-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Resident Evil Community |OT2| Best Fans Ever!
- Thread starter kamineko
- Start date
Jawmuncher
Member
You used my title!
Yep! I also snuck some sikshadow in there.
ArkkAngel007
Member
Technically the |OT| title kicks it off
nah, that's the bait
someone's gotta bite first
Damn, those Deep Fear tracks are great! I really need to play this one: I have a copy (Japanese) on my shelf, but still haven't played more than the first couple minutes.
How hard is the game to play for non-Japanese speakers? I know all the voice acting is in English, so I have to assume that it's not too difficult. I'd love to go through it without using a guide though.
How hard is the game to play for non-Japanese speakers? I know all the voice acting is in English, so I have to assume that it's not too difficult. I'd love to go through it without using a guide though.
Dragon1893
Member
I really enjoyed Deep Fear back when it was released, don't know what the hate is about.
Edit: that Eurogamer RE piece is great. Really does the game justice.
Edit: that Eurogamer RE piece is great. Really does the game justice.
ArkkAngel007
Member
Well it looks like we have a winner on page 2.
Though I'll be honest and say that there's a bit much on extremes on each end of that at times. But hey, that's RE.
Edit: Good to see RE6 is finally up at Best Buy online. Hopefully the copies will be at the local store when I pop by tomorrow.
ResidentDante
Member
Because this is the 20th anniversary of the original RE I want to share my favorite gaming memory, the first night I played RE. I've told the story many times, but I enjoy telling it. It was week of the release of RE and my brother who had a PS and was a huge horror fan had followed the game in magazines, so he bought it when it hit. I was a sega fanboy, a bad one, I refused to play Nintendo games and laughed at the stupidity of Sony trying to get into the market. I was a proud owner of a sega Saturn, the clear winner over the dumb Sony PlayStation. But deep down I just wanted to play great games, and man did RE look crazy, unlike anything I have ever played in my life.
We made a whole event out of playing RE for the first time. I invited my best friend over for a sleep over. We purposefully waited till midnight to start the game for maximum effect. To kill time my brother also bought the game D, so we played and finished that game in like 3 hours. It was a nice appetizer to the main course. Midnight came and we popped in the black coated disc (remember how awesome those were). The capcom logo appears, then we see a man in a hallway being chased by something, he screams and blood splashes and that VOICE booms out RESIDENT EVIL! I was in love.
My brother got to play first so my friend and I just watched. He chose Chris because he was a man, he looked like the hero so of course that was the choice. The typewriter noises begin displaying the date, the amazing FMV intro started. I was watching a movie I was going to play a movie. Jill run to that house! Gunshots firing! They get inside and the cast list rolls out and we get introduced to these characters that we are still following today. The rock music blaring, everyone is standing in an awesome pose. I remember seeing Barry Burton and thinking, that right there is the man, a red beard and a magnum. It ends on the team leader Albert Wesker, who looked like every 80s movie asshole villain so immediately I loved to hate him. Explosion with the title screen RESIDENT EVIL! I remember thinking this is the greatest thing I have ever seen and the game didn't even start yet.
Then the first in game cutscene began with the greatest bad voice acting ever. Barry, where's Barry? It didn't matter what it sounded like, what mattered is that it was like watching a scene in a movie. When my brother first took control of Chris he had no clue how to move him, we cracked up as we saw him struggle to move around a dinner table. He finally opened the door to the hallway and there we saw the first zombie, that famous head turn in CG glory. The zombie was slowly walking toward my brother and he had no clue what to do. We all started screaming, do something! Run! Attack him! He was like I don't know how! He managed to find the knife and equip it but it was too late the zombie started to eat him You Died.
My turn now, I was smart and knew that Jill had a handgun, I also read the manual so I knew how to play. So we watch the Jill version of the intro, this time it has Barry which instantly became my favorite character. A dining room! He is so observant! I remember the first time I took control of Jill, the tank controls felt so strange, like learning to drive a car for the first time. So I go to the first zombie with my gun equipped, no need for it to get close. He starts shambling toward me and I aim and fire.
