Richard Dawson
The plot of the first game held real potential as a book. Unfortunately, it often reads like a game walkthrough rather than an engaging novel. It failed to strike the fine balance between satisfying fans with familiar scenes and translating the story into an engaging read.
Because the book felt exclusively written for longtime fans, all drama and suspense were stripped out of the plot's most pivotal points. The reveal of the antagonist’s motivations lacked any build-up, and the consequences of characters’ poor judgment were swiftly resolved with a quick apology and forgotten by the next page. The frequent use of the word “‘copter” in lieu of ‘helicopter’ was grating and exposed the weakness of the prose.
While I don't regret reading it, and it is a much more faithful adaptation than the Resident Evil films, the best way to truly enjoy this story remains playing the actual game.
The plot of the first game held real potential as a book. Unfortunately, it often reads like a game walkthrough rather than an engaging novel. It failed to strike the fine balance between satisfying fans with familiar scenes and translating the story into an engaging read.
Because the book felt exclusively written for longtime fans, all drama and suspense were stripped out of the plot's most pivotal points. The reveal of the antagonist’s motivations lacked any build-up, and the consequences of characters’ poor judgment were swiftly resolved with a quick apology and forgotten by the next page. The frequent use of the word “‘copter” in lieu of ‘helicopter’ was grating and exposed the weakness of the prose.
While I don't regret reading it, and it is a much more faithful adaptation than the Resident Evil films, the best way to truly enjoy this story remains playing the actual game.