The Resident Evil Chronology ---------------------------- by Marco Cavagna Contents I. Introduction A. Foreword B. Contradictions C. Notation II. The Timeline III. Frequently Asked Questions A. General Questions B. Resident Evil 1 C. Resident Evil 2 D. Resident Evil 2-3 Continuity E. Resident Evil 3 - Nemesis F. Resident Evil - Survivor G. Resident Evil - CODE: Veronica IV. Miscellaneous Stuff A. The Games 1. Available Games 2. Unreleased Games 3. Other Official Media 4. S. D. Perry's Books B. The Files C. The Zoo D. The Arsenal E. Umbrella's Hit List F. Umbrella's Facilities G. Umbrella's Chemicals H. Umbrella's Military Forces I. The S.T.A.R.S. J. The Ashfords K. Resident Evil 2 - Platinum - Gallery Mode V. Acknowledgements VI. The Inevitable Legal Disclaimer I. Introduction Foreword -------------- This chronology is a source of unified background information for the Resident Evil series of horror videogames by Capcom. I've written it for the edification of those who have finished the games, and either want to know more about the Resident Evil universe, or are confused by subtle plot points and contradictions in the series. I want to make especially clear that the primary purpose of this document is not to provide hints, walkthroughs, secrets, or cheats for any of the games. Some of this sort of information is present, but it isn't complete or organized in a way to guide you through the games. In fact, you should complete all the available games before consulting the chronology. The bulk of this document is an annotated timeline of events from the games, with a F.A.Q. covering all the inconsistencies or ambiguous aspects of the series that I could think of. At the end I have some extra stuff pertaining to Resident Evil, to unify miscellaneous piecemeal information that is inconsistently provided throughout the series. In creating the chronology, I've taken a scholarly approach and referenced all information to its sources. For events without specific dates, I make educated guesses on time ranges, based on various clues. I cite the clues and summarize my reasoning for each case. To make the timeline as complete as possible, I often draw conclusions from ambiguous evidence, and sometimes I even speculate on events not directly mentioned in the games, if I can tie together loose ends. Naturally, my guesses are influenced by my highly subjective opinions, but I'll always walk you through my reasoning so you'll know where I'm coming from even if you don't agree with me. Events are left out of the timeline if there are virtually no clues as to when they occur, and my best time estimate covers too broad a range. But again, I try to include as much as possible, even if it means making a leap of faith with the dates, as long as 1) the guess is reasonable, 2) it doesn't contradict the known facts, and 3) there are at least some hints (even vague ones) pointing to when the event occurs. My information exclusively comes from official Capcom material. I disregard 1) anything due for release (e.g., Resident Evil Zero, the Resident Evil 4); 2) anything unlikely to be released (e.g., Resident Evil 1.5); 3) anything not directly from Capcom (e.g., books, comics, manga, toys with their text inserts); and 4) any rumors (don't even get me started on those). Besides the games and game manuals, I cite information from Trevor's Letters (a reliable translation is found on www.survivhor.com) and the Wesker's Report DVD. There is also the official Resident Evil 2 Survival Guide, published by Gamefan books, with the complete uncut script to Resident Evil 2 and some extra tidbits of information. I also do not consider games not yet released in the U.S. (e.g., Resident Evil Gaiden, Gun Survivor 2). One source of information that is officially from Capcom, but is not yet included in the timeline is the mini-novel, Biohazard, the Beginning, by Hiroyuki Ariga, sold by Capcom when RE1 was originally released. This novel covers the events immediately before RE1. However, I do not want to include them, because there is probably going to be a lot of overlap with the soon to be released RE Zero, and I'd rather deal with the inevitable contradictions all at once. Finally, there is Wesker's Report II, a collection of images and text on Capcom's Japanese website at www.capcom.co.jp. I don't include it in the timeline because it hasn't been released in the U.S. yet and it isn't even complete (only three out of five parts are up). Here, I have cheated a bit, and deduced Alfred and Alexia's birthday from the report, mostly because my previous estimates were wrong, and too many timeline entries were based on those guesses. Nothing else will be included from Wesker's Report II until the entire thing is up, and I have a complete, reliable translation. The bonus mini-games are mostly left out of the timeline. These include the shooting mode in Resident Evil for the Sega Saturn (i.e., no speculating about the Wesker zombie); the To-fu Survivor scenario in Resident Evil 2; the extreme battle mode in Resident Evil 2; the Mercenaries game in Resident Evil 3 (i.e., no speculating about the hooded guy at the end of Operation Mad Jackal); and the battle mode in Code Veronica. On the other hand, I do include the 4th Survivor scenario from Resident Evil 2. Also, even though D.I.J.'s diary from the battle mode is a joke in Code Veronica, it gives us some useful collateral information (namely, the date and the fate of one of the characters). With the exception of Alexia and Alfred Ashford, I leave birthdates out of the timeline. I'll probably throw them into a later version, when I feel inclined to do the math. I should mention that I tailor my explanations of the videogames with the assumption that the reader is very familiar with the series. I often quote liberally from the game documents, so true Resident Evil scholars will get the most out of this if they have copies on hand of the files. I don't reproduce them here, but plenty of websites, F.A.Q.'s, and strategy guides have the documents available. Needless to say, this document contains truckloads of spoilers. Contradictions -------------- There are many contradictions in the series. I try to reconcile them, using an operating philosophy that the best explanation is the simplest that fits all the known facts. Bearing this in mind, I assume all events and dates in the games are correct, and work to resolve the discrepancies. Considering that the games were obviously made without the specifics of the sequels in mind, the timeline holds together pretty well. The unresolvable contradictions, however, are worth mentioning right away, so you'll be ready for them. First, there are problems with the timing of events prior to Resident Evil 2 and 3, stemming from what was almost certainly a mistake in the Chief's Diary in Resident Evil 2. As you'll see below, this forces me to spend a long time prevaricating about the facts from the two operation reports, when just changing the three dates in the diary would fix everything. I attempt to reconcile the events without resorting to this, but I'm unhappy with the way my explanation turns out. More on this later. Secondly, Resident Evil - Survivor has a glaring inconsistency in the date of the prison riot, where no amount of finagling with the facts can fix the problem. Thus, I change a date in the Young Man's Diary, and justify it due to the prisoner's disoriented, sedated condition. Lastly, Wesker's Report I has many discrepancies between the visuals, his narrative, and that which we know to be true from the games or documents. I handle these issues on a case-by-case basis, but I'll say here that I generally disregard the visuals from the DVD. I feel this is justified, because lots of clips in Wesker's Report are out-of-context or downright wrong. A perfect example is when Wesker describes the destruction of the mutated William Birkin, while instead showing us the final battle between Leon and the T-103 Tyrant. Thus, I'm very comfortable accepting only Wesker's narrative as factual. I put all my efforts toward working that into the timeline, and pretty much ignore the visuals when they contradict the known facts. Bear in mind that Wesker's Report I wasn't created so much to clarify obscurities in the series, but to bring a new generation of Resident Evil fans up to speed. For many people, Resident Evil - CODE: Veronica X was their first foray into the Resident Evil universe. Given this, Capcom probably didn't care about accuracy as much as telling us who the characters were and showing impressive eye-candy. Notation -------- All file titles are prefaced with an abbreviated game title: RE1 = Resident Evil; RE2 = Resident Evil 2; RE3 = Resident Evil 3 - Nemesis; RES = Resident Evil - Survivor; CV = Resident Evil - CODE: Veronica. "2EX" indicates one of the sixteen EX files from Resident Evil 2 for the Nintendo 64 (see the F.A.Q.). Some EX files are duplicates of ones from Resident Evil 3. For entries from duplicate files, I only give Resident Evil 3 as the source. Also, some regular files in Resident Evil 2 were changed for the Nintendo 64 version (see the F.A.Q.). Additional information specifically from these changes is indicated by "N64 ver." Information from Trevor's Letters or Wesker's Report is noted. For the sake of completeness, I'll point out that Chris' Diary in Resident Evil 2 is slightly different in the Resident Evil 2 - Trial Version that came with the original Resident Evil - Director's Cut. Since the changes are only in wording, not content, I don't consider that document separately. When I give an entire game as a source, the information comes directly from the game's manual, introduction movie, closing movie, a flashback, or the gameplay itself, respectively indicated by "docs," "intro," "closing," "flashback," or "game." Events from the gameplay of Resident Evil 2, have the scenario specified (Claire A or B, Leon A or B; see the F.A.Q. regarding my choice of scenarios). The note "est. year/date/time" refers to my best estimate. "Year/date/time inferred" means the exact moment was deduced from the given source even if it wasn't stated directly. For example, on May 16, the Keeper's Diary says a researcher was shot "last night." Therefore, the event happened on the night of May 15. While this example is trivial, the reasoning gets more complicated at times. "Events inferred" means I'm giving my imagination some leeway, but the event is only suggested by the given source. All text in square brackets is my own commentary. For issues that I discuss more thoroughly, I refer you to the F.A.Q. at the end. When I refer to different versions of the games, abbreviations I use are: PS1 = Sony PlayStation 1, PS2 = Sony PlayStation 2, N64 = Nintendo 64, GBC = Nintendo GameBoy Color, GC = Nintendo GameCube, DC = Sega Dreamcast, PC = Windows PC. II. The Timeline 1950-1960 CV - Alexander's Memo CV - Message to the New Family Master Edward Ashford and Ozwell E. Spencer discover the "Mother Virus" and realize its great potential for the future development of bioweapons. Towards this end, they begin working to create what would one day be known as the T-virus. Alexander Ashford also begins supporting his father's research after majoring in biogenetics. [Spencer was still planning to found Umbrella at the time of Trevor's Diary (1967), but the virus would have been discovered much earlier, well before construction on the mansion was started (1962). Alexander was helping with his father's work until becaming side-tracked with the "Veronica" project (late 1960's), so I'm guessing the discovery and development of the Mother Virus started about 10-20 years before. I like this time range because it coincides with the paranoia that existed about communism, and thus there was much incentive to develop new weapons.] 1961-62 RE3 - City Guide (est. year) Michael Warren, the future mayor, comes to Raccoon City as an engineer. Over the next several years he works on the city's electrical and cable car systems. ["More than 35 years ago" implies no more than a couple years prior to 1963.] 1963-67 Trevor's Letters (years inferred) Over five years, a huge mansion is built near Raccoon City for Ozwell E. Spencer by the famous New York architect, George Trevor. He incorporates many secrets into the building by Spencer's special orders, and only the two of them are aware of them all. [It took 5 years to build the mansion. I'm certain the events in Trevor's letters happen shortly after completion, especially if phones aren't yet installed in the mansion.] 1967 Nov 10 Trevor's Letters (date inferred) George Trevor's wife, Jessica, and fourteen year-old daughter, Lisa, arrive at the Spencer estate from New York after being invited by the owner. George is too busy, however, and has to postpone his arrival for a couple of days. Jessica plays Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata for her host, and is warmly congratulated. Not long into their stay, Jessica and Lisa disappear. [Spencer is probably not lying about when the wife and daughter arrive, since Trevor would know when they left New York and how long it should take to get to the estate.] 1967 Nov 13 6:00 pm Trevor's Letters George Trevor arrives at the Spencer Estate and meets with his host. Spencer tells the architect that the rest of his family had to leave to see their aunt Emma, who had unexpectedly fallen ill. Trevor is filled with pride in his work as he visits the beautiful mansion, and he and his host enjoy a sumptous banquet in the dining hall. 1967 Nov 14 Trevor's Letters Spencer takes Trevor on a tour of the estate, showing off his vast collection of priceless art objects. Spencer tells Trevor about his plans to found a pharmaceutical company called "Umbrella," and that he wishes to make the estate a seaside resort for company employees and their guests. 1967 Nov 18 Trevor's Letters Trevor begins worrying about his family, and is frustrated by the lack of telephones. While exploring the grounds, he spies the entrance to a tunnel in the courtyard. He wonders about this oddity that was not part of his work, but several men suddenly appear and force Trevor to leave, warning him that he should not be wandering around unescorted. 1967 Nov 20 Trevor's Letters Trevor wonders where the shotgun is that his wife had given Spencer for his birthday. He finds a broken shotgun in one of the rooms, but it isn't the same one. Trevor starts growing very concerned about his family, but when he tells Spencer he wishes to leave to join them tomorrow, Spencer only laughs and tells him it's pointless to worry. 1967 Nov 21 Trevor's Letters After packing his bags, Trevor is brought to a reception room on the ground floor filled with paintings representing the life of a man from birth to death. Trevor waits for his host with one of the strange men that had ordered him out of the courtyard. The man suddenly tells Trevor that his family has just died and injects him in the neck with something that causes the hapless architect to lose consciousness. 1967 Nov 24 Trevor's Letters Trevor has been imprisoned in a room infested with strange ant-like creatures for several days. One of the men from the courtyard brings him food and has told him that he's a loose end that needs to be taken care of for the mansion's secrets to remain secret. Trevor realizes that he had designed an escape route from this room when building the mansion, but wonders if this is merely Spencer's test of the mansion's secrets. [It is unknown what these ant-like creatures are. One of Spencer's early experiments with the Mother Virus, perhaps? This reminds me of the shaft with all the winged ants in the Antarctic base in CV, but those creatures were spawned by the T-Veronica virus. Wesker's Report II may have more on this.] 1967 Nov 27 Trevor's Letters Trevor escapes from the room, but still cannot get out of the mansion with its fiendish locks and puzzles. He does not have the time to look for the keys that he knows he needs. 1967 Nov 28 Trevor's Letters While exploring the estate, Trevor finds a horrible, mutated plant filling an entire room. [This can't be Plant 42, since the T-virus isn't spilled for another 30 years. Evidently, Spencer and his cronies were doing some botany experiments with their viruses long before the T-virus is perfected. In fact, the Plant 42 report (RE1) indeed suggests that the T-virus has been tested on plants before.] 1967 Nov 30 Trevor's Letters Using his memories of the mansion's design, Trevor manages to find a secret passageway in a laboratory in the caves under the estate. He wonders if his wife and daughter underwent the same ordeal as him, and convinces himself that they managed to escape and he will do the same. 1967 Dec 5 Trevor's Letters Trevor is becoming dehydrated, and hasn't eaten in days. He's still trapped like a lab rat in a maze under the mansion. 1967 Dec 7 Trevor's Letters Trevor finally crawls into a secret passage in the mansion, where he finds a tombstone with his own name on it. He realizes that Spencer had arranged it from the beginning for Trevor to reach this dead end, and prepared his grave. Trevor asks his wife for forgiveness as he expires in solitude. 1967-68 Trevor's Letters (est. year) CV - Alexander's Memo CV - Message to the New Family Master 2EX - Mother Virus Report To camouflage their research, Edward Ashford and Ozwell E. Spencer found the company Umbrella Chemical, Inc. [This has to happen very shortly after Trevor's letters, since according to them, Spencer is still planning to found Umbrella. Since the mansion is already built, I think Umbrella is founded within a year.] 1968 RE3 - Mechanic's Memo Cable cars are imported from Europe and installed in Raccoon City. 1968-70 CV - Alexander's Memo (est. year) Alexander Ashford builds a secret advanced research facility in Antarctica where he can work on the "Veronica" project to revive the tarnished Ashford name. The laboratory is hidden in a transport terminal previously built for Umbrella in an abandoned mine. Alexander establishes a luxurious dwelling for himself in the facility, modeled after the Spencer Estate. [This doesn't happen until after Trevor dies (December, 1967), because Alexander refers to the "late Trevor." The upper limit of this range of years is 1970, to give Alexander at least a year's time to spend on his research in Antarctica. Note that Alexander has been involved in this project even before transferring his work to Antarctica.] 1971 CV - Code: Veronica Report (year inferred) After years of research, Alexander Ashford discovers the gene that regulates human intelligence. In his Antarctic laboratory, he takes a DNA sample from his legendary ancestor Veronica, extracts the intelligence gene, and implants it into the egg of a surrogate mother. Alfred and Alexia are born. Alfred has above-average intelligence, but Alexia is an outright genius. [The number "1971" is the code to open the secret passage in Alfred's office, and like many people, he may be using his birthday. In Wesker's Report II, we are told the 10 year-old Alexia is hired by Umbrella in July, 1981. If she was born after July, 1971, her age would still be correct. Thus, I'm sticking with the year 1971, as opposed to 1972. Too bad the basic molecular biology techniques Alexander would have needed didn't exist back then. Also, if Alexander uses one egg, Alfred and Alexia are monozygotic (identical) twins, and can't be of opposite sex. Oh well...] 1981 Summer CV - Newspaper Clip (est. year) Ten year-old child genius Alexia Ashford graduates at the top of her class from a prestigious university and is offered a position as head researcher by Umbrella Chemical Inc. [The range of years is based on my estimate of when Alexia and Alfred are born, explained above. Summer, of course, is when most universities have graduation.] 1981? Dec 8 CV - gameplay (est. year) The military training facility on Rockfort Island is completed. [A puzzle in CV tells us that the facility is completed on December 8, but there's no year. I'm reasoning that if Alexia starts working for Umbrella in 1981, maybe Alfred starts military training at the base around then. I realize this is a huge stretch, not to mention that even if it's true, the facility is probably completed well before then. Normally, I wouldn't include something this uncertain in the timeline, but I couldn't resist throwing it in since we know the exact month and day.] 1981-82 RE1 - manual (est. year) Future S.T.A.R.S. member Barry Burton begins his career in law enforcement and joins a S.W.A.T. team. [According to his bio, Barry has "over 16 years experience." July 1982 is the latest possible time he could have joined the S.W.A.T.'s, and if he started before July 1981, they would have said "17 years."] 1983 Jan 30 CV - Alfred's Diary Alfred Ashford discovers a secret corridor in Umbrella's Antarctic facility leading to a place where the Ashford family secrets are kept. He has no idea what's back there. To open the door, he needs to somehow obtain his father's jewel, which must be used in conjunction with Alfred and Alexia's gems. 1983 Feb 17 CV - Alfred's Diary Alfred Ashford finally manages to enter the sealed secret rooms in the Antarctic facility, where he discovers his father's research notes, and the secret behind the Ashford twins' conception. 1983 Mar 3 CV - Alfred's Diary CV - Research Report on Queen Ant Alfred and Alexia Ashford carry out the first experiment on a human body using a new virus developed by Alexia, who combined the T-virus with an ancient virus extracted from a queen ant. They inject this new virus into their own hated father, Alexander, taking great care that the family butler, Scott Harman, does not find out the truth. 1983 Mar 3 - Apr 22 CV - Research Report on Queen Ant (est. date) Under the effects of Alexia's virus, Alexander Ashford mutates into a hideous creature. Alexia discovers that his body produces an unusual toxic gas, and she develops an antidote in case her mindless father escapes. Alexia realizes her new virus has incredible potential and decides to name it the "T-Veronica" virus. [This must happen after Alexander is infected on March 3, obviously, but before the twins write him off as a failure on April 22, since in this particular file, Alexia doesn't mention injecting virus into herself.] 1983 Apr 22 CV - Alfred's Diary CV - Virus Research Report The Ashford twins' experiment on their father turns into a complete failure. They chain the mindless mutated Alexander in a cell deep in the bowels of the Antarctic base. However, Alexia thinks she understands the reasons for the unsuccessful outcome and decides to conduct an experiment on herself. She intends to inject the T-Veronica virus into her own body and then sleep frozen for fifteen years to avoid the same mutations that afflicted her father. 1983 May-Dec CV - Alfred's Diary (est. month) CV - Virus Research Report Alexia Ashford injects herself with the T-Veronica virus and freezes herself in a capsule in the bottom level of the Antarctic transport base, entrusting her safety to her inept but loyal brother. [It's never stated exactly when Alexia freezes herself. Does it need to be exactly 15 years? If so, then Alexia is frozen on December 27, but we don't know this for sure. Certainly, though, it must take at least a few weeks for Alexia and Alfred to make all their preparations. This is the basis for my guess that May is the earliest possible month.] 1984 RE3 - gameplay A local World War II hero from Raccoon City, Don M. Joe, dies. He was formerly in the U.S. Navy. [This, of course, is totally irrelevant, but I couldn't resist putting it in. :) The plaque next to the fountain in downtown Raccoon City reads: "Don M. Joe, RC US Navy, World War II, [1920-1984?]." The plaque is just about impossible to read without taking a screenshot and expanding it. I got the info from the Official Resident Evil 3 Nemesis Perfect Guide, published by Versus Books.] 1988 Jan RE3 - City Guide (year inferred) Michael Warren becomes mayor of Raccoon City. [1992 is his 5th year as mayor. I'd imagine his term starts in January.] 1992 RE3 - City Guide Under Mayor Michael Warren's leadership, and with funds provided by the pharmaceutical company Umbrella Inc., Raccoon City builds a new hospital and rebuilds the municipal building. Mayor Warren is awarded a grand statue, which is displayed in the courtyard of the municipal building. 1993 RE2 - Federal Police Dept. Internal Investigation Report R.P.D. Chief Brian Irons begins receiving bribes from Umbrella Inc. 1994 CV - Secretary's Note Robert Dorson begins working as Alfred Ashford's private attendant on Rockfort Island. 1995 RE1 - manual (est. year) Future S.T.A.R.S. member Chris Redfield joins the U.S. Air Force. [According to his bio, Chris is 25. From CV we know he can fly fighter jets, so he must be a pilot when in the military. U.S. Air Force pilots are all officers, and all officers in the U.S. military are college educated. So, barring the unlikely circumstance that Chris was a prodigy who graduated from college at age 10 like Alexia Ashford, he probably joins the military at about age 22. However, according to the Biohazard, the Beginning novel, Chris didn't go to college. But until RE Zero comes out, I'm not considering the novel.] 1996-97 RE1 - manual (est. year) The Special Tactics And Rescue Service (S.T.A.R.S.) are organized. [According to his bio, Chris is kicked out of the Air Force, becomes a drifter, meets Barry Burton, and joins the "newly-formed S.T.A.R.S." I explain above why I think Chris joins the military in 1995. I have it on very good authority that it takes almost 2 years to train fighter pilots. So, Chris is booted out of the military no earlier than 1997. He might meet Barry soon after, or maybe as late as early 1998. Now, in my book, for an organization to qualify as "newly-formed," I propose the S.T.A.R.S. are less than 1-2 years old when Chris joins them. The wording in Chris' bio indicates it's the S.T.A.R.S. as a whole that are newly-formed; it clearly isn't referring to Alpha Team itself.] 1998 Mar 1-7 RE3 - Mercenary's Diary (est. date) A falsely-accused soldier on death row in a foreign country is given a second chance by Umbrella and begins six months of intense training. [6 months before September 1, maybe the 1st week of March. They don't say what the charges were.] 1998 Mar (mid - end) RE2 - Leon A/Leon B (est. date) Ada Wong's boyfriend John abruptly disappears. He's been working at Umbrella's branch office in Chicago before being transferred to the Spencer Estate laboratory in the Arklay Mountains to help work on the T-virus and the B.O.W.'s derived from it. [Ada says her boyfriend vanished 6 months prior to RE2, but this info is suspect, since Ada lies about not knowing his whereabouts. In fact, the way John's letter to Ada is worded, it sounds like she's familiar with the estate lab. Still, Ada has no reason to lie about how long ago John left (in fact, the more truth in her lies, the more they're believable). Therefore, I accept the 6 month time span for when John comes to the Spencer Estate.] 1998 Apr 6 RE2 - Secretary's Diary A R.P.D. Chief Brian Irons yells at his new secretary for moving one of the stone statues in the second floor hallway of the police station. 1998 Apr 7 RE2 - Secretary's Diary A Chief Irons' secretary learns that each object in the chief's art collection is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Where does he get his money? 1998 Apr 25 RE3 - Manager's Diary A new manager is transferred from a university to Umbrella's disposal factory near the Raccoon City park. It is his thirtieth birthday. [This is probably when the Raccoon City facilities are completed. If so, then this would be when Dr. Birkin leaves the Spencer lab to devote all his time to G-virus research. There's no evidence for this, but he certainly isn't hanging around the estate when the accident happens in 16 days.] 1998 May 9 RE1 - Keeper's Diary The keeper at the Spencer Estate plays poker with some of the other employees, including Scott, one of the guards, Steve, one of the researchers, and Alias, another staff member. The keeper thinks Steve is cheating. 1998 May 10 RE2 - Secretary's Diary A Chief Irons acquires a new work of art, a tasteless painting of a nude woman being hanged. His secretary sees him leering at it. RE1 - Keeper's Diary A high-ranking researcher at the Spencer Estate asks the keeper to take care of a new type of B.O.W.'s that look like skinned gorillas. He feeds them a live pig and they viciously tear it apart. [These sound like the Chimeras.] 1998 May 11 5:00 am RE1 - Keeper's Diary RES - Report on Destroyed Raccoon City RES - Umbrella Top Secret File An accident in the lab under the Spencer Estate spills the T-virus all over the area. The guard Scott brings the keeper a protective biohazard suit. RE1 - Plant 42 Report (date inferred) One of the scientists goes crazy and breaks the aquarium under the guardhouse, flooding the basement (and incidentally also releasing some Neptune B.O.W.'s). [This happens "immediately after the accident," implying the same day. This "crazy" scientist is probably a researcher who turns into a zombie quicker than usual and runs amok.] 1998 May 12 RE1 - Keeper's Diary The keeper's skin begins feeling itchy in the biohazard suit. By way of petty revenge, he doesn't feed the dogs. 1998 May 13 RE1 - Keeper's Diary The keeper goes to the medical room to have his swollen, itchy back seen. The doctor bandages his back and tells him he doesn't need the biohazard suit anymore. CV - Prisoner's Diary A new prisoner is brought to the Rockfort Island prison compound. In the prisoners' barracks, he meets Alfred Ashford's former secretary, Robert Dorson, who sleeps in the bunk below him. 1998 May 14 (morning) RE1 - Keeper's Diary The keeper finds a blister on his foot, and has to drag it when he walks. He also discovers that several dogs have escaped from their pens, and worries about getting into trouble with his superiors. RE3 - Manager's Diary The disposal system in Umbrella's factory near the park is completed, but isn't 100% stable. 1998 May 15 RE1 - Keeper's Diary The keeper decides to take some time off and visit his girlfriend, Nancy, but he's stopped from leaving the Spencer Estate grounds by a guard. Company orders. RE1 - Plant 42 Report (date inferred) The plant at point 42 in the Spencer Estate begins growing at an incredibly fast rate, possibly because of chemicals in the water flooding the guardhouse basement from the ruptured aquarium. [This happens "4 days after the accident," which occurs on May 11, though the Plant 42 report is dated May 21. This probably means Plant 42 starts growing on May 15, but Henry Sarton finishes and dates his report on May 21.] (night) RE1 - Keeper's Diary (date inferred) One of the researchers tries to escape the Spencer Estate grounds and is fatally shot by the guards. [Occurs the night before the May 16 entry, but it may be in the pre-dawn hours of May 16.] 1998 May 16 RE1 - Keeper's Diary The keeper's entire body feels burning and itchy. A lump of rotten flesh falls off his swollen arm while he scratches. CV - Prisoner's Diary Robert Dorson tells the new prisoner at Rockfort Island how he used to work for Alfred Ashford until he was imprisoned for an insignificant little mistake. 1998 May 19 RE1 - Keeper's Diary The keeper's transformation into a walking corpse is virtually complete and his mind is practically gone. He kills and eats the guard, Scott, but still manages to scrawl something legible about it in his diary. [The next diary entry reads "4. Itchy. Tasty." The number might refer to a date (June 4?), but by this point, I'd say the keeper is way too far gone to keep track of days.] 1998 May 20 RE3 - Manager's Diary The disposal factory manager accidentally locks himself in the treatment room for an hour while checking the equipment. CV - Prisoner's Diary Several soldiers take Robert Dorson from the prison barracks to the mysterious building behind the guillotine stand in the Rockfort Island compound. The new prisoner worries about Bob, because nobody brought to that building ever comes back, but body bags are often seen being carried out of there. The new prisoner makes plans to sneak out at midnight and find Bob. 10:00 pm RE1 - Scrapbook The mutilated body of a twenty year old female hiker is found on the left bank of the Marble River in the Older District of Raccoon City. 1998 May 21 (early am) CV - Prisoner's Diary The new prisoner sneaks out of the barracks to go find Robert Dorson and quickly regrets doing so. He hears Bob screaming from the strange building, accompanied by insane, creepy laughter. RE1 - Plant 42 Report Henry Sarton, one of the still-surviving researchers at the Spencer Estate, completes his report describing Plant 42. By this time, several staff members have been killed by the plant. 1998 May 22-31 RE1 - V-Jolt Report (est. date) Henry Sarton attempts to identify chemicals which might be used to destroy Plant 42. [I assume Sarton tries to find countermeasures against Plant 42 immediately after the Plant 42 report. If Martin Crackhorn is the last surviving researcher, as is implied in his will, I give Sarton until the beginning of June to complete his studies. See below.] 1998 May 27 RE1 - Scrapbook The Raccoon Times reports the discovery of the mutilated hiker in the Marble River. CV - Prisoner's Diary The new prisoner remains the last person in the barracks of the Rockfort Island prison compound. He realizes he is next to be brought to the mysterious building. The diary ends here. 1998 Jun 1-14 RE1 - Researcher's Will (est. date) Martin Crackhorn, the last (?) surviving researcher in the Spencer Estate, writes a suicide note to his girlfriend Alma, describing the lab accident and his impending transformation into a zombie. [He says the accident was "last month," so it's now around early June. John writes his letter to Ada on June 8, so Crackhorn may write his will after that date. But there's no guarantee he's the last survivor in the estate, though his letter makes it sound so. My estimates for the dates of Crackhorn's will and Sarton's V-jolt report are a bit arbitrary, but I wanted to include them.] 1998 Jun 7 RE3 - Manager's Diary The number of infected bodies to be disposed of in the factory is increasing, but the disposal system isn't working smoothly. The factory manager is becoming very frustrated with the laboratory staff. [These bodies are probably generated by Dr. Birkin's frenzied work on the G-virus. In fact, I believe the disposal factory in RE3 is the same as the vacant factory above the lab in RE2 (in each game, we explore different parts of the same industrial complex). It makes more sense to have disposal facilities conveniently close to the source of bodies to be gotten rid of. See the F.A.Q.] 1998 Jun 8 RE2 - Secretary's Diary B Chief Irons becomes extremely furious at his secretary, who was only cleaning the chief's office. The secretary seriously thinks the chief is going to hurt him. [I think this entry is meant to imply the secretary was fumbling dangerously close to the painting covering the secret passage trigger.] RE2 - Secretary's Diary B, N64 ver. (date inferred) After kicking his secretary out of his office, Chief Irons locks himself inside his rooms and refuses to come out. [Two days before the June 10 entry in the N64 version of the document.] RE1 - Researcher's Letter John, one of the infected researchers at the Spencer Estate, writes a good-bye letter to his girlfriend Ada Wong. He requests that she make Umbrella's activities public through the media, and that she kill him herself if she finds him "completely changed." [This brings up the question of how Ada is familiar with the estate and why John thinks she'd find his letter. In the past, was she free to come and go from the lab? Not likely. Probably, the besotted John has been telling the prying Ada all about the mansion and his job (after all, she's sooo interested in his work). John might think that after not hearing from him, his girlfriend may come looking for him at the mansion, and so leaves the letter on the remote chance she might find it. Alternatively, Ada is also posing as an Umbrella employee, and is thus authorized to see the lab. In reality, Ada works for the same organization as Albert Wesker (see the F.A.Q.).] 1998 Jun 10 RE2 - Secretary's Diary B, N64 ver. Chief Irons is still locked in his office and won't come out for any reason. Rumors are starting to spread among the R.P.D. force about the chief's strange behavior. 1998 Jun 15 (evening) RE2 - Secretary's Diary B (est. hour) The RPD chief's secretary discovers at least some of Irons' secrets (probably the torture room). He realizes his life is in danger. The secretary's diary ends here. [The diary says it's "getting late," implying this occurred in the evening or at night.] 1998 Jun 16 RE1 - Scrapbook The Raccoon Times reports on the excessive attacks by "wild dogs" in the Arklay Mountains. 1998 Jun 24-30 RE1 - gameplay (est. date) RE2 - Film D Rebecca Chambers is recruited by the S.T.A.R.S. to serve as field medic for Bravo Team. She also joins the R.P.D.'s intramural basketball league. [Rebecca tells Chris she "just joined the Bravo Team last month." The S.T.A.R.S. probably recruit her towards the end of the month, when the murders in the Arklay Mountains really start taking off. As for that last tidbit from the secret film in RE2, I couldn't resist including it. :) ] 1998 Jun 28 RE2 - Sewer Manager's Diary Don Weller, the chemical transporter for the Raccoon City laboratory, goes back to work after being sick in bed until yesterday. The sewer manager sees him and notices that he is very sweaty and incessantly scratches himself. [One of the first T-virus cases within Raccoon City? This early, I doubt virus carriers from the Arklay Mountains are already filtering into the city limits. Weller is the chemical transporter, according to the sewer manager fax, so it's possible he's infected in factory where that pesky disposal system isn't working quite right. See the F.A.Q.] 1998 Jul 7 RE2 - Sewer Manager's Diary The sewer manager notes that Chief Irons has been visiting the lab often, and has been looking very grim lately. 1998 Jul 9 RE1 - Scrapbook Due to the attacks and murders in the forest, the road into the Arklay Mountains is blocked by the Raccoon City authorities. The R.P.D. enlists the S.T.A.R.S. to find any missing hikers. By this time, "grotesque monsters" have also been sighted in the mountains. 