Pop pop pop, down it goes. Yeah bitch you dead, let me check this body over AHHHHHH it's eating my leg! I mash every button and Jill finally smashes it's head in and a blood puddle forms around the body, my first lesson. So I check Kenneth who is just a shadow of his former self at that point and I got some bullies, woo!
Deep into the mansion I go, blown away at the level of detail. I am pushing statues, solving puzzles, trying to find my way around. I have never played in a 3D like world quite like this, it was groundbreaking. I reach a hall which I remember from magazine pictures, the dogs. We all knew it was coming, the moment was legendary before the game even came out. It didn't matter, i was so scared, inching forward. Slowly. Slowly. And then CRASH! I screamed like a girl and threw the controller into the air! The dogs jump into the room running around me! We are all trying to grab the controller, screaming, the dogs are eating Jill! It was too late. Never has a game instilled fear in me in that way.
My friend went next and got deeper into the mansion than any of us and that is how the rest of the night went. It was magical, an experience that only the new 3D era of gaming could provide. We fought a giant snake, barely escaped situations alive desperately trying to reach that item box. We solved some puzzles like the fantastic picture room with the crows, such a great puzzle that has been copied by so many games. Eventually we went to sleep but my brother played all night. We woke up to him describing this magical run where he went outside the mansion into a guest house with a giant mutant plant and then he went back into the mansion and was killed by the crazy reptile like creature. I had to see this. Oh we had no memory cards so we did all this with one life.
That's how I played for weeks, always starting the game over and getting further and further each time, death meant DEATH. I memorized every line of dialogue, I could navigate the mansion with my eyes closed at one point. This game had so much going on, so many cool locations, incredible music, and an epic finale. I remember the first time I reached the Tyrant and Wesker revealed himself as the villain I wanted him to be, I died fighting the Tyrant, which meant starting all over again. The next time I made it all the way to the end and finally beat the game, got the bad ending with Jill, still it was such a triumphant moment that I called my brother who was out just to tell him I finally finished it.
The reason why this game meant so much to me is that it shattered that fanboy mentality, from that moment on I loved games on a different level. Video games didnt just have to be toys, it didnt have to be this odd sporting event where you pick a side. Gaming was the future of entertainment, it could present itself like a movie while still allowing the player to interact in a meaningful way. I got my own PS1 soon after and I started to play everything I could get my hands on. I still did not have a nintendo console for a long while but I finally could admit I really wanted to play their games. The NES started love of gaming but it was Resident Evil that cemented it as the hobby I will love more than any for the rest of my life.
Through this journey as a RE fan I met some wonderful people online. The old ERE group at GS which eventually got its own home when Yama created the Biohaze fan site. Many of you are here as well, your knowledge of the series astounds even me. I love the community, even when we fight because we cant agree on what makes a better RE game. I think that's a good thing, all the greatest franchises have major debates on which is the best entry, Zelda, MGS, Mario, FF. The reason there is debate is because so many of the games are classics, RE is no different. I hope the debate can continue with new classics on the way, I hope REmake 2 is everything we dreamed of. I hope RE7 is something new we can get behind. I cant wait to see whats up ahead.
Thanks for the read! I love reading experiences like this, memories from older generations of consoles that never will die.
Jawmuncher
Member
Probably means nothing BUT the RE facebook/twitter made a point to celebrate the anniversary of Resident Evil Outbreak today.
https://twitter.com/RE_Games/status/715577247646679040
https://twitter.com/RE_Games/status/715577247646679040
Theanine3D
Member
I hope that leads to something! /crosses fingers
It would be interesting to see how today's fanbase would react to Outbreak. The game was much faster paced than RE1-3, I remember you had to constantly keep moving otherwise your team wouldn't hesitate to leave you behind (and I remember dying a few times because I tried waiting for a slower teammate...). But at the same time, it was still no RE4.
