Seeing as I’ve already covered what I believe are the best tracks from the mainline Silent Hill, Castlevania, and Sonic the Hedgehog game releases, it’d only be fair to go over another massive franchise that has its own set of well-crafted and memorable soundtracks: Resident Evil. Debuting in 1996 for the Sony PlayStation, the original entry was credited as one of the “founders” of the survival horror gaming genre, as supplemented by the following iconic themes.
Still Dawn (Resident Evil, 1996)
Utilized as the overseas replacement for the original game‘s Japanese ending vocal theme (“I Won’t Let This End as a Dream”), the instrumental track “Still Dawn” is a wonderfully melodic and victorious-sounding rock piece that effectively tells players that they’ve successfully survived the horrors of the Spencer Mansion to (literally) go off into the sunrise. Even though “Still Dawn” is admittedly a bit cheesy in its presentation (much like the rest of the original game), it’s still a very rewarding piece of music to end things on a high note (and with amazing guitar harmony included).
The Front Hall (Resident Evil 2, 1998)
Featured as the leitmotif for the titular lobby of the Raccoon City Police Department in the original 1998 version of RE2, the track named “The Front Hall” is a notably moody but understated piece that has a very ethereal, even (as others have claimed) “church-like” quality to it that paradoxically comes across as safe and unsafe. The most notable features of “The Front Hall” are the bell-like “chimes” used throughout, the mixture of synthesized piano and horn instrumentation, and the prominent inclusion of a recurring three-note melody heard within multiple pieces across the entire game.
Final Metamorphosis (Resident Evil 3, 1999)
The conclusion of the original 1999 version of RE3, which sees players forced to face and finally defeat the now-heavily mutated Nemesis-T Type (a.k.a. “The Pursuer”) before they can escape the nuclear bombardment of Raccoon City, is punctuated by the genuinely thrilling and bombastic track “Nemesis Final Metamorphosis.” Brilliantly implementing a heartbeat-like central “melody,” and becoming louder and more intense-sounding as the track progresses, “Metamorphosis” is a fitting “curtain call” to the long and arduous conflict with Nemesis…and the ultimate fate of Raccoon City.
End Credits [DC] (RE: Code -Veronica-, 2000)
Originally released for the Sega Dreamcast in 2000, Resident Evil: Code -Veronica– was announced and developed as a major title for the console (but then re-released in an “updated” version for the PS2 in 2001): in particular, the Dreamcast release had a unique ending theme that was replaced by a standard medley for its PS2 re-release. While the contemporary jazz-like ending credits theme for the Dreamcast version has been hailed as “something you’d hear in a dentist’s office,” I can’t help but love it because it’s so evocative of Capcom games (and others in general) during that specific period.
Memento (Resident Evil [Remake], 2002)
Developed for the Nintendo GameCube as a complete (but largely faithful) graphical, mechanical, and narrative overhaul of the original PS1 title, 2002’s Resident Evil included an entirely new subplot involving the tragic story of Lisa Trevor, the daughter of the man who was commissioned to construct the Spencer Mansion about 30 years prior. Near the end of the remake, players will have to face a heavily mutated version of Lisa in a strange, puzzle-like “boss” encounter; “Memento,” the track played during this specific encounter, is an appropriately somber and haunting piece of music.
LEECHMAN-1 (Resident Evil 0, 2002)
Released later in the same year as the GameCube remake of the original RE, and serving as a brand-new prologue detailing events prior to the Spencer Mansion incident, Resident Evil 0 introduced a central threat tied to the then-unknown origins of the T-Virus. The track “LEECHMAN-1” is utilized multiple times throughout RE0 in the presence of the extremely difficult “Mimicry Marcus” enemies, with the piece’s frantic and Psycho-like string instrumentation perfectly summing up the extreme danger and intensity that said creatures represent to players (if not outright panic and frustration).
3rd Time’s the Charm (RE: Outbreak, 2004)
Despite the game’s questionable (and yet-to-be-confirmed) canonicity, 2004’s Resident Evil: Outbreak was an online cooperative title that featured a unique story set during a period overlapping with the original versions of RE2 and RE3 – and included a very enjoyable soundtrack with some noteworthy music. Featured as the game’s final boss theme, “3rd Time’s the Charm” is a wonderfully pulse-pounding and exciting track that combines bombastic choral chanting and heavy metal instrumentation to psyche players up to take on the even further mutated version of the “Thanatos.”
Sorrow (Resident Evil 4, 2005)
During the ending credits of both the 2005 original (and 2023 remake) versions of Resident Evil 4, the beautiful but forlorn track “Sorrow” plays over a montage of images showing life in the village prior to its infestation by the Las Plagas parasites from the Los Iluminados religious cult. In both iterations, the images start out showing the village as a struggling but peaceful community, yet, with the music growing darker (and then remaining mournful) following the cult’s appearance and the subsequent infection, madness, and enslavement that the deadly Plagas wrought upon the villagers.
Honorable Mentions
“Placido” (RE: Director’s Cut [Dual Shock ver.]), “Ada’s Theme” (RE2 ’98), “The City of Ruin” (RE3 ’99), and “The Code Is Veronica” (RE: Code -Veronica-).
“Countdown” (RE ’02), “ESCAPE” (RE0), “Save Room” (RE: Dead Aim), and “Final Battle” (RE4 ’05).
More must-reads: