Resident Evil 5 Movie Soundtrack
Alyssa Dipiero
Music plays a huge part in the survival horror experience, as it's one of the main tools developers will use to create a sense of dread and anxiety during the player's adventure. In the case of Capcom, they've proven countless times that they know exactly how to use a music track to full effect, as seen in games like Devil May Cry and Street Fighter, but the Resident Evil series might just be the biggest and most prolific example of this.
These games have become admired for their unsettling yet also peaceful and ambient soundtracks, which help to make the experience of playing them all the more memorable. There isn't a single entry in the series which contains a bad OST, but when it comes to impact, and how memorable they are overall, these games below are often said to contain the best tunes Resident Evil has to offer.
The presence of Nemesis in Resident Evil 3 created a sense of lingering anxiety which would carry through to the end of the game. This is partly reflected in the fast-paced and chaotic gameplay, but the music also goes a long way in ramping up the intensity. Jill's theme at the beginning of the game, for example, has a very militaristic and action-heavy intensity to it which thrusts players right into the heat of the story.
After Nemesis inevitably shows up to confront Jill, the music only starts to become more oppressive from there, with haunting tracks like "Is There A Way Out?" keeping players on their toes while venturing through Raccoon City. Of course, there's also the loud and bombastic "Nemesis Theme," which acts as a warning sign to the player whenever the behemoth starts getting a little too close for comfort.
While not everyone was a fan of Resident Evil 0's ambitious dual-protagonist gameplay, one thing that really stood out to a lot of them as a highlight was the music. Though this game sticks to the slow and ambient music which the series had become known for at the time, it also showed a lot of range, which really helped to make the soundtrack feel fresh and varied. The chaotic and high-octane melodies on the train, for example, are contrasted by the more somber Training Facility theme, which might just be one of the creepiest tracks in the series.
Resident Evil 0 also stands out for its gothic inspirations, with a lot of the music featuring plenty of harrowing choir harmonies and harsh piano keys which feed into the game's wider aesthetic. A prime example of this is James Marcus' theme, which does a lot to make him seem like a truly menacing antagonist when he shows up near the end of the adventure.