It would be interesting to see how today's fanbase would react to Outbreak. The game was much faster paced than RE1-3, I remember you had to constantly keep moving otherwise your team wouldn't hesitate to leave you behind (and I remember dying a few times because I tried waiting for a slower teammate...). But at the same time, it was still no RE4.
Gunslinger
Member
Yo so I was playing RE 6 remaster and it made me realize how convoluted the plot of RE saga is now. I think it's time for a reboot. Back to the beginning again. RE7 should be a reboot IMO.
RSB
Banned
And throw 20 years worth of lore and memorable characters down the toilet? Seems like a terrible idea.
The story arc that started with RE1 was finished in RE5, and RE6 is basically a stand alone entry that also leaves the door open for Capcom to do whatever they want with the story in the future. Rebooting the franchise would be completely unnecessary.
How about no.
Why would you get rid of one of a long running and lore heavy story? Especially when there's still loose plot threads? I'll never get that sentiment. It's also not that convoluted at all.
ArkkAngel007
Member
It's not convoluted. Plenty of stupid motivations and handling in there, but subjective quality /=/ convoluted. The mainline titles are quite simple, even RE6 with its four perspectives and half-baked/sequel-bait concepts (The Family/Neo-Umbrella).
A reboot would likely increase the chance of the series becoming convoluted, and it's far from likely that any issues you or anyone may have (including myself) would be remedied by that action.
If anything, RE7 could pull off being the end of the established cast and plotlines and then afterwards the series can undergo a reboot with a new cast and a clearer direction. That will not prevent the series from undergoing changes again though or having a controversial narrative.
Funyarinpa
Member
Just started REmake (Steam)
Jill or Chris for a complete newcomer?
Jill or Chris for a complete newcomer?
Fancy Clown
Member
Jill. More inventory slots makes things easier your first time around when you're not sure what items you need and where.
Funyarinpa
Member
Fancy Clown
Member
tank controls will be second nature soon enough
Junahu
Member
Jill
The early game is a bit more guided, and you get more inventory space which means less backtracking and fiddling with chests. Jill's personal item (the one that doesn't take up a slot in your inventory) is a lockpick, which means she can open a handful of doors without collecting a small-key.
The downsides to Jill are a little less health, more recoil on power-weapons, and the lighter needs to be carried around in one of your inventory spaces (it's Chris' personal item). The lighter is useful for
burning corpses that you've doused in Kerosine so they don't come to life again later
Edit: beaten
ArkkAngel007
Member
So what are we hoping to see with REmaster5 now that we've had our first taste of their modern "remaster" efforts?
Guaranteed should be:
What remains in question is:
There's still a minimum of 2 months before this drops and this has a bit more time to work with than REport6 did. Depending on how much time they've been working on it, what should be the reasonable expectation?
Guaranteed should be:
- 1080p/60fps
- Gold Edition content (Lost in Nightmares,Desperate Escape, costume packs)
What remains in question is:
- Will Move support be included like in the Alternative Edition, given PSVR is around the corner and can touch that market?
- Will this be a PC port with possible 'patched' content, or will the assets be reworked into a proper remaster?
- Extra costumes? BSAA Jill (Best Jill), Labcoat Wesker, and RE6-inspired Chris would work.
- New Mercs content? Maps, modes...something akin to Cycle Mode from RE6?
- New post-game unlocks/content?
There's still a minimum of 2 months before this drops and this has a bit more time to work with than REport6 did. Depending on how much time they've been working on it, what should be the reasonable expectation?
Jawmuncher
Member
I expect all of these ports to just be the PC ports on consoles. So besides all the DLC, we'll get No Mercy and that's probably it. With maybe one slight change like the cycle mode in RE6 for MP.
I don't see them doing much more besides all of that and making sure they're 1080p & 60fps. I almost feel like the PC ports were done to get a easier way to port to consoles.
I don't see them doing much more besides all of that and making sure they're 1080p & 60fps. I almost feel like the PC ports were done to get a easier way to port to consoles.
ubersticky
Member
Pretty sure its gonna be a PC port of the game bow that it has the gold content. Maybe they could redo Mercenaries to include vanilla and reunion content together along with versus. But I doubt it.
