Resident Evil's unofficial lore master has weighed in with his thoughts on Resident Evil Requiem, which adds a sizable new chapter filled with story revelations to Capcom's veteran horror franchise.
If you aren't aware of TheBatman, you should be. The architect of an exhaustive timeline document that charts all Resident Evil lore (beginning around 4.5 billion years ago), TheBatman seems to know more about the series and its characters than anyone else on the planet.
His timeline now extends to a series of pdf documents arranged in date order, covering the series' events from pre-history up to 2020, with fresh additions to come. Already, the full project runs to thousands of pages, with information sourced from across the series' mainline games and numerous spin-offs.
But how has the recent arrival of Resident Evil Requiem — an entry designed to wrap up earlier plot threads and revisit fan-favorite storylines — impacted all that? As you might expect, TheBatman has plenty to say on the matter, not least the "retconning" of Raccoon City's supposed complete destruction via a missile (albeit not a nuke) at the end of Resident Evil 3.
Read on for IGN's chat with TheBatman for his thoughts on where the series is headed next (now that it already has a billion years of lore under its belt), the inconsistencies created by story changes in the franchise's recent spate of remakes (which certainly look set to continue), and most importantly of all: is the most knowledgeable Resident Evil fan alive on Team Ada or Team Claire?
IGN: How much have you been able to work on the timeline of late, amid a very busy period of releases for the series?
TheBatman: I’ve been working on it quietly behind the scenes for a while now, adding new details, tweaking existing information, and generally trying to make it more concise and easier to read. It’s been fun adding the Requiem details though some of the story points have proved challenging given they change certain aspects of the RE lore going back decades. I plan to release two versions once the Requiem story DLC drops. One version uses the remakes as the primary focus, and the other uses only details from the original games. That way people can pick which version they prefer.
IGN: That's interesting — how much do the remakes change the series' established lore? Are we at a point now where canon effectively has to be split in order to include them?
TheBatman: I think it depends how deep you want to go in on the details. The main story beats of each game remain largely unchanged, so it doesn’t really affect the broad-stroke details of the main canon. I certainly think this is how Capcom like to approach the remakes in terms of story, but if like me you are interested in the really finer plot points, that’s when it becomes an issue.
Does Brad Vickers die via the Nemesis in the original RE3 or by zombies in Bar Jack in its remake? Does Marvin Branagh get bitten during the events of Desperate Times in Outbreak File 2 or by zombie Brad in Remake 3? Does Krauser work with Wesker in RE4 or not? I’m sure many people won’t be overly bothered about such things as their consequence to the overall story is minimal, but as someone who has always been interested in chronologically laying out the series lore in a cohesive way that all fits together nicely, it becomes difficult to incorporate everything without splitting the canon. That’s another reason why I chose to write two separate timelines because I wanted to include every story point in such a way that it fits, and that just isn’t possible if you try and force the original and remake timelines together.
In the Remake 2 and 3 depictions, the Raccoon City incident doesn’t really get going until September 25th as one such file has the police responding to only their third ‘cannibal disease’ incident of the month on what starts out as just another regular day. But by that very same date in the original versions, several of the Outbreak scenarios have already taken place, the city is under martial law and the whole area has been blockaded by the military. So, the differences in the smaller sub-plots are quite significant even if the key events of the story remain largely the same.
IGN: And how do you view the spin-off games in terms of canon? Requiem incorporates elements from the Outbreak spin-offs, though these have been criticized by fans in the past for inconsistencies with established lore.
TheBatman: What is interesting about Requiem is that it uses characters and lore from the Outbreak spin off series, and yet the events of those games cannot actually fit in the remake timeline because certain events and dated files in Remake 2 and 3 contradict the events of those games, or at least change key details so that particular events can no longer happen when they should.
The CG series Infinite Darkness is another example. It uses Nick Apostolides and Remake 2’s Leon yet reverts back to his original RE2 backstory of being late for his first day on the job on Sep 29th – something that was changed in Remake 2 when he was due to start on September 25th then told to stay away.
Another aspect of Resident Evil lore is that much of the finer plot details originates from supplemental materials such as books, reports and websites, largely exclusive to Japan. They really add meat to the bones of certain plot threads and significantly enhance the overall experience. But the Remakes have little to no supplemental materials, meaning certain plot points don’t make sense without the context of the originals. I don’t see the Remakes as replacements at all. The original games remain vitally important.
IGN: The timeline is incredible but enormous. Where would you recommend a fan just starting to dip into the series' lore start in order to read deeper?