1998 Jul 10-16 RE1 - Fax (est. date) A report from the Special Committee on Disasters of Umbrella's Raccoon Special Research Department is submitted to the general manager of Umbrella's Sanitation Division, summarizing the results of the committee's investigation of the Spencer Estate accident. The report indicates that most of the researchers and guards were killed by exposure to the T-virus, although the lab's security systems are still operational. The report also warns that the virus outbreak may be out of control, and the secrecy of Umbrella's activities is compromised, especially due to the intervention by State Police and the S.T.A.R.S. [If police and S.T.A.R.S. are already intervening, this occurs soon after July 9, maybe within a week.] 1998 Jul 16 RE3 - Manager's Diary The disposal factory is unable to keep up with the accumulating numbers of infected bodies. 1998 July 17-23 RE1 - manual (est. date) (events inferred) To cope with the bizarre incidents in the Arklay Mountains, Albert Wesker recruits new members to the STARS, and reassigns other members to Raccoon City. Wesker assembles a more experienced Alpha Team, placing himself as team leader. Serving under him are weapons specialist Barry Burton, marksman Chris Redfield, machine expert Jill Valentine, and pilot Brad Vickers. Bravo Team member Joseph Frost is also promoted to Alpha Team to serve as vehicle specialist, although several members of Bravo Team are jealous of his new position. Alpha Team members begin arriving in Raccoon City to support Bravo Team, which consists of team leader Enrico Marini, communications expert Richard Aiken, vehicle specialist Forest Speyer, field scout Kenneth J. Sullivan, and pilot Edward Dewey. [Most of this is conjecture based on the RE1 manual and character bios (see the F.A.Q. regarding Dewey). The manual implies Alpha Team is assembled right before the game events ("new members of Alpha Team arrive in Raccoon City late in the day"). Furthermore, Chris only meets Rebecca for the first time in the mansion. Some Alpha Team members must come earlier, however, because Jill and Barry know all the still-living Bravo Team members they meet in the game. The fact that the wounded Enrico immediately assumes Chris is the traitor and prepares to shoot him also supports the notion that Chris is a latecomer to Raccoon City, and therefore highest on Enrico's list of suspects. But Enrico seems to trust Jill and Barry and tries to warn them of the traitor. However, they too must have been among Wesker's new transfers to Raccoon City, because Enrico's bio say he thinks "Chris or Barry may end up replacing him as #1 to Wesker." At any rate, the STARS actions on July 9 are probably by Bravo Team.] 1998 Jul 21 RE2 - Sewer Manager's Diary RE2 - Sewer Manager's Diary, N64 ver. The sewer manager is rather annoyed that he rarely has a chance to have a drink because he has to work the graveyard shift. He notices that a well-dressed new employee has started working at Umbrella's secret underground lab. [It's been proposed this new employee is Dr. Birkin. But by this time the disposal factory already has to keep up with lots of infected bodies, which I suggest above are generated by Birkin's work (see June 7, July 16 above). Also, Birkin probably starts working in Raccoon City right soon after leaving the mansion (see April 25 above). Finally, later diary entries mention Birkin, but the sewer manager never writes about meeting him.] 1998 Jul 22 2:13 am RE1 - Orders STARS leader Albert Wesker is ordered by White Umbrella to do the following within the week: 1) lure the S.T.A.R.S. into the Spencer Estate to observe them fighting the B.O.W.'s, 2) collect two embryos for each B.O.W. except Tyrant, and 3) destroy the Spencer Estate facility. [Wesker's name is never mentioned, but the instructions are obviously for him.] 2EX - Rebecca's Report Navy ensign Billy Koen is court-martialed and sentenced to death. He is transferred with a Navy M.P. escort through the Arklay Mountains. 1998 Jul 23 2EX - Rebecca's Report An abandoned M.P. vehicle is found in the Arklay Mountains with several corpses of M.P., as well as a body later identified by military authorities as that of Billy Koen. The authorities demand that his remains be turned over to them, but are told the body could not be recovered. [These entries are almost definitely teasers for the upcoming RE Zero. See the F.A.Q.] RE1 - manual 2EX - Chris's Report STARS Bravo Team is deployed to Raccoon Forest in the Arklay Mountains. Their objective is to search for missing hikers and investigate the possibility of some sort of "death cult" hiding out in the area. During their mission, Bravo Team locates a mansion deep in the forest. Shortly thereafter, their helicopter engine fails and all contact is lost with the STARS. 1998 Jul 24 (dusk) RE1 - intro movie Wesker's Report The last new members of S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team arrive in Raccoon City late in the day. Alpha Team is then deployed to the Raccoon Forest area. Their objective is to locate and rescue Bravo Team, and bring the situation in the Arklay Mountains under control. Just before the light fails, Alpha Team finds Bravo Team's wrecked empty helicopter. Oddly enough, most of the equipment has been left behind. As they sweep the area, Joseph Frost finds the mutilated remains of Bravo Team's pilot, Edward Dewey. Suddenly, Alpha Team is ambushed by vicious dog-like creatures. Frost is immediately killed, and the rest of the team is forced to take shelter in a nearby mansion while Brad Vickers takes off in their helicopter. [The date of RE1 is confusing. Chris' report describes Bravo Team's actions on July 23, but it doesn't mean Alpha Team goes in on the same day. Nicholai's report on destroyed Raccoon City says the estate is destroyed on July 25, implying RE1 occurs on the night of July 24. But Jill's report is dated July 24, implying RE1 has already occurred by that date. Wesker's Report seems to say everything, including Bravo Team's actions, occurs on July 24. See below and also the F.A.Q. for my explanations.] RE1 - gameplay Inside the mansion, the S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team members soon become separated. Albert Wesker disappears, and Jill Valentine teams up with Barry Burton to find clues and a way out. Meanwhile, Chris Redfield locates a surviving Bravo Team member, Rebecca Chambers. Early in the investigation, Alpha Team finds the corpse of Kenneth J. Sullivan, being eaten by a rotting zombie. It becomes clear that the mansion is no safer than it was outside, and soon afterwards, the living dead corpse of Forest Speyer is encountered. As Alpha Team probes deeper into the mansion, they begin uncovering evidence of Umbrella's bio-weapons program. Richard Aiken is found dying from the poisonous bite of an enormous mutated snake, and he provides Alpha Team with a half-working radio. The S.T.A.R.S. eventually find their way into the grounds behind the mansion, and explore the guardhouse, where they dispose of the deadly virus-mutated Plant 42. They then run into Wesker, who has apparently managed to stay alive all this time. He sends his teammates back to the mansion to find a way out. RE1 - gameplay (events inferred) The treacherous Albert Wesker then releases the deadly Hunter B.O.W.'s from their pens in the tunnels under the courtyard, in the hope that they will efficiently dispose of the remaining S.T.A.R.S., whose tenacious survival skills have now become a threat to his plans. [This is conjecture, but it's a nice, tidy explanation for the sudden appearance of the Hunters, right after Wesker sends the S.T.A.R.S. back to mansion and safely away from the tunnel entrance.] RE1 - gameplay The S.T.A.R.S. return to the mansion, where they encounter the lethal Hunters which have now infested main house. The S.T.A.R.S. penetrate several of the locked rooms, including the library, discovering more evidence as well as a way to enter the secret lab under the state. As Alpha Team begins exploring the courtyard tunnels, they find the wounded Bravo Team leader, Enrico Marini. He attempts to warn his fellow S.T.A.R.S. of a traitor among them before he is murdered by an unseen gunman. The remaining S.T.A.R.S. try to find the traitor, and discover a way into Umbrella's secret lab beneath the mansion. 2EX - Jill's Report Jill Valentine begins jotting down notes on the B.O.W.'s the S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team has been fighting, as well as speculating about the nature of the infection leading to the creation of these creatures. [Jill's report is dated July 24, so she must have been writing something for it while still in the estate, since we know from Nicholai's report on destroyed Raccoon City that the mansion explodes on July 25. Well, there's certainly no shortage of typewriters for her to use. :) See the F.A.Q.] RE1 - gameplay Wesker's Report Alpha Team explores the lab, discovering Umbrella's extensive B.O.W. development facilities. There Albert Wesker is revealed to have been working for Umbrella. He has been making threats against Barry Burton's family to manipulate him into helping cover up Umbrella's involvement in the events at the estate. However, Wesker has his own agenda, for he wishes to keep the prototype for the ultimate B.O.W., Tyrant, for himself. He injects himself with a special virus given to him by William Birkin and frees the Tyrant to stage his own death and obtain battle data as the B.O.W. disposes of the S.T.A.R.S. However, the S.T.A.R.S. unexpectedly neutralize Tyrant, set off the self-destruct system, and signal to Brad Vickers flying in the area with the helicopter. But the seemingly unstoppable Tyrant comes back for an encore at the helipad. The S.T.A.R.S. introduce him to a rocket launcher ("Say hello to my little friend!") tossed down from above, courtesy of Brad, and blast him to pieces. 1998 Jul 25 (dawn) RE1 - closing movie RES - Report on Destroyed Raccoon City Wesker's Report The Spencer Estate is destroyed in the explosion set off by the triggering system. The surviving S.T.A.R.S. members fly back to Raccoon City by helicopter. The bitter, now inhuman Albert Wesker hauls himself out of lab and off the estate into the Raccoon Forest just before the explosion obliterates the property. Wesker vows revenge against the S.T.A.R.S. that ruined his plans. 1998 Jul 29 RE3 - Manager's Diary The numbers of infected bodies accumulating at the disposal factory continues increasing, with the disposal system decreasing in function. Some of the workers are becoming infected under these conditions, and the manager prudently begins keeping a gun handy. 1998 Aug 5 RES - Report on Destroyed Raccoon City U.B.C.S. Commander Nicholai Ginovaef reports to Umbrella Headquarters that there are no signs of T-virus leakage into the area surrounding the Spencer Estate. However, he recommends that the area continue to be monitored. He also notes that Umbrella's secret operative Albert Wesker is M.I.A. and presumed dead, and that surviving S.T.A.R.S. members Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine are preparing to report the incident to the press and Chief Brian Irons. [From this we know the S.T.A.R.S. haven't yet filed their report on the mansion incident. It also seems Umbrella's people do not yet know Wesker betrayed the company as well. This lets us deduce a couple things below.] RES - Factory Worker's Diary One of the factory workers on Sheena Island is overwhelmed by guilt for extracting chemicals from the brains of the young prisoners. 1998 Aug 6-7 2EX - Chris's Report (est. date) Chris Redfield submits his formal report on the Spencer Estate incident and Wesker's betrayal to Chief Irons. Chris speculates that the "zombie phenomenon" occurring in Raccoon City may be related to Umbrella's virus. Chris proposes a formal investigation of Umbrella. [Presumably, Umbrella first receives confirmation of Wesker's death and learns that he tried to betray his employers from the survivors' report (how else would the company find out?). This means Chris' report is completed after Nicholai's August 5 report, since Nicholai seems completely ignorant of Wesker's double-cross. Chris makes a second attempt to convince Irons on August 8, so we can narrow down the range of days. Also, Nicholai's August 5 report claims there are no signs of T-virus leakage in the area, but Chris refers to zombies roaming the city. This is all consistent with Chris' report coming after Nicholai's. The question is why do the S.T.A.R.S. wait almost 2 weeks before writing their report? I speculate on this in the F.A.Q. below.] 1998 Aug 7 RE3 - Jill's Diary Two weeks after the Spencer Estate incident, Jill Valentine is still haunted by the deaths of her teammates. 1998 Aug 7-8 RE2 - Mail to the Chief (est. date) Dr. William Birkin writes a letter to Chief Irons confirming the loss of the Spencer Estate lab due to the actions of the renegade Umbrella operative, Albert Wesker. Dr. Birkin instructs Chief Irons to monitor the five surviving S.T.A.R.S. and to dispose of them in a "accidental" manner if it becomes clear that they have evidence of Umbrella's research. [This should happen right after Chris' report. Due to the report, Umbrella's people now know that Wesker betrayed everybody, not just the S.T.A.R.S. See above. Birkin probably writes his letter to the chief before Chris' second attempt to speak to Irons on August 8.] 1998 Aug 8 RE2 - Chris' Diary Chris Redfield tries once again to convince Chief Irons of Umbrella's activities. Nobody wants to listen, because Umbrella employs practically everyone in Raccoon City. 1998 Aug 8-12 RE2 - manual Chris Redfield speaks to his sister Claire for the last time prior to his departure for Europe later in August. He tells her nothing about the goings-on in Raccoon City. [The manual says Claire decides to search for Chris in Raccoon City, "the last known location of her brother nearly 2 months ago." But we know from Chris' diary that he doesn't leave the area until August 24, only little more than a month before RE2. This apparent contradiction may just mean that Chris last talks to Claire a few weeks before he actually leaves the city. If they last spoke around the beginning of August, this is just under 2 months before RE2, remaining consistent with the RE2 manual. Looking at the various diaries from this period, it seems reasonable to say the last time Chris contacts Claire (or is available for her to reach) is before he becomes obsessed with the search for info on the G-virus. A likely time range is between August 8 (the day of Chris' last argument with the chief) and August 13. See the Jill's diary entries below.] 1998 Aug 13 RE3 - Jill's Diary Jill Valentine wonders what is wrong with Chris Redfield. He is constantly irritated, he does not talk to anyone, and he even punched Officer Elran of the Boy's Crime department for splashing him in the face with coffee. 1998 Aug 15 (12:00 am) RE3 - Jill's Diary Chris Redfield, who has been on "vacation," calls Jill Valentine to his place. He shows her information he has obtained on the existence of Umbrella's G-virus. [I suppose Chris is acting strangely from stress and lack of sleep while investigating Umbrella. At this time, he may have also started looking into Irons' connection with Umbrella. It's also likely that Claire last talks to Chris sometime just before this.] 1998 Aug 16 RE2 - Sewer Manager's Diary The sewer manager tries to cheer up a grim-looking Chief Irons, who instead pulls out his gun and threatens to shoot him. The sewer manager successfully calms him down. 1998 Aug 16-21 RE2 - Mail to the Chief (est. date) Dr. Birkin deposits $10,000 in Chief Irons' bank account for "services rendered." Birkin informs the chief that the G-virus development is nearly complete. However, the surviving S.T.A.R.S. members are still attempting to uncover information about the G-virus and Irons should continue monitoring them and block any attempts to find the underground lab. [This must occur after Chris enlists Jill's help in finding info on the G-virus on August 15, since Birkin's wording implies multiple S.T.A.R.S. are snooping around. This letter may incidentally explain why Irons is so mad on August 16 according to the sewer manager's diary. On the other hand, this letter may be sent closer to August 21, when Birkin also tells the sewer manager that police may search the sewers.] 1998 Aug 17 RE2 - Chris' Diary The R.P.D. begins receiving reports of "strange monsters" sighted at random throughout Raccoon City. Chris Redfield realizes this is more of Umbrella's work. [Chris mentions zombies in the city a while ago in his first report to Chief Irons. However, "strange monsters" and "zombie phenomenon" are different things, and the more grotesque, mutated monsters would show up later anyway.] 1998 Aug 20 RES - Young Man's Diary (date inferred) A young man is kidnapped on a street in Congo by Umbrella agents and is brought to Sheena Island. [By September 5, "16 days have passed."] 1998 Aug 21 RE2 - Sewer Manager's Diary Dr. Birkin informs the sewer manager that the police and media have begun investigating Umbrella, and all sewer facility operations must be suspended. Birkin warns the manager that there may be a search of the sewers. The manager will lose his job if the laboratory is found. 1998 Aug 23 RE2 - Police Memorandum A memo informs the R.P.D. of the movement of equipment around the station, including the safe that was transferred from the S.T.A.R.S. office to the eastern office. [I've considered reading more into this equipment transfer. Maybe it happens because the remaining S.T.A.R.S. have resigned after being discredited by Umbrella's machinations. It's a big coincidence that this occurs around the time the S.T.A.R.S. are causing lots of trouble. Just something to think about.] 1998 Aug 24 RE2 - Chris' Diary Chris Redfield uncovers some vague information on Umbrella's G-Virus with help from Jill Valentine and Barry Burton. The surviving members of S.T.A.R.S. decide to fly to the main Umbrella H.Q. in Europe. [Where are Rebecca Chambers and Brad Vickers? While Brad is likely lying low after RE1, we know he doesn't head for the hills right after the Spencer Estate incident since he's still around in RE3.] RE3 - Jill's Diary Chris Redfield leaves Raccoon City. Barry Burton tells Jill Valentine that he is sending his family to Canada before following Chris. Jill stays behind to find out more about Umbrella's laboratory in Raccoon City, but plans to join her teammates in Europe in a month. [Again, where are Rebecca and Brad?] 1998 Aug 25 RE2 - Watchman's Diary, N64 ver. (Aug 11) (RE2 - Watchman's Diary) The R.P.D. night watchman is reprimanded by Chief Irons for loafing in the clock tower. The chief seems more upset that the officer was in the clock tower than by the fact he was not doing his job. 1998 Sep 1 RE3 - Mercenary's Diary A U.B.C.S. mercenary completes his six-month intense training program. 1998 Sep 5 RES - Young Man's Diary Since his abduction from Congo sixteen days ago, a prisoner on Sheena Island has gradually learned that he and the rest of the young inmates are research subjects for a medical company called Umbrella Inc. All the people living on the island are either Umbrella employees or their family members. The young man becomes determined to organize his fellow prisoners and escape from the island. 1998 Sep 6 RES - Janitor Andy's Diary Vincent Goldman is sent by Umbrella Headquarters to become Sheena Island's supreme commander. 1998 Sep 10 RES - Lott's Diary Lott Klein sees some of the Sheena Island prisoners at the video arcade. They appear sleepy, drool, and smell rotten. Lott's father and Commander Vincent Goldman have told him the Umbrella people operate on them to make them "decent people." RES - Young Man's Diary A prisoner on Sheena Island begins suspecting that they're being systematically drugged by their jailers. RE3 - Director's Diary The Raccoon City Hospital director reports on the symptoms of the strange "zombie disease" sporadically cropping up in the city. 1998 Sep 11-18 RE3 - manual (est. date) The citizens of Raccoon City start becoming generally aware of inexplicable murders and a strange disease cropping up in the neighborhoods of the city. ["A month-and-a-half" since RE1. It must be after the September 10 entry in the hospital director's diary, because hospital staff would become aware of strange diseases before anyone else notices. By the September 18 entry, I assume everyone in the city either knows something is wrong, or is already infected.] 1998 Sep 12-16 Wesker's Report Albert Wesker, now working for rivals of Umbrella, joins forces with Ada Wong, another spy sent by this corporation. Ada tells Wesker that Umbrella is nearing completion of the G-virus but its creator doesn't want to share it with his employers. Wesker realizes she must be talking about William Birkin. The two agents make plans to steal the new virus. [While the wording says 2 months have passed since the mansion incident (on July 24), we have to give Wesker some leeway, since the virus is probably completed around September 15 or 16 (see below). I think the two join forces less than 2 weeks before September 24 for Wesker to still get away with saying it's 2 months after RE1.] 1998 Sep 13-19 RES - Young Man's Diary (est. date) Two prisoners on Sheena Island, Anna and Jacob, disappear from the prison and are taken to the factory on the mountain. [They disappeared "last week" according to the September 21 entry. September 13-19 covers Sunday through Saturday of the week before. Yes, I checked a 1998 calendar.] 1998 Sep 15-18 RE2 - Claire A (est. date) The R.P.D. loses contact with the surviving S.T.A.R.S. members Jill Valentine, Barry Burton, and Chris Redfield. [Marvin tells Claire the R.P.D. lost contact with Chris "over 10 days ago." Chris leaves on August 24 according to Jill's diary, so he must still be keeping touch with some of the more trusted members of the R.P.D. The latest possible day the S.T.A.R.S. completely disappear is 11 days before RE2 on September 17 or 18. The earliest possible day is just under 2 weeks before RE2, on September 15 or 16. Otherwise, Marvin would say "2 weeks ago." Interestingly, Marvin mentions Chris, Jill, and Barry, but not Rebecca or Brad (when Marvin talks to Claire, he wouldn't know Brad is dead).] 1998 Sep 15 RE3 - Mercenary's Diary A U.B.C.S. mercenary is called into action and has to cut his vacation short. 2EX - Umbrella Memo Umbrella's U.S. branch vice-president Joel Allman sends a memo to Dr. Birkin and several other labs requesting that they donate five cases of the chemical APL-14. There is a shortage caused by the Antarctic base. Allman reassures Birkin that steps are being taken to prevent this shortage from occurring again, and that the Ashford reputation is tarnished. [Why are they trying to tarnish Alfred Ashford's reputation? There's nothing else on this, though we do know from Alexander's memo that the Ashfords and the Spencers are vying for control of Umbrella. Since Birkin worked on the T-virus at the Spencer Estate, he may have been part of the faction within Umbrella opposed to the Ashfords. Intriguing, but all speculation.] (3:24 pm) RE2 - Film A A human body experiment is performed using the G-virus. [There are no other indications, but I take this to be the day the G-virus is perfected. This lets us estimate some dates below.] 1998 Sep 16-20 RE2 - Mail to the Chief (est. date) Dr. Birkin receives information that Umbrella H.Q. has sent agents to recover his G-virus research. He instructs Chief Irons to search the city for suspicious persons, detain them, and contact William through his wife Annette Birkin. [The G-virus is probably perfected on or shortly before September 15. The R.P.D. follows up on a report of a suspicious person on the night of September 20. As I imply above, coming up with these dates takes a bit of a leap of faith, but it does all fit rather well within the continuity.] 1998 Sep 18 RE3 - Director's Diary Another patient with the "zombie disease" is admitted to the Raccoon City Hospital. 1998 Sep 19 RE2 - Watchman's Diary, N64 ver. (Sep 5) (RE2 - Watchman's Diary) The R.P.D. night watchman meets Thomas, an old man who works at the sewage disposal plant behind the precinct. Thomas tells the watchman about the keys shaped like chess pieces. They plan to play chess tomorrow night. The watchman wonders why Thomas keeps scratching himself. 1998 Sep 20 RES - Janitor Andy's Diary Rumors circulate around Sheena Island that Commander Goldman is conducting gruesome experiments on kids brought to the island from all over the world. (9:30 pm) RE2 - Patrol Report R.P.D. Sgt. Neil Carlsen investigates a report of a suspicious individual lurking around the sewers in the outskirts of Raccoon City. He frightens away the individual and recovers some explosives and ammunition. [This could be Ada, someone from Hunk's team, or another agent from Umbrella or the U.S. government. It could even be one of the discredited S.T.A.R.S. Barry, Jill, and Brad are still in town, though I doubt it's them.] (night) RES - Young Man's Diary (date inferred) The prisoners on Sheena Island are taken to the nightclub. One of the prisoners overhears a conversation between some of the factory workers and learns that a chemical is extracted from the prisoners' brains in the factory. [On the night before the September 21 entry.] 1998 Sep 20 (night) RE2 - Watchman's Diary, N64 ver. (event inferred) (Sep 6) (RE2 - Watchman's Diary) The R.P.D. night watchman is supposed to play chess with the Thomas, the sewage plant worker, but evidently they have to cancel for some reason. 1998 Sep 21 RES - Young Man's Diary One of the prisoners on Sheena Island, Chin, is taken to the factory the mountain. Given what was overheard the previous night, his friend thinks it unlikely that Chin will return. Several remaining prisoners become determined to execute an escape plan soon. 1998 Sep 22-23 RE2 - flashback movie (est. date) RE2 - uncut script Umbrella operative "Hunk" takes his teams into the Raccoon City sewers and they make their way into the underground lab to recover the G-virus from the rebellious Dr. William Birkin. One team captures Annette Birkin, while Hunk's group confronts William. He is shot when he refuses to turn over the virus, and Hunk obtains the case of T- and G-virus samples. The agents leave the mortally-wounded William, while the second group lets Annette go. She then rushes into the room to her injured husband. She immediately leaves to find medical supplies, but Birkin injects himself with a massive amount of G-virus and starts mutating into a horrid monster. He then hunts down and slaughters Umbrella's agents in the sewers. During the carnage, the insane creature crushes the vials of T-virus carried in the case, and the infection is spread throughout the sewers and lab by rats. All the agents are killed by Birkin except Hunk, who is knocked unconscious and left for dead. [This all happens right before the chief's September 23 diary entry. Annette's capture and release, as well as the fact there was T-virus in the stolen case, are all from the uncut RE2 script. See below and the F.A.Q. for additional commentary on the date of Hunk's mission.] RE2 - gameplay (est. date) Annette Birkin calls her daughter Sherry from the lab, tells her it's too dangerous to stay at home, and instructs her to go to the R.P.D. station. [I assume Annette calls Sherry right after she finds out her husband is on a rampage and a large-scale virus leak has occurred.] 1998 Sep 23 RE2 - Chief's Diary Chief Irons realizes that very shortly, Raccoon City will be completely overrun with zombies. He suspects he might even be infected himself. [I believe this entry is meant to imply Irons has discovered the aftermath of Hunk's botched operation. This diary entry is essentially the whole basis for dating Hunk's mission when I do. See the F.A.Q.] 1998 Sep 23 RE2 - Watchman's Diary, N64 ver. (Sep 9) (RE2 - Watchman's Diary) The night watchman is soundly beaten by Thomas at chess. Thomas talks about food the entire game, and the police officer thinks his opponent doesn't look quite right. [They were supposed to play on the night of September 20 (or 6, according to the PS1, DC, and PC versions), but evidently never got around to it, since this is their first game.] 1998 Sep 23-24 RE3 - Reporter's Memo (est. date) A Raccoon Times reporter witnesses a man infected with the "cannibal disease" tearing at still-living victims like a savage animal. He hears rumors that many others in Raccoon City are also infected. [The reporter's memo must be written over a few days, since one passage mentions rumors of people being infected with the "cannibal disease," while a later section says almost everyone is dead. I place the events from the beginning of the file here, because the rumors of widespread infection are consistent with Hunk's mission having already occurred. Before Birkin spread virus everywhere, there were only a few sporadic virus cases (RE3, Director's Diary; see the F.A.Q.). The name of the newspaper comes from the scrapbook in RE1.] 1998 Sep 24 (pre-dawn) RE3 - Marvin's Report Two jewels are stolen from the clock face at the municipal building. R.P.D. Officer Marvin Branagh is forced to suspend investigation of the case due to lack of available officers. RE2 - Chief's Diary Chief Irons spreads confusion among the R.P.D., making sure the police will not be able to control the zombie epidemic in the city and nobody from outside Raccoon City will come to help. The chief also sees to it that all escape routes from the police station will be impassable and plans to ensure that any survivors trying to escape through the lower levels cannot get out. [The diary entry implies the zombie assault on the station has already occurred, but accepting September 24 as the day of the first attack creates very serious problems (RE2, Operation Report 1). Thus, I assume Irons is referring to survivors from sporadic zombie attacks on the streets of Raccoon City, not survivors of the later large-scale attack on the station. By now, there are many zombies wandering randomly around the city streets, even though the station has not yet been overrun by a huge mob. There are probably conflicting reports from people rushing into the precinct for shelter, and none of the police have a clear idea of what exactly is going on: confused, just like the chief says in his diary. At this point, the streets may already be nearly impassable due to zombies, so it's possible some people get the idea to use the sewers under the precinct, thus explaining Irons' reference to the "survivors trying to escape through the lower levels," 4 days before the guys in the second operation report decide to give it a shot. This is a major stretch, but it's the best I can do without changing the chief's diary dates. See the F.A.Q.] 1998 Sep 24-25 RE3 - Marvin's Report (est. date) RE3 - Reporter's Memo Raccoon City is placed under martial law. All contact is lost with everyone outside the city. [The September 26 entry in Marvin's report says the city is under martial law, but he makes no mention of it in his September 24 entry. Martial law may also be one of the ways Irons tries to spread confusion (RE2, Chief's Diary). The chief's "concerns" about terrorism right before the September 26 attack (RE2, Operation Report 1) may have been an excuse to impose martial law, in addition to moving weapons around the station, which is all consistent with this time estimate. The only information from the reporter's memo that we can add here is the tidbit about losing contact with people outside the city. See above regarding the reporter's memo.] 1998 Sep 25 RE2 - Operation Report 1 (date inferred) Chief Irons relocates weapons to scattered areas throughout the R.P.D. station due to concerns about terrorism. [This happens the day before the first zombie attack. Irons probably also sees to it that the guy with the card key to the weapons storage goes "missing." After all, we find the card in the morgue...] 1998 Sep 26 (pre-dawn) RE2 - Watchman's Diary, N64 ver. (Sep 12) (RE2 - Watchman's Diary) The night watchman cancels another chess game with Thomas. The old man isn't feeling well, and the watchman thinks he looks like "the living dead." The watchman hasn't been feeling very well himself either, lately. [They meet in the early morning hours, since the station is assaulted before 10:00 am this same day.] 1998 Sep 26 RE2 - Operation Report 1 The R.P.D. precinct is suddenly attacked by a large number of zombies. Many police (and probably also civilians who took shelter in the station) are killed or injured. During the attack, communications equipment is destroyed and one of the breakers goes down. [The communications equipment and breaker are probably sabotaged by Irons. The cut wires to the steel shutters on the ground floor windows are certainly more of the chief's work.] (10:00 am) RE3 - Marvin's Report A 42-year old restaurant owner who has taken shelter in the police station develops symptoms of T- virus infection and is shot to death within ten minutes. On autopsy, he is found to be carrying one of the missing gems from the clock face at the municipal building. [While I assume this happens after the big attack on the station, this isn't necessarily the case. The precinct was attacked "unexpectedly," according to the first operation report, but people already knew about zombies in the city. Still, I tend to think the restaurant owner takes shelter in the precinct when the R.P.D. was mobbed, and then is shot after showing symptoms.] RE2 - Operation Report 1 Survivors in the R.P.D. station plan an operation to rescue survivors and contain the disaster in Raccoon City. This entails recovering the weapons scattered throughout the station. Unfortunately, supplies are limited, and the person with the card key to the underground weapon cache is missing. RE3 - Director's Diary Most of the doctors and staff at the Raccoon City Hospital are lost in a battle with zombie patients. The hospital director realizes he also has been infected. RE3 - David's Memo Meyer, one of the R.P.D.'s better marksmen, is torn apart and devoured by zombies. David Ford owed Meyer, who saved his life during a previous attack, but Ford was too scared to come to Meyer's aid and repay the debt. RE2 - Chief's Diary Chief Irons has a change of heart. He decides to hunt down the remaining survivors in the station himself. He lets the mayor's daughter escape so he can track her down later. He shoots Ed in the back and gloats as he watches him die. [Because of the dates in the chief's diary, these cannot be the same 4 survivors from the second operation report, even though the diary implies this is the case. See the September 24 and 28 events, as well as the F.A.Q.] (late night)RE3 - Mercenary's Pocketbook (time inferred) RE3 - intro movie U.B.C.S. teams are deployed throughout Raccoon City. Within three hours, several teams are already decimated. [The merc's pocketbook indicates the mission starts on September 26. I assume this is very late at night, because the RE3 intro implies the mercs' arrival coincides closely with the R.P.D.'s battle with the zombies, which occurs on September 27 (RE3, Photo A). See the F.A.Q.] 1998 Sep 27 (pre-dawn) RE3 - intro movie & inferred events RE3 - Photo A R.P.D. officers make a stand on the streets before the police station and are defeated by the horde of zombies. The surviving police officers retreat to the police station where they are trapped. [I assume the battle in the RE3 intro is in front of the station. We know from photo A that the movie occurs on September 27, yet the station is first attacked on September 26 (RE2, Operation Report 1). The interpretation is that the surviving R.P.D. officers are trying to break through the mob of zombies surrounding the station and get defeated. There are many signs of this battle just outside the entrances to the station in RE2-3. See the F.A.Q.] RE3 - Mercenary's Pocketbook A girl and her father arrive to the relative safety of the St. Michael Clock Tower. Later, two U.B.C.S. mercenaries manage to reach the clock tower, surviving by robbing wounded fellow soldiers of their supplies and using uninfected citizens as decoys. The girl reminds one of the mercenaries of his sister. (1:00 pm) RE2 - Operation Report 1 The west barricade in the R.P.D. precinct is broken through. After the battle, twelve injured are sheltered in the evidence room. RE3 - David's Memo As of September 26, thirteen men have been killed in the police station. Officer David Ford uses whiskey to calm himself, and plans to shoot himself as soon as he runs out of booze. [He doesn't mention Lickers, so this must occur before that entry in Operation Report 1. I should point out that 13 have been killed, and this figure probably includes those killed in the battle just outside the front gate. I would recommend not counting too carefully the number of zombie cops in and around the precinct in RE2-3. :) By the way, David never fulfills his plan: Operation Report 2 mentions his death in battle.] RE2 - Operation Report 1 A Licker makes a sudden appearance in the police station, killing three more people. RE3 - gameplay & inferred events Former S.T.A.R.S. member Jill Valentine escapes from the apartment complex or hotel where she has been hiding out from the chaos. She avoids a pack of zombies and makes her way through the streets of Raccoon city. She holes up in a warehouse, where she meets Dario Rosso, a salesman who just lost his entire family to the living dead. 1998 Sep 28 (2:30 am) RE2 - Operation Report 2 Zombies overrun the operation room in the police station. Four men die, including David Ford. Four remain. Elliot Edward and the other three survivors decide on a desperate plan to try escaping through the sewers. They lock the door to the basement behind them, leaving the key in the western office for any other survivors who might find it. [It's unclear whether these survivors include Marvin or the cop who dies on the precinct roof. There could be other lone survivors hiding about the station, barricaded in their own rooms, or stragglers may have filtered in from the streets. This helps explain the inconsistently boarded-up doors in RE2-3. Anyway, to continue with my line of reasoning from above: 13 killed up to the Licker attack, 3 killed by the Licker, 4 killed here, 4 remain. Now, I don't know exact numbers, but I'm pretty sure there are more than 24 zombie cops in the station in RE2-3. Oh well...] (dawn) RE3 - Mercenary's Diary A U.B.C.S. mercenary decides to blow his brains out rather than become a zombie. RE3 - Mercenary's Pocketbook RE3 - gameplay & inferred events The two U.B.C.S. mercenaries holed up in the clock tower want to evacuate Raccoon City, but the girl and her father refuse to leave. Everyone is eventually overwhelmed when zombies and other creatures storm the clock tower. The more compassionate mercenary dies with the girl he was trying to protect in his arms. RE2 - manual (date inferred) Leon S. Kennedy, newly recruited by the