Resident Evil
is a media franchise consisting of a survival horror video games series, comic books, novelizations, three Hollywood motion pictures, and a variety of collectibles, including action figures, game guides and publications. Developed by Capcom and created by Shinji Mikami, the game series has been heavily influenced by George A. Romero's Dead movies, as well as the Alone in the Dark series of PC games.[citation needed]The games have sold over 30 million copies as of February 2006.[1] As of 2007, there are six games in the main series (excluding remakes), with seventh and eighth installments currently under production.
Utilizing heavy horror elements, puzzle solving, and action, most of the games in the main Resident Evil series have been released to positive reviews. Many of the games, notably Resident Evil 4, have been bestowed with multiple Game of the Year honors[8] and frequently placed on lists of the best games ever made.[9] A common criticism of the series is its odd placement of puzzles. When speaking of Code: Veronica, one critic wrote that the game is "still largely a puzzle-driven (as opposed to plot driven) experience."[10] Capcom has been commended, however, for making an attempt to phase out and better integrate the puzzles, with IGN writing that the puzzles of Resident Evil 4 are "not so obscure that they can't be figured out, and indeed many of them are downright clever