TheBatman: I would recommend starting with the discovery of the Progenitor Virus and the inception of Umbrella. That whole period leading right up to the Mansion Incident explains so much in such intricate detail. The whole history of the T-virus program, the divisions between the relationship of Spencer, James Marcus and Edward Ashford, the origins of Albert Wesker and William Birkin, and the backgrounds of Raccoon City and the Arklay Mansion. I think anyone with more than a passing interest in the lore taking the time to read up on the full backstory will certainly get more out of future playthroughs.
IGN: And which game would you suggest they start with, if they've only just played Requiem?
TheBatman: I think it makes sense to check out the Remake of RE2. Not only does it introduce Leon, but of course we get to experience Raccoon City, particularly the police station and orphanage before the bomb dropped. I imagine it would be a unique experience for someone new to the series with Requiem to then go back and experience the full Raccoon City outbreak retrospectively. It’s almost like a direct prequel. Of course, I also want to champion the original RE2 which is still for me one of the greatest games ever made.
IGN: What are your thoughts on Requiem’s story, and how it revisits characters and concepts from earlier in the series?
TheBatman: I enjoyed a lot of it. I thought the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Centre was a wonderful location and for a new character, Grace Ashcroft was great. I also think Leon’s journey was really well handled. Yes, he’s still got the quips and the moves, but he definitely comes across as more jaded and someone more reflective of his current age. Because we have already experienced him fighting an infection once before in RE4, I was worried repeating that again in Requiem wouldn’t really have much of an impact, but they did a fine job. I thought Nick Aposolides was excellent in this. It was also great to see Sherry back and the two of them working closely together. The themes of loss and regret were well handled. And as someone who has always been opposed to Wesker’s return, I really wanted to hate Zeno, but he was subtly different enough that I actually ended up liking him a lot.
Because RE7 and Village was Ethan’s story, they felt largely standalone with a just sprinkling of old RE lore added towards the end. So it was great with Requiem to return to the core storyline of Umbrella. I was very sceptical of them retconning Raccoon City’s destruction, but I must admit I enjoyed revisiting it. The sun-bleached ruins made for a unique atmosphere and returning to the police station did stir up one or two emotions. After all, it’s not just Leon returning to the R.P.D. after 28 years, for those of us who grew up with the original RE2 it’s exactly the same. I do wish the likes of Claire and Jill had been involved somewhat but I understand Capcom wanted to tell Leon’s story.
I applaud Capcom for managing to keep so much of it under wraps, especially in these modern times of leak-culture. Seeing the likes of Zeno for the first time, the return of Hunk… The final third of the game really felt like surprise after surprise.
IGN: What is the biggest reveal, in your eyes, within Requiem that changes what we know of the series' events?
TheBatman: I think the new revelations around Oswell Spencer have caused a significant amount of controversy within the fan community. The whole concept of atonement and regret over his past actions that have shaped the series hasn’t really sat well with some, and that’s understandable. Although we’ve rarely seen him, he is such a looming shadow across the whole series and his nefarious scheming, visions of godhood, calculated backstabbing of colleagues, and even his determination in his final moments in Resident Evil 5 do not seem to fit with the Spencer we see in Requiem. It certainly fooled Victor Gideon! But having said that, Spencer is renowned for his cold, calculated and meticulous planning. Whilst I’m sure there is an element of genuine atonement in play, I think he was manipulating Alyssa with Grace and there are still things yet to be revealed.
I personally don’t believe EPLIS was conceived because he had a sudden change of heart about his evil deeds, but rather it was his failsafe plan in case he ever lost control of the T-virus and Umbrella. After the Raccoon City saga ends the story shifts to global bioterrorism with numerous corporations using and developing bio-weapons in a global arms race. There’s certainly an element of not wanting others to steal his toys, and had he still had access to Ark, Spencer could have brought it all down and defeated his enemies with one single action. I think what Requiem shows is Spencer getting the last laugh over his enemies from beyond the grave. He is still outsmarting everyone, still disrupting the game, still shaping the pieces on the board and still affecting ongoing events 20 years after he died. That is his immortality if you like, and I think that fits his character perfectly.
Retrospectively adding The Connections into the series history is also significant. The bombing of Raccoon City already has so many factors and the whole thing with Ark and EPLIS just adds another layer of complexity. Since Wesker was killed in RE5, Resident Evil has always had a villain problem, and the storyline has become a little disjointed as result. Characters like Chris have suffered and become a little more generic because they no longer have a personal stake in things other than just doing their job. Capcom seem to have an affinity for establishing new villains and organisations only to kill them off after one game, so it feels good to finally have a new recurring enemy at last. I just hope whoever is running The Connections sticks around for a bit!