R.P.D., attempts to contact the captain who hired him. When he is unable to do so, he continues driving towards Raccoon City. [I'd imagine Leon tries to contact his captain on the same day he drives in.] (midday) RE3 - gameplay (est. time) Jill Valentine tries to convince Dario Rosso to come with her to escape the city. He refuses, so Jill finds her own way through the streets of uptown Raccoon City. She runs into her former S.T.A.R.S. teammate, Brad Vickers, who warns her that they are being hunted. Brad abandons Jill, who continues to the front gate of the R.P.D. precinct, where she meets Brad again. Before her eyes, he is killed by a huge monster, Nemesis. Umbrella has decided to take advantage of the chaos and silence the remaining S.T.A.R.S. The bloodthirsty brute drives Jill into the police station for shelter. [It is "September 28, daylight," but late enough that it's night by the time Jill leaves the precinct.] (sunset) RE2 - intro movie Leon S. Kennedy and Chris Redfield's sister Claire reach the outskirts of Raccoon City along their separate routes. They notice nothing amiss, although the highways are completely empty. (dusk) RE3 - gameplay In the precinct, Jill finds most of the doors have been solidly barricaded. One of the last surviving officers, Marvin Branagh, is unconscious and mortally wounded. On the half-working radio, Jill catches snatches of communications between U.B.C.S. mercenaries, but cannot establish contact with them. Jill restocks on ammo and supplies before Nemesis is able to break into the R.P.D. station. Jill escapes the assassin, runs from the station, and works her way into downtown Raccoon City. (night) RE3 - Reporter's Memo (est. date & time) The U.S. military begins gathering around Raccoon City to impose a quarantine on the area. [The blockades start coming up before Jill finds the reporter's memo late night on September 28. See the F.A.Q. This is a time-consuming process, and not all roads are blocked at once. Thus, Leon, Claire, and the truck driver can make their separate ways into the city without noticing anything amiss. The reporter is killed by a zombie shortly after completing his memo, and the note is left lying around.] (late night)RE2/3 - gameplay (events inferred) Brad Vicker's corpse arises as one of the living dead. The remaining barricades throughout the police station are either busted down by zombies or dismantled by Chief Irons as he hunts down any last survivors. The mortally-wounded officer Marvin Branagh regains consciousness. [This resolves most inconsistencies between RE2-3, except the window broken by Nemesis.] (late night)RE2 - intro movie The driver of a tanker truck is bitten by a "maniac" at a gas station on the outskirts of Raccoon City. He escapes and continues driving into the city. Meanwhile, Leon and Claire simultaneously enter Raccoon City, finding eerie, empty streets. Each is suddenly attacked by zombies, and they meet each other just outside a diner. Joining together, they grab an abandoned police car and drive through the zombie- infested streets towards the R.P.D. precinct. On the way, they are suddenly beset by a zombie awakening in the back of their car, causing them to crash. At the same time, the tanker truck from before, flying out of control with the delirious virus-infected driver at the wheel, bears down on their wrecked car. Leon and Claire manage to bail out in time to escape the crash and explosion, but find themselves separated by the flaming wreck with a horde of approaching zombies. They shout to each other over the roaring wall of flames and agree to rendezvous in the R.P.D. station. (late night)RE3 - gameplay In downtown Raccoon City, Jill meets several surviving U.B.C.S. mercenaries, who agree to join forces to restore a cable car's operation to bypass the zombie hordes infesting the city. After much running around, during which U.B.C.S. team leader Nicholai Ginovaef is apparently killed, Jill and the mercenary Carlos Oliveira get the cable car running, and start traveling through the city with the wounded mercenary officer Mikhail Victor. But Nemesis breaks into the trolley, and Mikhail sacrifices himself with a grenade to allow Jill and Carlos to escape. The out-of-control cable car crashes into the St. Michael Clock Tower, but Jill and Carlos survive. In the clock tower, Jill and Carlos find documents on the corpses of the U.B.C.S. mercenaries killed earlier, and learn of a helicopter standing by in the suburbs, ready to evacuate those in the tower when signaled by the bell. Jill fixes the clock's mechanism and rings the bell, but the approaching chopper is shot down by Nemesis. In the ensuing fight, Nemesis encounters unexpectedly fierce resistance by the cornered Jill and Carlos, who actually manage to drive him off. Unfortunately, Jill is infected by the T-virus during the fight, and she loses consciousness. Carlos carries Jill into the clock tower chapel and securely barricades themselves inside. [While Jill definitely leaves the precinct before Leon and Claire get there, a lot of the first half of RE3 (from Jill exiting the R.P.D. to the clock tower battle) probably occurs simultaneously with RE2. Keep this in mind, even though for clarity, I summarize RE2 after part 1 of RE3.] (late night)RE2 - Leon A (date inferred) Leon S. Kennedy runs through the Raccoon City streets, dodging zombies and taking shelter in Kendo's Gun Shop, where he meets the owner Robert Kendo. However, zombies storm the shop and slaughter Kendo, while Leon escapes out the back. He eventually makes his way to the site of the battle that occurred a day ago in front of the R.P.D. precinct. Leon dodges past the mob of now-undead police officers and slips into the grounds of the station through a side gate. There, he puts to rest the reanimated corpse of S.T.A.R.S. member Brad Vickers. After barricading himself inside the precinct, Leon meets the mortally-wounded Officer Marvin Branagh, who is recovering consciousness. Branagh fills in Leon on the events leading up to the present disaster, and orders him to look for other survivors in the station. Leon reluctantly leaves his fellow cop and begins exploring, finding only evidence of the battles for survival that have taken place: furniture in shambles, broken barricades, and many zombies. Furthermore, the precinct is also infested by a strange, vicious creature, the Licker. Leon reaches the S.T.A.R.S. office, where he finds Chris' diary with more information on Umbrella's activities. Leon spends some time trying to get the S.T.A.R.S.'s communication equipment working without success. [See the F.A.Q. for why I place the start of RE2 late on September 28. In the Leon A/Claire B combination, Claire seems to do a lot more than Leon before they run into each other in the S.T.A.R.S. office. Thus, I've thrown in that bit about Leon playing with the radio to have him kill some time and let Claire to catch up. In this summary, be aware that scenarios A and B happen around the same time, with key events of the A game occurring slightly earlier than the corresponding events of the B game. For example, Leon takes the cable car from the sewers to the factory before Claire, because Claire has to call it back to the sewers. Leon reaches the weapons storage in the precinct basement before Claire because what he takes will not be there for her. Leon descends into the lab before Claire and thus Claire needs to call the elevator back. I summarize RE2 in chunks, alternating between Leon A and Claire B, throwing in some events from Claire A and Leon B (see the F.A.Q.).] (late night)RE2 - Claire B (date inferred) Meanwhile, Claire Redfield works her way through the infested Raccoon City streets and enters the R.P.D. precinct grounds through the patrol car entrance. From there, Claire climbs to the roof of the station, where she sees a police helicopter attempting to rescue one of the last surviving police officers, as he's chased by some zombies. The botched attempt results in the helicopter crashing on the precinct roof and the death of everyone involved. After this delay, Claire enters the station. 1998 Sep 29 (pre-dawn) RE2 - Claire B (time inferred) Wesker's Report After finding the appropriate tools, Claire returns to the roof and extinguishes the burning helicopter wreck and eliminates the fire blocking her access to several second floor rooms. As Claire enters the station again, she suddenly sees a large helicopter flying overhead, towing a rack of six huge canisters hanging underneath. One of the canisters is released, and it falls through the roof and into the station. Once inside, Claire discovers what was in the container: a huge, menacing humanoid creature in a trench coat that silently, relentlessly begins to stalk her. Claire evades the seemingly indestructible monster and goes to explore the ruined rooms. Her access to one of the corridors is still blocked by a ruined door, from which she hears a woman's scream. Unable to bypass the door, Claire moves on, eventually finding the S.T.A.R.S. office where Leon is looking for information on the disaster. Claire and Leon realize that the R.P.D. precinct is nothing but a death trap, and Claire's brother is long gone. They separate, with Leon searching for a means of escaping the zombie-surrounded station, while Claire looks for survivors. She decides to investigate the screaming from the ruined door on the second floor. [From Wesker's Report, we learn that Umbrella doesn't deliver the Tyrant to the station until September 29. It's now probably just after midnight, because Leon returns to Marvin at 1:30 am (see below).] RE3 - Classified Photo File (events inferred) RE2/3 - gameplay The remaining five Tyrants carried by the Umbrella helicopter are brought to the disposal factory to eliminate a Special Forces unit sent by the U.S. Army to recover Umbrella's G-virus. In the battle, most of the Tyrants are killed by the Army's experimental rail cannon, the "Paracelcus' Sword," but the soldiers fail in their mission. [This accounts for the remaining Tyrant canisters carried by the Umbrella helicopter in RE2. This is all conjecture, of course, but it explains the presence of the dead Tyrants, the corpses of U.S. troops, the rail cannon, and the classified photo file in the factory. The rail cannon was probably brought in by yet another helicopter.] (1:30 am) RE2 - Leon A Leon heads downstairs from the S.T.A.R.S. office to check on Marvin Branagh, but finds to his horror that the wounded R.P.D. officer has become a zombie. After putting Branagh to rest, Leon decides that their best hope is to try the sewers beneath the station, following the route used by a few surviving police officers earlier. [The time comes from a clock on the office wall. Because this is the first time we ever see that clock, and because once Leon leaves that room, he never needs to come back, I take that to be roughly the time when Leon kills the Marvin zombie. This is all a rough estimate, of course, since the clock is part of the background and never changes, like when Claire visits that room in Claire B. The take-home point of this isn't the exact time of day, but that this part of the game happens during the pre-dawn hours of September 29, after Leon and Claire drive into the city at dusk on September 28. See the F.A.Q.] RE2 - Leon A In the precinct basement, Leon meets a surviving civilian, a mysterious woman named Ada Wong. She is searching for a newspaper reporter, Ben Bertolucci, who supposedly has information on what is going on in the city and can help Ada find her boyfriend John, an Umbrella employee who disappeared months before the disaster. Leon and Ada locate Ben in the holding cells, but he refuses to talk to them until they find a way out of the precinct. Thus, the search for the sewer entrance continues, and Ada leaves Leon to try to find it herself. RE2 - Claire B Meanwhile, Claire's search takes her to the R.P.D. chief's office, where she finds Brian Irons with the recently-dead body of Mayor Michael Warren's daughter. The chief seems to be overwhelmed with guilt for letting the young woman he was supposed to protect instead get killed. Leaving Chief Irons, Claire finds a little girl, Sherry Birkin, who has been hiding in the station ever since her mother told her to flee to the R.P.D. But Sherry refuses to come with Claire, for she is trying to find her father before a monster, different from the others, gets him. Seemingly on cue, Sherry and Claire hear a tremendous roaring from somewhere in the station, and Sherry runs from Claire to search for her father. As Claire runs after Sherry, she notices that Chief Irons and the body of the mayor's daughter have both mysteriously disappeared from the office. RE2 - Leon A Passing through the basement, Leon discovers a sewage processing plant and nearby he finds the entrance to the sewers, secured by a complicated lock requiring several keys. Ada catches up with Leon and convinces him to help her reach a ventilation grill near the ceiling, and in the rooms beyond she finds a key that will let Leon unlock several rooms in the precinct. Returning to the station, Leon searches until he locates the keys he requires to access the sewers, but when he and Ada meet to get Bertolucci, they find he has been mortally injured by a monster. As he gasps his last breath, the reporter gives Leon evidence that Chief Irons has been secretly working for Umbrella. Suddenly, Bertolucci chokes and gasps in pain as a small embryonic creature explodes from his chest and scurries down the hall. Ada runs back to the sewage disposal plant ahead of Leon. When Leon reaches the sewer entrance, he finds the monster is rapidly growing into a vast deformed creature vomiting its offspring onto the floor. Leon shoots it to death, meets up with Ada, and together they enter the sewers beneath Raccoon City. Before Leon and Ada get very far into the sewers, a mysterious woman shoots Leon in the shoulder. Ada leaves Leon and chases the woman, who turns out to be Annette, the wife of Dr. Birkin. Annette surmises (correctly) that Ada is yet another spy attempting to steal William's G-virus, and Ada learns that her boyfriend John is dead, transformed into a zombie at the Spencer Estate. Annette rants on about how Umbrella tried to steal the G-virus, leaving William for dead and forcing the scientist to inject the virus into himself to save his own life. While Annette is distracted, Ada manages to disarm her, and pushes her into a pool of sewage. RE2 - Claire A/B While Leon opens the way into the sewers, Claire searches the police station from top to bottom to find the missing Sherry, her footsteps dogged by the relentless Tyrant that stalks her throughout the station, literally tearing down the walls to reach her. Claire finally locates Sherry, as well as a secret passage in Chief Irons' office leading to a sub-basement. Claire goes on alone to confront the armed chief in his creepy secret torture room, where he reveals that Sherry is the daughter of Dr. William Birkin, the creator of the G-virus and the monsters responsible for destroying Raccoon City. But as the chief threatens to shoot Claire, a trapdoor behind him erupts open and a huge, misshapen reaches up to drag Irons to his doom. Claire bravely enters the sewers to confront the monster, which turns out to be William Birkin, who has mutated into a huge hulking brute armed with a pipe. Claire shoots him until the ex-scientist falls into the water and quickly fetches Sherry so they may escape. But the Tyrant has once again picked up their scent, and they run blindly into the tunnels, until Sherry is sucked into a narrow drain. Lost and alone, Sherry wanders through the sewers before falling into a garbage pit, where she loses consciousness. Her monstrous father, who survived his encounter with Claire, comes across the girl and implants Sherry with an embryo. [Sherry is implanted with an embryo in Claire A. While Wesker's Report uses the Leon A/Claire B scenarios, I wanted to work this into the continuity, because it makes the game more interesting. This can be done without perturbing the sequence of events in Leon A/Claire B too much. See the F.A.Q.] RE2 - Claire A/B Claire, meanwhile, searches the sewers for Sherry, instead finding the wounded Leon. Leon, however, refuses her help and tells her to go help Ada, who has run ahead after the woman that had tried to shoot them. Claire moves on and runs into Annette Birkin as she crawls out of a pool of sewage. From Claire, Annette finds out that Sherry is lost in the sewers. Sherry's mother tells Claire that Sherry's monstrous father will be hunting her, and the two women separate to locate the girl. Claire eventually finds Sherry in the garbage dump and rescues her from an enormous alligator mutated by the T-virus. But Sherry is clearly sick, and Claire realizes the girl has already been implanted with an embryo. [Again, I'm changing Claire's game around a little to accomodate Sherry's infection. Here I have Claire kill the alligator, which doesn't happen in Claire B.] RE2 - Leon A Leon recovers from his gunshot wound enough to go looking for Ada. The two are reunited, and Ada treats Leon's injuries before the two proceed through the sewers together. They eventually find a crude tunnel leading to an underground cable car. They use it to reach an abandoned factory on the outskirts of Raccoon City, where they find a huge elevator platform leading to Umbrella's secret underground laboratory. They start to descent, but a huge claw suddenly bursts through the wall of the booth and wounds Ada in the back. Leon goes out onto the platform and confronts the ever-mutating Birkin. Leon is able to put him out of commission, and the two finally reach Umbrella's laboratory. Leon leaves the injured Ada behind in a security office near the entrance, and ignores her urgings to leave without her. He promises that they will escape together and proceeds to explore the laboratory to find an exit from the city. RE2 - Claire B After Claire finds Sherry, he takes her through the sewers to the cable car and factory that lies beyond. At the elevator platform used earlier by Leon and Ada, Claire finds a way to call back the elevator, but she is again beset by the Tyrant, who for some reason appears to be following her and Sherry. After stunning the Tyrant and calling the platform, Claire and Sherry proceed down the elevator. However, a roar from outside tells Claire that they have an unwelcome passenger, and she takes a moment to deal with the monstrous Birkin once again. However, the elevator gets stuck, forcing Claire to enter the upper levels of the Umbrella lab through a ventilation shaft. Unexpectedly, the elevator with Sherry still on it starts up again, and descends to the lower levels without Claire. RE2 - Leon A On the lower levels of the facility, Leon explores the different laboratories, finding the area infested with larger, stronger varieties of Lickers, as well as strange, virus-mutated plants. Learning of an underground station serving transport trains for the facility, Leon finds a disc that will allow him access to the escape route. On his way back, however, Leon runs into Annette Birkin, who is enraged at him for murdering her husband (I think Annette is taking this "in sickness and in health" thing a bit too far). Annette tells Leon that Ada is a spy sent by the "agency" to steal her husband's virus. But before Ada can shoot Leon, a vast shudder courses through the underground facility, and a piece of debris falls from the ceiling onto Annette's head. On the unconscious Annette, Leon finds a sample of G-virus, which he takes. Turning to leave, Leon finds Ada who is brandishing a gun and orders the police officer to hand over the virus. Realizing that Annette was right, Leon refuses, believing that Ada will not be able to shoot him after he saved her life several times. Leon's gamble is correct, but suddenly, the half- conscious Annette shoots Ada in the back before falling back down to the floor in a daze. Ada staggers and falls down a shaft, with Leon failing in his desperate attempt to save her. In his grief, Leon looks at the vial of G-virus that so many have died for, and throws it into the shaft after Ada. RE2 - 4th Survivor RE3 - epilogue files 2EX - Operation Instructions Wesker's Report Albert Wesker, who has been watching everything from behind the scenes, doesn't want Ada dead just yet. He saves her, despite his disgust in her inability to ruthlessly complete her mission and shoot Leon for the G-virus. While Wesker is busy with Ada, the Umbrella operative Hunk, who has been prowling around the lab area, sees his chance and grabs the discarded vial of G-virus before Wesker can find it. Hunk runs back through the sewers, only to find the R.P.D. precinct is now completely infested with B.O.W.'s creeping in from the lab. Hunk blasts his way through the station toward the roof. On the way he is forced to avoid the T-103 Tyrant also trying to recover the virus. At his rendezvous point, Hunk is picked up by an Umbrella helicopter, his mission finally complete. Once again, Hunk is the only survivor of his mission. The sample is brought by the Umbrella agent to a secret company facility at Loire Village, France. [Wesker's Report let's us place the 4th Survivor scenario precisely after Leon throws the virus into the shaft. The two problems with this are, first, the 4th Survivor begins by showing Hunk gradually regaining consciousness in the sewers, which implies he's recovering from Birkin's attack from days ago, and certainly means he wasn't hanging around the lab waiting for someone to throw the G-virus on his head. The second problem is that the Tyrant is doing quite a bit of running back and forth between the precinct and the lab, in an extremely short space of time. Personally, I'm willing to overlook these minor inconsistencies, which only come from the gameplay. They are akin to the reset puzzles between Leon A and Claire B, or the infamous window broken by Nemesis.] RE2 - Claire A/B Meanwhile, in the upper levels, Claire searches for Sherry, who has disappeared from the caboose elevator. The crazed Annette catches up with Claire, who is part of the conspiracy against her husband as far as she's concerned. Annette reveals that Sherry has a sample of G-virus inside her pendant, and that the Tyrant that's been stalking Claire and Sherry is after the virus. As Claire tells Annette that Sherry has been infected by her father, a sudden roaring is heard from down the corridor. Annette realizes her husband is still alive and runs off to see him, but the mutated William disembowels her before disappearing through a ceiling duct. Claire catches up to Annette, who with her last words begs Claire to save Sherry using a set of instructions on the G-virus vaccine synthesis. Claire prepares the vaccine, but as she looks for Sherry, she sees the girl on one of the monitors, cornered by the Tyrant on a catwalk. Claire runs to the room, just as Sherry narrowly avoids the brute's enormous fists, which instead slam into a large power generator. Claire yells at the child to toss her the pendant that the Tyrant is after. Sherry does so, and Claire dangles the pendant before the creature, who slowly turns and begins stalking Claire. Claire, however, throws the pendant down a shaft into a pool of molten metal in the facility smelting plant, and the Tyrant mindlessly leaps in after the G-virus sample. Suddenly, the damaged generator begins to spark and the lab's self-destruct mechanism suddenly activates. Claire takes Sherry and prepares to escape. Down below, however, something stirs in the pool of red hot liquid metal. [Claire makes the vaccine in Claire A, while the Tyrant attacks Sherry in Claire B.] RE2 - Leon A Hearing the self-destruct warnings, Leon heads towards the underground transport train, but the monstrous Birkin finally catches up with him. Leon and the mutant scientist battle in a huge warehouse filled with storage tanks for Umbrella's bioweapons, before Birkin finally crumples to the ground. Leon is finally able to take the elevator leading to the subway station. RE2 - Claire B/Leon B Claire reaches the underground train station and leaves Sherry in a passenger car before proceeding to activate the power generators for the subway. Suddenly, looming behind her is a huge, hulking, clawed, burning creature: the Tyrant transformed and out for revenge. It's all Claire can do to dodge the monster, when a voice calls from above. A shadowy figure throws her a rocket launcher. Claire grabs the weapon and deals with the Tyrant once and for all, blasting him clean out of this game and into Resident Evil - Survivor with a vengeance. Little time remains before the lab explodes, and Claire runs to the train to get it moving, just as Leon reaches the station. The train with Leon, Claire, and Sherry enters the tunnel with the lab collapsing behind them. Claire administers the vaccine to Sherry, who immediately begins improving. But suddenly, an alarm goes off. There is a B.O.W. on the train with them, and an automatic safety mechanism prepares to blow up the train. Leaving Leon with Sherry, Claire goes to the back of the train, and finds William Birkin, mutating again into an amorphous, pulpy mass filling the entire back of the subway. Claire pumps her last rocket into William and then hammers him with every weapon she's carrying, until Sherry's father collapses into a huge mess on the floor. Claire returns to the front of the train, but William still isn't finished. He rapidly grows and sprouts tentacles, while time grows short with the train's self-destruct mechanism. Sherry hits the emergency brakes and Leon, Claire, and the girl disembark and run out of the tunnel. [Claire administers the vaccine in the end movie for Leon B. Everything else occurs in Claire B.] 1998 (dawn) RE2 - closing movie RE3 - epilogue files Leon, Claire, and Sherry escape from the train tunnel out of the underground lab, as the train filled by the rapidly growing William Birkin self-destructs. Using a different tunnel, Ada also makes her escape from Raccoon City using one of the other transport trains. [Obviously, Wesker also escapes, perhaps with Ada, or perhaps ahead of her, since I doubt he would wait around for her while she bails Claire out of her little scuffle with the Tyrant.] 1998 Sep 30 RES - Report on Destroyed Raccoon City Nicholai Ginovaef reports from the ruined clock tower that Raccoon City has been completely overrun with zombies. He also notes that the outbreak seems somewhat different from the one that occurred at the Spencer Estate, and suspects it was intentionally caused by Dr. Birkin. Nicholai recommends that security at Umbrella facilities worldwide be reassessed. [Ironically enough, Carlos and Jill are hiding in the chapel right below him.] 7:30 pm RE3 - gameplay A local band, Big E, was scheduled to play in a Raccoon City club. Obviously, the show is cancelled. [You find a poster advertising the show near the warehouse at the beginning of RE3.] 1998 Oct 1 (night) RE3 - gameplay Jill Valentine awakes, but realizes she's infected with the T-virus. Carlos Oliveira leaves the clock tower to search for medical supplies in the nearby Raccoon City Hospital. Most sections of the hospital are sealed off, but Carlos finds a private elevator leading to some restricted wards where he discovers several Umbrella labs. There, they've been creating vaccines for their viruses, and they've been developing variants of their successful Hunter B.O.W., the original prototypes of which were destroyed in the Spencer Estate explosion. Unfortunately, many Hunters have escaped. Carlos runs into one of his surviving U.B.C.S. teammates, Tyrell Patrick, and discovers that Nicholai is still alive. He is actually one of Umbrella's "Supervisors," ruthless operatives sent into Raccoon City with the U.B.C.S. mercenaries to collect combat data for the B.O.W. and insure that no evidence of Umbrella's role in the disaster remains. Nicholai botches the murder of Carlos and Tyrell, but escapes though Tyrell dies. Carlos postpones chasing Nicholai and instead prepares a vaccine for Jill. He barely gets out of the hospital before a time bomb set by Nicholai levels the building. This alerts Nemesis, who, after licking his wounds, has been trying to pick up Jill's trail again. Nemesis follows Carlos back to the clock tower, but the mercenary evades the brute and returns to the wounded Jill. Carlos barricades the chapel and administers the vaccine to Jill. [I'm vague about the details of Tyrell's death, since in the game it depends on which floor Carlos visits first in the hospital. The way Tyrell dies doesn't affect the rest of the plot.] RE3 - Fax from the H.Q. (date inferred) Umbrella's political maneuvering in the U.S. Senate fail and the company decides to abandon the Raccoon City Project. A fax is sent to the Supervisors' field headquarters hidden in the park, advising them to evacuate Raccoon City as it will be obliterated by the U.S. Army in the morning. [The army will carry out its plans "tomorrow morning," so the fax is sent on October 1.] 1998 Oct 2 (pre-dawn) RE3 - gameplay Jill recovers from the T-virus, and Carlos leaves her to track down Nicholai. Jill evades Nemesis and flees to Raccoon City's park, where she discovers the secret hideaway of the Supervisors (Jill also finds several murdered Supervisors throughout the park). There she learns that the city is to be destroyed at dawn by the military. Nicholai sneaks up on Jill and holds her at gun point, but flees when a gigantic mutated worm, the Grave Digger, shakes the ground. Jill defeats the worm and finds the entrance to the disposal factory after yet another run-in with her would-be assassin. In the factory, Jill and Carlos meet and confirm with each other the news of the military's plans. They split up to find a means of escape, but unfortunately, Nicholai locks them inside the factory, preventing them from reaching his helicopter. As Jill seeks another way out, she accidentally shuts herself in the treatment room with Nemesis. She is able to burn is arms and head off with corrosive chemicals and grabs a key card from one of the corpses. She gets out of the room before the faulty machinery dumps Nemesis' body into a disgusting pool of corpses that have failed to be properly decomposed. Jill then uses her new key card to reach the communication tower in the factory, only to find that Nicholai has beaten them to the chopper. After he taunts her and flies away, the radar shows an incoming missile, prompting the now desperate Jill and Carlos to scramble for some way, any way to escape. Jill heads towards the incinerator plant and finds the aftermath of the carnage from the previous battle between the U.S. Special Forces and Umbrella's Tyrants. Suddenly, the mutilated Nemesis reappears, with new vigor from its bath in the virus-infected organic soup in the disposal pool. After feeding off a Tyrant corpse and growing into a vast, unrecognizable monstrosity, Nemesis and Jill square off for the last time. Jill successfully activates the Army's abandoned rail cannon and blasts Nemesis, and finally has the satisfaction of finishing it off once and for all. Meanwhile, Carlos has managed to contact Barry Burton, who flies a helicopter into the incinerator plant to pick up the two survivors. 1998 Oct 2 (dawn) RE3 - closing movie Raccoon City is destroyed by a nuclear missile as Jill Valentine, Carlos Oliveira, and Barry Burton escape by helicopter. 1998 Oct 4 RES - Restaurant Manager's Diary News of the destruction of Raccoon City starts spreading through Sheena Island. There are vague details about the citizens turning into zombies, and it is rumored Umbrella was behind the incident. 1998 Oct 6 RES - Restaurant Manager's Diary More rumors about Raccoon City circulate around Sheena Island. Supposedly, an Umbrella employee named William Birkin created a virus called T- or G- or something, tried to keep it for himself, and became a monster when he injected it into his own body. The virus then leaked into the sewers and was spread throughout Raccoon City by rats. [Partially true: all evidence in RE2/3 indicates a T-virus epidemic was already creeping into Raccoon City from the Arklay Mountains. But leakage of additional virus into the sewers after Hunk's operation caused the biohazard to reach widespread proportions as rapidly as it did. See the F.A.Q.] RES - Report on Destroyed Raccoon City Nicholai Ginovaef submits his report of tactical and combat data on the B.O.W., including Nemesis, as observed by him in Raccoon City. 1998 Oct 7 RES - Church Manager's Diary The leaders of Sheena Island meet with Commander Goldman and are briefed on the destruction of Raccoon City. The blame is placed on Dr. Birkin and his betrayal of Umbrella. It's decided that a closer eye should be kept on personnel, and that any traitors should be executed immediately. 1998 Oct 8 RES - Restaurant Manager's Diary The restaurant manager on Sheena Island hears from a loose-tongued Umbrella employee that there is T-virus kept on Sheena Island. The manager begins to have second thoughts about working for Umbrella and considers leaving the island. RES - Young Man's Diary (Oct 9 presumed inaccurate) One of the prisoners on Sheena Island notices that the Umbrella employees have been visibly shaken and security in the prison is not as tight. There are rumors among the prisoners of a terrible accident at an Umbrella lab in America. The prisoners prepare to execute their escape plan. [See below regarding the date.] 1998 Oct 9 RES - Young Man's Diary (Oct 10 presumed inaccurate) Twenty prisoners on Sheena Island decide on their escape route and make their final preparations. They will execute their escape plan at 11:00 tonight. [See below regarding the date.] (11:00 pm) RES - Vincent's Diary (date inferred) RES - Young Man's Diary (Oct 10 presumed inaccurate) Twenty prisoners on Sheena Island cause a riot in an attempt to escape and are gunned down by Commander Goldman personally. [Here is a major contradiction in dates that can't be resolved. Both Vincent's and Janitor Andy's diaries have October 10 entries which say the escape attempt occurred the previous night (i.e., the 9th). So, the October 10 date from the prisoner's diary must be wrong, though I do accept the 11 pm time. It's not unreasonable to suppose the prisoners in their cells might lose track of the exact date, especially if they are drugged. This, of course, calls into question all the other dates from the prisoner's diary. One caveat, however: I'll grant that some people might date diary entries according to when the events occurred, rather than when the entry was actually written. This would resolve our little contradiction here, but create many new ones. Besides, I think this is really stretching it. Then again, I don't write diaries, nor do I know anyone who does outside the Resident Evil universe, so what do I know?] 1998 Oct 10 RES - Vincent's Diary Commander Goldman orders the prison chief to report the escape incident as a mass-suicide and makes other plans to conceal it from Umbrella H.Q. RES - Janitor Andy's Diary Andy Holland hears vague stories of the prison escape incident. 1998 Oct 15 RES - Lott's Diary Lott Klein hears that Commander Goldman killed the Sheena Island prisoners who tried to escape. Lott wonders why Vincent had to kill them, even if they were "inferiors." He begins to question whether the things he has been told are true. 1998 Oct 20 RES - Prison Chief's Diary Umbrella H.Q. responds to the Sheena Island prison chief's falsified report of a mass-suicide by the twenty prisoners. Headquarters apparently does not suspect the report is false and they communicate their intent to gather replacement "guinea pigs." However, the prison chief regrets lying to his bosses, and is still horrified by Goldman's cruelty. CV - Worker's Diary A driver working at Umbrella's transport facility in Antarctica becomes disgusted with his demeaning treatment and the extremely demanding work. 1998 Nov 3 CV - Worker's Diary The driver at Umbrella's Antarctic facility has his vacation suddenly canceled by Alfred Ashford due to a manpower shortage. He is a bit upset, to put it mildly. 1998 Nov 5 CV - Worker's Diary Another worker who's been at Umbrella's Antarctic base for over eight years tells the driver a fanciful story of a person nicknamed "Nosferatu," who's been imprisoned deep inside the facility for over ten years. The driver thinks the story is ridiculous, but everyone at the base seems afraid of this person. 1998 Nov 7 RES - Vincent's Diary Ark Thompson sneaks onto Sheena Island, but he's observed acting suspiciously by Lott Klein. Lott reports this to Commander Goldman. [See Nov 8-9 below.] 1998 Nov 8 RES - Vincent's Diary Commander Goldman realizes that the Umbrella employees on Sheena Island are attempting to gather evidence of the prison incident and falsified report to submit to Umbrella Headquarters. Goldman is convinced the spy in the city has something to do with the fomenting rebellion on the island. 1998 Nov 9 RES - Janitor Andy's Diary RES - flashback movie Ark Thompson enters the sewers on Sheena Island and impersonates Commander Goldman when he meets the janitor Andy Holland in the sewers. Andy takes a picture of Ark, who becomes very angry. Lott, who has been surreptitiously following Ark, witnesses the meeting and tells the real Goldman that the spy is impersonating him. [There is a discrepancy between the dates in Vincent's and Andy's diaries. According to Vincent's diary, Lott reports the spy on November 7. But the in-game flashback implies Lott informs Vincent only after witnessing Ark impersonate the commander, which is on November 9 (Janitor Andy's diary). We can only presume that Lott sees Ark sneaking onto the island and snooping around on November 7. Lott reports this to Goldman, then continues following Ark. Lott gives Goldman multiple updates, in particular when Lott sees Ark pretending to be the commander.] 1998 Nov 10 (12:00 am) CV - Worker's Diary The driver at Umbrella's Antarctic base is awakened by a strange, creepy moaning or growling coming from deep underground. He decides he is pathetic for letting the other worker's stories get to him. 1998 Nov 15-19 RES - Vincent's Tapping Record (est. date) The Umbrella employees on Sheena Island assemble the wiretap evidence necessary to discredit Commander Goldman, proving that he killed the prisoners last month, concealed the truth from Umbrella H.Q., and murdered one of his colleagues to obtain his original promotion. [This occurs before the November 19 entry in Vincent's diary, but after the beginning of the week (November 15), since Umbrella's officials are due to come "next week" according to both Vincent's tapping record and Vincent's diary. Yes, I checked a 1998 calendar.] 