I'm sure RE6 had finished content that just got cut that could've been added to the ps4 version. C'mon costumes... Im sure there were a few characters too but oh well.
I'm sure RE6 had finished content that just got cut that could've been added to the ps4 version. C'mon costumes... Im sure there were a few characters too but oh well.
Jawmuncher
Member
The only cut content would be the Left 4 Dead PC stuff, but I think it was a case of keeping costs down so they cut it. Since they would have to redo contracts and such.
If these ports were priced higher than 20 each, I think they'd have more changes.
Funyarinpa
Member
OK some REmaster impressions
First off, it's downright EVIL to make you seek items for saving. I love it.
Secondly, tank controls are a bit easier than I thought they would be. Quick turnaround helps greatly. Also, for some reason the d-pad is more comfortable. Lol
I like the mansion design and atmosphere. Just got killed by a statue with spikes on its shield because I picked up a key O_O
Secondly, tank controls are a bit easier than I thought they would be. Quick turnaround helps greatly. Also, for some reason the d-pad is more comfortable. Lol
I like the mansion design and atmosphere. Just got killed by a statue with spikes on its shield because I picked up a key O_O
Stallion Dan
Member
+1.
Someone at Capcom got a boner for secret societies, ancient cults and fake terror organisations and it really not needed. Big evil company makes monsters worked fine for the first 6 games.
This is such a nonsense defense of rebooting. Did REmake throw RE1 down the toilet? No, it is still there to enjoy if you want to, the last 20 years aren't going to up and vanish. It'll always be there to enjoy, if you wish to.
Capcom can't actually do what they want with the story either, when stories begin they're an open sandbox on what can do, but as more story is created and a universe is built that box becomes smaller and smaller. Eventually reaching a point where the story gets called out on shit logic and new story due to the universe that has been previously built up. RE is well past that point.
Realistically, use any character/costume skin from Mercs/Mercs Reunion in campaign. No Mercy Mercs mode.
With RE6 there is some shader issue with alt costumes in campign which is why we have none, I don't believe this exists for RE5.
RSB
Banned
If they reboot of course it goes down the toilet, because they would stop building on what they've created in the last 20 years. And it would be completely unnecessary, because if they wanted to introduce new gameplay mechanics, new stories and new characters they totally could, and they could do it without rebooting anything (RE4 already dd it with the gameplay)
I'd agree with this if RE was more like, say, MGS (Kojima did definitely write himself into a corner) but fortunately, it isn't. RE has always been silly enough for that kind of thing to never be a real problem, and yes, they could take the story in countless directions with ease.
This is such a nonsense defence in favour of rebooting. Since when is a remake/retelling a reboot? REmake didn't make a new canon or anything like that, it updated the oldest piece of canon to fit more with the later pieces. Words have actual meanings; if you think REmake is a reboot you might not know what that means.
Theanine3D
Member
IMO:
1) the series already basically got soft-rebooted with RE4. And that was the game that started the cult plotlines.
2) the silly over-the-top stories are, in part, a consequence of the modern-day action focus of the series. So unless you also want the new numbered titles in the series to go back to mansion crawling (something Capcom will never do), rebooting wouldn't guarantee the story would become any better.
I don't think a reboot is a good idea at all. Throwing away all the existing characters and lore would gain them nothing - because they already have freedom to do whatever the hell they want. Capcom already drastically changed the gameplay and story going from RE4 to RE6, and they did it all without the need for a reboot.
1) the series already basically got soft-rebooted with RE4. And that was the game that started the cult plotlines.
2) the silly over-the-top stories are, in part, a consequence of the modern-day action focus of the series. So unless you also want the new numbered titles in the series to go back to mansion crawling (something Capcom will never do), rebooting wouldn't guarantee the story would become any better.