IGN: Is there anything else to do with Umbrella or Raccoon City that you wish had been revealed?
TheBatman: I was hoping they were going at least try and come up with an explanation as to why Raccoon City was not completely destroyed by the missile. The news broadcast to the world that the city was obliterated could have been an elaborate lie to protect the secrecy of ARK and the experiments they were going to perform in the ruins. If the government sealed off the area and initiated a no-fly zone, who would really know any different? Whilst this might not be the most plausible explanation, I think I would have preferred something like that over a convenient retcon we’re all just supposed to accept without question. It also would have been nice to see how other survivors had fared in the years since, such as the Outbreak characters, Ada, Carlos etc – especially with Raccoon City Syndrome being a key factor.
I also wanted Requiem to elaborate more on the collusion between Umbrella and the U.S. Government. We were already promised this once in Resident Evil 6 and never got it. Up until the Raccoon incident they were close allies, but it was also an uneasy relationship. The government knew Umbrella could topple them in a heartbeat if their relationship with illegal research was every publicly revealed, and likewise Umbrella knew the government could never turn on them without exposing themselves. But when the government saw a chance to acquire William Birkin, they believed they wouldn’t need Umbrella anymore and that is essentially what kicked everything off. There’s so much going on behind the scenes that the games don’t elaborate on and the story is much deeper than people give it credit for.
Finally, I thought Requiem was going to provide more information on the reformed ‘Blue Umbrella’ introduced at the end of Resident Evil 7. I think many of us believed this was a tease for a larger plot line as Umbrella’s revival had long been hinted at and was a goal of Wesker’s at one stage. But their subsequent absence from Village and now Requiem has changed my mind and convinced me they were never meant to be a major deal.
IGN: What do you think the game's ending is teasing with the Wolves?
TheBatman: It seems a clear reference to Chris Redfield’s Hound Wolf Squad from Village. It felt pretty significant that Chris was not with them at the end of Requiem so I’m hoping that’s where we’ll go. The game mentions that the corrupt factions of government working with The Connections has control over the B.S.A.A., so this may also tie into the cliffhanger from Village where the B.S.A.A. were suddenly deploying bio-weapons. Chris and Hound Wolf Squad basically went rogue to capture Miranda so I’m assuming The Connections realise that he and his team are the major threat to their plans going forward.
IGN: Where do you think Requiem's expansion might head?
TheBatman: I’d really like to see Chris and Jill back together again. There has to be a reason Chris couldn’t be with the rest of Hound Wolf Squad when they went to save Leon, so what is he up to in that moment? Where is he? There have been rumours about investigating the remnants of the mansion from the original game so maybe that could be a factor, and if so, it would make sense for Jill to be with him.
It was also pretty strange that the likes of Claire, Ada and Carlos were never even referenced in the base game. Whilst I very much doubt they will all appear in the DLC, it would be good to at least get some insight into where they are in the present day, particularly concerning Raccoon City Syndrome. Also, what was Zeno up to during the first half of the game? How would Chris react if they came face to face? I really hope they elaborate on Zeno and his background. I think he remains one of the biggest elements of Requiem that remains totally unexplained. As things stand the story does not benefit in any way from him being a Wesker-imitation. I hope Capcom have a plan for him.
IGN: What would you like to see updated or expanded upon in the inevitable Code Veronica remake?
TheBatman: One of the most fascinating subplots in the series is the three founders of Umbrella: Spencer, Marcus and Ashford, and their relationship and personal motivations. We already know a lot about Spencer and Marcus, but Edward Ashford has always remained an enigma. I hope the game gives us an insight into his character and what his own ambitions were.
Another dangling plot thread that has always been a hot topic in the RE community is the mysterious ‘rival company’ that Wesker now works for. They were a key player behind the scenes right up till the end of RE4 then they seemingly disappeared. We had brief references to H.C.F. in 7 and now Requiem, but a Code: Veronica remake feels like the ideal opportunity to really explain what they are all about.
IGN: And finally, and most importantly, are you Team Ada or Team Claire?
TheBatman: I think Leon’s heart lies with Ada. Sorry Claire fans!
My thanks to TheBatman for taking the time to answer our questions. For more, you can hear the series' superfan on The Resident Evil Podcast.
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