1998 Nov 19 RES - Vincent's Diary Commander Vincent finds out that the other Umbrella employees on Sheena Island are preparing to hand over evidence of his activities to the people from Umbrella H.Q., who will be delivering new prisoners next week. 1998 Nov 22 RES - Vincent's Diary Commander Goldman spreads the T-virus all over Sheena Island in a manner calculated to seem accidental. He then makes plans to eliminate the spy. 1998 Nov 23 RES - Lott's Diary Sheena Island is in total panic. There are monsters killing people. Lott finds himself attacked by the same Umbrella people who used to be nice to him (zombies). 1998 Nov 24 RES - Lott's Diary Lott and Lily Klein's parents turn into zombies. One of the survivors tells Lott that Commander Goldman caused the people of Sheena Island to become monsters. Lott becomes determined to survive, protect his sister, and escape. (night) RES - intro & flashback movies (date inferred) Ark Thompson takes advantage of the chaos on Sheena Island to sneak into Umbrella's office building and gather information in Commander Goldman's office. Goldman catches Ark in the act, but the spy strikes the commander and flees, leaving Goldman holding Ark's dogtags. Ark escapes on a helicopter on the roof of the building. Vincent Goldman, however, manages to jump to the chopper in a move of desperation and hangs onto the bottom while Ark flies away. In his determination to prevent Ark's escape, Goldman fires some ill-advised shots at the cockpit from his precarious position. Ark cannot keep control of the damaged chopper and crash lands in the streets of the town, while Goldman falls a short distance into a nearby alley below. [I place RES on the night of the same day as Lott's diary entry. Mostly because I don't see how a monumental idiot of Lott's caliber could last longer than a day on an island full of monsters.] RES - gameplay (date inferred) Staggering out of the helicopter wreckage, Ark Thompson finds he can't remember anything, not even his name. Soon, he stumbles upon the body of Vincent Goldman, lying beside a set of dogtags bearing Ark Thompson's name. The Ark believes the person before him to be Ark Thompson, but before he ascertains that the man is indeed dead, he is ambushed by a zombie sneaking up from behind. Ark shoots the zombie to death and flees through the alleyways, leaving the actually unconscious Goldman behind. Ark works his way through the city on Sheena Island, shooting his way through hordes of zombies as he looks for clues as to what happened, who he is, and why he is there. Passing through a church, a restaurant, and a movie theater infested with bloodthirsty crows, Ark reaches an empty street with a ringing pay phone. Ark picks it up, and a voice on the other end calling him Vincent accuses him of being a murderer before hanging up. The bewildered Ark flees onward through the infested city. As Ark enters a videogame arcade, two helicopters fly in overhead: Umbrella has sent in a company of "Cleaners," genetically-enhanced soldiers created to dispose of witnesses, escaped B.O.W.'s, and evidence in the event of an accident at Umbrella facilities. These soldiers have been designed so that they themselves leave behind no physical evidence should they be killed. Perceiving Ark as a witness to be "cleansed," the soldiers engage him in the arcade. Simultaneously, a man from the library across the street snipes at Ark with a high-powered rifle. Ironically, it is the stray shots from the would-be assassin that inadvertently save Ark from a pair of Cleaners. Ark escapes the arcade and ducks into the library to confront the shooter. 1998 Nov 25 (2:20 am) RES - gameplay (date inferred) Greeting him at the entrance is his accuser, the janitor Andy Holland, who mistakenly believes Ark to be Vincent Goldman after Ark impersonated the island's commander two weeks ago. Holland tells Ark it is his fault the Cleaners are now here, and while the bewildered Ark is distracted, the janitor flees. Holland tricks Ark and locks him among the book stacks with an escaped Hunter, a fitting end for the man Holland believes to be a cold-blooded murderer. Ark survives the Hunter's assault, however, and leaves the library. [The time of day comes from a clock in the first floor office of the library. Naturally, the clock is a static part of the backgrounds and the time never changes. The take-home point is that it is past midnight on November 25.] 1998 (early am) RES - gameplay (date inferred) Ark continues on and passes through a hospital, where a third party also determined to see him dead watches through the security cameras. It is the real Vincent Goldman, who has recovered consciousness and reached the relative safety of his office, and who now sends a relentless T-103 Tyrant to hunt Ark through Sheena Island. Meanwhile, Ark takes a shortcut through the city sewers, where he finds the room belonging to Andy Holland lives. There, Ark reads the janitor's diary, and learns about some of the terrible things done by Vincent Goldman. In the diary is a photograph of Ark, taken by Holland, confirming in Ark's mind that he is indeed Goldman. Suddenly, Lott Klein enters the room, and upon spying Ark, he begs him not to kill him and runs back out. What sort of monster must Goldman be that everyone is so terrified of Ark? Following Lott, Ark reaches the island's prison, where he discovers the full story behind the riot and the killing of the young prisoners by Goldman. In the prison are still more prisoners' bodies, their throats brutally cut. Beyond the prison, Ark finds his way back on the city streets, where the T-103 Tyrant released by the real Goldman finally catches up to him. Trying to get away from the relentless killing machine, Ark flees through a nightclub, a warehouse, and across rooftops, his steps alternatively dogged by the seemingly indestructible Tyrant and squads of Cleaners. To escape, Ark goes back into the sewers, but Holland is also not giving up easily on taking Ark's life. Holland traps Ark in a tunnel, where two enormous alligators mutated by the T-virus spring out of the reservoirs where they were lurking. Almost becoming the reptiles' meal, Ark manages to leave the sewers, and finds himself before Umbrella's office building form which the city was controlled. As Ark enters, he begins regaining his memories, dimly remembering his meeting with Andy Holland, and also his struggle with the mysterious man in white he had found on the street. On the top floor of the building, Ark finds Vincent Goldman's office, where he spies Lott in a monitor. Exploring the floor, Ark enters a computer room where he finds Lily playing a tape of Vincent's mother begging him to stop doing his terrible experiments. Ark asks the terrified Lily who she is, only to be attacked by Lott wielding a baseball bat. The two children escape, but with Ark in pursuit. Ark tracks them as they leave the building and take a shortcut through a large drainage gutter infested with enormous mutated spiders. 1998 Nov 25 (4:05 am) RES - gameplay (date inferred) Eventually, Ark finds the childrens' home, but only Lily is there, hiding in a closet. Ark tells Lily not to be afraid of him, and she tells him that her brother has gone to the factory to find a means of escape. Lily begs Ark to save Lott, for they have already lost their parents. Ark vows to save the children, to atone for the crimes he believes he has committed. He tells Lily to hide in the house, and then leaves to find Lott. [The time of day comes from a clock on the living room wall. As above, the clock is part of the background and the time doesn't change. The take-home point is that it's going to be dawn in a couple hours.] 1998 Nov 25 (pre-dawn) RES - gameplay (date inferred) At the end of the street outside the house, Ark finds a cable car leading to the top of a hill on the island. Fighting through the ever more numerous B.O.W.'s that infest the area, Ark takes the ride up to the hill, where once again he is forced to face the Tyrant that stalks him. Fleeing from his stalker, Ark makes his way on a road along the coast, and eventually up the mountain where the factory is situated, evading the Tyrant, Cleaners, and many escaped Hunters and Lickers spreading throughout the area. At the top of the mountain, Ark enters a large ruined mansion camouflaging Umbrella's underground factory. He hears Lott screaming from inside, and runs in, only to find himself cornered by not one but two of the Tyrants - it is suddenly clear to Ark that there are several of these creatures. Evading the stalkers, Ark works his way deeper into the facility, where he finds labs in which Umbrella is growing strange plant B.O.W.'s. Following the sound of Lott's cries, Ark finally finds the Tyrant factory where Umbrella has been manufacturing their ultimate soldier. Beyond the factory, Ark comes just in time to see Lott start to fall over the side of a catwalk to avoid a murderous Hunter. Ark kills the Hunter and saves Lott. The grateful Lott reveals Ark's true identity. Lott had been running from Ark because he believed Ark would try to kill him for telling Goldman about Ark's espionage. Lott also tells Ark that there is a subway station at the bottom of the plant that they can use to escape. Ark sends Lott to get Lily, and moves on to clear the way to the station. He finally remembers who he is, the events surrounding his arrival at Sheena Island, and that he had come to investigate the island at the request of his friend Leon S. Kennedy. Just then, a loudspeaker alerts Ark that a self-destruct sequence has been activated. Deep in the factory, Ark finds a heavily-sealed lab where Goldman has been developing the latest improvement of the Tyrant. Seizing the documents relating to this experiment, Ark leaves the lab, only to be finally confronted by the real Vincent Goldman. But before he can shoot Ark, Goldman is struck down from behind. It is his own creation, the experimental advanced Tyrant, who has escaped from the unsealed lab. Unfortunately, the Tyrant doesn't much care for Ark's gracious word of thanks, and proceeds to attack the detective as well. The mightily offended Ark shoots the Tyrant down and flees to rejoin Lott and Lily Klein at the subway station. Taking the train, the three reach a heliport, where they prepare the helicopter. The rapidly-mutating Tyrant, however, catches up, forcing Ark to square off with it on the landing pad. After a brutal battle, the advanced Tyrant finally staggers and falls, allowing Ark, Lott, and Lily to board the chopper and take off. 1998 Nov 25 (dawn) RES - closing movie (date inferred) Ark, Lott, and Lily escape from Sheena Island by helicopter as the Tyrant Plant explodes. Suddenly, they realize the still-living Tyrant prototype is clinging to the bottom of the helicopter. As it clambers up to smash into the cockpit, it heaves its bulk in front of one of the missiles mounted on the side. Ark sees his chance, launches the missile, and destroys the super Tyrant. 1998 Dec 10-15 CV - manual & intro movie (est. date) Claire Redfield goes to Paris in search of her brother, Chris. [They say 3 months after RE2, which is the very end of December, but we must allow Claire some time to prepare herself and acquire weapons before infiltrating the facility on December 17.] 1998 Dec 12-26 CV - gameplay (est. date) Steve Burnside's father, who's been selling Umbrella secrets, is captured along with his son by company agents, while Steve's mother is killed. Steve and his father are imprisoned on Rockfort Island. [If the prisoner's diary is any indication of the average life span of a prisoner on Rockfort Island, this probably doesn't happen more than 2 weeks before CV.] 1998 Dec 17 (night) CV - intro movie (date inferred) CV - D.I.J.'s Diary Claire infiltrates an Umbrella facility in Paris, causing a great deal of mayhem, before being captured by one of the security officers, Rodrigo Juan Raval. [Claire arrives at Rockfort Island on December 27 according to D.I.J.'s diary, and she was caught "10 days ago" according to the introductory movie.] 1998 Dec 20-26 4:32 pm CV - Hunk's Report (est. date) Hunk arrives from the Antarctic transport base with a large frozen B.O.W. capsule. All 108 check points are confirmed condition "green," but Hunk wonders about the purpose of the capsule, and whether for safety's sake, Alfred Ashford should've told him more about its contents. [I wonder if the fact the capsule is frozen and the secrecy surrounding the mission are meant to suggest this is Alexia's capsule. But it would be odd if Alexia were brought back and forth between Rockfort Island and Antarctica. If it's Alexia, my estimated range of dates is wrong because then nobody is left to haul the capsule back to Antarctica. I'm instead assuming this capsule contains the T-078 Tyrant, Umbrella's top-secret improvement to their reliable Tyrant series. When we see the Tyrant's capsule opening, the mist coming out suggests the T-078 is indeed kept frozen. I estimate that Hunk brings it to the island within a week before Claire's arrival, if his report is still lying around in the palace conference room. Another stretch with my reasoning, but I wanted to include the stuff from Hunk's report.] 1998 Dec 22-26 11:00 pm CV - Hunk's Report (est. date) Hunk leaves Rockfort Island to go on his next mission. [See the above comments regarding the date.] 1998 Dec 27 CV - intro movie CV - D.I.J.'s Diary Claire is brought by helicopter to Rockfort Island, knocked unconscious, and locked in solitary confinement in the prison complex. CV - gameplay Soon after being locked up, Claire Redfield awakes to the rumbling of distant explosions shaking the walls of her cell. The sounds of the bombing die down, and her captor from Paris, Rodrigo Juan Raval, stumbles into the cell block. Rockfort Island has been attacked, and the wounded security officer releases Claire, perhaps out of deep-seated guilt or perhaps because nothing matters anymore. Claire leaves her underground cell and finds herself under the pouring rain in a cemetery, where many a hapless Umbrella prisoner has been buried in a shallow grave. But the attack has released T-virus everywhere, and gaunt undead corpses begin clawing their way out of the mud. Claire avoids the zombies and makes her way into the prison complex ruined by the bombing, where she meets another surviving prisoner, Steve Burnside. Instead of joining forces, the arrogant Burnside leaves Claire to find her own way out of the compound. Claire explores the prison, crawling with zombified prisoners and guard dogs, until meeting Burnside again in the prison office. Checking Umbrella's computer network, Steve has discovered that the company is tailing Claire's brother Chris. Claire uses the computer to send an e-mail to her fellow Raccoon City survivor, Leon S. Kennedy. She requests that he pass on the warning to her brother, along with the coordinates of Rockfort Island, so Chris can come rescue them. Disgusted at Claire's need to rely on her brother, Steve again leaves Claire behind. The resourceful Claire, however, finds a way to unlock the prison's front gate without his help. Claire leaves the isolated crag upon which the prison complex is situated and crosses a half-bombed bridge to reach the main island. She first comes to a military training facility, where she discovers blaring alarms and corridors sealed by steel shutters, indicating that the biohazardous leak occurred from someplace within. Peering through the observation window of a sealed lab, Claire witnesses a surviving researcher getting killed by an unseen creature. Claire is then nearly trapped in a section of the facility by one of the shutters, and decides to quickly leave the building rather than continue to try her luck. Further into the island, Claire finds a grand palace, apparently used by high-ranking Umbrella officials for their work. In a private military museum, Claire finds a movie of a pair of sadistic twin children, a boy and girl, pulling the wings off a living dragonfly and feeding it to ants. On her way back out of the palace, Claire hears Steve Burnside calling for help, and she runs to free him from a deadly poison gas trap. He again abandons her, without even a thanks. As Claire again heads towards the exit, she is shot at by a man with a sniper rifle. It is Alfred Ashford, the Umbrella executive in charge of all the Rockfort Island facilities, and grandson of one of the founders of the company. Alfred accuses Claire of being behind the attack on the island, somehow communicating its location to her allies, and demands to know which organization she works for. Alfred will not listen to reason, and promises to exact his revenge before he giving up on his attempts to shoot Claire. Beyond the palace, Claire finds a large artificial reservoir with a jetty. There, she's able to call up a small submarine, which takes her down to an airport at the base of the sea cliffs surrounding the island. A sea plane docked at the airport offers a tantalizing means of escaping the island, but unfortunately, access is restricted to those carrying the proper keys. Claire only has one of the three emblems, which she had previously found in the palace courtyard. However, in the airport, Claire does find a key card that will let her reach the areas in the military facility sealed by the biohazard shutters. Claire returns to the military training facility, but Alfred Ashford is waiting for her. In a courtyard, he tries to shoot her in the back with his sniper rifle, and then lures her into a warehouse before releasing the Bandersnatches, Umbrella's latest breed of monster: deadly, but untested in combat. Several of the B.O.W.'s disperse throughout the Rockfort Island facilities, and the one who killed the scientist in the laboratory earlier attacks Claire in the warehouse. Claire is able to dispose of it, but is nearly killed by a second Bandersnatch, before being rescued by Steve Burnside. The two finally join forces, although Steve is taciturn as ever about his past. They work their way through the military facility until a collapsing balcony pins Claire under a wooden beam. A nearby zombie rises from the wreckage and approaches Claire. The normally arrogant, self-assured Steve is suddenly hesitant about shooting the zombie down, for it's none other than his own father, whose ill-advised betrayal of Umbrella led to his incarceration and the death of Steve's mother. But the threat to Claire overcomes Steve's paralyzation, and he guns down his undead father. Only then Claire finally learns of Steve's tragic story. Claire leaves Steve to grieve over his father and returns to her search for the missing keys to the transport plane. After exploring the rest of the military facility and locating another of the emblems she requires, Claire returns to the palace to learn more about the Ashfords and Umbrella. In one of the locked palace rooms, she finds a gallery of portraits illustrating all the Ashfords, beginning with the family's founder, Veronica, and ending with Alfred. However, Claire finds another portrait hidden behind Alfred's, and learns that he has a twin sister named Alexia. Elsewhere in the palace, Claire discover's Alfred's office, with a hidden passage leading to a bridge between the palace and a hill deeper in the island. Situated on the pinnacle is a huge, creepy mansion - a private residence for Alfred and Alexia Ashford. Inside, Claire overhears an argument between Alfred and the mysterious Alexia, who tells her brother that she will eliminate Claire herself. However, the siblings hear Claire and flee, but not before Claire manages to catch a brief glimpse of the elusive Alexia. Now growing exasperated, Claire continues to search the island from top to bottom for the last of the emblems that will let her reach the transport plane. She does, however, find some hemostatic medicine, and thinking of her benefactor lying wounded near her cell, Claire brings Raval the bottle. While grateful, he still refuses to accompany her, and Claire explores the remainder of the prison. In one of the buildings, she discovers a horrible torture chamber used by an insane doctor employed by Alfred Ashford. Fleeing the prison for good, Claire returns to Alfred and Alexia's mansion, and finally locates a secret trapdoor leading to a hidden attic, where she finds the last of the keys to the transport plane. But Alexia sneaks up on Claire and prepares to shoot her with a rifle, when Steve suddenly bursts in to Claire's rescue once again, and wounds Alexia. Alexia flees to the next room, but when Steve and Claire pursue her, they catch Alfred Ashford partially dressed in Alexia's clothing. The insane Alfred has had his personalities split between himself and Alexia all this time. Alfred sees himself in the mirror, screams with horror, and flees from the mansion. As Claire and Steve prepare to leave, a loudspeaker suddenly informs them that a self-destruct sequence has been activated. Obviously, Alfred is determined to destroy Claire and Steve. The two quickly run to the airport, and while Steve prepares the plane for takeoff, Claire goes to raise a catwalk blocking the plane. On her way back, she is suddenly ambushed by a huge, relentless humanoid creature - the T-078 Tyrant, Umbrella's latest improvement of the ultimate soldier, freed by Alfred to prevent Claire and Steve's escape. Claire brings to bear her grenade launcher and manages to stun the Tyrant long enough for her to run past and reach the plane. Steve takes off, and the two flee the island. Unfortunately, there is a stowaway on board, for the Tyrant refuses to be shaken off so easily. Claire moves to the cramped cargo hold where the Tyrant is climbing in through the open hatch, and is able to catapult the Tyrant out of the plane. Meanwhile, Alfred has left the island using a V.T.O.L. jet in a hidden hangar. He radios to Claire and Steve, gloatingly telling them to enjoy their trip, as their transport plane's controls suddenly lock up and the airplane changes course towards Antarctica. After a few hours of flying, Claire and Steve find themselves approaching an eerie, snowy landscape with several buildings. There they see the wreckage of the other transport planes that managed to take off from Rockfort Island. Realizing that they are about to share the same fate, the two of them brace themselves for a crash landing. The plane skids across the snowfield and the nose crashes into a huge dome in the middle of the complex. Claire and Steve regain consciousness, find themselves basically unharmed, and proceed to separate to find out where they are and how to get away. Claire discovers that the dome was built over an enormous mine shaft, part of a large complex belonging to Umbrella. Unfortunately, the previous arrivals from Rockfort Island were already infected with the T-virus, and have spread it all over the Antarctic base, which is now crawling with zombified workers and other mutated creatures. While Claire restores power to the base, she glimpses a large humanoid creature known as Nosferatu that has supposedly been imprisoned there for fifteen years. It is none other than Alexander Ashford, experimented on by the sadistic twins and left in his cell. But Claire has now disturbed him, and he strains at his chains to escape. Quickly leaving the monstrous Alexander, Claire is then ambushed once again by Alfred/Alexia, and once again Steve comes to her rescue, this time dealing Alfred a decisive hit with his machine guns. Alfred falls screaming down a shaft, and Claire and Steve use a digger vehicle to bore a hole through the wall of the shaft and reach the surface. They are able to smash through the wall, in the process tapping into an underground water vein that begins flooding the base they are leaving behind. At the end of the tunnel, Claire and Steve find themselves near a heliport, and climb up and spot a lot with several snowcats. In the base, Steve had previously learned of an Australian research station that is close enough to be reached by snowcat, but before they are able to find the vehicles, Alexander Ashford ambushes them. He has broken free of his prison and now thirsts for revenge. But Claire arms herself with Alfred's sniper rifle and puts Alexander out of his misery with a bullet in his exposed, throbbing heart. Claire and Steve finally reach the snowcats, and proceed to flee from the base. Deep below in the base, the mortally wounded Alfred painfully drags himself into a laboratory. Cursing Claire with his dying gasps, Alfred reaches a large fluid-filled tank where a woman lies suspended: Alfred's sister Alexia. The machinery in the lab suddenly comes alive and the fluid drains from the tank, and as Alfred expires before her, Alexia steps out and looks around for the first time in fifteen years, as she slumbered frozen while her body was slowly mutated by the T-Veronica virus. CV - gameplay (events inferred) CV - Virus Research Report At the bottom of the base's main shaft, a huge dormant hive stirs in response to Alexia's awakening. Obeying Alexia's silent bidding, the hive sends an enormous tentacle crashing out of the dome over the shaft, and across the snow after the fleeing Claire and Steve. The two barely glimpse the gigantic tentacle, hundreds of feet long, before it envelopes their snowcat and tosses it around like a toy, knocking the two of them unconscious as their vehicle is dragged back into the base. [I'm speculating here to explain the origin of the tentacles in the Antarctic base. Essentially, I believe that the hive with its tentacles is there all along, because the tentacle is formed immediately upon Alexia's awakening. What I suspect is that the hive is part of one of Alexia's experiements from before she was frozen, and when she wakes up, she takes control of the hive, tentacles, and ant creatures hanging around there. There's no way Alexia could have created all that in the 10 seconds since awakening. I don't care how powerful the T-veronica virus is supposed to be. See the F.A.Q.] CV - gameplay Meanwhile, Chris Redfield has reached Rockfort Island by boat, following the coordinates provided to him by Leon S. Kennedy. As he scales the steep cliffs surrounding the island, a cave halfway up offers a tantalizing way in. Chris enters, and immediately finds the wounded Rodrigo Juan Raval, Claire's former captor. Raval tells Chris that he helped Claire escape, and that he thinks she managed to get off of Rockfort Island using a transport plane. Chris is grateful, but before he can assist Raval, an enormous mutated worm bursts from the sandy floor and swallows the Umbrella security officer. Determined to repay Raval for his helping Claire, Chris faces the worm lurking beneath the floor of the caves. He manages to gun the beast down, which disgorges Raval during its death throes. It is too late, however. Raval is mortally wounded, and the dying man can only give Chris the lighter Claire had given him as he lay wounded in the dark. Chris explores further in the caves, eventually finding his way up to the military training facility, which has been half-leveled by the explosions from the self-destruct device. In the main control room, Chris sees an image of Alexia, singing softly as she cradles her dead brother's head. Wondering who this woman is, Chris approaches the monitor. However, in a different room, someone else also watches Alexia. On a different screen, this person also spies Chris. The mysterious person activates a small mechanical drone, sending it whizzing through the corridors of the island base. In its wake, a large dark shape stirs in a canister brought by Wesker. Chris continues searching the training facility for clues on Claire's whereabouts. All he finds are ruined, burning rooms and many, many zombies. Suddenly, a small robot high upon the wall shines a beam of light on Chris. He freezes, wondering what this could possibly mean, when a familiar, inhuman scream echoes down the corridors. Realizing what is about to happen, Chris brings his heavy shotgun to bear, just as a lethal Hunter called by the robot ambushes the former S.T.A.R.S. member. Chris blasts the Hunter, but now finds the military training facility infested with the little spotters. Chris is forced to avoid their searching beams of light as he works his way further through the base. In his preoccupation with the spotters, he fails to notice someone sneaking up behind, until a laugh causes him to whirl. It is Albert Wesker, thought to have died during the Spencer Estate incident, but now very much alive and complete with his ever-present sunglasses. Before Chris can recover from his suprise, Wesker charges forward with blinding speed, knocking Chris across the room. Stunned by Wesker's amazing speed and strength, Chris is unable to react in time as Wesker picks him up by the throat with ease. Unable to struggle out of Wesker's iron grip, Chris manages punch Wesker in the face and knock his sunglasses off. But he receives yet another shock, for Wesker's eyes are golden, with slitted pupils. Wesker tells Chris how he has foiled his plans, and forced him to sell his humanity to another organization, and vows to get his revenge on his former S.T.A.R.S. team member. As he prepares to break Chris' neck, Wesker lets slip that Claire is in Antarctica. Suddenly, a sadistic laugh erupts from a monitor, where Alexia Ashford seems to be watching Chris and Wesker. Oddly distressed by the fact that Alexia is completely awake, Wesker tosses Chris hard against a B.O.W. storage tank and runs out of the room. Unable to believe he is still alive, Chris gasps for breath, barely recovering in time before being attacked again, this time by the Bandersnatch that smashed out of the damaged tank. Chris is able to survive the B.O.W. attack, and realizing he has no time to lose, evades zombies, Wesker's Hunters, and escaped B.O.W.'s, as he runs through the military base to reach a hangar where the V.T.O.L. jets are kept. Climbing into a jet, Chris activates a pre-programmed course that takes him to Umbrella's base in Antarctica. CV - gameplay Chris lands his plane inside a hangar in the Antarctic base, and begins his search for Claire. He finds instead odd giant tentacles striking blindly at him from the walls, eerie empty rooms flooded with frozen water, and corpses encased in the ice. In an office, Chris uncovers Alfred Ashford's diary, where he learns of Alexia's experiments on her father and herself. More importantly, Chris learns of a secret room down below, which can be reached using jewels owned by each of the Ashfords. Some zombies infected with strange parasites begin to stir as Chris continues to explore the base, but he moves on, more concerned with finding Claire. When he reaches the huge central sorting chamber, flooded almost to the ceiling, he sees a monstrous form, hanging just out of reach, looking almost like the Tyrant Chris has faced in the past. Is this Alexander Ashford's body? Glinting from its ear, Chris sees a jewel like one of those described in Alfred's diary, but before he can inspect the body more closely, Chris spies another huge form, this one crawling under the thick layer of ice forming the floor. Deciding not to tempt whatever horror is there, Chris ducks into the corridors leading deeper into the base. His next shock: one of the familiar looking-spotters scanning the corridor before him. Somehow, Albert Wesker has somehow managed to reach the Antarctic base as well. Mindful of Wesker's Hunters, the parasite-infested zombies, and the strange tentacles, Chris searches the base until he finds a key to operate the crane where Alexander's body was hanging. Chris returns to the chamber with the monstrous body, but as he lowers it to the ground, he hears a sadistic laugh. Taunting him from across the room is Alexia. Before Chris can react, the enormous form under the floor heaves its bulk through the ice with a crash. It is the largest mutant giant spider Chris has ever seen. Mindful of the thousands of baby spiders the mother beast might disgorge if he killed it with his heavy weapons, Chris instead opts to evade the creature and flee the room, stopping only to snatch the jewel from Alexander's ear. Further in the base, Chris takes an elevator to the lower levels, where he received the latest in his series of shocks. Before him are rooms from the original Spencer Estate, replicated faithfully by the insane builders of this facility. Beyond the rooms, at the very bottom of the base, is yet another surprise: a vast hive, crawling with hundreds of buzzing ant-like creatures. In nearby long-unused labs, Chris discovers Alexia's research notes, and learns of her plot to mutate herself with the T-Veronica virus. In the next room is the incubation tank where Alexia had slept for fifteen years, but inside, Chris instead finds Alfred's corpse. Pausing to remove the corpse's jeweled ring, Chris returns to the mansion replica. Searching the opulent foyer carefully, Chris ducks under the grand staircase. There, in a niche, he finally finds his sister Claire. But she is unconscious, and stuck to the wall by a thick mass of hardened secretions. Using his knife, Chris is able to free his sister, who finally wakes up in his arms. Claire tells Chris that they must rescue Steve Burnside before they can leave. Suddenly, their reunion is interrupted by a familiar laughing from the balcony above. It is Alexia once again, gloating over the siblings. The two come after Alexia, but are separated by the sudden appearance of one of the strange tentacles, smashing the balcony between the siblings. Chris falls down to the floor among the rubble, while Claire is trapped on the balcony. When she hears the sound of Steve's screaming echoing down the corridors, Claire runs through the door after Alexia. Exploring the corridors beyond, Claire finds a key card that gives her access to the Ashford twins' secret prison, where they had locked their monstrous father for fifteen years. But now, Claire instead finds Steve, chained to the wall. Steve tells Claire that Alexia had injected him with something, but before they can speculate on what, Steve suddenly gasps as his body begins to mutate. Before Claire's horrified eyes, Steve changes into an enormous creature, mutated by the T-Veronica virus. Claire flees just in time as a grate crashes down, blocking the monster, but she is suddenly grabbed by one of the tentacles erupting from the wall. Just then Steve breaks through the gate, but instead of killing Claire, hesitates and croaks her name, then proceeds to sever the tentacle that holds her. The injured pseudopod smashes Steve against the wall and then retreats, leaving the weeping Claire to cradle the dying Steve's head as he slowly returns to his natural form. Meanwhile, Albert Wesker finds Alexia, confronting her in the foyer where Chris is hiding. Wesker demands that Alexia turn over a sample of the T-Veronica virus, the only specimens of which exist inside her body. Alexia scornfully tells Wesker that he is not worthy of it, and proceeds to mutate into a humanoid, gray-skinned creature. For all his strength and speed, Wesker is no match for Alexia, who smashes him against the walls with ease. When she spies Chris hiding in a corner, Wesker takes the opportunity to flee, leaving Chris to deal with Alexia by himself. Chris handles the situation the only reliable way he knows how, and presently Alexia collapses to the floor with many smoking .45 magnum holes in her body. Grabbing the last of the Ashford jewels from Alexia's necklace, Chris proceeds to unlock the secret passage that he had read about in Alexander's journal. Alexia, however, is not dead yet, and she climbs to her feet and staggers to her hive to heal herself. Beyond the secret door, Chris discovers Alexander's research notes, and learns how the Ashford twins were the product of a project to create a being with the same intelligence of the legendary Ashford ancestor, Veronica. He also locates the bottom of an escape elevator situated just above the enormous hive he had found earlier. Chris eventually catches up to where his sister grieves over the dead Steve, but she is locked in the room. The two speak through the door, and decide to start the base's self- destruct device, which should cause all doors to unlock and activate the escape elevator. Claire slips under the door the key card she had found previously, as well as a file explaining the evacuation procedures. Chris takes the information to the reactor room, and is able to activate the self-destruct sequence. Returning to the escape elevator, Chris meets up with his sister Claire, but before the two of them can flee, an enormous tentacle erupts through the floor from the hive below. Sliding out of the tip of the tentacle comes Alexia herself, healed of her wounds. Spying an emergency weapon on the wall, Chris and Claire rush to unlock it, but realize that the weapon will not finish charging before Alexia is fully free from her hive. Chris sends Claire up the escape elevator and opens fire upon Alexia. As soon as she is attacked, she suddenly grows into a huge, amorphous spiked blob of flesh with Alexia's head and torso at the top, sprouting many tentacles that flail at Chris. The former S.T.A.R.S. member pumps grenade after grenade into the creature until finally destroying the main portion of the body, sending the ants crawling all over the hive into a frenzy. But the upper part of Alexia's body grows wings and breaks free of the dying lower body. Simultaneously, the experimental linear launcher weapon on the wall finishes charging. Chris dives for the weapon, dodging Alexia's caustic, flammable spittle as she buzzes about the chamber like an alien insect. Heaving the linear launcher, Chris turns and scores a direct hit on Alexia, who bursts and is no more. As explosions from the self-destruct sequence begin rocking the lower levels of the base, Chris manages to call back the emergency elevator and heads towards the V.T.O.L. hangar where Claire is waiting. 