I don't think a reboot is a good idea at all. Throwing away all the existing characters and lore would gain them nothing - because they already have freedom to do whatever the hell they want. Capcom already drastically changed the gameplay and story going from RE4 to RE6, and they did it all without the need for a reboot.
You do know that REmake is, well, a remake of RE1? It tells exactly the same story with some minor changes here and there and added Lisa sub-plot and it doesn't erase the entire history from previous games.
And they work fine now. The Raccoon City story was about an incident. Further games started to use terrorism as a main story point and it works since the whole series is about bioorganic weapons. Tyrants, Hunters and other monsters were created with selling them and using them as weapons in mind so the current storyline is a logical continuation of the Raccoon City trilogy. Hell, even in CODE: Veronica most of what you see is a result of Wesker's attack on the island.
No, it's not.
Not to mention, what exactly would a reboot achieve? That you would once again have two or three games about isolated accidents with viral outbreak, but after that it would be back to the point RE story is today: big corporations, terrorism, reoccurring heroes that can fight zombies and monsters day and night etc. So, nothing big would be gain but instead a 20 years of story and lore would go down the trash. No, thank you.
Capcom could go back to smaller scale games and normal civilians if they would want to. Just because another mainline RE game would be about Chris, Leon, Jill or Ada saving the world from another villain doesn't mean we can't have a sideline game about an ordinary civvie trying to survive and escape from place X that has been overrun by zombies.
Stallion Dan
Member
The point clearly went right over your head.
Also REmake did introduce new canon.
No characters need be thrown away. For one thing, the last 20 years isn't going to vanish as I already said.
For another, look at how Tomb Raider rebooted with TR Legend. They wanted to tell a story but couldn't because there was too much story already told in previous games covering every aspect and era of her life, so they said "Fuck it, reboot it" and got to tell a brand new story without any constraints and Lara didn't change at all.
Also again, due to how they up the universe they can no longer do whatever they want without the story suffering for it and people calling it out on its BS, which fans have done for several games in a row now.
How unimaginative if you think that is the only place the story can go.
The trash comments are hilarious. Using that logic original Ghostbusters is apparently trash because they rebooting it. 30 years of being great and suddenly it's trash.
Jawmuncher
Member
With the size of Resident Evil, if capcom does decide to reboot it. I don't see them doing so until they make a game which closes and answers a lot of what fans want to hear. I guess the argument there is they did DmC. But they learned from that in more ways than one.
Stallion Dan
Member
Everytime they answer something they invent more unanswered nonsense they need to answer in another game. It'll never end.
Jawmuncher
Member
Someone needs to put their foot down and put some finality down. End the family and then have what RE3 had with epilogues for all the characters.
StrongBelwas
Banned
I see the arguments for both sides, there is part of me that would just love a back to basics story in the RE universe without all the baggage of the previous games, but on the other hand if I loved the RE lore and story etc I would probably just want it to continue to expand and grow etc.
Jawmuncher
Member
Yeah i'm down for either, but I would like some finality to the series if they decided to go that route.
I don't see why they simply can't just ignore it if they don't want to do anything with it. The amount of loose ends in the RE universe as of now could be seen as an asset more than anything - they can pick up on something if it fits the story they want to tell, (like with bringing Sherry back to relevance after a considerable gap of time for RE6; or Revelations 2's use of Alex Wesker) or take an established character or two and set them up with a completely self-contained plotline that barely relies on prior games, like RE4 - just because the latter approach hasn't been attempted in a while, it doesn't mean it'd be any less valid than it was 10 years ago.
No, it didn't. The only difference between REmake and RE1 was Lisa and how she ties in with everything that Umbrella achieved (T-virus, Nemesis Project, G-Virus). And even she - as a character - was meant to be mention in the original game in the Trevor's Letter, that was cut from the final game. Everything else was exactly the same story wise, just with better dialogs and some simplified decisions regarding Barry. Capcom didn't even address Wesker's resurrection or scenario where all 4 characters (Jill, Chirs, Barry and Rebecca) survive.
