Umbrella Corporation up there with Unilever

Most corporations seem to be up to no good, some might say, evil. Despite this, I’m safe in the knowledge that when I use Dove shampoo to eradicate the infestation in my hair, I have no fear of contracting the T-virus. Tragically the citizens of Racoon City (genius name) weren’t so lucky. The Resident Evil or Biohazard series as it’s known in Japan, which strictly speaking is a more accurate title for the oozing subject matter each game is occupied with. Only a couple actually take place in a residence as such.

“Don’t mind him in the top flat, he’s the resident evil, deary.”

Imagine, now you’ve got to contend with a potentially monstrous neighbour and a dyslexic landlady. Anyway, in brief, like the amount of time it takes to turn into a zombie once bitten, Resident Evil follows some hapless characters, usually members of an elite police team known as S.T.A.R.S.

“Mum, Dad, I’m a star!”

“We never doubted it hun.”


However the characters are never the driving force as lurking in the shadows of the stock exchange is the Umbrella Corporation. The characters take on the role of lambs to the slaughter in the style of your usual horror pulp, except being S.T.A.R.S makes them slightly more adept at taking out giant snakes, spiders, frog men, zombies obviously and even a giant moth. Working for a corporation can be deadly especially when said corporation is prone to testing biological weapons on their employees. I always knew there was something wrong with the coffee machine.


The plot and dialogue of most Resident Evil games resembles the dregs of a B-movie archive but still manage to be genuinely scary a bit like George Wubya, you might laugh at his ineptitude but he’s still got a finger on the red button.