1998 Dec 28 CV - closing movie (est. date) CV - D.I.J.'s Diary Claire and Chris leave the Antarctic Transport Base by fighter jet as the base self-destructs. Wesker also escapes, using a submarine docked in a secret cavern beneath the base. [Even though D.I.J.'s diary is all written under the heading of December 27, I find it difficult to believe that everything in CV happens in one day. See the F.A.Q.] III. Frequently Asked Questions (Resolved and Unresolved) This F.A.Q. discusses some of the major ambiguities in the RE series. I focus on questions concerning this timeline, but I also try to address some of the other things I see asked over and over again on RE messageboards. For questions whose answers are open to interpretation, I make educated guesses without going overboard analyzing alternate theories. For more complete discussions of some of these topics, check resources like Dan Birlew and Thomas Wilde's "Resident Evil Thesis" or Rob McGregor's timeline, both available at www.gamefaqs.com. General Questions ----------------- -What about Resident Evil Zero? It's not out yet. We know that at least part of the game takes place just before RE1 and the game features Rebecca Chambers. It's expected that a lot of the back story for RE1 will be told, including what exactly happened to the S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team. It's also expected that the game will be related to the contents of Rebecca's report in the EX files from RE2 for the N64. But at this point, I'm not about to start speculating on a game for which we only have a couple screenshots. Something that bothers lots of people about RE Zero is how it features Rebecca, yet she doesn't seem to know anything about what's going on when Chris Redfield meets her in RE1. I agree, it's odd, but again, I refuse to speculate. The game is supposed to come out on the GC. They started making it for the N64, but that version has been scrapped. -What about Resident Evil 4? We know even less about the so-called "Resident Evil 4" than we do about RE Zero, except that it's also due for the GC. There are no screen shots, plot teasers, nothing. The rumored title, "Umbrella Rising," is probably just another internet rumor that won't pan out like all the ones I've heard about previous games. Also circulating around the internet are pictures of the box cover for RE4. It is known for a fact that these are forgeries. -What about Resident Evil - Survivor 2? This arcade game just came out in Japan, and it sounds like it's simply a shooting game version of CV, featuring Claire and Steve. It's supposed to come out for the PS2 in the U.S. at some point. We can only hope the game won't be as sloppy, rushed, and shallow as the first RES. Supposedly, from playing the game you can get codes to unlock bonus files which can be downloaded from Capcom's Japanese website at www.capcom.co.jp. I haven't yet verified this. -What about Resident Evil - Gaiden? The new RE game for the GBC is now out in Japan, and will be available shortly in the U.S. When it's released in this country, I'll play it and add relevant entries to the timeline. All I know about it right now is that it features Leon S. Kennedy and Barry Burton, and it takes place on a zombie-infested ship. -What about the book Biohazard, the Beginning by Hiroyuki Ariga? This was a 127-page novel by Hiroyuki Ariga that could be bought from Capcom's website back when RE1 was originally released in Japan and the U.S. It contains a lot of background for RE1, especially a side-story involving Chris Redfield and Billy Rabitson, a friend of Chris' that worked for Umbrella and feared the company was trying to kill him. S. D. Perry's first RE book, Umbrella Conspiracy, alludes to parts of this story. While Biohazard, the Beginning should almost certainly be considered part of the RE canon, I'm not yet including it in the timeline. I'm waiting until RE Zero is released, so I can work on the events preceding RE1 while consulting both sources together. This will make it easier to deal with the inevitable contradictions. If you're impatient, however, you can read a partial transcript of the story kindly provided by Hunk at www.survivhor.com. Note that Billy Rabitson probably has nothing to do with Billy Koen, a character who supposedly will be in RE Zero. -What about S. D. Perry's books? I disregard Perry's books. They're not released directly by Capcom and they're loaded with contradictions. Perry herself gives some apologia in the forewords of her two most recent novels where she admits her books have discrepancies with characters and events. Perry bases her stories on the games released until that point. As the series grows, later games are going to give new information that contradicts her books. Perry isn't privy to inside information on future RE games, and I'm sure Capcom doesn't really care about remaining faithful to her books. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if nobody on Capcom's development teams has even read her novels. Anyway, there are now six books total. -What about the comics and manga? What I said about the books also goes for the comics. -What about Wesker's Report II? A follow-up to Wesker's Report is available on Capcom's Japanese website at www.capcom.co.jp in a five-part series. Only parts 1-3 have been put up, and none of it is yet officially released in the U.S. Wesker's Report II contains some additional background information on Umbrella, Albert Wesker, and William Birkin. I'm going to wait until the full report is released in this country before including it in the timeline, though I did snag Alfred and Alexia's birthday from there, since my previous estimate created a few errors that propagated throughout the timeline. If you're impatient, there's an unofficial translation of parts 1-2 floating around the forums at www.dark-legacy.org, generously provided by CUEL. -What about the toys? The RE toys have some explanatory text in the packaging, with information on the enclosed monster or character figures. There's nothing substantial included in any of this text that isn't already known from the games, except for the names of some of the monsters that are unnamed in the games. For example, the lab monsters at the end of RE1 are called Chimeras, and the giant spiders are called Web Spinners. Because the toymakers probably got these names directly from Capcom, and because it's nice to have something to call these monsters by, I generally use the names of the toys. -What is Bioject? Bioject is supposedly another company, rivals of Umbrella, also working on bioweapons. As I said above, nothing official from Capcom even mentions Bioject, so as far as I'm concerned, this is probably yet another unfounded rumor that won't pan out. -What about this rumor I heard from a friend of the babysitter of the son of the manicurist of a lady who once stood in a supermarket check-out line with a Capcom employee's barber? Sigh. -What are the MA-120 Hunter and Hunter R? The MA-121 progress report (RE2, EX files) refers to a couple unfamiliar Hunter types. There is the MA-120, which is probably a precursor to the MA-121 Hunter from RE1, RES, and CV. There's a special type of brown Hunter seen in the courtyard tunnels in the Sega Saturn version of RE1, which could be the MA-120, but this is my own idea. The MA-121 progress report also mentions the Hunter R, which sounds like an advanced version of the MA-121. The Hunter R might be the Sweeper, the poisonous red Hunter in CV. According to the document, the Hunter R is "currently under development," and Wesker may have stolen the research and given it to his new employers. The Hunter R could also be the MA-121 beta or the MA-124 gamma (Blocker) from RE3. Here is a summary of all the Hunter species seen in the games: Model/Name Description Games ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MA-120? brown RE1 for Sega Saturn MA-121 alpha green RE1, RES, CV, dead one in RE2 for N64 MA-121 beta looks incomplete RE3 MA-124 gamma "Blocker" frog-like RE3 MA-??? "Sweeper" red, poisonous CV -What are the exact effects of the T-virus? Apparently, they're many and varied, according to the convenience of the game designers. We can try making a few conclusions, based on the creatures in the games (refer to the list of monsters I've compiled below). There are five basic types: 1) un-mutated living dead, 2) infected animals which have spontaneously mutated into something unrecognizable, 3) animals which have grown to enormous size without changing their general appearance; 4) Umbrella bioweapons produced by surgical techniques, genetic engineering, and a sprinkling of T-virus; and 5) botanical anomalies. The living dead include zombie humans, dogs, crows, large and small sharks (Neptunes), small snakes, and bats. Mutants include the Brain Suckers, the Drain Deimos, two types of Lickers, two kinds of gigantic worms, and the smaller Sliding Worms. Giant animals include wasps, cockroaches, alligators, the big snake (Yawn), many kinds of spiders, and two types of moths and their larvae. The giant worms may also be considered in this category. Engineered bioweapons include Chimeras, Albinoids, Bandersnatches, and various Tyrants and Hunters. Finally, plant creatures are the vines in the mansion greenhouse, Plant 42, the ivy, and the huge growth in the RE2 lab. Note that the Cerberuses, Neptunes, and probably also the Lickers are also official Umbrella bioweapons, but the researchers probably didn't do anything special to generate them other than infect various animals with T-virus. Also, I'm not mentioning creatures generated by other viruses, like the G- or T-Veronica viruses, nor do I consider Umbrella's "Cleaners," which may simply be genetically-engineered humans (simply?). >From this menagerie, it appears that when the T-virus infects animals highest on the evolutionary scale (i.e., mammals and birds), we get the "zombie" effect. On the other hand, lower animals (i.e., invertebrates, reptiles) can potentially evolve beyond the zombie stage, maybe because their simpler genetics and anatomy makes things easier for the virus. These creatures either grow to huge proportions, or mutate into something completely different. Worms, for example, become huge beasts with mouth parts that look nothing like a normal worm's. I don't know what creatures the Brain Suckers and Drain Deimos used to be, but judging by their appearance, they may have been insects of some sort. Some lower animals, however, remain as simple zombies, like the Neptunes and the smaller snakes in RE1. The exception to this apparent rule is the Lickers. The Umbrella top secret file (RES) describes Lickers as zombies that transformed after the T-virus developed additional mutations. I'm a bit annoyed at this revelation, because I always thought the Lickers were bioweapons deliberately created by Umbrella. So now I wonder why there are no Lickers in the mansion, where the zombies are much older than the ones in Raccoon City or Sheena Island, where we do see Lickers. I think the document's wording doesn't exclude the possibility that while Lickers are derived from infected humans, the transformation doesn't occur spontaneously; rather it is helped along by some extra genetic manipulation by Umbrella scientists. This way, the distinction I make above would still hold true. This brings us to the next class of infected creatures: the Umbrella bioweapons. These monsters don't arise spontaneously. They are created by combining DNA, cells, tissues, and organs from many different animals, with a little T-virus thrown in. Lastly, there are the infected plants. What more can I say? I'm no botanist. -How is the T-virus transmitted? I could go on for hours about this, and tell you more than you ever needed to know about virology, without really answering the question. Anyway, there are many, many ways viruses get transmitted to their host. A few viruses are inhaled (smallpox, influenza), some viruses pass through breaks in the skin (rabies), some will only infect a host if they directly enter the blood (HIV, hepatitis B, Hepatitis C), some infect a host through the digestive tract (polio, hepatitis A), a bunch of viruses are transmitted through insect or tick bites (yellow fever), many are spread by touching contaminated objects and then scratching your nose or your eyes (all the viruses causing the common cold). From the games, it appears that the T-virus can be transmitted through almost all these ways. ** To Be Continued ** -How long does it take for a human infected with the T-virus to turn into a zombie? It varies. Like real life viruses, the time it takes to get a full-fledged infection probably depends on many factors, such as 1) how much virus initially infects the host, 2) the route of infection (i.e., injected vs. ingested vs. inhaled), and 3) how good the host's immune system happens to be. It takes the old man in the sewage plant about seven days (September 19-26) and it takes the keeper a whopping eight days to completely turn into a zombie (May 11-19). But it takes Brad Vickers at most only a few hours. In CV, the time between the bombing of the island and Claire leaving her cell to find a complex crawling with zombies is likewise short. In RES, Goldman spills the virus on November 22 and the island is infested about a day later on November 23. So, the answer to this question is that the amount of time varies according to the convenience of the game designers. But we can try making a few conclusions. Brad is directly injected: fast infection. The truck driver is bitten: fast infection. The keeper and old man probably inhale the virus: slow infection. On Sheena Island, the virus is probably spread through the water: semi-fast infection. The rats in the Raccoon City sewers also probably spread virus to the water, which would explain how many people in the city were apparently infected all at once: again, a semi-fast infection. Thus, I propose that direct innoculation of the blood with virus leads to a very fast transformation, while inhaling virus is very slow, and ingesting virus causes a medium-speed infection. This pattern breaks down in a few places. In CV, the virus is clearly airborne, but we have zombies everywhere in at most a few hours. In RE3, Jill Valentine is injected, and she's okay for at least two days, unlike Brad, who is a zombie within hours of receiving virus from the same source. Perhaps if the victim is already dead (or killed right after exposure), the infection proceeds very quickly (no tedious immune system to deal with). In CV, the people in the island may have all died during the bombing (or were already dead and buried in the graveyard) and therefore become zombies rapidly. You might ask how the bodies in the graveyard are infected, if they are buried and therefore not exposed to airborne virus. Remember, though, that it's raining at the beginning of CV, and the water seeping into the ground may carry virus with it (I confess that last idea comes from Return of the Living Dead, Part 2, as ashamed as I am to admit actually seeing that movie). -How many different viruses does Umbrella have? The viruses referred to in the games are: the Mother Virus, T-Virus, G-Virus, NE-T Virus, T-Veronica Virus, an unnamed "special virus" that gives Wesker his superhuman abilities, and an unnamed "ancient virus" that Alexia discovers in the genes of a queen ant. This, by the way, isn't at all far-fetched. There are virus remnants incorporated in the genes of living things, from bacteria all the way to humans: the so-called endogenous viruses. Anyway, a crude family tree of Umbrella's viruses might look like this: Mother _________ Queen Ant Virus | Virus | | | T-Veronica Superhuman ____?____ T- Virus Virus | Virus | | G- ? Virus | NE-T Virus While we know nothing else about it, I suspect the superhuman virus is developed by Birkin during his work on the T- and G-viruses. It may be derived from either the Mother Virus or the T-virus, or it could be a predecessor of the T- or G-viruses. It isn't derived from the G-virus, since that one isn't perfected until later. It's possible this special virus is actually the NE-T virus, but I think this is unlikely, since this special virus seems to be Birkin's creation, but the NE-T is apparently mass-produced by Umbrella. Birkin has convincingly demonstrated how reluctant he is to share his work with his employers. My opinion is that the special virus is a predecessor of the G-virus, created by Birkin to add healing and regenerating properties to the T-virus. This may not be the case, though, because Wesker has abilities not displayed by any T- or G-virus B.O.W.'s. For example, Wesker's speed seems unique among the non-human entities in the games (except possibly a frenzied Tyrant or Nemesis). If the special virus is a predecessor of the G-virus, you'd think the mutated William Birkin would move a bit faster. -How many different Tyrants does Umbrella have? Here is a list of all the Tyrants seen in the series. As more games come out, I'm sure this list will grow. Model Notes Games --------------------------------------------------------------------------- T-001 prototype only RE1 for Sega Saturn (battle game) T-002 prototype only RE1 T-103 "Enhanced" mass-production model RE2, RES, dead ones in RE3 T-078 prototype only? CV Nemesis prototype only? RE3 Hypnos-T prototype only RES The T-001 Tyrant is my name for the gold Tyrant in the shooting mode in RE1 for the Sega Saturn. If there was a T-002, then there had to be a T-001. The name of the "Hypnos-T" Tyrant comes from the Resident Evil Survivor - Prima's Official Strategy Guide, published by Prima Games. While this information doesn't come directly from Capcom, I kind of like that name. -How many different bioweapons has Umbrella created? There are many types of B.O.W.'s, some arising accidentally, and others constructed by Umbrella. Rather than catalogue them all here, I refer you to the list of all creatures in the RE series that I've compiled at the end of the F.A.Q. Also refer to my discussion above on the effects of the T-virus for more speculation on specific creatures. -How many different kinds of Ivy are there? Okay, you're probably not asking this question, but I bring it up because I want to correct a common misconception about the Ivy in RE2 and RES. There are in fact two kinds: one colored green, and not poisonous, and the other reddish, with poisonous pollen. You can see first one, then the other type in two consecutive rooms in Hunk's mini-game (right after the room with the two giant spiders on the first floor of the precinct). In the regular game, you always encounter green Ivy in scenario A. But if you use the anti-B.O.W. gas in the lab, you then meet poisonous red Ivy in scenario B. Recall that the P- epsilon gas report says some B.O.W.'s make toxins out of the gas. Most people, the writers of strategy guides included, do not realize there are two types of Ivy. -Why does everyone hate Rebecca Chambers? Hmm, tough one. Maybe it's because people appreciate fine classical music, such as the Moonlight Sonata, and we hate the way Rebecca mutilates it. Yep, that's gotta be it. -Why was Resident Evil not called Biohazard outside of Japan? My understanding is that it has something to do with the music group Biohazard's license to the name. I don't know why this license apparently doesn't apply in Japan, however. I know next to nothing about international copyright law. It's a shame, though: "Biohazard" is a much more provocative (and appropriate) name for the series. -Who created the T-virus? According to the Mother Virus report (RE2, EX files), Ozwell E. Spencer discovers the Mother Virus, Dr. J. Marcus follows in Spencer's footsteps, then Dr. Birkin comes after Marcus. Birkin ultimately provides Umbrella with the T-Virus. But Alexander (CV, Alexander's Memo) says Spencer works together with Edward Ashford (Alexander's father) to create the T-Virus from the Mother Virus. What probably happened is that Spencer and Ashford make a variation of the Mother Virus which they call the T-Virus, but the work continues until the virus is finally perfected by Birkin. If you know anything about research in virology and molecular biology, you'll know it takes a long time to get anywhere with it, no matter how smart you are, how hard you work, or how rich your lab is. It isn't at all unreasonable for the research to span a couple generations as is implied by these documents, especially because the techniques they would need didn't exist until one or two decades ago (in case you're wondering, a chunk of my graduate work was in exactly this sort of stuff). -Who is Billy Koen? We know his name from Rebecca's report (RE2, EX files). It seems Koen is going to be a character in RE Zero. Until that game comes out, the info already in the timeline is basically all we know about him. -Who is Ada Wong working for? Most people used to think she was an Umbrella spy, because Annette tells Leon that Ada is a spy sent by the "agency" to recover the G-virus from Birkin. "Agency" might also imply she works for the C.I.A. But according to Wesker's Report, Ada is part of the same organization that Wesker works for. This, of course, tells us little, since we don't know who Wesker works for, except that it's obviously not the U.S. government. -Who is Albert Wesker working for? We don't know, for this has not been answered by Wesker's Report. People have speculated that he works for Bioject. At the moment, I disregard this whole Bioject thing as just another internet rumor. -Where is Rebecca Chambers? Unknown. Dropped off the face of the earth, hopefully, but I doubt we'll be so lucky. I imagine RE Zero will tell us. Until that game comes out, I'm happy to continue ignoring her existence. -Where is Leon S. Kennedy? >From his epilogue in RE3, it appears he has been coerced into working for the government, while in Wesker's Report, he is supposedly working for an underground organization opposed to Umbrella. The upcoming RE Gaiden also seems to indicate that Leon is part of a secret group. Evidently, however, he is at liberty to do what he wants, since he's able to pass on Claire's warning to her brother. He also sends Ark Thompson to go check out Sheena Island. Our old friend Leon seems to have turned into quite the behind-the-scenes mover of events, hasn't he? -Where do you get the Japanese version of... (insert name here)? Check eBay or your favorite importer. I can't tell you more, since I'm not a big fan of imported games. -Where is Raccoon City? This is another endlessly debated question. Several games, most recently CV, clearly state Raccoon City is a midwestern town. Therefore, the Arklay Mountains might be a spur or section of the Rocky Mountains, putting Raccoon City in one of the states that touches that range (Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, or Utah are most likely). A lot of people have suggested Oregon, but technically, it isn't a midwestern state. However, in Trevor's letters Spencer says he wants to make the estate a seaside resort for Umbrella employees, which means Raccoon City must be at least within 100 miles or so of the coast. This is all I'm going to speculate about this, but I'll point out two incorrect locations for the town that have been suggested. In her books, S. D. Perry places Raccoon City in Pennsylvania, which has to be false given what I say above. In the Official Resident Evil 3 Nemesis Perfect Guide, published by Versus Books, the author points out that the intro has in one background image a billboard ad and phone number with area code 212. As the author states, 212 is the code for Manhattan Island. I don't feel a need to get into a big involved long-winded explanation as to why this is... well, unlikely. -Where are all the bathrooms in Raccoon City? There is one, believe it or not! In all of RE2 and RE3, there is exactly ONE toilet to be found. It's in the caboose elevator going down from the vacant factory to the lab. I must say Umbrella treated its employees very well. Apparently, everyone else in Raccoon City went on the streets. I'm guessing the T-virus wasn't the only "biohazard" those poor folks had to cope with. -Where do you find the time to write this stuff? Good question. Very, very good question. -Will there ever be a crossover between Dino Crisis and Resident Evil? RE's producer, Shinji Makami, has denied this several times. Of course, this doesn't mean it won't happen if Capcom decides it'll be a huge money-maker. Personally, I really hope not: the idea is asinine. I have to admit, though, the facility in Dino Crisis does look a little Umbrella-esque, doesn't it? And, of course, one of Jill's bonus costumes in RE3 is a Regina outfit. Plus, I've heard unconfirmed stories (repeat, unconfirmed) that there are chemical tanks in Dino Crisis with Umbrella logos on them, and I've also heard there are Dino Crisis posters in RE3. But I'm sure these are just jokes, and we shouldn't read anything into them. By the way, does somebody know for sure if those tanks exist and where they are? -Is something like the T- or G-virus really possible? If you're seriously asking this, then what I hear on the news about this country's schools not teaching enough science is a gross understatement. Admittedly, I know more about biology than most people, but it shouldn't take an advanced degree to figure this one out. You might laugh, but I have witnessed people sincerely speculating about this. -Would you like to hear a theory of my own about Resident Evil? I'm open to any suggestions on alternative ways to resolve the inconsistencies in the series, particularly those regarding the events immediately before RE2 and RE3, which I discuss above. But I do ask that you consider very carefully your suggestions. I've spent a very long time meticulously correlating dates and documents to make sure everything I say is consistent with itself and with the games. Before asking me to consider different ideas, do the homework first and see for yourself if they fit the known events. As an example, I can't tell you how many times people have e-mailed me or posted on forums that I'm wrong, Birkin caused the disaster in Raccoon City. Yes, Birkin spread virus all over the city, which infected the majority of people all at once, but there were already people becoming infected and zombies staggering around town long before the good doctor did what he did. I have quoted the evidence over and over again; I have explained this over and over again. Still, people who clearly haven't paid attention insist that this is all incorrect. If you don't agree with the explanations, fine, I'm happy to discuss your alternate theories. But if you can't be bothered with reading the explanations in the first place, don't expect me to waste my time repeating myself. I also ask you to remember that the simplest explanation is the best explanation. There are some ridiculously roundabout, far-fetched theories out there. Finally, please keep in mind that for the most part, the only sources of information I consider are the games themselves. I do NOT pay attention to rumors. I can be found at the messageboard at www.dark-legacy.org, but please don't be offended if I don't respond right away to comments; I'm not always around or don't always have the time. -Can you help me with a game I'm having trouble in? Hints, walkthroughs, cheat codes, and game secret guides for the RE series are very abundant on the internet. You can find detailed gameplay F.A.Q.'s with the most minimal of efforts. Plus, there are a multitude of forums devoted to RE, where people will gladly answer your questions. If I start adding game hints here, this document will never end. My only purpose here is to create a comprehensive source of background and clarify contradictions in the RE series for the interest and enjoyment of people who have already completed the games. In fact, if you've read this far without having finished the games, you've really ruined it for yourself. I did warn you in the introduction that there would be lots of spoilers. Resident Evil 1 --------------- -What about Resident Evil 1 for the Nintendo GameBoy Color? A GBC version of RE1 was supposed to come out, but was cancelled. The new RE title for the GBC, RE - Gaiden, isn't the same GBC version of RE1 that Capcom was working on a couple years ago. All we have from the scrapped GBC version of RE1 are a few screenshots. -What about the Resident Evil 1 for the Nintendo GameCube? I am looking forward to this game, RE - Rebirth, but we only have some screenshots and movies from it. I'm going to wait until it comes out before changing anything in the timeline, but from what I've seen, I suspect there will be quite a bit to add. Patience, friends. -What are Trevor's letters? Trevor's letters are additional documents cut out of RE1 before its release. They give extra background on the mansion and the early days just before the founding of Umbrella. Apparently, the letters were released in Japan as a bonus booklet given to those who pre-ordered the Sega Saturn version of RE1. They have never been released in the U.S., but there is a good translation provided by Hunk and the rest of the staff at www.survivhor.com. -What are the differences in the Sega Saturn version of Resident Evil 1? There is a version of RE1 for the Sega Saturn which is now somewhat hard to find. The main difference in the Saturn version is a bonus mini-game that becomes available after completing a scenario. In this "shooting mode," very similar to the battle game in CV, one of the monsters you meet is a zombified Albert Wesker, as well as a new type of gold-colored Tyrant. This version also has a new type of brown Hunter in the courtyard tunnels. For more information on the Saturn version of RE1, check www.survivhor.com. -What are the differences in the PC version of Resident Evil 1? There is a version of RE1 for the PC, distributed by Virgin Interactive around late 1997, which is now extremely rare (more so than the Sega Saturn version). The PC version requires 3D acceleration, and the 3D-modeled objects in the game (e.g., characters, monsters, etc.) have improved resolution. There are also lighting and transparency effects (e.g., the water in the guardhouse basement) throughout the game. Unfortunately, the trade-off is in the quality of the backgrounds. For the most part, the scenery has less brilliant colors, and as a whole, doesn't look quite as good as it does on the PS1. But personally, I think the difference is small, and doesn't justify the unfair criticism that's been leveled against the PC version. As far as the game content is concerned, RE1 for the PC is identical to the original PS1 version (not the Director's Cut), with two exceptions. First, the PC version has the original uncut movies that were never released in any other U.S. version. Secondly, the bonus weapons earned by finishing the game in under three hours are changed. While in the original, you get a rocket launcher with infinite ammo, in the PC version, Jill gets an Ingram submachine gun, and Chris gets a "Minimi," which is some kind of heavy assault rifle (both guns have infinite ammo). I've also been told that the music tracks in RE1 for the PC are shorter than on the PS1, but I haven't noticed this myself (though it's definitely true of RE2 for the PC). There are other minor differences such as, for example, Jill not needing ink ribbons to save. Finally, the PC version also comes with a Windows desktop theme. -When does Resident Evi1 1 occur? The exact date of RE1 is a bit confusing. Chris' report (RE2, EX files) says that the S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team is sent in on July 23. Jill's report on the B.O.W.'s (RE2, EX files) is dated July 24, implying the mansion incident is already over. However, Nicholai's report on destroyed Raccoon City (RES) says the mansion is destroyed on July 25. We know from the finale that the estate blows up at dawn, so based on Nicholai's report alone, RE1 occurs the night of July 24. Putting all this together, Bravo Team goes in on July 23, Alpha Team goes in late on July 24, and the mansion blows up on the morning of July 25. This means Jill must be jotting down notes on the various B.O.W.'s while she's still in the mansion. Her job is made easier by the convenient typewriters all over the estate. :) Wesker's Report confirms that RE1 occurs on July 24, but Wesker also describes the actions of Bravo Team under the July 24 heading. Because he gives a lot of other background information in that section, we can treat his description of Bravo's actions as part of the events leading up to Alpha's deployment on July 24. This may seem like I'm stretching things a bit, but we have to reconcile Wesker's report with Chris' report, which otherwise would directly contradict each other by a day. -How does the scrapbook get into the mansion? If you're asking this, you're very alert. The scrapbook contains clippings of articles describing Cerberus attacks in the Arklay Mountains. The last of the articles is dated July 9, which doesn't make much sense if Umbrella orders that nobody enter or leave the mansion after May 15 (RE1, Keeper's Diary). I assume the scrapbook is Albert Wesker's. Perhaps he brings some of his case files along during the mission and then carelessly leaves them behind. -How does Albert Wesker survive the Spencer Estate incident? According to Wesker's report, he injects himself with a special virus given to him by William Birkin, which causes him to develop his superhuman powers at the very end of RE1. His enhanced speed must be sufficient for him to escape from the lab to the terrace with the pool, jump the railing, and run like mad through the forest until reaching a safe distance. Although Wesker's report says he lets himself get skewered by the Tyrant, I'd like to set the record straight on one thing from Jill's scenario: contrary to popular belief, Wesker is not decapitated by a Chimera. When you find his body in the power room, it does appear headless, but this is because of the funny, foreshortened camera angle. If you look carefully you'll see that his head is in fact screwed onto his shoulders. This is easier to see in the PC version of RE1, where the 3D models have much better resolution. -Which scenario do you choose in Resident Evil 1? Regardless of how you play, you can only complete the game with three of the four known survivors of RE1 accounted for (not including Albert Wesker). In Jill's best ending, you save Chris and Barry. In Chris' best ending, you save Jill and Rebecca. Because we know from later games that all four are alive, what really happens must be a hybrid of Chris' and Jill's scenarios, similar to Perry's novelization, Umbrella Conspiracy. In the timeline, I describe the events of RE1 vaguely, without making many commitments on exactly which character does what. From later games there is lots of evidence supporting both scenarios, so we have to accept a blend of the two. Let me summarize: Evidence for Jill's Scenario ---------------------------- -Barry is still around (RE3, gameplay and epilogue files) -Wesker mentions manipulating Barry (Wesker's Report) -Birkin states the mansion was destroyed by Wesker (RE2, Mail to the Chief) Counterpoint: Birkin may have just been speculating -Marvin mentions Chris, Jill, and Barry as survivors, but not Rebecca (RE2, gameplay) Counterpoint: Brad is also alive in both scenarios, and Marvin doesn't mention him either -Jill can't forget the dying S.T.A.R.S., implying that she didn't spend RE1 in a cell (RE3, Jill's Diary) Counterpoint: She does witness Joseph Frost's death at the beginning of RE1 Evidence for Chris' Scenario ---------------------------- -Rebecca's report implies she is still around (RE2, EX files) -Wesker seems to be blaming Chris for the failure of all his plans (CV, gameplay) -Wesker mentions Rebecca as one of the survivors (Wesker's Report) -Wesker mentions letting himself get skewered by the Tyrant (Wesker's Report) Counterpoint: Wesker gets skewered in the alternate path where Barry dies in Jill's scenario -Nicholai states mansion was destroyed by the S.T.A.R.S. (RES, Report on Destroyed Raccoon City) Counterpoint: Nicholai may have just been speculating Note that Birkin's mail to the chief (RE2) mentions everyone who survives in RE1: Jill, Chris, Barry, Rebecca, and even Brad. -Why does Brad Vickers fly away in the helicopter in Resident Evil 1? At the risk of sounding like a Brad apologist, I think the poor guy gets a bad rap. Let's just suppose for a minute that when the S.T.A.R.S. are attacked by the Cerberus pack, a whole bunch of the dogs go for the helicopter. Maybe the doors into the chopper were all left wide open, and maybe some of the canine zombies try to jump inside. So Brad is forced to take off to avoid being overrun. Meanwhile the other S.T.A.R.S. are scattered by the attack. Because it's night and because they're in the woods, Brad can't see any of them on the ground. So he's forced to fly circles around the mansion until Alpha team finally signals to him. Maybe he never has a choice, now does he? Maybe he's not so useless after all. Then again, maybe he's just a big coward. -Why are the Chimeras not included in the slides depicting the B.O.W.'s in Resident Evil 1? The Chimeras are never mentioned in the slides of the various B.O.W.'s in the Spencer lab. Recalling the keeper's diary, he mentions caring for new B.O.W.'s that look like skinless gorillas. This discription sounds like the Chimeras. If these monsters are newly-created, they're probably still considered experimental and not included with the more-or-less perfected organisms presented in the slide show. As a side comment, I'll note that "Chimera" seems to be the official name for them. The Resident Evil Director's Cut - Prima's Official Strategy Guide uses the name, which is also on the packaging for the RE toys based on that monster. The Resident Evil - Totally Unauthorized Guide published by BradyGames uses the term "Hall Monitors," but they probably just made that name up. -Why can you find at most fifteen files in Resident Evil 1 when there are sixteen file slots? When I noticed this, I got very excited, suspecting the unused file slot was meant for Trevor's letters, which were cut out of the final version of the game. If the slot was still there, then there was a chance the unused text of the letters was still lurking somewhere on the RE1 CD. So I took out RE1 for the PC and got to work. After spending a few hours using hex editors to peek at the CD data, patching my saved games, juggling around file names on the installed part of the game, and crashing Windows in many new and interesting ways, I finally established that the unused slot is not meant for Trevor's letters. Basically, RE1 does, in fact, have sixteen files. The two versions of the researcher's will (the complete letter and the one torn by Barry) are considered separate files, though you can never find both in a given game. To say I was disappointed is an understatement, though at least I solved the mystery of the missing file. -Who is Edward Dewey? Ah, the elusive Edward Dewey. This guy is mentioned exactly once in the RE1 manual as being one of the members of the S.T.A.R.S. Bravo team. We don't meet him anywhere, nor is his name seen again in the character bios and portraits elsewhere in the manual. The generally accepted theory among RE fans is that Dewey is Bravo team's helicopter pilot, and his is the severed hand found by Joseph Frost in the intro movie. This has never been officially confirmed, however. -Who is White Umbrella? White Umbrella is a mysterious person in Umbrella who