You can't really compare Tomb Raider, where (in TR1-6) story was simply an excuse for Lara to go hunt an ancient artifact, to Resident Evil, where you have this whole lore, various corporations, history and reoccurring characters that age with the playerbase.
Barely anyone really plays PSX-era Tomb Raider games for story. It was always about adventure.
People keep screaming about BS ever since CODE: Veronica, and yet Capcom manages to release game after game that fits into the universe without breaking any major rules. The current consensus is that: Umbrella's viruses, monsters and researches are being sold on black market; there are various pharmaceutical organizations that tries to fill in the gap left by Umbrella; various terrorist organizations use Umbrella's left-overs or new viruses as weapons; there are special military units (BSAA) that deal with that sort of things. The end.
Tell me, how can you not do whatever you want in that scenario anymore? Especially since there are major time gaps between various games (RECV, RE4, Revelations, RE5, Revelations 2, RE6). And RE3 and Outbreak games already proved that you can have one major game that sets up an incident (RE2 with Raccoon City outbreak) and then have few more games that use the incident to tell its own stories with completely different cast of characters and villains.
Hey, you were the one telling that Capcom can't do anything with the story right now that wouldn't make the story suffer, so maybe I'm not the one who is unimaginative.
We're talking about a big AAA franchise with a new game released every year or two. Where do you think things could go? Especially with Capcom wanting to make new mainline games bigger and better (with more explosions!)? Do you honestly believe that they would keep releasing pure survivor-horrors without any weird stuff and superhuman characters that break any rule of nature and anime cliches?
Comparing a video game series - one with 20 years worth of history made up of 16 plot-relevant games, 2 movies, two mangas and a stage play, and with an upcoming yet another movie and a mainline video game - to a movie series that consisted of two movies, where the last one was released 27 years ago is a little unfair, don't you think? Not to mention, IIRC the new Ghostbusters movie is set in the same universe so it's not really a reboot, just a continuation with different characters.
And it's not about "trash" as a description of quality, it's about deserting your fans by ditching everything that happened up until now. All the characters they love, the events they grew up with, the lore - gone. Just because some people think that a "reboot" will magically make new stories better and grounded.
Stallion Dan
Member
That just strengthens my point, if TR didn't have a lot of story (it kinda did put a lot more in TLR onwards) and they felt it was too constraining, then how constraining is RE in comparison.
It's not about breaking rules, is about having story that is just shitty. For example I'll use a few complaints a lot of people have about Rev2, the most recent game. We got these big organisations to fight bioterror now and for 6 months that sat with their thumbs up their assholes, between Chris, Leon and anyone else Barry could get zero help to rescue his daughter. Now, expanded materials (which is also a big complaint, story being so uneccessarily convoluted they don't put it in the games ) give an excuse for this, but it's a weak excuse that has also been called out for sucking.
Gone where? Are you planning to throw all your stuff away and train yourself to forget it all? It'll still be there.
I skipped some bits as I felt they overlapped or were arguing for something completely unrelated, like SH vs action (which is gameplay related, not story).
It was so constraining that they ended up using TR1 plot as a base for Anniversary.
The only thing that constrained them was that in the original timeline Lara's parents both lived, and in Legend they wanted to make mom dead. Replace mom with a best friend, an aunt or any other close person and voila - you no longer need to reboot the series. (not that it really matters in case of Tomb Raider)
Not to mention, you compare a series with a single main character to a series with at least 5 leads, a couple of dozens secondary characters and a possibility to introduce completely new characters anytime you want (meaning: in each new game). You can't have Tomb Raider game without Lara being the main character, so if you want Lara's mom to be dead, you have to create a new universe. However, you can have a Resident Evil game with a completely new character as your main protagonist, someone who you can put into any situation you want.
But the story will always be "shitty". Resident Evil is filled with anime cliches and video game logic that won't go away just because you do a reboot.
