168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Resident Evil has had its ups and downs over the years. It broke new ground with its debut, and did so again with the seminal Resident Evil 4 which redefined survival horror and remains a touchstone for the genre today. Since then though, Resident Evil 5 is the highest selling of the lot but middle of the pack in terms of enduring popularity, 6 is generally regarded as a huge whiff, and both Biohazard and especially Village are divisive in their setting, tone, and the changes they made to the formula and the ingredients they kept. It's a similar story with the remakes - the first four should have been slam dunks, but 3 stumbled and now there's a bit of pressure on 4. All I want though is for Ada Wong to get a bit of respect.
The series has created some iconic characters in its lifetime, an increasingly baffling achievement the more you think about it. Even its biggest fans wouldn't argue in defence of its character writing. Nemesis, Mr. X, and most recently 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Lady Dimitrescu are evidence of its ability to create compelling, instantly imposing villains, but most of its protagonists are only popular because of the game they inhabit. They're usually just everymen with a couple of extra tropes stapled to them - or in the case of 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Ethan Winters, just incredibly plain everymen (albeit with magically indestructible hands). Chris Redfield is strong, and that's kind of it. Leon Kennedy is stupid, end of story. I don't want to diminish Jill Valentine's impact as one of the first playable female characters in an action game, and who was deliberately desexualised and given a sense of independence, but also her personality is basically that she's there, and that's it.
None of this is a criticism of Resident Evil. I have a strong affection for the series, and it can pull a player into its world to have protagonists who are essentially blank slates that allow for easy projection. Gaming has been doing it forever, and few are as good at it as Resident Evil. In fact, because the single trope chosen (strong, stupid, independent) is so perfectly pitched, it becomes the series' core strength. While most games have characters with the personality of a glass of water, Resident Evil has sparkling water, and that makes it stand out.
But Ada Wong is not a glass of water. She's a strong dram of whiskey with the kickback of a shotgun. Ada is the coolest character Resident Evil has ever created, and the fact it has never attempted to create a character with a similar suave swagger since makes it seem like an accident. Resident Evil heroes are supposed to be empty vessels for you to fill with your own idealised version of yourself, but Ada is not there for you to see yourself in. The spiky, husky anti-hero is one of Resident Evil's few legitimate attempts to build a fully-rounded personality not based around visually imposing scares or letting us fill in the blanks. It makes me wish the series attempted it more, but I also doubt it would ever strike gold quite so well as it did with Ada.
Based in part on La Femme Nikita, Ada works with and𝕴 against the heroes at various points in the Resident Evil canon, and never knowing what she might do next is a major part of her appeal. Her iconic red dress look also helps seal the deal, and the remake should allow for Ada to shine even brighter, given her penchant for fast and furious action sequences which will get a significant tune up with modern day tech. That the two mini-Ada campaigns (Separate Ways and Assignment Ada) could also be folded into the main story and expanded on should hopefully help her too.
I don't know why Ada hasn't quite permeated popular culture in the way characters like Chris, Leon, or Jill have. You can play as Ada, but she's not the star of the show, so that's likely a factor. But in plenty of other games, the supporting cast have survived the test of time, yet Ada feels doomed to obscurity. I hope the remake changes that for her, and that Capcom takes more inspiration from her in future games. Anything's better than more from Ethan Winters. Please.