directed Albert Wesker to lure the S.T.A.R.S. to the Spencer Estate, collect the B.O.W. embryos, and destroy the lab. Apparently, this person is a very high-ranking company official, privy to top secret corporate info. There has been all sorts of speculation about White Umbrella around the internet, though the name is seen exactly once in the entire series. This is basically all we know about him (or her). -Who wrote the Moonlight Sonata? In 1801, Ludvig Van Beethoven composed his Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor (Op. 27, No. 2), dedicated to Countess Julia Guicciardi, originally entitled Sonata Quasi Una Fantasia, more commonly known as the "Moonlight Sonata." Widely enjoyed by generations of music-lovers and audiophiles for nearly 200 years, until ruined on a fateful day in July by one Rebecca Chambers. -Where can you see the uncut cinemas from Resident Evil 1? RE1 was censored for its release in the U.S. The director's cut was supposed to contain the unedited movies, but much to everyone's disgust, a miscommunication led to the re-release still being censored. Likewise for the Dual Shock version. The now extremely rare PC version, however, was not censored, and as far as I know, it's the only U.S. release with uncut movies. The introduction has the following changes: 1) as the narrator describes the murders, instead of showing newspaper clippings, the movie fades in and out with some rather creepy images of the mutilated victims' faces; 2) when Joseph Frost finds the gun with a hand still holding it, the movie doesn't cut to the next scene and he pulls the gun all the way up to reveal that the hand is severed at the wrist; 3) Frost's death is much more gory and graphic; 4) Cerberuses are seen being shot in the head many times; and 5) Chris lights a cigarette when the cast is introduced. Additionally, the PC version's introduction is partially colorized. The only other altered movie is the one where we first meet a zombie. In the uncut version, Kenneth Sullivan's half- eaten head falls to the floor. It looks very fake, though, so I actually like the censored movie better. One caveat: Chris' ending movie where he's the only survivor (i.e., Rebecca dies and he doesn't rescue Jill) also shows him lighting a cigarette. I've never seen this ending on a PS1 version, so I don't know if this cinema was also censored. Capcom's website no longer has the uncut introduction available for download, but a lot of the two movies are shown in Wesker's Report, though the sound is muted. -Where do the welded doors lead to in the terrace with the fountain in Resident Evil 1? The welded doors lead to the heliport. You can poke around the heliport at the end of the game and examine the doors from the other side. It's easier to do this before using the flare; otherwise, you'll have an unfriendly Tyrant breathing down your neck. -Where do the Hunters come from in Resident Evil 1? As I state in the timeline, I believe the sudden appearance of the Hunters, immediately after Wesker sends the S.T.A.R.S. back to the mansion, suggests that Wesker himself released them to dispose of his surprisingly competent teammates (which is also S. D. Perry's interpretation). The initial Hunter movie shows the beast coming from the courtyard, somewhere in the vicinity of the waterfall with the tunnel entrance. The fact that the lab is completely devoid of Hunters suggests that they come from the tunnels under the courtyard. A likely place is the room with the pit and the niche with some sort of generator inside. I'm guessing that the Hunters were kept in the pit, and that machine was used to control a lid or grating that once covered the hole. -Where do you get the beta version of Resident Evil 1? As far as I know, it can't be acquired anywhere. A handful of screenshots and movies from it have found their way onto the internet (I believe they're from a very old RE1 demo), but there's even less information on RE1 beta than there is on RE 1.5. One of the most talked-about aspects of RE1 beta is that the mansion grounds were supposed to be more extensive. In the beta version, the shed leading to the courtyard has three exits instead of two, which I roughly illustrate below. Resident Evil Resident Evil beta ------------- --------------------- Trees __________ | |________ | | | | --- --- Breezeway | --- Breezeway Garden Shed to | Shed to --- --- Mansion | --- Mansion |__________| | ________| | | Garden There is a clip from RE1 beta showing Chris walking to end of the shed and being attacked by the giant snake slithering from the opening to his right (top exit in the right-hand layout). Interestingly, in any version of RE1, if you carefully watch the Hunter movie, you will notice that the shed the monster runs through actually resembles the right-hand layout. For a few frames, you can glimpse the opening leading to a wooded area opposite the garden entrance. Evidently, the movie was made for the beta version of the game, and they never bothered changing it for the final version. It's hard to see this on a PS1, but if you have the PC version, you can watch the AVI movie in slow motion. Check frames 35-55 in the file "dm6.avi" in the directory "horr\usa\movie." The first frames show the approach to the shed with the differently-oriented door to the garden, while frame 55 gives the best view into the unknown area opposite the garden (though all you see is a distant pine tree). If you are interested in learning more about the "lost" versions of RE1, I recommend that you check one of the most comprehensive sources of information on RE1 beta at www.survivhor.com. -Where do you get Resident Evil 1 for the Sega Saturn or for the PC? I regularly see the Saturn version of RE1 being auctioned on eBay. You shouldn't have problems finding it. If it's the PC version of RE1 that you want, you may be out of luck. The PC version did poorly, mostly because console games ported to the PC don't do well as a rule, but also because it required 3D acceleration in a time when this technology was just starting off, and most people didn't have computers with 3D video cards. At any rate, the PC version of RE1 has completely disappeared from software stores, even the bargain bins. Your best bet is to look for it on eBay, but even there, auctions for it crop up infrequently, and the bidding drives up the price for it surprisingly high. Good luck. Please do NOT ask me to make you a CD-R copy of mine. -Where is Albert Wesker's corpse in Jill Valentine's scenario with the best ending? If you play Jill's scenario and Barry survives, he knocks Wesker unconscious. When Jill and Barry leave the lab to find Wesker gone, the triggering system is activated. Before escaping, you can stop by the power room and find Wesker's body, along with the Chimera that killed him. Note that, contrary to popular belief, Wesker is not decapitated. The funny foreshortened camera angle makes it look like he has no head, but you can see the top of his hairline if you look closely past his shoulders. It's easier to see on the PC version of RE1 with the better 3D models. -Was the T-virus spill at the Spencer Estate deliberate? This is an interesting theory, but there's no evidence either way. While Umbrella was very quick to jump on the chance to get some real combat data on the B.O.W.'s, they may have just been very opportunistic. Some high-level Umbrella communications refer to the biohazard at the Spencer Estate as an accident (e.g., the fax in RE1; the report on destroyed Raccoon City in RES), but this doesn't mean anything. The people at the top wouldn't tell their flunkies the truth. Personally, I think the biohazard in RE1 was accidental. If it was deliberate, Umbrella would have taken more steps to insure that the B.O.W.'s not escape to wreak havoc in Raccoon Forest, bringing public attention to the area. Resident Evil 2 --------------- -What about Resident Evil 1.5? RE1.5 is an early version of RE2 that was canned at about 60% completion. One major difference is it featured a character named Elza Walker instead of Claire Redfield. All that is available are screen shots published in magazines, four movies on a bonus disc that came with the Biohazard - Director's Cut in Japan, and some pre-production sketches in the gallery modes of Resident Evil 2 for the PC and DC. If RE1.5 is ever released in some form, I may consider adding any relevant information to the timeline as long as it doesn't contradict anything from released games. But the likelihood of this game fragment ever seeing the light of day is slim. If you are interested in more information on RE1.5, I advise you to check the most comprehensive website on this game at www.geocities.com/bioflames. They have an enormous collection of screen shots, as well as some of the clips from the game. -What are the differences in the PC version of Resident Evil 2? RE2 - Platinum for the PC, was distributed by Virgin Interactive in 1999. This game was marketed better than RE1 for the PC, and was distributed more widely. In fact, it can still be found in software stores, though you may have to dig through some bargain bins. Like RE1 for the PC, RE2 - Platinum has upgraded 3D models, as well as lighting and transparency effects. However, the backgrounds in RE2 - Platinum are, as far as I can tell, identical to the PS1 version, with no loss of brilliance. Unfortunately, while I haven't noticed differences in the music of RE1 for the PC, I certainly have with RE2 - Platinum. Some of the tracks are abridged, and a few are even missing. For example, the music in the front yard of the precinct is gone in the PC version. The gameplay of the PC version is identical to the Dual Shock version for the PS1, but RE2 - Platinum has some new bonus features. First, there is a hard difficulty level, in addition to easy and normal. I haven't played much of the game on this setting, but I'll say that hard means HARD! In the beginning of Leon A, I entered the bus, pumped 8 or 9 bullets into the zombie woman crawling towards me, and she still survived to reach my ankles and take a munch. RE2 - Platinum also has an arranged game, with easy, normal, and hard levels. The arranged game supposedly has some "surprises" not in the regular mode, but all I've seen are minor differences in zombie placement. The documents appear identical. The hard levels only become available when the game is completed once. The PC version has the extreme battle mode, but unlike the Dual Shock version for the PS1, all four characters and three difficulty levels are available at the start. The PC version also has a gallery mode, which lets you browse through all the game movies, rotating 3D models of nearly every character and monster, a big collection of pre-production sketches, and a slide show of high-quality artwork. The images, movies, and models become available as you move through the game and see different scenes and creatures. At the end of this F.A.Q. I have a complete guide to the gallery mode. Finally, RE2 - Platinum comes with a Windows desktop theme. -What are the "EX" files? These are sixteen extra bonus files found scattered around in RE2 for the N64. The EX files are reproduced in many places on the internet, so I'm not going to bother doing so here. Some of the files were teasers for RE games that weren't yet released when the N64 version of RE2 came out, such as CV and RE3. In fact, a few EX files come straight from RE3. One file, Rebecca's report, is thought to contain information from RE Zero. -What are the differences between the uncut and final versions of the Resident Evil 2 script? The uncut version of the RE2 script was published in the Resident Evil 2 Survival Guide by Gamefan Books. For the most part, there are only minor variations in wording. The biggest changes are in the flashback where Umbrella's agents take the G-virus from Birkin. After Birkin is shot, Hunk radios back to the team back in the sewers to tell them the G-virus has been obtained. The second team replies that they have captured a woman (obviously Annette) and ask for instructions. Hunk tells them to leave her; their primary objective is to return with the intact samples. Hunk later checks the case and says "T and G both appear to be stable," confirming that the case they seized indeed contained both viruses. Another difference is in Marvin's conversation. In Leon A, Marvin tells Leon he doesn't think he'll make it, and that Leon must shoot him in the head. In Claire A, Marvin simply says the town is overrun with zombies and Claire needs to escape while she still can. -What creature was in the broken tank in the bio-experiment room in Resident Evil 2? It has been argued that this tank contained Nemesis. The only reason for this is because in RE2 for the N64, the guest user-name for the lab computer is "Nemesis" instead of "Guest." I really think this was only meant to be a teaser for RE3, rather than an obtuse hint that Nemesis was inside that lab. On the other hand, there are many reasons why I don't think Nemesis was in the tank. First of all, it almost certainly wasn't the designers' original intent. RE2 came out long before RE3, and the User Registration file was obviously changed as an afterthought for the N64 version when the idea of Nemesis was hatched. Secondly, the Umbrella top secret file in RES says Nemesis was developed by Umbrella's European branch, not the Raccoon City lab. Thirdly, Nicholai's wording in the supervisor's report from RE3 and in the report on destroyed raccoon city from RES suggests that Nemesis was brought to Raccoon City for the purpose of destroying the S.T.A.R.S. He did not escape accidentally during the carnage of Birkin's rampage. What, then, was in the tank? Originally, I thought it was one of the advanced Lickers that infest the experiment room. However, in the N64 version, there is a dead Hunter in that lab, which suggests that it was the monster that broke out of that tank. -What was the mission of the T-103 Tyrant ("Mr. X")? Fans have always thought that Mr. X was after the G-virus. However, Wesker's Report now tells us Umbrella sent him to silence Leon and Claire, which is problematic. How would Umbrella know about them? Perhaps Umbrella has been following Claire to try and find Chris, but when they saw her heading towards Raccoon City, they decided to just eliminate her. Furthermore, Wesker's Report also contradicts the Claire B scenario, where Mr. X is clearly after the virus. After all, he follows the vial into a vat of molten iron - how much more definitive than that do you want your evidence? It's in Leon B that Mr. X seems to be chasing the characters rather than the virus. Yet Wesker's Report favors the Leon A/Claire B scenarios. Another twist to this story comes from the 4th Survivor scenario, where Hunk runs into Mr. X twice. Again, the Tyrant is presumably after the virus carried by Hunk. On the other hand, Chief Irons thinks the monster tearing up his station has been sent by Umbrella to eliminate witnesses (not that the insane chief's opinion is all that reliable). We can reconcile all this contradictory information with a simple compromise: Mr. X is doing both things. He may have been instructed to find the G-virus and eliminate all witnesses, or he may have been primarily targeting Claire, but was told, "oh, by the way, if you happen to see any G-virus lying around..." While Wesker's Report says he was after both Leon and Claire, I like to think Umbrella sent him specifically to kill Claire, since 1) Leon never meets him in Leon A/Claire B, and 2) Umbrella probably knew about Claire, was following her, and had reason to target her. At any rate, as soon as the sample of G-virus turns up, the T-103 changes its number one priority to recovering the virus. Thus, it attacks Hunk and chases Sherry, and leaps into the molten iron after Claire tosses in the sample. Once the sample is destroyed, though, the Tyrant is goes back to its original plan: kill Claire. -How does Don Weller in the Raccoon City sewers get infected so early? If you're asking this question, you've been paying close attention to the documents. In the sewer manager's diary, his June 28 entry suggests Don is infected by the T-virus, just over a month after the Spencer Estate accident, and long before any other T-virus cases are seen in Raccoon City. This is probably another oversight by the game's designers, but we're still have to try to reconcile these dates with the rest of the timeline. According to the sewer manager's fax, Don Weller is the chemical transporter. If he was bringing supplies to and from the Spencer Estate around the time of the accident he may have picked up the infection, though that would mean it took over a month for him to get overtly sick. Alternatively, Don got infected in Umbrella's factory, where their system for disposing bodies wasn't working well. At any rate, the lab workers probably saw to it that Don drop out of sight as soon as they realized he was showing signs of infection. -How does Ada Wong survive and get out of the lab? Regardless of who you believe threw the rocket launcher, nobody can any longer deny that Ada is alive after seeing her epilogue in RE3. According to Wesker's Report, he saves her life when she falls down the shaft - probably with a green herb. :) If you look carefully at the backgrounds in the area where you square off with the Tyrant for the last time, you'll see there is a parallel track with another train. I'm guessing Ada jumps on the second train, which leaves the lab by a different tunnel. -How does the T-103 Tyrant ("Mr. X") track those carrying the G-virus? This is now somewhat of a moot question, since Wesker's Report would have us believe that Mr. X is not after the G-virus, but rather Leon and Claire. Above I explain why I think Mr. X is originally sent to kill witnesses, but its mission changes to recovering the G-virus. How Mr. X tracks people is easy: he probably just follows the trail of dead zombies. Maybe not, since the bodies always disappear when you leave the room. :) As for the G-virus, some have suggested that he can smell it, or more likely he can smell the substance the vial is made of, since the virus vials are hopefully sealed pretty well. Alternatively, Mr. X may just be a lot more intelligent than people give him credit for. He may know Hunk is carrying the virus because he ses Hunk pick up the vial after Leon throws it down the shaft. He may go after Sherry because he somehow knows about the pendant. A combination of all these reasons can explain Mr. X's uncanny ability to find the G-virus. -Which scenarios do you choose in Resident Evil 2? Leon A/Claire B are clearly suggested by Wesker's Report. However, it's been pointed out to me that the epilogues in RE3 imply Sherry Birkin has to recover after RE2. In Leon A/Claire B, Sherry does just fine, but in Claire A/Leon B she is infected by her dad's embryos. But this is soft evidence, and Wesker's description of the interaction between Leon and Ada refers to several moments from Leon A (e.g., Leon tossing the pendant into the shaft). Personally, however, I like the Claire A/Leon B combination better, because you find more documents, you get more background information, more interesting things happen (like Sherry being infected by her father), and there is much more interaction between Leon and Claire. So in the timeline, I have elements from all the scenarios. While the skeleton of my RE2 plot summary follows Leon A/Claire B, remaining consistent with Wesker's Report, I throw in some of the key events from Claire A/Leon B - most notably, Sherry getting infected with G-virus. I think this hybrid of all the scenarios most faithfully captures the spirit of RE2. -Why do the S.T.A.R.S. survivors wait nearly two weeks before reporting to Chief Brian Irons? The RE1 happens on July 24-25, but Chris submits his report for the first time on August 6 or 7 (see the timeline). There are many possible reasons for this delay of almost two weeks. First, the S.T.A.R.S. have an unbelievable story, with little to back it up since the mansion is gone. Maybe they try to get some hard evidence before coming to the chief with their report. Secondly, the S.T.A.R.S. may want to quietly figure out who can be trusted among their colleagues in the R.P.D. before coming forward. After all, they were just betrayed by their own leader. Thirdly, the survivors' number one priority after RE1 may be to make sure Barry's family is safe, despite what Wesker tells Jill in the lab. Fourthly, the survivors have gone through an incredibly stressful experience and seen many friends die in rather unpleasant ways. They certainly need at least a few days to sort things out. Finally, there's no way for the survivors to even know for sure that they weren't infected themselves by this mysterious virus. I know when I play the game, Jill and Chris take more than their fair share of zombie bites. :) Maybe the S.T.A.R.S. quarantine themselves, observing each other closely for signs of infection. These reasons can easily explain why they don't tell anyone their story immediately. -Why are the dates from the sewer manager's fax in Resident Evil 2 left out of the timeline? If you're asking this, you must be just as obsessive-compulsive as I am. :) The sewer manager's fax has a list of people who regularly pass through sewers, and when the manager is to expect them. As tempting as it is to throw these dates into the timeline, we don't know when the facilities opened, nor when exactly the normal routine was disrupted by the situation in Raccoon City. But for your own edification, I'll list the dates and users here. Name Title Usage Dates ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Angelica Margaret Chief of Maintenance 1st and 3rd Wed of each month Don Weller Chemical Transporter 28th of each month Brian Irons R.P.D. Chief 6th and 16th of each month Dr. William Birkin Chief Researcher 4th Fri of every other month -Why are there differences in the files among various versions of Resident Evil 2? Some of the files in RE2 for the N64 are different from other versions. These files are: Secretary's Diary B (extra June 10 entry), Watchman's Diary (all dates changed), Sewer Manager's Diary (extra line in the July 21 entry), and User Registration (user name "NEMESIS" instead of "GUEST"). I originally assumed those who ported the game made the changes until I stumbled across Capcom's official Resident Evil 2 Survival Guide, published years ago by Gamefan Books. In addition to the walkthroughs, this guide has transcripts of all the files, pre-production art, an interview with Shinji Makami, and original uncut scripts for all the scenarios. Interestingly enough, the file transcripts are mostly identical to those in the Nintendo 64 version (except for the Nemesis reference - the user name is still "GUEST" in the guide). Yet this strategy guide predates the Dual Shock version of RE2. This makes me think the "changed" files in the N64 release actually represent the creators' original intent. Because of the guide, I use the N64 version's dates in my timeline. RE2 for the N64 also has an extra file that isn't part of the EX files. This is the Researcher's Message, found somewhere in the laboratory. I've never seen this file in the PS1, DC, or PC versions. This file is also included among the transcripts in the Resident Evil 2 Survival Guide, again suggesting this was something that represented the developers' intent but was cut out of the original versions of RE2. For anyone who is wondering, there isn't anything substantial in this file that belongs in the timeline. It's just a note from an Umbrella researcher whining about turning into a zombie and wondering where he left the key to unlock the escape route (sheesh, these Umbrella people are so absent-minded, it's no wonder they're always spilling virus all over the place...). -Why are there no mutant or zombie rats in Raccoon City? This is a good question, since you'd think there would be some monstrous rats if they're the ones that spread the virus rapidly all over the city. Perhaps the Brain Suckers in RE3 are what's left of the rats - completely unrecognizable after their mega-dose of T-virus. Or maybe the rats are unaffected by the virus. Rodents can have strange immune systems. -Why are there zombies in Raccoon City before William Birkin spreads the virus? A few files from RE2 and RE3 indicate there are zombie incidents in and around Raccoon City long before the proverbial feces hit the fan late September. In RE2, Chris's diary (August 17 entry), and in RE3, the hospital director's diary (September 10 and 18 entries) all refer to zombies or creatures in the city. While, yes, Birkin spills T-virus all over the sewers (on either September 24 or 26, depending on whether you believe the dates in the chief's diary, see below), which causes almost everyone in Raccoon City to be infected at once, there is clearly T-virus infecting people here and there before this happens. I like to think that T-virus has been gradually spreading from the Spencer Estate, carried by loose Cerberuses (Cerberi?). Crazed, infected crows may have also played a key role, since they have lots of mobility. But it was the huge spill in the sewers that put the rest of the city over the edge. I tend to think, though, that Raccoon City was doomed all along regardless. This can explain why Umbrella suddenly decides to pull the plug on their Raccoon City operations and take the G-virus from William Birkin (see below). -Why does Umbrella try to seize the G-virus from William Birkin? When Birkin perfected the G-virus, he decided to keep it for himself. It's his life's work, after all. What probably happened is that Umbrella realizes the T-virus epidemic is slowly spreading to Raccoon City, and that there is no way to contain it (see above). So Umbrella decides to abandon their Raccoon City facilities, orders Birkin to surrender the virus to their agents for safekeeping. Birkin probably refuses outright, prompting Umbrella to send Hunk's crew to retrieve the virus. The rest, as they say, is history. -Why is the zombified Brad Vickers much tougher than the other zombies? People have speculated that Nemesis injected him with a special virus, probably the NE-T virus, which makes him stronger, blah, blah, blah. Whatever. Remember, the simple explanations are always better than the exotic ones. I think the Brad zombie is tougher because he wears a bulletproof vest. You can blast or stomp his head just as easily as any other zombie's. -Who throws the rocket launcher? This has been the subject of much heated internet debate, despite the fact that everything points to Ada Wong. People have said it's Rebecca Chambers, Annette Birkin, or even Jill Valentine. Even after the RE3 epilogues tell us Ada is alive, some people still can't accept that it's Ada. I don't understand why this question was even asked in the first place: in Leon B, the figure is clearly wearing the same pendant Ada was wearing. In Claire B, the figure is not, so I suppose you can argue that it's a different person. But remember, the simplest explanation is the best. As far as anyone knows, Rebecca is alive but she isn't around. Annette is around, but isn't alive. Ada is both alive and around, AND, in one scenario, wearing that pendant. Ada wins hands down in either Claire B or Leon B. -Where do the boarded doors go on the second floor of the R.P.D. precinct? Unlike the recurring question about the welded doors in RE1, there's really no excuse for asking this one. Just look at the second floor map in RE2 carefully. The door in the passage with the statues has to be the same boarded door in the passage with the lockers. -Where do you get Resident Evil 1.5? Nowhere. Someday, Capcom might decide to release it, but it's very, very unlikely. Just let it go. Those claiming to have it either think RE2 beta is RE1.5, or are outright LYING. I once saw a person selling RE2 beta on eBay, saying it was RE1.5. Somebody actually bought it for $1,025. -Where do you get the beta version of Resident Evil 2? The original release of the RE1 Director's Cut (not the Dual Shock version) included a disc with an early preview of RE2. This demo was actually a part of the beta version of RE2 (note that RE2 beta is not the same as RE1.5). There are some minor differences from the final version, such as a shortened path through the city streets (no bus), a typewriter in Kendo's gun shop, and a few items not in the final game. But by using a GameShark, you can enter codes that allow you to visit many more areas not normally accessible in the demo and see a big chunk of the beta version. The codes were published in the unofficial Resident Evil 2 Perfect Guide by Versus Books, and I won't reproduce them here. The RE1 Director's Cut with the preview of RE2 can still be found among used games in software stores. Auctions for this item also frequently come up on eBay, but read the description carefully before you bid. You have to be sure that you're not buying the Director's Cut with Dual Shock support, and that there are two discs included. I suppose I'll reluctantly mention that bootleg copies of a full, playable version of RE2 beta are being distributed among some circles. I do NOT have one and I do NOT know where to get one, so please do NOT ask me about it. For more information on the different versions of the RE2 preview and RE2 beta, I advise you to check www.survivhor.com. -Where do you get Resident Evil 2 - Platinum for the PC? This one is also becoming scarce, but you can still find it without much trouble. I sometimes see it in software store bargain bins, but if you check eBay, you should find lots of auctions for this game. Resident Evil 2-3 Continuity ---------------------------- -When does Hunk's team try to steal the G-virus and when does the 4th Survivor scenario occur? I've waffled over this question. It's generally stated that the huge virus outbreak in Raccoon City occurs when Birkin crushes vials, and rats spread the virus all over the city (though, again, there are zombies and monsters in the city long before Hunk's mission - see above). Hunk's mission has to be before the zombie attack on the precinct on September 26. It's implied that Hunk's operation takes place just before the September 23 entry in the chief's diary, where he says, "soon, the streets will be infested with zombies." I'm sure this is meant to suggest he discovered the aftermath of Hunk's mission. However, the 4th Survivor scenario happens after the Tyrant is dropped off in the police station (on the 29th), since Hunk runs into Mr. X twice. This means Hunk has been in the sewers for a week! Also, Hunk's pickup is on the roof of the precinct, which is an odd place if his original mission to recover the G-virus takes place before everything falls apart in the precinct. How do you suppose the officers would react to a bunch of heavily-armed guys in black with gas masks running through the station? I'll grant that it's possible the precinct roof was some kind of backup rendezvous point. Wesker's Report states that Hunk picks up the G-virus vial after Leon tosses it down the shaft, which means Hunk must indeed have been hanging around the lab and sewers the whole time, waiting for his chance. Therefore, we have to disregard the moment at the beginning of the 4th Survivor scenario where Hunk appears to recover consciousness following Birkin's attack. This is fine by me - it isn't the only time I ignore minor gameplay details from the series when evidence from later games says otherwise. If you're wondering how Hunk avoided being infected when Birkin originally spread virus all over the place, I suspect his mask offers biohazard protection. -When does the attack on the R.P.D. precinct occur? The first operation report says September 26, though the September 24 entry in the chief's diary makes it sound as though the station has already been attacked. However, accepting the 24th as the day of the attack creates many serious contradictions with the operation reports, the night watchman's diary, and dates from RE3. In the timeline, I use the 26th, and say that on the 24th, Irons is referring to survivors from the sporadic zombie attacks on the Raccoon City streets, rather than survivors of the main attack on the precinct. We know there are zombies wandering randomly around the city, even though the station has not yet been overrun by a mob. People are probably rushing to take shelter in the station, and none of the police have a clear idea of what exactly is going on, thanks to the chief's machinations. Some survivors may have gotten the idea to escape the city using the sewers under the precinct, explaining Irons' reference to "survivors trying to escape through the lower levels." Basically, this is a lot of awkward dancing around to explain away some simple mistakes made when the game designers dated the entries in the chief's diary. I believe the station was attacked on the 26th, and that the entries in Irons' diary should all be changed to two days later. Thus, the 23rd becomes the 25th, letting us date Hunk's mission closer to the 4th Survivor (it's still a long time for him to be hanging around the sewers). The 24th becomes the 26th, so Irons' comments coincide with the aftermath of the zombie attack described in the first operation report. The 26th becomes the 28th, so Irons' intention to hunt down those trying to escape through the sewers coincides with the plan laid out by the last four survivors in the second operation report. In fact, the author of the second operation report is Elliot Edward, and Irons mentions murdering "Ed." This could have been Elliot's nickname. Most of the problems with the events preceding RE2/3 stem from the dates in the chief's diary. I try to stand firm by my original intent to try to accept all dates in the games as absolutely correct, but here, I'm stuck with dates that are almost certainly wrong, and you're stuck with a dissatisfying explanation. I'm unhappy enough with the way I've reconciled these facts that I may just give in and change them as outlined above in a later version of the timeline. -When does the battle between the R.P.D. and the zombies on the city streets occur? The date of the introductory movie for RE3 is confusing. We know from the photo A that "the police are pressing forward" on September 27. We also know from the merc's pocketbook that their mission starts on September 26, yet these two events seem to coincide in the opening movie. I compromise by saying the U.B.C.S. are deployed late at night on the 26th (consistent with this, the first thing shown in the movie is the mercenaries' arrival). The battle between zombies and police occurs slightly later, pre- dawn on the 27th. Wesker's Report throws another wrench into this question, because it shows us images from the RE3 introduction after the September 28 heading. However, as I say in the introduction to the chronology, Wesker's Report has many discrepancies between his narration and the images on the screen, which is just a collage of scenes from different scenarios, loosely relevant to what he's saying. Now the question that remains is what the police are doing on the streets if they've been barricaded in the station since September 26 (see the operation reports). In the timeline, I say that the surviving R.P.D. officers try to break through the mob of zombies surrounding the station and are defeated. In the streets around the precinct in RE2/3, we see lots of evidence of this battle: dead police, zombie cops, barricades, and wrecked squad cars. Another less attractive explanation is that the battle was elsewhere in the city, involving police officers that were never at the station. -When does Resident Evil 2 occur? In RE2, the chalkboard in the west office of the precinct (where you find Marvin) can be examined to reveal, "It's today's date / September 29 / 'Michael festival.'" Wesker's Report also tells us Umbrella sends the T-103 Tyrant on the 29th. But I argue that Leon and Claire drive into Raccoon City very late on the 28th, and by the time they reach the station and putter around for a while, it's after midnight on the 29th. A lot happens in the game before you have a chance to examine that chalkboard, or before the Tyrant falls in from above. I have three slim pieces of evidence for this. First, there is the computer in the lobby with the display that reads 09:28. While this looks more like the time of day, it could also represent the date, September 28, because the display never changes between the A and B games of Resident Evil 2, and is also the same for Jill in RE3 (the real reason, of course, is developer laziness and/or limited disc space). Since you use the computer before entering the west office or before the Tyrant drops in, my argument remains consistent with the display. The second piece of evidence is a bulletin board in the refreshment hall in the east wing of the station, which can be examined to reveal, "Sept. 28th / Night Shift / George Scott." This suggests that it is currently the 28th (again, we read this bulletin board before we get to see the chalkboard in the west office). Maybe the character is selectively reading just the watchman's name for that particular evening, since the fragment we read can't be the only thing written on the board. The third piece of evidence is the clock in the west office (where Marvin is), which reads 1:30. Since it is dark, it must be 1:30 am, and the date must be the 29th (from the chalkboard I mention above, which is in the same office. Because Leon drives into Raccoon City at sundown, he must come in on the 28th. Naturally, the clock doesn't change throughout the game. However, we never see that clock until our second visit to the office, when Marvin becomes a zombie, and once we leave, we never have to return. So I'm willing to accept the time shown on the clock as the actual time of day when we gun down the Marvin zombie. My reason for wanting to say that Leon and Claire enter the city on September 28 is simple. It makes the whole business about the military blockade easier to swallow. See below. -How do Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield get through the military blockade? The reporter's memo in RE3 creates a problem, because it says the military has quarantined Raccoon City and set up blockades around it. If the memo is written before the events of RE2/3, how do Leon, Claire, and the truck driver get into the city? First of all, blocking all the roads in would be time- consuming. If the military has just started doing this, it's possible that several roads are still open when Leon and Claire drive in, allowing them to enter without noticing a thing. The only other reasonable explanation is that the reporter hasn't yet written his note and the city hasn't been quarantined when Leon and Claire come along. For