more action-packed. The primary way they went about achieving this was by throwing far moredinos the player’s way, which gamers are able to gun down with ease thanks to the large arsenal of weapons that the game provides them with.
Killing a dinosaur will add to the player’s Extinction Points, which essentially acts as a combo meter that keeps the core gameplay incredibly intense and very engaging. The plot was also made to be a little more streamlined compared to the wacky story of the first game, but it still retains all the charm and goofiness that made the original so beloved when it was first released just a year before.
Capcom decided to go way out of their comfort zone when developingDevil May Cry, ahack-and-slash action gamethat placed a lot of emphasis on the player racking up flashy combos to boost their style meter. The fast and fluid gameplay became the basic template that all games of the genre would follow after the game’s release, but it also stood out for its protagonist, Dante, who is a wisecracking and badass demon slayer who steals every scene he appears in thanks to his endless charisma.
There’s also a lot to be said about the atmosphere and level design ofDevil May Cry, with the traditional gothic architecture creating a unique environment that became so much fun to explore and admire in between fights. Although character action games are still going strong today,Devil May Crywas the first indication of just how fun and chaotic they could truly be when in the hands of a skilled team of developers.
Often championed asthe best remake ever made, 2002’sResident Eviltook everything that made the first game such a classic, including the terrifying monsters and lovable characters, and simply expanded upon all of it to bring the iconic survival horror classic back with a fresh coat of paint. The Spencer Mansion, which was already terrifying, was given a huge visual makeover that added an extra layer of creepiness to the atmosphere and truly made the whole place feel alive and real.
Capcom also threw in a few extra rooms, items, and monsters that ended up making the game much more terrifying, especially the Crimson Heads, who will appear if the player doesn’t take the time to burn the zombies' bodies after defeating them. They also expanded on the lore greatly, especially with the inclusion of Lisa Trevor, who demonstrated just how sick and twisted Wesker and his fellow researchers really were.
Despite being very stripped and fairly basic in its gameplay,Gotcha Forceis still a ton of fun and a very addictive game to play thanks to its replay value and explosive Gotcha fights. Each Gotcha Borg in the game comes with its own unique set of abilities and weapons, and once the player chooses the one they like the look of, they’ll be sent into a flashy battle where they must duke it out with other Borgs inside a giant arena.
Fights aren’t just one on one affairs though, as once a Gotcha Borg falls in battle, they’ll immediately be replaced by another to pick up where they left off. This gives players the freedom to figure out what the most effective team is, and with over 200 Borgs to choose from, it means there’s never a chance of the game ever becoming boring, stale, or predictable.
62004 - Onimusha 3: Demon Siege
Metacritic User Score: 8.7
Although the first twoOnimushagames were seen to be fairly niche titles, the third game skyrocketed the series into mainstream popularity thanks to its excellent hack-and-slash gameplay, unique setting, and thrilling story that spans across multiple time periods. Players take control of two characters throughout the game; Samanosuke, a samurai who is tasked with taking on hordes of enemy soldiers in modern-day Paris, and Jacques, a French cop who fights his battlesin Feudal Japan.
Both warriors are equipped with different weapons, which make them very unique in how they play, with Samanosuke being more of a close-quarter combatant, while Jacques has access to a few longer-range weapons to pick enemies off from afar and to make it past certain platforming sections. Alongside the excellent story and gameplay,Onimusha 3: Demon Siegealso features some pretty challenging puzzles, along with a sensational soundtrack that perfectly suits the over-the-top action.
At a time when theResident Evilseries looked as though it may have finally started running out of steam, Capcom revived the entire franchise, and in many ways,the survival horror genrein general, with their smash-hit gameResident Evil 4. Although the plot of Leon saving the president’s daughter from a dangerous cult is pretty easy to follow, what really makesResident Evil 4so enjoyable is the combat, which manages to perfectly mix tension with action to create a style that countless games have tried to replicate since.
Leon’s action-hero persona also added a lot of charm to the game, and he’s always a joy to watch on screen, especially when bickering back and forth with the multiple major villains who occasionally appear to try and stop him. Aside from Leon, there are also plenty of other incredible characters, with the likes of Ada and Krauser being particular standouts. Capcom struck gold withResident Evil 4, and it’s a game that has inspired countless developers to try their hand at creating an over-the-shoulder survival horror game since its release.
Dead Risingputs players in the shoes of Frank West,a goofy but lovable journalistwho’s looking for his next exciting scoop, only to end up in a giant shopping mall that’s become completely overrun with zombies. While the sight of hundreds of zombies on screen at once is definitely terrifying,Dead Risingmanages to incorporate a lot of humor into its gameplay, especially since Frank can use practically anything he finds in the mall to attack enemies with, no matter how ridiculous it might seem.
Mixed in with the zombies are the psychopath enemies, people who have slowly lost their minds after desperately trying to survive against the flesh-hungry hordes. These memorable encounters help to break up the pacing, while also presenting a pretty formidable challenge for Frank to overcome. There are even other survivors that the player can save if they have the time to do so, ensuring that there’s never a dull moment throughout a playthrough.
2007 was a fairly quiet year for Capcom, although one title they did come out with, which is one of the more well-receivedResident Evilspin-off games, wasTheUmbrella Chronicles, an on-rails shooter that chronicled the stories ofResident Evil 0,Resident Evil 3, and the first game. While the story remains more or less the same as the games that they are based on, with a few minor character tweaks, the core gameplay is actually incredibly fun, and being able to explore iconic areas like the train fromResident Evil 0and the Spencer Mansion in first person is a real treat for fans of the series.
After many fans were disappointed to learn that Umbrella was taken out off-screen at the beginning ofResident Evil 4, Capcom also decided to expand on their downfall a lot more inUmbrella Chronicles, even featuring an entirely new story that takes place in Umbrella’s secret base in Russia. With nine playable characters and a secret Hunk campaign to unlock, the game is also very replayable and a ton of fun tojump into with a friend.
After the enormous success ofDevil May Cry 3, Capcom immediately started development on the fourth game in the series, but this time, it would follow a new plucky protagonist by the name of Nero. Although he looked very similar to Dante, Nero’s fighting style was completely different, relying more on the power of his sword, Red Queen, which he could charge up to unleash powerful attacks when in the middle of combat.
Dante does still make a few appearances, though, and he’s just as snarky and charismatic as ever, feeling immensely powerful in combat and even being used asa boss fightnear the beginning, which is a great bit of fan service. The game did an excellent job at expanding the combat system while also adding in a whole cast of new characters and bringing classics like Lady and Trish along for the ride, too.
Resident Evil 5was the game that wrapped up all the hanging threads that fans had been eagerly waiting to see resolved for so many years, especiallythe heated rivalrybetween Chris and Wesker. While the game’s story is therefore incredibly interesting and very well-paced, with twists and turns around every corner,Resident Evil 5also stands out for its environment, with the fictional country of Kijuju having a much brighter and more vibrant aesthetic to what the series was usually known for.
The gameplay, while largely the same asResident Evil 4, was also made even more fun and chaotic thanks to the inclusion of co-op, not only in the campaign but also for the Mercenaries mode, which many consider to be at its best inResident Evil 5. Although it doesn’t quite reach the same heights as the previous game,Resident Evil 5is still a thrilling survival horror game that new and old fans alike will have a blast playing through.