The problem with Barry you mentioned isn't because of the series' long history, it's there because they needed a reason for Barry to go search for his daughter alone. It's a standard video game logic of a group of people splitting up during a zombie outbreak, a glorified SWAT team going on a mission in the forest in the middle of a night (twice, both Bravo and Alpha Team committed this sin), both Claire and Leon somehow managing to enter Raccoon City without any problems or even hearing about the incident (that already lasted for few days when RE2 happened), a college student being able to infiltrate highly-secured Umbrella labs etc, Jill deciding that it's time to escape the city when the whole place is already overrun by zombies etc., Rebecca deciding that it's OK to not tell Enrico over the radio that she is trapped with a serial killer in a train filled with zombies and leeches etc.
Not to mention, you can easily rationalize the reason for Barry going alone with Claire telling everyone that Moira and all prisoners on the island are already dead, Alex shot her brain out and the main lab exploded. So there's no reason for any organization to go there (especially since TerraSave are in ruins and BSAA is probably busy saving the world somewhere else).
Gone as in no longer developed, abandoned, suddenly ended for no reason other than to please some fans that hope the rebooted story won't be "shitty" anymore.
i thought in rev2 barry did call for the cavalry once he figured out where the hell the island was from claire and decided to run point within that area until he found the right island?
like, rev2 takes place over the course of one day and the BSAA arrives w/ claire and stuff at the end because he called them in
like, rev2 takes place over the course of one day and the BSAA arrives w/ claire and stuff at the end because he called them in
StrongBelwas
Banned
Although this probably true, that only covers 2 main line games so the majority of the story is still within the time line of people caring about it.
That's exactly right.
All the more reason then.
If you've been following the story for, say, six games and there's two games where you lost track of it, that doesn't mean it can't be salvaged.
Especially since the story isn't nearly as convoluted as people think. RE isn't MGS.
Stallion Dan
Member
Anniversary was a remake to celebrate 10 years for the series, and Legend already had the loss of a friend as part of it's story. Besides which, they wanted the loss of her mother to be her whole motivation for becoming an adventurer in the first place, and all of that was already covered by the original series canon.
So no, they couldn't just character swap.
Except that since RE2, 18 years ago, Capcom have never done a mainline game without using an already established character, so this isn't a good point to make, plus as everyone keeps defending these characters as to why shouldn't reboot, making a point of ditching them isn't a good one.
Trying to raise the bar at this point is pointless, it wouldn't fit, but rebooting lets them do whatever they like, can ditch the anime nonsense if they wanted.
Your mixing different things together. Characters making poor decisions to advance the story is different than the story just being poor. A lot of the problems are created after the fact also with the story being unnecessarily padded out in non-game materials, or later games changing things.
Leon/Claire entering RC for instance. In RE2 alone it works fine, RC is meant to be a small town basically under the thumb of the big bad company. The town going quiet to the outside world for days, in the 90s, without much qustioning is not a big stretch. But then as expanded info comes into play as well as later games, it transofrms into a huge metropolis with an army barricade around it and more, so yeah at that point it's fine to say "How the F did they just drive into town and how did nobody know".
Story bloat. Series suffers heavily from it.
Should not need do this for story failings, plus that logic means they shouldn't have turned up when they did, plus Natalia was still somewhere. We're not talking a few days here where you could stretch it that maybe the BSAA needed group some people/resources together first, or that none of Barry's friends were instantly available. 6 months. "Oh she's already dead Barry, it won't hurt if we get to that later and let her body rot for a while, why don't you wait before going too". "I guess you're right, I'll put it off for a while too".
So pretty much any story that ends and is no longer being developed is 'gone'. That like 99.9999% of every story ever told. They all gotta end at some point.
OK, I buy every game on release day, I probably have more versions of individual games than many people have games in the series altogether, I have betas, unrelased materials, various types of merchandise, cosplay outfits, I get non english sources of stuff translated to read.
I think RE6 is overall a fairly shitty game, yet I own the limited edition for both PS3 and 360 and I have an import of a disc for the PS4 version in the post headed towards me right now.
I'd take a bet I'm more dedicated to it than most people in this thread.
I like the series. A lot. Doesn't mean I cannot think it's better off rebooted.