this to fit into the known continuity, we need the following sequence of events: from the intro movie, we know Leon and Claire enter Raccoon City at dusk, probably around the same time Jill enters the station (on September 28 - see above regarding my dating of the RE2 introduction). Jill leaves the station sometime shortly before Leon and Claire enter. Giving Jill a few hours to putter around uptown and downtown Raccoon City, we have sufficient time for the military to decide to blockade the city and for the reporter to find out about it, write the memo, and get chomped by a zombie, all before Jill stumbles across his note in the newspaper building. The most believable answer is a combination of the previous two explanations. But now you see why I insist above that Leon and Claire enter the city on the 28th. If the RE2 introduction happens on the 29th, then Jill must goof off in the city for a very looong time before finding the reporter's memo for us to have a big enough time window for Leon and Claire to drive in before the military blockade. -Why are Marvin Branagh dead and the barricades up when Jill Valentine reaches the station? First of all, Marvin isn't dead. He is described as "fatally wounded." He is unconscious at the moment, and when you come back to that room later, he's gone. Regarding the barricades, I imagine they're either broken down by zombies or dismantled by Chief Irons in his hunt for survivors. There's also the issue of the broken window in the ground floor stairwell. In RE3, Nemesis crashes through it, yet it's intact in RE2, which occurs afterwards. I'm afraid I can't explain this one, but I'd like to know why this minor inconsistency bothers people more than the discrepancies between the A and B scenarios of RE2. Why do doors lock themselves, puzzles reset themselves, and keys hide themselves? Who repaints the picture hanging above the fireplace after it's burnt in game A? Why does the helicopter burst into flames again after being extinguished in game A? Or, in keeping with the broken glass theme, who fixes the one-way mirror in the interrogation room after a Licker smashes it in game A? For this inconsistency, just let it go and work with the game. -Why does Marvin Branagh disappear when Jill Valentine returns to the west office? I suspect the real reason is that the game engine won't allow Nemesis and Marvin to be in the same room (recall that Nemesis chases you through there). Keep in mind that in all the RE games, they never mix different monster types together in one room, probably because of some memory limitations. The only exception to this is in one or two instances when Nemesis coexists with zombies. Now, as we try to suspend our disbelief and try to come up with a logical explanation, the only reasonable one is that Marvin regains consciousness and crawls off somewhere. Apparently, though, he decides it's safer in the office after all, and crawls back, just in time for you to meet him in RE2. -Where is the dead factory? I believe the vacant factory in RE2 and the dead factory in RE3 are part of the same industrial complex (you only explore a tiny part of it in RE2). There isn't much evidence for this, but I like the idea. First of all, if Umbrella has dozens of facilities all over Raccoon City, it would be hard for them to keep their activities secret. Secondly, the dead factory disposes of infected bodies, presumably generated by the underground laboratory. It makes more sense to have the disposal factory close to the lab (i.e., right on top of it). Thirdly if the U.S. Special Forces troops killed by the Tyrants were trying to obtain the G- virus, why would they be in the dead factory unless they had to pass through there to get to the lab? I'll admit this evidence is weak, but the location of the dead factory doesn't affect the timeline anyway. -Aren't there an awful lot of people circulating around the R.P.D. precinct? Let's see: Jill walks out with Nemesis in hot pursuit at pretty much the same time that Claire strolls in one entrance and Leon ducks into another, while Mr. X falls in through the roof above and Hunk crawls in from the sewers below, trying his best to get to the roof while Claire and Leon try their best to get to the sewers, and Chief Irons is busy dismantling barricades and fixing broken windows and murdering people's daughters, while Sherry looks for her father and dodges an ugly brute who happens to be her father, at the same time that Marvin crawls around one wing and Bertolucci twiddles his thumbs in his cell, and Ada acts appropriately sly and alluring. Not to mention the police helicopter, and the umbrella helicopter, and the other umbrella helicopter, all vying for the same air space without an air traffic controller. You know, I agree. There's quite a merry party going on in the precinct. You'd think these people would run into each other just a little more often, and you'd think somebody would have noticed the six-foot piece of knife-wielding soybean curd that went heading for the roof. Resident Evil 3 - Nemesis ------------------------- -What are the differences in the PC and Sega Dreamcast versions of Resident Evil 3 - Nemesis? As far as I know, RE3 for the PC and DC are the same as the PS1 version, except, of course, the improved 3D models. The other important difference is that the Mercenaries mini-game and the alternate costumes are available from the start. There are also extra costumes in the newer versions. The original version has: Jill's original S.T.A.R.S. uniform from RE1; a black leather biker outfit; a gray "disco" outfit complete with bell-bottoms (shudder); a decidedly unattractive police uniform with a short miniskirt; and the "Regina" outfit, where Jill is replaced with Regina from Capcom's Dino Crisis. The PC and DC versions additionally have a casual outfit with Jill wearing tight black pants and a blue button-down shirt revealing quite a bit of cleavage. The second extra costume is very similar to Jill's original RE3 clothes, except she's wearing a blue tank-top instead of a tube-top, and her shorts are blue instead of black. The rest of the costume is identical, including the sweater tied around her waist. I believe these are the only differences, though I haven't yet played the game all the way through to see for myself. -What happened in the dead factory with the dead soldiers and Tyrants? There was clearly some kind of battle. We see several bodies of U.S. Special Forces members and the corpses of at least three or four T-103 Tyrants in the area, plus a canister similar to the ones hanging off the Umbrella helicopter in RE2. The implication is that after stopping above the police station, the helicopter went to the dead factory to deliver the rest of its cargo. The only other clue is the classified photo file, which mentions the rail cannon's usefulness in acquiring Umbrella's G-virus. From this, I believe the military was sent in to obtain the G-virus and they brought the rail cannon with them (probably lowered by helicopter). When the soldiers reached the factory, they tangled with Umbrella's bruisers. We don't know who won, but if the rail cannon is still there, probably the Tyrants did. -How does Nemesis track Jill Valentine (and Brad Vickers)? Nemesis was probably shown photos of all the surviving S.T.A.R.S., and then instructed to go to Raccoon City and poke around until he found them. Once contact with a target was established, Nemesis would stalk that person until he killed him or her. This is why Nemesis never bothered Jill until she ran into Brad. Nemesis had no way of knowing where Jill was until he got lucky and saw the two of them together. Once Nemesis locked onto Jill, he probably tracks her through a combination of superior senses and hanging around the tops of buildings, using those vantage points to monitor where she goes. The uncanny ability of Nemesis to track Jill is not unbelievable, as long as you remember that 1) he is very intelligent, 2) he probably has a keen hearing and sense of smell, and 3) Jill isn't exactly stealthy, especially not after she finds some of the heavier, LOUDER weapons in the game. Also, plenty of evidence in the game, as well as Brad's note (RE2, EX files), all suggest that Nemesis is in fact rather sadistic and enjoys toying with its prey. It may be that most of the times that Jill "loses" her stalker, Nemesis is actually watching her from afar, biding his time for his next grand entry. This is more believable than a scenario where Nemesis is constantly losing her trail and somehow picking it up again in a town the size of Raccoon City. -Which ending do you choose in Resident Evil 3 - Nemesis? There are three possible endings in RE3. In two out of the three, Nicholai Ginovaef is killed. We know Nicholai is still alive from the documents in RES, so the choice is easy. The ending used here is the one where Nicholai flies away in his chopper and Jill and Carlos are rescued by Barry Burton. However, the ending shown in Wesker's Report doesn't have Barry Burton. Again, I disregard the many, many contradictory visuals in Wesker's Report, and I rely only on what he says. -Why are there Umbrella labs in the Raccoon City Hospital? Why not? All hospitals have labs in them. It would be very easy for Umbrella to have research labs in a hospital they provided most of the money to build. We should instead wonder how Umbrella keeps people from stumbling into those secret labs. See below. -Why does the elevator in the Raccoon City Hospital only stop on the 1F, 4F, and B3 floors? The way I see it, the elevator with the voice-recognition lock in the staff room is a private elevator used by Umbrella scientists to reach the off-limits floors where they carry out their work. The fourth floor contains labs, as well as some patient rooms, probably a special ward where Umbrella scientists may have kept people who were infected. The third basement floor contains vaccine synthesizers and incubation tanks for the Gamma Hunters. The elevator doesn't even stop on any other floors. The public floors of the hospital are probably reached by other elevators, presumably on the other side of the closed gate in the lobby. If you check around the lobby, you'll see that there are other areas of the hospital are sealed off, probably to contain the infestation of zombie patients. Though I'm sure the need to keep RE3 small enough to fit on one CD also played a minor role. :) -Why doesn't the E.M. pulse from the nuclear explosion cause Jill, Carlos, and Barry to crash? This is always in the back of my mind when I watch the ending to RE3. I leave the answer to somebody who knows more about nuclear weapons than I do. -Who is the hooded man at the end of Operation Mad Jackal? Obviously a high-ranking Umbrella official. Some have suggested it is White Umbrella himself. Who knows? It doesn't affect the timeline, because I don't include the mercenaries mini-game. I once saw a timeline (not Rob McGregor's, but a different one) that tried to work Operation Mad Jackal into the sequence of events, but I think it came across as a little forced. -Who is Nemesis? There have been endless internet arguments about the monster's identity ever since someone at Capcom made a vague and probably misquoted or mistranslated or misconstrued hint that Nemesis is someone we know. Some have said he is Barry Burton, Albert Wesker, or even Rebecca Chambers. Even now, after he isn't revealed to be anyone, after everybody except Rebecca is accounted for, there are a few die-hards who still claim he's someone. Well, there's no doubt in my mind that Nemesis used to be someone. Maybe Umbrella exhumed Boris Karloff in their search for a body that was appropriately large and imposing. But as far the world of RE is concerned, there's nobody left except Rebecca. Now, if you want to believe Rebecca is Nemesis, I really can't help you. But the truth of the matter is that Nemesis is nothing more exotic than an eight-foot tall, monosyllabic pain in the rear. Sometimes you just have to let go of your pet theories. -Where does Nemesis come from? We don't know, though some speculate that Nemesis is the monster that busted out of the glass tank in the sealed bio-experiment room at the end of RE2. See above for my reasons why I don't agree. Another possibility is that Nemesis is carried in one of the capsules hanging from the Umbrella helicopter that deposits the T-103 Tyrant in the police station. There are six capsules, and at the end of RE3, there are four dead Tyrants lying around the rail cannon in the dead factory. Assuming these Tyrants all come from the same chopper, this accounts for five of the six canisters. The last could have held Nemesis. The problem is that Nemesis is gallivanting around Raccoon City well before the chopper deposits the T-103 in the station (RE3 starts before RE2), and when we see that movie in RE2, all six canisters hang from the helicopter. This basically rules out that possibility. The overall conclusion is that we have no idea where Nemesis comes from. Maybe he is dropped in by yet another chopper flying around Raccoon City's already crowded airspace. Maybe he is driven in by a truck before the U.S. military quarantines the city. -Where did all the bodies being disposed of at the dead factory come from? In the timeline, I suggest the bodies were generated by William Birkin's G-virus research. Another possibility, however, is that the bodies came from Raccoon City and environs. Perhaps the T-virus spread from the Arklay Mountains was actually very severe, and Umbrella's agents were rounding up any virus carriers they could find for disposal at the factory. Unfortunately, as the manager's diary tells us, there were just too many bodies. This is just an alternative explanation to consider, because we know there was T-virus spreading into Raccoon City even before Birkin's little party in the sewers (see above). Ultimately, though, the final straw was when Birkin crushed the vials in the sewers. -Where do you get Resident Evil 3 - Nemesis for the PC? Even though it was released fairly recently, this game is already disappearing from store shelves. It looks like it wasn't widely released - some software stores apparently never carried it. Still, you should be able to find it in bargain bins or even the main store shelves, without resorting to eBay. The moral of this is that PC games have a really short shelf-life. If you think there's any chance you might be interested in a particular title, grab it before it permanently disappears. Not that I'm trying to encourage impulsive buying or anything. :) -Was Nemesis created using the NE-T virus? I'm not exactly sure whence came the notion that the NE-T virus was used to create Nemesis. The only thing we know about the NE-T virus is that it exists, from the business fax in RE3. I think people just want to believe that a unique creature like Nemesis had to be created using a special kind of virus. This may be, but I just want to establish that nothing in the games indicates this is or isn't the case. Some may argue that the super-strong Brad Vickers zombie is proof that Nemesis injected him with more than just ordinary T-virus. I refer you to my comments on the undead Brad above. Resident Evil - Survivor ------------------------ -What happens to Vincent Goldman, Andy Holland, or the leader of Umbrella's Cleaners? Depending on your choices in the game, only one of these characters is accounted for at the end of RES. Each of the three can potentially die, but they are killed in the same way, making the possibilities mutually exclusive. So, I cannot answer the question. In the timeline, I select the scenario where Goldman dies at the end (see below), but I don't comment on Holland or the Cleaner leader's fate. I should point out, however, that while Holland is present throughout the game, regardless of the choices you make, Goldman and the Cleaner leader don't have to be. Holland harrasses you from the start with his phone calls. Then, at the second junction, you can choose to pass through the arcade, hospital, or library. If you choose the arcade, you will see the Cleaner leader (and also Holland, who snipes at you). The Cleaner leader gets killed at the end and Holland remains unaccounted for. Goldman stays dead from his fall and doesn't play a part in the game outside of the flashbacks. If you choose the hospital, Goldman turns out to be alive and gets killed at the end. You never see the Cleaner leader (though you do meet Cleaners), but Holland is still involved in the game, and thus unaccounted for. Choosing the library takes you on the only pathway that doesn't leave any extraneous loose ends, because of the three characters, you only meet Holland. -What is beta hetero nonserotonin? This is just nonsense generated by clumping together the names of a couple different neurotransmitters. Serotonin is a real neurotransmitter. "Nonserotonin" is an error. They probably meant norserotonin, as in norepinephrine (also called noradrenaline). Norepinephrine is also a real neurotransmitter, but norserotonin doesn't exist. "Beta" and "hetero" is mumbo-jumbo they threw in just to make it sound more scientific. Surprisingly, though, they correctly state in the "how to extract the material" file that noradrenaline is made in the locus ceruleus of the brain (this is a shock to me, since I wouldn't expect anyone except a neurologist, neurosurgeon, or neurobiologist to know this). This may be the only time in the entire RE series that someone actually researched the science. -How does Lott Klein fetch his sister Lily so quickly? This is a good question, because shortly after Ark sends Lott to find his sister, the self-destruct sequence is activated with only ten minutes to go. But Lily is waiting all the way back home. They want us to believe that Lott leaves the factory, goes down the mountain, takes the cable car, fetches his sister, and comes back the same way, all in less than ten minutes? Not bloody likely. I'm afraid this is one of those minor flaws in the gameplay that we have to overlook. If you really want an explanation, I suppose we can say that Lily never listens to Ark when he tells her to hide in the house, and instead follows him the whole time. Why not? Everyone else seems to be following him. -When do the prisoners try to escape as described in Resident Evil - Survivor files? This is one of the major contradictions that can't be resolved. Commander Vincent and Janitor Andy both write October 10 entries in their diaries, saying the escape attempt was the previous night (i.e., on the 9th). But the young prisoner's diary also has an October 10 entry saying the plan is to escape at 11:00 pm that same day. This is impossible to reconcile. My explanation is that the prisoner's diary is wrong by one day, and the riot happened at 11:00 pm on the 9th. I think this is reasonable (hey, I'm wrong about what day it is all the time!), especially because these prisoners were pretty heavily sedated. Naturally, now we can't be sure about any of the other dates in the prisoner's diary. There's nothing we can do about that. -Which path do you choose in Resident Evil - Survivor? Most of the choices you make in RES don't affect the plot, but one critical junction (the second) determines who you meet at the end of the game. I explain this in some detail above, but briefly, if you pass through the hospital, Vincent Goldman turns out to be still alive and you confront him. If you visit the library, Andy Holland follows you. If you go to the arcade, you meet the leader of Umbrella's Cleaners. The loose, generalized sequence I describe doesn't follow a specific path, but instead includes all the plot events that can potentially occur in the game. For the final confrontation I grudgingly choose Vincent Goldman. I'm not particularly happy to do this, because it's ridiculous for him to be alive after falling from a helicopter. But a super-evil bad guy like him is always supposed to show up for the grand finale only to get killed by his own unholy creation, right? Anyway, this is also the ending which leaves Andy Holland as a loose end (see above). -Where is Sheena Island? At first I thought it might be just off the coast of the U.S., maybe a secluded island near Maine. But the restaurant manager's diary begins with, "A small town in America, Raccoon City, was destroyed last week." This wording suggests that Sheena Island isn't part of the U.S., so the island could be virtually anywhere in the world. A good location might be near Canada, for two reasons: 1) everyone speaks English, and 2) plenty of sparsely-populated, out-of-the-way coastal areas in Canada would be perfect for a company building a factory producing illegal bioweapons. Alternatively, Sheena Island could be near New Zealand, where people also speak English. These are just ideas, though. -Is the name Lott or Rott Klein? In RES, the map is labelled "Rott's House," but the boy's diary is titled "Lott's Diary." In Vincent's diary, he calls the kid Lott. I think Rott is the mistake (gee, Capcom's never made any of those...). For one thing, Lott is a real name (an uncommon one, I'll grant you, and spelled wrong to boot), but I've never heard of anyone named Rott. -Are there no bathrooms on Sheena Island either? Apparently not. Resident Evil - CODE: Veronica ------------------------------- -How do Claire Redfield and the other characters on Rockfort Island avoid getting infected? Well, if Claire had been, there would be no game. Anyway, above I give some thoughts on how the T- virus is transmitted. The short version is that after release into an area, airborne virus remains viable for a short time. In CV, the rain storm may have contributed to the extremely short airborne infectiousness of the T-virus. Anyway, Claire was in solitary confinement in an isolated underground cell, and therefore was protected. Rodrigo Juan Raval was probably injured in the initial attack but was able to get back to Claire's cell (a logical choice for a bomb shelter) before the blast that released the virus. Alfred Ashford probably had safe hidey-holes all over the place on that island. Steve Burnside... now why couldn't he be infected? -How does Chris Redfield get to Rockfort Island in less than a day? I don't believe that he does. But the only entry in D.I.J.'s diary is marked December 27, and covers all of the gameplay of CV. So, if we take the date in his diary at face value, this would suggest all the events in CV occur on December 27. This means Claire is brought to the Rockfort Island, the island is attacked, Claire runs around for a bit, Claire and Steve fly to Antarctica, they run around for a bit, and get captured by Alexia. Then Chris arrives at Rockfort Island from whatever part of the world he's in (and he only has a few hours to do so after Claire sends her e-mail), runs around the island for a bit, flies to Antarctica, and raises hell. All in twenty-four hours. I can't believe this all happens in a day, so we have to assume D.I.J.'s diary entry covers several days (at least two, maybe three) from the moment Claire is imprisoned on December 27. For now, the timeline is written so that all of CV happens on the 27th, but in a later version I'll split the events over a few days. A good place to divide them is while Claire and Steve fly to Antarctica. -How does Albert Wesker beat Chris Redfield to the Antarctic base? He may not have beaten Chris; Wesker may have gotten there around the same time. But it doesn't matter. Chris flew a fighter jet, while Wesker presumably took a submarine. Chris should have gotten to Antarctica long before Wesker. The only reasonable explanation for this is that Wesker didn't take a submarine to Antarctica. He may have flown like Chris. Wesker does escape from Antarctica by submarine: the one he comandeers may have been already stationed there at the base. -Who is D.I.J.? D.I.J. is the rat that jumps out of the locker in the Antarctic base. You find D.I.J.'s journal in the battle game by searching the slot machines in the casino room. D.I.J.'s diary is basically a joke, but he does tell you the date of CV, and how Wesker escapes from Antarctica. From the journal, you learn of other instances when Claire Redfield and D.I.J. cross paths. You get a glimpse of him when Alfred Ashford locks the shutters behind Claire in the military training facility. I've been told you can also spot him somewhere in the cargo hold of the transport plane by looking around in first person mode with the linear launcher (you have to either earn the launcher or cheat to get one). Recall that D.I.J.'s diary says he helped Claire in her battle with the Tyrant, though you never see him during the fight, and it's not entirely clear what he does. He probably recharges the catapult for Claire. And no, I have no clue what his initials stand for. -Where do the giant ant hive and its tentacles in the Antarctic base come from? This is a good question, since the hive is obviously closely associated with Alexia, but the tentacle that recaptures Claire and Steve appears immediately after Alexia awakens from her fifteen year nap. I can't believe even for a second that Alexia somehow creates this hive in less than a minute after awakening. The only other possible explanation is that the hive has always been there, dormant at the bottom of the shaft running through the Antarctic base. I'm speculating here, but I suspect that Alexia created this hive as part of her experiments with ants and the T-Veronica virus. Her plans were to infect herself with the T-veronica virus, sleep frozen to suppress the virus and give her cells a chance to adapt to it, and then merge with the hive after fifteen years. She says "when I awaken, I will be the queen..." (CV, Virus Research Report). -Where does Albert Wesker get the Hunters seen in Code Veronica? Wesker probably carried some B.O.W. embryos out of the Spencer Estate before it blew. The whole reason Umbrella sent him there in the first place was to obtain the B.O.W.'s and destroy the lab. Umbrella never got those embryos, and they may have been forced to redevelop the MA-121, creating the unfinished-looking MA-121 beta we see in RE3 (although RES has the original MA-121). In CV, we see the original all-green MA-121 (I call it the MA-121 alpha) brought to the island by Wesker, suggesting he had indeed obtained Hunter embryos from the estate and given them to his new employer. The red Sweeper is a newer, more advanced Hunter, perhaps developed by Wesker's new masters. -Where is Rockfort Island? We have a few clues as to the location of Rockfort Island. According to the prisoner's diary, he figures out he is "far south of the equator." Consistent with this, the island must be close to Antarctica for Chris' fighter jet to be able to fly there (and have the fuel to leave). Finally, the island may be close to another mainland since Umbrella brings Claire in by helicopter, though it's possible (quite likely, in fact) that they took off from a ship. One area on the globe that fits the criteria is the very tip of South America (the southernmost portion of Chile, around Cape Horn). Some of the Falkland Islands are also very close to Antarctica. If you don't believe the helicopters flew in from the South American mainland, then Rockfort Island could be anywhere that's close to Antarctica. But remember that Chris Redfield reaches Rockfort Island very quickly: probably less than 48 hours after Claire sends her e-mail to Leon. Placing the island too far from major population centers and airports makes this feat less believable. While browsing in an imported videogame retailer, I recently saw a CV import with an unusual cover, with art featuring a faint map of Antarctica. While there was nothing indicating where the Umbrella facilities were located, the part of Antartica predominantly shown on the map was the Ross Ice Shelf. Maybe the Antarctic base is supposed to be near the ice shelf (maybe even on it: I have no idea how stable those shelves are supposed to be). It could certainly explain the submarine hangar under the base that Wesker uses to get away. The only problem is that the Ross Ice Shelf isn't close to anything. New Zealand is the nearest major center, about 1500 miles away. -Where is the submarine hangar that Albert Wesker uses to escape from the Antarctic base? We know from D.I.J.'s diary and also the PS2 version of CV that Wesker escapes from the transport terminal by submarine. We never find this hangar. Maybe it's reached from one of the other buildings on the base. Come to think of it, you never find an entrance of any kind to the transport terminal. There is only the tunnel burrowed by Claire and Steve. Perhaps the entrance is supposed to be in the V.T.O.L. hangar, which you see in a couple of movies in CV, but never actually have the chance to explore. So I believe the submarine hangar is in a completely different area of the complex (probably along with the rest rooms). IV. Miscellaneous Stuff The Games --------- Here's a list of all the RE titles. Some of the Japanese version names are in the last column. The first list doesn't include cancelled games or releases scheduled for the future. I've compiled a second list of all unreleased or to-be-released titles that I'm aware of. Neither list includes the many demos of the games, except the RE2 demo that came with the original Director's Cut of RE1, since that was actually a demo of RE2 beta. Note that the list of unreleased or upcoming games is bound to be incomplete. Available Games American Titles Platforms Japanese Titles --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RE PS1 Biohazard RE Saturn RE PC RE - Director's Cut PS1 Biohazard - Director's Cut RE - Director's Cut - Dual Shock PS1 Biohazard - Director's Cut - Dual Shock (Unavailable) GBC Biohazard - Gaiden RE 2 - Preview PS1 Biohazard 2 - Trial Edition RE 2 PS1 Biohazard 2 RE 2 - Dual Shock PS1 RE 2 - Platinum PC RE 2 N64 RE 2 DC Biohazard 2 - Value Plus RE 3 - Nemesis PS1 Biohazard 3 - Last Escape RE 3 - Nemesis DC RE 3 - Nemesis PC RE - Survivor PS1 Biohazard - Gun Survivor (Unavailable) Arcade Biohazard - Gun Survivor 2 RE - CODE: Veronica DC Biohazard - CODE: Veronica (Unavailable) DC Biohazard - CODE: Veronica Complete RE - CODE: Veronica X PS2 Biohazard - CODE: Veronica X Unreleased Games Working Titles Platforms Known Status --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RE0 N64 Cancelled RE0 GC Upcoming RE - Beta Version PS1 Unreleased RE GBC Cancelled RE - Rebirth GC Upcoming RE1.5 PS1 Cancelled RE2 - Beta Version PS1 Unreleased RE2 GC Upcoming RE3 GC Upcoming RE4 GC Upcoming RE - Gaiden (U.S. Version) GBC Upcoming RE - Survivor 2 PS2 Upcoming Other Official Media Biohazard, the Beginning A 127-page novel by Hiroyuki Ariga briefly sold by Capcom in Japan and in the U.S. during RE1's original release, containing a lot of back-story prior to RE1 (a nearly complete transcript is available at www.survivhor.com, courtesy of Hunk) Biohazard - Complete Disc CD containing four movies from RE1.5 that came with the Biohazard - Director's Cut - Dual Shock Ver. in Japan Resident Evil 2 - Survival Guide Official game guide published by Gamefan Books, which includes the original uncut scripts and files for the game, as well as some pre-production art and sketches (including drawings from RE1.5) Trevor's Letters An extra document cut out of RE1 that was released in Japan with the book containing Biohazard, the Beginning, but never released in the U.S. (an unofficial but reliable translation is available at www.survivhor.com, courtesy of Hunk) Wesker's Report I Non-Interactive DVD originally released with RE - CODE: Veronica Complete in Japan, and released separately for distribution in the U.S. Wesker's Report II Images and text on Capcom's Japanese website at www.capcom.co.jp (parts 1-3 of 5 are now up), with no official American translation yet available (an unofficial translation of parts 1-2 is available on the forums at www.dark-legacy.org, courtesy of CUEL) S. D. Perry's Books (Published by Pocket Books) The Umbrella Conspiracy October, 1998 Based on RE1 Caliban Cove October, 1998 City of the Dead May, 1999 Based on RE2 Underworld May, 1999 Nemesis October, 2000 Based on RE3 Code: Veronica December, 2001 Based on CV The Files --------- As I said in the introduction, I'm not going to reproduce the files in RE. But because I frequently refer to them, I thought I'd at least index them. I also include a few other sources of information that are not found among the files, such as the slides in RE1, or the films in CV and RES. I don't include any of the maps you find in the games. Names in the second columns are for files with titles different from the name in the inventory. -Resident Evil Botany Book Botany Book ~ About Medicinal Herbs ~ Keeper's Diary Researcher's Will (Full & Torn Versions) Orders Pass Number Plant 42 Report Fax Scrapbook Security System Researcher's Letter "V-Jolt" Report Pass Code 01 Pass Code 02 Pass Code 03 Barry's Picture -Resident Evil 2 Rookie Files Hint Files for the Rookie Mode Police Memorandum Operation Report 1 Operation Report Operation Report 2 Chris's Diary (Altered in RE2 - Preview) Mail to Chris Federal Police Dept. -Internal Investigation Report Film A Film B Film C Film D Recruit Patrol Report Memo to Leon Secretary's Diary A Chief Secretary's Diary A Secretary's Diary B (Altered in N64) Chief Secretary's Diary B Chief's Diary Watchman's Diary (Altered in N64) Night Watchman's Diary Mail to the Chief Copy of Mail to the Chief (in Leon's scenarios) Mail to the Chief (in Claire's scenarios) Sewer Manager Fax Fax to the Sewer Manager Sewer Manager Diary (Altered in N64) Sewer Manager's Diary Lab Security Manual Laboratory Security Manual User Registration (Altered in N64) Temporary User Registration P-Epsilon Report Vaccine Synthesis Instructions for Synthesis of the G-Virus Antigen: G-Vaccine. Code Named "Devil." Researcher's Message (New in N64) -Resident Evil 2 - EX files Jill's Report MA121 Progress Report Operation Instructions Robert's Note Dario's Note (RE3 - Dario's Memo) Mercenary's Log (RE3 - Merc's Diary) David's Letter (RE3 - David's Memo) Jill's Note (narrated in RE3) Rebecca's Report Brad's Note Umbrella Memo Journalist's Note (RE3 - Reporter's Memo) Mother Virus Report Chris's Report Want Ad Raccoon City Pamphlet -Resident Evil 3 - Nemesis Game Instructions A Game Instructions B Clock Tower Postcard Photo A Marvin's Report David's Memo (EX - David's Letter) Fax from Kendo Fax from Kendo Gun Shop Merc's Diary (EX - Mercenary's Log) Mercenary's Diary City Guide Photo B Photo C Reporter's Memo (EX - Journalist's Note) Mechanic's Memo Manager's Report Business Fax Dario's Memo (EX - Dario's Note) Operation Instruction Art Picture Postcard Merc's Pocketbook Mercenary's Pocketbook Director's Diary Photo D Med. Instr. Manual Medical Instruction Manual Photo E Written Order Written Order to the Supervisors Supervisor's Report Fax from the H.Q. Manager's Diary Security Manual Incinerator Manual Classified Photo File Jill's Diary Resident Evil - Survivor Church Manager's Diary Restaurant Manager's Diary Restaurant Owner's Diary Report on Destroyed Raccoon City Slide: Raccoon City "After the Destruction" Report Patients' Chart Medical Charts of the Patients Umbrella Top Secret File Janitor Andy's Diary Sewer Caretaker, Andy's Diary Prison Chief's Diary Young Man's Diary An Imprisoned Boy's Diary Vincent's Diary Commander Vincent's Diary Vincent's Tapping Record Wiretapping Record of Vincent Lott's Diary Factory Worker's Diary How to Extract the Material How to Extract Beta Hetero Nonserotonin Resident Evil - CODE: Veronica Playing Manual Prisoner's Diary Fax on the Facility Access Application User's Manual Memo on the Pass Number Secretary's Note Message to the New Family Master Security File Report: Enhanced Anti-Decay Alloy Anatomist's Note Hunk's Report Confession Letter Newspaper Clip Message Card Worker's Diary Alexander's Memo Butler's Letter Secret Passage Note Code: Veronica Report Alfred's Diary Research Report on Queen Ant Virus Research Report D.I.J.'s Diary Other "Files" S.T.A.R.S. Mission Briefing RE1 - Game manual Umbrella Bio-Organic Weapon Official Report RE1 - B.O.W. slides Trevor's Letters RE1 - Bonus book released in Japan S.T.A.R.S. Group Portrait RE2 List of Prisoners CV - With Claire's name and number 35mm Film CV - Movie of Alfred and Alexia Wesker's Report I Bonus DVD Wesker's Report II Available at www.capcom.co.jp The Zoo ------- Here's a complete list of all creatures in the RE series. Because many monsters are unnamed, I give many unofficial names. These come from sources such as strategy guides, RE toys, S. D. Perry's books, the comics, or widely-accepted apocrypha from the internet. Some "unofficial" names probably are official, because the toymakers and authors do communicate with Capcom representatives who would provide them with inside information. But with no way of knowing what from what, I consider almost everything unofficial if it isn't directly from the games. Monster Games Development Codes, Notes, Alternate Names ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Albinoid CV Albinoid, Young CV Alligator, Giant 2,S Bandersnatch CV OR1 (from Perry); Bandersnatch from Prima guide Bat CV Black Widow CV from Prima guide Black Widow, Giant CV Huge spider in Antarctic base Black Widow, Young CV Brain Sucker 3 from multiple guides Cerberus All MA-39 Chimera 1 MA-2 (from Perry); Chimera from toy & Prima guide Cleaner S UT Trooper (from Prima guide) Cockroach, Giant 2,S Crow 1-3,S Drain Deimos 3 from multiple guides; also called Stingers Drain Deimos Young 3 May rarely pop out when Drain Deimos are killed G-Spawn, Adult 2(A) "Baby" (from concept art) G-Spawn, Embryo 2(A) Burst from Irons & Bertolucci & vomited by adult form G-Mutant, Stage 1 2(B) William Birkin; armed with pipe G-Mutant, Stage 2 2(A) Forming new head; absorbing old face; 1 huge arm G-Mutant, Stage 3a 2(B) 4 huge arms; old face mostly gone G-Mutant, Stage 3b 2(A) 4 huge arms; old face all gone; slight change from 3a G-Mutant, Stage 4 2(A) Crawling multi-legged form G-Mutant, Stage 5 2(B) Shapeless form Hunter Prototype 1 MA-120 (from EX files); brown Hunter in Saturn version Hunter Alpha 1,S,CV MA-121 Alpha; a dead one is in RE2 for N64 Hunter Beta 3 MA-121 Beta (from multiple guides) Hunter Gamma 3 MA-124 Gamma (Blocker); names from multiple guides Hunter R CV Sweeper (from Prima guide); Hunter R from EX files Ivy, Green 2,S Non-poisonous Ivy, Red 2,S Poisonous; after P-Epsilon gas treatment Licker 2,S Re-3 (from Perry) Licker, Advanced 2,S Re-3 Beta (my idea) Moth, Type 1, Giant 2,S Moth, Type 1, Larva 2 Moth, Type 2, Adult CV Moth, Type 2, Cocoon CV Moth, Type 2, Larva CV Occasionally erupt from certain zombies Nemesis, Armed 3 With rocket launcher Nemesis, Unarmed 3 Nemesis, Wounded 3 Open