Resident Evil: 10 Reasons It's The Best Horror Franchise Of All Time

Related to the issue of replayability are the minigames. Ever since the second numbered title, and its introduction of Hunk and Tofu, there have been additional games for players to work their way through.

Since the third numbered game, those have unlocked new weapons for the main game. Building on the core mechanics and locations of the game you've just played, these minigames tend to be one of two sorts.

The first are the standalone scenarios like the Hunk and Operation Ada campaigns, which occur within the world but are usually unrelated to what's happening to the main storyline characters. These show you another storyline in the world, but tend to be balanced for advanced players who have already mastered each enemy.

The other types are celebrations of the gameplay like The Mercenaries from RE4 onwards and RE0's Leech Hunter, that use the environments and enemies of the storyline in new configurations as you play a survival combat game, balanced as much towards running away as it is combat.

Both allow players even more of the game they've just played and build value into a package that could easily seem shallow without them.