arm wound after rocket launcher blows up Nemesis, Shirtless 3 Sporting his tentacles Nemesis, Burned 3 All but 1 tentacle on right arm burned off Nemesis, One-Armed 3 Arm burned off in treatment room Nemesis, Headless 3 Head burned off in treatment room Nemesis, Mutated 3 Final crawling form Neptune 1 Fi-3 Neptune, Small 1 Zombified pilot fish, maybe? Snake 1 Snake, Giant 1 Yawn (from Prima's guide) Snake, Giant, Burned 1 T-Plant, Type 1 1 Vines in greenhouse (they aren't part of Plant 42) T-Plant, Type 2 1 Plant 42 T-Plant, Type 3 2 The huge plant you partially burn in the RE2 lab T-Veronica Ant CV Surround Alexia's hive T-Veronica Hive CV Source of the tentacles in the Antarctic base T-Veronica Mutant, Type 1 CV Alexander Ashford T-Veronica Mutant, Type 2 CV Steve Burnside T-Veronica Mutant, Type 3a CV Alexia Ashford, anthropomorphic form T-Veronica Mutant, Type 3b CV Alexia Ashford, immobile blob-like form T-Veronica Mutant, Type 3c CV Alexia Ashford, winged form T-Veronica Spawn CV Flat crawling things generated by Alexia's 2nd form Tyrant 1 T-002 Tyrant-B 1 T-001 (my idea); gold Tyrant in Saturn version battle game Tyrant, Enhanced, Stage 1 2(B),S T-103 ("Mr. X" from concept art) (some dead ones in RE3) Tyrant, Enhanced, Stage 2 2(B) After molten iron bath (dead one in RE3) Tyrant, Hypnos-T, Stage 1 S from Prima's guide Tyrant, Hypnos-T, Stage 2 S Tyrant, Hypnos-T, Stage 3 S Tyrant, Super, Stage 1 CV T-078; both hands are club-shaped Tyrant, Super, Stage 2 CV One hand is clawed, other hand is club Tyrant, Super, Stage 3 CV Both hands are clawed; in battle game only Wasp, Giant 1 Web Spinner 1-3,S from toy & Prima guide Web Spinner, Young 1-3 In RE2, found in battle game only Web Spinner, Queen 1,S Black Tiger (from Prima's guide) Worm, Giant Type 1 3 Sliding Worm (from multiple guides) Worm, Giant Type 2 3 Grave Digger (from multiple guides) Worm, Giant Type 3 CV Gulp Worm (Prima guide); An3 Sandworm (Perry) Zombie All Many kinds; see below -Notes: This list doesn't include creatures seen in cut scenes, but never fought when the action is back under player control. Among these are some intermediate William Birkin forms: a pre-stage 1 form before he grabs the pipe and grows a bit bigger; a form between stages 1 and 2; another between stages 2 and 3a; and a pre-stage 5 form. We also glimpse Birkin's larvae, those tiny snake-like things he implants in Brian Irons, Ben Bertolucci, and his daughter. There is also Birkin's ultimate form in the scenario B ending movie. Birkin's spawn has an immature form (like a big eyeball with a leg) seen just before it grows into the adult form that attacks you. In RE3, there are extra Nemesis forms: the headless, armless, one-legged thing that feeds on the dead Tyrant, and the final acid-spitting, slug-like remnant that wriggles towards Jill after she blasts him with the rail cannon. In RES, we have the leader of Umbrella's Cleaners, who may be non-human like his minions, though when speared by the Tyrant, his body doesn't evaporate and he bleeds red (the other Cleaners have green blood). Other entities not in this list are the harmless wriggling grubs spit out when you kill a Chimera in RE1, the Grave Digger's cocoon found in a sewer tunnel in RE3, the masses of cells in the cultivation tanks in a lab in RES, and the spotters for the Hunters in CV. There are some fish in a tank in the airport in CV, but these are probably just ordinary fish, rather than something like a Neptune. With the virus spill, though, you never know. I also don't consider incomplete parts of creatures, like the Plant 42 vine that throttles you in the RE1 guardhouse, Birkin's arm which attacks Leon and Ada in the tram in Leon's scenario A in RE2, and the zombie arms that attack Leon or Claire in the precinct corridor with the boarded windows in either scenario A (did you know you can shoot those arms and make them withdraw?). Finally, I don't consider the burning cerberuses in RE3 as separate creatures. -Regarding Zombies: I estimate there are at least 100 different zombies in the five games, not counting any burning ones. RE1 has four types (the Wesker zombie in the Sega Saturn version makes five). RE2 has fourteen kinds. RE3 has 42 zombies, though I need to recheck this count on the DC or PC versions, where better resolution makes things easier. RES has five, but all except one are directly imported from RE2 (the new one is also very similar but not quite identical a RE2 zombie). So far we have 60 different zombies, and I haven't even started sorting out those in CV. I will try to include a "zombie zoo" in a future version of this chronology, but for now I'll mention the different general classes of undead. There are dissolved zombies (in all games except CV), female zombies (one in RE2 and no less than seven in RE3, but surprisingly none in CV), fat zombies, zombie police officers (including a female cop, a fat cop, and Marvin), prisoners, soldiers, military officers, commandos, businessmen, punks/bikers, Umbrella workers, scientists/doctors/nurses, various non-descript Raccoon City citizens, and others. There are some special and/or unique zombies, including Forest Speyer and Albert Wesker in RE1; Marvin Branagh and Brad Vickers in RE2. In CV there is the zombie anatomist, the weak graveyard zombies, the Wesker subordinates strapped to explosives (and some with night vision goggles), and the cocoon-infested zombies with parasites erupting from their chests. Some zombies are only encountered in the bonus mini-games: Wesker is in the shooting game in RE1 for the Sega Saturn, and Steve Burnside's father comes up a few times in CV's battle game. In a future zombie zoo, I'll describe in detail each zombie from RE1-3 and RES. But for the "next- generation" RE games like CV and the upcoming GC titles, I'll just list the different classes of zombies without trying to subdivide them according to minute variations in the location of each bruise and bloodstain. :) The prospect of doing that is just too intimidating. The Arsenal ----------- Here is a list of all the weapons found in the RE series. Not included are any weapons which can only be obtained using a GameShark (e.g., the mysterious "Calico" gun from RE2 beta). Likewise, I don't consider ammo refills that are only found by cheating (e.g., refills for the flamethrower or the spark gun in RE2). Under "Clip," a double zero means infinite ammo. A number with a "plus" after it (e.g., 6+) means the weapon can hold as many rounds as you put into it, though the ammo come in packs of the given number. More than one number indicates the weapon can hold different amounts of ammo under different circumstances. Under the notes, "bonus" means the weapon is a bonus for finding a secret or completing the game with a fast time. In this table, "DC ver." stands for the Director's Cut of RE1. Weapon Ammo Clip Notes ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -Resident Evil 1 Combat Knife (None) N/A Beretta M92 FS Handgun Rounds 15 Remington M870 Shotgun Shotgun Shells 7 Colt Python Magnum Rounds 6, 00 DC ver. bonus Flame Thrower (No refills) 100% Bazooka Explosive, Acid, Flame 6+ Rocket Launcher (No refills/infinite ammo) 4, 00 Bonus also Ingram Submachine Gun (Infinite ammo) 00 PC ver. bonus Minimi Machine Gun (Infinite ammo) 00 PC ver. bonus -Resident Evil 2 Combat Knife (None) N/A Browning HP Handgun Rounds 13 H&K VP70 Handgun Rounds 18 H&K VP70 Burst Handgun Rounds 18 Modified Colt S.A.A. Handgun Rounds 6 Bonus Bow Gun Bow Gun Bolts 18 Triple shot Remington M1 100-P Shotgun Shotgun Shells 5 Remington M1 100 Shotgun Shotgun Shells 7 Modified Desert Eagle 50A.E. Magnum Rounds 8 Desert Eagle 50A.E. 10-Inch Magnum Rounds 8 Modified Flame Thrower (No refills) 100% M79 Grenade Launcher Grenade, Acid, Flame 6+ MAC-11 Submachine Gun Submachine Gun Rounds 100%, 00 Bonus also Spark Shot (No refills) 100% Gatling Gun (Infinite ammo) 00 Bonus Rocket Launcher (No Refills/infinite ammo) 2, 5, 10, 00 Bonus also -Resident Evil 3 - Nemesis Knife (None) N/A M92F Custom Beretta Handgun Rounds 15 Uses enhanced Sigpro SP2009 Handgun Rounds 15 STI Eagle 6.0 Handgun Rounds 15 Bonus Benelli M3S Shotgun Shotgun Shells 7 Uses enhanced Western Custom M37 Shotgun Shells 7 Bonus S&W M629C Magnum Rounds 6 M4A1 Assault Rifle Assault Rifle Rounds 100%, 00 Bonus also HK-p Grenade Launcher Grenade, Acid, Flame, Freeze 6+ Mine Thrower Mine Thrower Rounds 6 Mine Thrower-E Mine Thrower Rounds 00 Bonus Gatling Gun (Infinite ammo) 00 Bonus M66 Rocket Launcher (No refills/infinite ammo) 4, 00 Bonus also -Resident Evil - Survivor Glock 17 Handgun Rounds 17 CZ75 Handgun Rounds 15 M8000 Cougar G Handgun Rounds 15 Nanbu 14 Custom Handgun Rounds 6 S.P.A.S. 12 Shotgun Shells 8 M79 Grenade Launcher Grenade,Acid,Flame 6+ S&W M19 Magnum Rounds 6 M20-A1 Rocket Launcher (Infinite ammo) 00 Bonus -Resident Evil - CODE: Veronica Combat Knife (None) N/A M93R Handgun Rounds 15 M93R Burst Handgun Rounds 20 Modified Glock 17 Handgun Rounds 18 Glock 17 Enhanced Handgun Rounds 18 Modified M100-P (No refills) 100% Paired Bow Gun Bow Gun & Explosive Bolts 30+ AK47 Assault Rifle Assault Rifle Rounds 100% M79 Grenade Launcher Grenade, Acid, Flame, BOW 6+ Colt Python Magnum Rounds 6 Bonus SPAS 12 Shotgun Shells 7 Gold Luger (No refills/infinite ammo) ?, 00 Paired; battle MR7 Sniper Rifle (No refills) 7 Ingram Submachine Gun (No refills) 100% Paired; bonus Anti-BOW Linear Launcher (Infinite ammo) 00 Bonus also -Notes: In the RE2 extreme battle mode, Chris starts with a rocket launcher with five rounds, plus he can find another holding ten. In RE3, Jill can create enhanced handgun bullets or shotgun shells with sufficient practice. Unfortunately, the STI Eagle 6.0 and the Western Custom M37 cannot use this ammo. The Mine Thrower-E in RE3 is obtained by either earning all infinite ammo in the mercenaries mini- game, or by loading the infinite ammo obtained from Nemesis into the regular Mine Thrower. The Mine Thrower-E, fires homing projectiles, rather than mines with a delayed motion-sensing trigger. All weapons in RE2 or RE3 can have infinite ammo, either by using a cheat code in RE2, or by earning infinite ammo from Nemesis or the mercenaries mini-game in RE3. In RES and CV there are inconsistencies with some weapons. The Glock 17 takes seventeen bullets in RES, and eighteen in CV. The SPAS 12 in RES takes eight shells, and seven in CV. I don't know enough about weapons to comment further beyond pointing out the discrepancy. A few weapons in CV have infinite ammo in the battle game. These aren't noted in the above list, except the gold lugers, which are usable as weapons only in the battle game. In the regular game, the lugers are obtained only after they are empty, and no refills are available. In CV, the Colt Python is acquired only if you remember to bring along the empty fire extinguisher from the first half of the game. The Ingram submachine guns are only found if you take the time to bring Rodrigo some hemostatic medicine in the first half of the game, plus you go through the work of trying to save him by killing the Gulp Worm immediately. Because of the difficulty in obtaining these weapons, and because very minor oversights in the first half of the game make them impossible to get, I consider the Colt Python and Ingrams as bonuses. Umbrella's Hit List ------------------- To: Special Agent "Hunk" CC: U.B.C.S. Commander Nicholai Ginovaef U.T. "Cleaner" Commander Re: Enemies of Umbrella Inc. The following individuals are either directly involved in activities detrimental to Umbrella Inc., or are considered to be in possession of sensitive company information that cannot be made public. There is evidence that those with highlighted names are engaging in an organized conspiracy actively opposed to company interests. These individuals are to be considered armed and extremely dangerous. Individual File Status Data (Identity, Offenses, Whereabouts) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aiken, Richard Closed, Deceased -S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team member -Involved in Spencer Estate incident -Killed by T-mutant snake Bertolucci, Ben Closed, Deceased -Journalist for the Raccoon Times -Possessed evidence linking R.P.D. Chief Brian Irons to Umbrella -Conflicting reports that he was either killed by G-mutant (William Birkin) or implanted with G-mutant embryo Birkin, Annette Closed, Deceased -Wife of Dr. William Birkin -Supported husband's treachery against Umbrella -Conflicting reports that she was either killed by husband or died under falling debris Birkin, Sherry Open, Alive -Daughter of Dr. William Birkin -May unknowingly be in possession of G-virus hidden among her possessions by Dr. Birkin -Thought to be in custody of either U.S. government or renegade operative Albert Wesker Birkin, William Closed, Deceased -Senior Umbrella scientist; creator of G-virus -Refused to surrender G-virus sample to authorized Umbrella representatives -Infected with G-virus; destroyed in exploding transport train leaving Raccoon City laboratory Branagh, Marvin Closed, Deceased -R.P.D. officer -Possessed knowledge of Umbrella's involvement in Raccoon City biohazard -Infected with T-virus Burnside, Steve Reopened, Unknown -Son of John Burnside -May have possessed sensitive info stolen by father; assisted Claire Redfield in escape from Rockfort Island; involved in Antarctic incident -Infected with T-Veronica virus; attacked by T-Veronica mutant hive in Antarctic base; unconfirmed reports of his survival Burnside, John Closed, Deceased -Umbrella employee -Attempted to sell corporate secrets to rival company -Infected with T-virus at Rockfort Island Burton, Barry Open, Alive -S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team member -Involved in Spencer Estate incident; actively sought sensitive data on G-virus -Last known to be in company of wife and daughters Moira and Polly Burton Chambers, Rebecca CLASSIFIED -S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team member -Involved in Spencer Estate incident; other data is classified -Location unknown; presumed alive Dewey, Edward Closed, Deceased -S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team member -Involved in Spencer Estate incident -Presumed killed by Cerberus Frost, Joseph Closed, Deceased -S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team member -Involved in Spencer Estate incident -Killed by Cerberus Goldman, Vincent Closed, Deceased -Commander of Sheena Island Tyrant Plant -Concealed info from Umbrella H.Q.; murdered colleague for promotion; intentionally spread T-virus on Sheena Island -Conflicting reports that he was either killed in helicopter accident or by Hypnos-T prototype Holland, Andy Open, Unknown -Sewer worker in Sheena Island -May possess sensitive info on Sheena Tyrant Plant -Unconfirmed reports that he was killed by Hypnos-T prototype; however, may have survived Sheena Island incident and escaped Cleaner squad Irons, Brian Closed, Deceased -R.P.D. chief; rendered services to Dr. William Birkin -Assisted Dr. Birkin in concealing G-virus; unstable mental status threatened Umbrella interests -Conflicting reports that he was either killed by G-mutant (William Birkin) or implanted with G-mutant embryo Kendo, Robert Closed, Deceased -Gunshop owner; Raccoon City citizen -Associate of Barry Burton; may have been given sensitive info on Umbrella -Killed by zombies Kennedy, Leon S. Open, Alive -R.P.D. junior officer -Involved in Raccoon City lab incident; may be cooperating with U.S. government -Last known to be in company of U.S. government agent Klein, Lily Open, Alive -Sheena Island citizen -Involved in Sheena Island incident -Last known to be in company of Lott Klein and Ark Thompson Klein, Lott Open, Alive -Sheena Island citizen -Involved in Sheena Island incident -Last known to be in company of Lily Klein and Ark Thompson Koen, Billy CLASSIFIED -U.S. Navy officer -All other data is classified -Reported dead by S.T.A.R.S. member Rebecca Chambers, but data is considered suspect Marini, Enrico Closed, Deceased -S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team member -Involved in Spencer Estate incident -Terminated by Albert Wesker Oliveira, Carlos Open, Alive -U.B.C.S. member -Assisted Jill Valentine in escape from Raccoon City and Nemesis; hindered Umbrella operative Nicholai Ginovaef -Last known to be in company of Jill Valentine and Barry Burton Patrick, Tyrell Closed, Deceased -U.B.C.S. member -Hindered Umbrella operative Nicholai Ginovaef -Terminated by Nicholai Ginovaef Raval, Rodrigo Juan Closed, Deceased -Umbrella Paris facility security chief -Assisted Claire Redfield in escape from Rockfort Island -Killed by T-mutant worm Redfield, Chris Open, Alive -S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team member -Involved in Spencer Estate incident; initiated F.B.I. investigation of Chief Brian Irons' connection with Umbrella; actively sought sensitive data on G-virus; involved in Rockfort Island and Antarctic incidents -Last known to be in company of Claire Redfield Redfield, Claire Open, Alive -Sister of Chris Redfield -Involved in Raccoon City lab incident; infiltrated Umbrella Paris facility; involved in Rockfort Island and Antarctic incidents -Last known to be in company of Chris Redfield "Regina" CLASSIFIED -Government agent; full name unknown -All data is classified -Briefly glimpsed in Raccoon City Rosso, Dario Closed, Deceased -Salesman; Raccoon City citizen -Associated with Jill Valentine; may have been given sensitive info on Umbrella -Killed by zombies Seeker, Murphy Closed, Deceased -U.B.C.S. member -Hindered Umbrella operative Nicholai Ginovaef -Conflicting reports that he was either terminated by Nicholai Ginovaef or infected with T-virus Speyer, Forest Closed, Deceased -S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team member -Involved in Spencer Estate incident -Killed by T-mutant crows; infected with T-virus Sullivan, Kenneth J. Closed, Deceased -S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team member -Involved in Spencer Estate incident -Killed by zombie Thompson, Ark Open, Alive -Private investigator -Associate of Leon S. Kennedy; involved in Sheena Island incident -Last known to be in company of Lott and Lily Klein Valentine, Jill Open, Alive -S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team member -Involved in Spencer Estate incident; actively sought sensitive data on G-virus; hindered Umbrella operative Nicholai Ginovaef -Multiple termination attempts by Nicholai Ginovaef and Nemesis have failed; last known to be in company of Barry Burton and Carlos Oliveira Vickers, Brad Closed, Deceased -S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team member -Involved in Spencer Estate and Raccoon City incidents -Terminated by Nemesis; infected with T-virus Victor, Mikhail Closed, Deceased -U.B.C.S. sergeant -Assisted Jill Valentine in escape from Nemesis -Terminated by Nemesis Walker, Elza CLASSIFIED -All data is classified Wesker, Albert Reopened, Alive -S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team member; Umbrella operative -Attempted to secure B.O.W. embryos for own use; sold services to rival company; attempted to steal G-virus and T-Veronica virus; assaulted Rockfort Island complex -Original reports of death in Spencer Estate inaccurate; mutated by unknown virus; location unknown Wong, Ada Reopened, Alive -Spy employed by unknown rival company -Attempted to steal G-virus; cooperated with Albert Wesker; involved in Raccoon City lab incident -Original reports of death in Raccoon City lab inaccurate; location unknown -Note: I made up the name John for Steve Burnside's father. Murphy Seeker's name comes from the Resident Evil 3 Nemesis Official Strategy Guide, published by BradyGames, and the Official Resident Evil 3 Nemesis Perfect Guide, published by Versus Books. Tyrell Patrick's name also comes from the BradyGames guide. The Versus Books guide gives Tyrell's first, but not his last name. Elza Walker's and Regina's names I threw in there just for fun. Umbrella's Facilities --------------------- These are all the known facilities operated by Umbrella. Several, of course, have been destroyed by Umbrella's enemies. Also included are various experimental chemical and biological warfare products that have been developed or are mass-produced at these facilities. Facility Purpose Products Developed at Facility ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Spencer Estate Virus/B.O.W. laboratory, T-virus, (Destroyed) original private Spencer MA-39, MA-120, MA-121 alpha, residence Fi-3, Chimera, T-001, T-002, V-Jolt (T-mutant plant exfoliant), Serum (antidote for T-mutant snake venom) Raccoon City Complex Virus/B.O.W. laboratory, G-virus, G-virus vaccine, (Destroyed) B.O.W. warehouse, Licker alpha, Licker beta, industrial complex, Spark shot (experimental weapon for incinerator plant, B.O.W. suppression) iron smelting plant, evidence disposal facility Raccoon City Hospital Virus/B.O.W. laboratory T-virus vaccine, (Destroyed) MA-121 beta, MA-124 gamma Raccoon City Sales Office Non-biohazardous chemical (for legitimate pharmaceutical (Destroyed) storage and distribution products, standard laboratory chemicals, and virus cultivation agents) Sheena Island City Umbrella employee retreat, (Destroyed) Umbrella branch offices, prison compound Sheena Island Complex T-103 Tyrant factory, Hypnos-T, Ivy, (Destroyed) botany laboratory Beta-Hetero-Nonserotonin harvesting (for Tyrant development/production) Rockfort Island Complex Military training facility, Bandersnatch, Albinoid, (Severely Damaged) metallurgy laboratory, Deploid (anti-decay alloy), private airport, P-Epsilon gas grenade prison compound, (for B.O.W. suppression) main Ashford residence Antarctic Transport Base Conventional weapon, T-Veronica virus, (Destroyed) B.O.W., P-Epsilon gas T-Veronica toxin antidote, storage & distribution, T-Veronica ant, former mine, Linear launcher (experimental private Ashford retreat and weapon for B.O.W. suppression) laboratory Chicago Branch Office U.S. branch offices, scientist and leadership training center Paris Branch Office European branch offices, CLASSIFIED (Secrecy Compromised) virus/B.O.W. laboratory Loire Village Facility Virus/B.O.W. laboratory T-103, Nemesis U.E. Sixth Laboratory Virus/B.O.W. laboratory NE-T virus (Location Classified) -Note: Umbrella's "sixth laboratory" may actually be the Paris lab or the mysterious facility in Loire Village. But it's definitely not the Antarctic Base or the Rockfort Island complex. Umbrella's Chemicals -------------------- Just for the heck of it, here is a list of various chemicals developed by Umbrella. Not included here are Umbrella's biological agents, such as the T- and G-viruses, and vaccines or herbal medicines. Chemical Usage -------------------------------------------------------------------------- UMB No. 2 UMB No. 4 UMB No. 7 UMB No. 13 UMB No. 16 (V-Jolt) T-mutant plant exfoliant NP-003 Yellow-6 P-Epsilon Anti-B.O.W. gas APL-14 Gunpowder A To develop ammo for Umbrella's paramilitary forces Gunpowder B To develop ammo for Umbrella's paramilitary forces Gunpowder C To develop ammo for Umbrella's paramilitary forces VT-J98 To culture NE-T virus Safesprin (TM) Legitimate commercial product Aqua Cure (TM) Legitimate commercial product Adravil (TM) Legitimate commercial product Machine oil additive To purify machine oil TG-01 Alloy unrecognized by conventional metal detectors Deploid Corrosion-resistant alloy Hemostatic medicine To stop refractory hemorrhages Clement alpha Handgun maintenance chemical Clement sigma Umbrella's Military Forces -------------------------- Umbrella has mustered many soldiers and armed operatives who carry out missions for the company. Throughout the series, we see various military groups and personnel, each specialized for different tasks, though overlap exists between the roles of the different units. Most of the evidence in the games points to these people as being mercenaries, but the hooded man's comment about winning your freedom at the end of Operation Mad Jackal implies that the soldiers are, in fact, indentured servants of some sort. In the Mercenary's Diary, the author mentions being slated for execution before being given a second chance by Umbrella, suggesting that the company gathers its armies from imprisoned soldiers in third- world countries, using bribery and influence to buy their freedom and put them in Umbrella's debt. Not a bad way to recruit a bunch of soldiers and agents who'll keep their mouths shut. Paramilitary Units This is essentially Umbrella's regular private army. An unspecialized force organized "to counter corporate terrorism and V.I.P. abduction" (RE3, Mercenary's Diary). Most of the zombified soldiers on Rockfort Island and Antarctica probably belonged to this group, though the training facility on Rockfort Island was also used to train soldiers for other Umbrella military units (CV, Hunk's Report). Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Service (U.B.C.S.) These are "nightmen who specialize in handling problems caused by illegal products" (RE3, Mercenary's Diary). They are the ones sent ostensibly to clean up the mess in Raccoon City, and apparently, are quite expendable. Still, I imagine these soldiers are somewhat better trained than Umbrella's ordinary army, if they're expected to put up any kind of meaningful resistance to B.O.W.'s. Some are equipped with experimental weapons (i.e., the mine thrower), and they're vaccinated against Umbrella's viruses (RE3, Mercenary's Pocketbook). Security Guards These individuals are armed guards for Umbrella's public facilities, where uniformed soldiers might raise a few eyebrows. Examples include the estate guards mentioned in the Keeper's Diary, and the guards that captured Claire in Paris. Rodrigo Juan Raval was the security chief for the Paris facility guards. Special Forces These highly-trained squads handle dangerous missions for Umbrella, such as recovering and/or transporting deadly B.O.W.'s and viruses. They are heavily armed and outfitted for combat, though they aren't meant to routinely engage in direct frontal assaults. Hunk and his team belong to this group. Senior Military Officials These extremely powerful individuals in Umbrella's military hierarchy don't belong to any specific units. Their role is to run the company's military facilities and command the soldiers residing there. They wear uniforms, unlike other high-level company executives (such as the hooded man at the end of Operation Mad Jackal). Among the more prominent officers are Alfred Ashford and Commander Vincent Goldman. In CV, there are a few other zombies in important-looking white officer uniforms. Supervisors These versatile, highly-trained spies handle covert operations for Umbrella. They work alone, and can be sent into biohazardous areas where larger and more heavily-armed groups (such as the U.B.C.S.) would be quickly spotted, overwhelmed, and wiped out. Supervisors are basically Umbrella's spies and assassins. They generally don't wear uniforms unless the mission calls for one. Nicholai Ginovaef is a Supervisor. Before he betrayed Umbrella, Albert Wesker probably was one also. Cleaners These genetically engineered soldiers are sent into biohazardous areas to wipe out all traces of virus infection, including any B.O.W.'s or witnesses. Their role is similar to the U.B.C.S. However, the U.B.C.S. is more of an army, meant to delay the spread of B.O.W.'s from very large-scale spills and rescue Umbrella employees from the area. The Cleaners' job is to mop up all evidence, probably when the situation is small enough to cover up. Consistent with this role, the Cleaners are genetically engineered to decompose into organic gases when killed, to leave nothing behind that can be traced back to Umbrella. Enhanced Tyrants As far as we know, the T-103 is the only one of Umbrella's super-soldiers that made it to mass- production. The T-103 has been successfully deployed in combat situations (RE3, against U.S. Special Forces), and in search, destroy, and/or recovery missions (RE2 and RES). They're generally delivered to the site of their mission by helicopter, since they normally don't move very fast. Zombie Suicide Squads We don't actually see these guys working for Umbrella, but Wesker apparently brings a bunch of zombies with him when he invades Rockfort Island. If Wesker and his organization are using units of zombie soldiers, I'm sure Umbrella is doing the same thing. Wesker's zombies are the ones Chris meets on Rockfort Island. They wear darker uniforms than any of the soldier zombies Claire fights earlier. Many have explosives strapped to their backs, which suggests they're meant to mindlessly go among their enemies and blow themselves up. The S.T.A.R.S. -------------- These are all the S.T.A.R.S. stationed in Raccoon City. Alpha Team members are more experienced and better-trained than Bravo Team. I guess Brad Vickers is the exception that makes the rule. Alpha Team Role Notes ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Albert Wesker Mission Leader Leader of Raccoon City S.T.A.R.S. Barry Burton Weapons Specialist Recent transfer to Raccoon City Chris Redfield Marksman Recent transfer to Raccoon City Jill Valentine Machine Expert, Lockpicking Expert Recent transfer to Raccoon City Joseph Frost Vehicle Specialist Recently promoted from Bravo Brad Vickers Helicopter Pilot, Computer Expert a.k.a. "Chickenheart" Bravo Team Role Notes ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Enrico Marini Mission Leader Wesker's second-in-command Kenneth J. Sullivan Field Scout, Chemist Recent S.T.A.R.S. recruit (?) Richard Aiken Communications Expert Pulls double duty for Alpha Forest Speyer Vehicle Specialist, Marksman Rebecca Chambers Field Medic, Biochemist Recent S.T.A.R.S. recruit Edward Dewey Helicopter Pilot The Ashfords ------------ Here is a list of the heads of the Ashford family, estimates of the years they took over, key projects and events that occurred under their watch, and the names of other important individuals in that period. Family Masters Est. Year Notes and Key Events Key Researchers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Veronica 1850 Founder of the family Stanley 1880 Thomas & Arthur 1910 Twins; Thomas dies young Edward 1940 Discovery of Mother Virus; Ozwell E. Spencer Founding of Umbrella Alexander Ashford Alexander 1970 Family fortunes wane; Dr. J. Marcus T-Virus development; "Veronica" Project Alfred & Alexia 1983 Twins; T-virus perfected Dr. William Birkin T-Veronica Virus research Albert Wesker Resident Evil 2 - Platinum - Gallery Mode ----------------------------------------- These are the movies, pre-production sketches, illustrations, and 3D models that can be viewed in the gallery mode of RE2 for the PC and DC. Unless otherwise stated, sketches are in color and characters wear the same outfits they have in the game. In the gallery, the intro movie is split in two. The first half ends at the point where Leon and Claire meet behind the restaurant and grab a police car. The second half is the remainder of the movie up to the crash and explosion. There are, of course, two versions of the first part: one for each character. But there are also two slightly different versions of the second half, depending on whether the introduction is for scenario A or B. In scenario A, the car does a 180 degree spin and slides backwards into the lamp post, then the tanker collides with the car head-on. In scenario B, the car crashes into the streetlight head-on, Leon and Claire see the truck in the rear-view mirror, and the tanker rear-ends the car. Disc One - Leon Movie: 00 - Opening title sequence 08 - Factory elevator continues after stalling 01 - Leon A/B intro, 1st half - Leon enters city 09 - Hunk's operation 02 - Leon A intro, 2nd half - crash & explosion 10 - Botched rescue & helicopter crash 03 - Leon B intro, 2nd half - crash & explosion 11 - Tyrant dropped into precinct 04 - Leon meets Licker 12 - Leon A ending - Sherry is okay 05 - Lobby statue drops key 13 - Final credits 06 - Storeroom statue opens chest 14 - Leon B ending - Sherry gets vaccine 07 - Factory elevator descends 15 - Final ending - train explodes Rough Sketch: 01 - Leon, drawing gun 31 - B/W group shot of characters with Elza 02 - Leon, front/side/back views 32 - B/W sketches of person & weapons 03 - Leon, closeup 33 - B/W Leon's head, many angles 04 - Leon, with gun 34 - B/W Claire's head, many angles 05 - Leon, combat vest 35 - B/W Annette's head, 3 expressions 06 - Leon, casual outfit 36 - B/W Irons' head, many expressions 07 - Leon, exiting squad car, closeup 37 - Zombie 08 - Leon, casual outfit, relaxed, closeup 38 - Zombie female 09 - Leon, casual outfit, with dog, closeup 39 - Zombie cop, vomiting 10 - Claire, with inset sketch 40 - Zombie with necktie, side view 11 - Claire, front/side/back views 41 - Zombie with necktie, front view 12 - Claire, alternate costume, bandanna, front/back 42 - Zombie cop, fat 13 - Elza Walker, front & partial back views 43 - Cerberus standing over mutilated cop 14 - Claire, new outfit, shades, helmet, front/back 44 - Giant spider 15 - Claire, new outfit, vest & jeans 45 - William Birkin, G1 stage, with pipe 16 - Claire, new outfit, fatigues, tank top, helmet 46 - Alligator eating dead woman 17 - Claire, putting on jacket & going to motorcycle 47 - Human/spider hybrid from RE1.5 18 - Ada, front & partial back view 48 - Sequence showing Tyrant pod release 19 - Ada, business outfit 49 - Precinct lobby with corpse at desk 20 - Ada, casual Umbrella employee outfit 50 - Precinct office, orderly 21 - Ada, sweater with & without jacket 51 - B/W precinct stairwell 22 - Sherry, fingering pendant 52 - B/W precinct hall 23 - Sherry 53 - B/W precinct hall outside briefing room 24 - Sherry, school outfit, blowing bubble 54 - Film room & view into darkroom 25 - Sherry, casting monstrous looming shadow 55 - B/W chief's office 26 - Annette Birkin 56 - Precinct office, trashed, with corpses 27 - Annette Birkin, relaxed 57 - B/W precinct clocktower 28 - Marvin Branagh 58 - B/W sewage plant, septic tank 29 - "Made in Heaven" logo 59 - B/W cable car & tunnel 30 - "Let Me Live" logo 60 - B/W various sewer tunnel sketches Disc Two - Claire Movie: 00 - Opening title sequence 08 - Factory elevator descends 01 - Claire A/B intro, 1st half - Claire enters city 09 - Factory elevator continues after stalling 02 - Claire A intro, 2nd half - crash & explosion 10 - Botched rescue & helicopter crash 03 - Claire B intro, 2nd half - crash & explosion 11 - Tyrant dropped into precinct 04 - Claire meets Licker 12 - Claire A ending - Sherry gets vaccine 05 - Lobby statue drops key 13 - Final credits 06 - Storeroom statue opens chest 14 - Claire B ending - Sherry is okay 07 - Hunk's operation & its consequences 15 - Final ending - train explodes 3D Model: 01 - Leon S. Kennedy 20 - Immature G-virus embryo 02 - Claire Redfield 21 - Mature G-virus offspring 03 - Chris Redfield 22 - T-103 Tyrant, "Mr. X" 04 - Special Agent Hunk 23 - T-103 Tyrant, mutated 05 - Hunk of Tofu 24 - Ivy, green 06 - Zombie cop 25 - William Birkin, G1 stage, with pipe 07 - Zombie Brad Vickers 26 - William Birkin, G2 stage 08 - Random zombie that is not already in gallery 27 - William Birkin, G3 stage 09 - Zombie female 28 - William Birkin, G4 stage 10 - Zombie nurse/orderly/lab tech 29 - William Birkin, G5 stage 11 - Zombie researcher 30 - Giant moth 12 - Dissolved zombie 31 - Giant moth larva 13 - Zombie civilian, green pants & yellow shirt 32 - Chief Brian Irons 14 - Zombie civilian, jeans & black T-shirt 33 - Ada Wong 15 - Cerberus 34 - Sherry Birkin 16 - Crow 35 - Ben Bertolucci 17 - Licker, red 36 - Annette Birkin 18 - Alligator 37 - Robert Kendo, with crossbow 19 - Giant spider 38 - Officer Marvin Branagh Illustration: 01 - Leon, front/back views 19 - Cerberus 02 - Leon, relaxed, with gun 20 - Five giant cockroaches & dead mouse 03 - Claire, front/back views 21 - Ivy, green 04 - Claire, relaxed 22 - Ivy, red, spitting pollen 05 - Claire, relaxed, with gun 23 - Giant moth in trashed office 06 - Ada 24 - G-virus offspring, vomiting embryo 07 - Sherry 25 - William Birkin, G1 stage, with pipe 08 - Ben Bertolucci 26 - William Birkin, G2 stage 09 - Chief Irons 27 - William Birkin, G3 stage 10 - Leon, closeup 28 - William Birkin, G4 stage 11 - Claire, closeup 29 - William Birkin, G5 stage 12 - Leon, in burning streets 30 - Tyrant, "Mr. X" form 13 - Claire, in ruined streets 31 - Tyrant, mutated form 14 - Leon & Claire together, weapons ready 32 - B/W zombie closeup, "negative" image 15 - Zombie cop 33 - RE2 logo, no letters, "peeking" zombie 16 - Zombie female 34 - Zombie in body bag 17 - Licker, red 35 - RE2 poster, no letters, zombie arms 18 - Crow, with severed hand reach towards guy, flaming zombie V. Acknowledgements There are a lot of people I could thank for helping bring to you this chronology. Among them are "Darkness", for providing webspace and support, as well as a forum to discuss my ideas with other people at www.dark-legacy.org; Rob McGregor, for his original timeline, which was a major source of inspiration and a place to check my facts and interpretations of the events; Dan Birlew ("President Evil") and Thomas Wilde, for the "Resident Evil Thesis," a fantastic discussion of the Resident Evil universe and a source of many ideas and interesting speculation on the series; "Hunk" and his fellow staff members at www.survivhor.com, for making available the elusive Trevor's Letters, Biohazard, the Beginning, and first rate information on all the "lost" Resident Evil games; and "CUEL" at www.dark- legacy.org, for providing a translation of Wesker's Report before it was released in the U.S., and the translation in progress of Wesker's Report II. I also thank all the other people who have been a source of stimulating discussion and ideas on the Resident Evil series. Finally, all thanks go out to Shinji Makami and his team at Capcom for creating Resident Evil in the first place. VI. The Inevitable Legal Disclaimer Resident Evil (Biohazard) and all relevant characters or locations are trademarks of Capcom Entertainment Ltd., and published by Capcom Entertainment Ltd., Virgin Interactive Inc., and Eidos Interactive Ltd. This document is in no way endorsed or authorized by Capcom or any of its affiliated companies. Work on this document started around October 2000, with the bulk being written from November 2000 to January 2001, and additional portions added around March to May 2001, and January to March 2002. This document may not be modified in any way, nor distributed for profit of any kind. I haven't been paid for this, and I want it to be freely available for anyone who happens to be interested. Basically, it boils down to this: I spent a long time writing and proofreading this chronology, so please don't take credit for it.