In celebration of Resident Evil’s 25th anniversary and the coming Halloween, Game Rant spoke with Pablo Kuntz, who provided the voice work for Albert Wesker in the original game. Pablo shares his experience playing Resident Evil for the first time, and how the game instills a sense of responsibility to players and has a whole other dimension that makes it even more relevant today in the middle of the pandemic.
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Pablo Kuntz on Resident Evil’s Relevance Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic
Although it has been 25 years since Resident Evil changed the course of the survival horror genre forever, players will be surprised to know that Pablo only discovered the franchise recently through a comment on one of his YouTube videos showcasing Japanese swords. Curious about what the comment was referring to, Pablo researched about Albert Wesker online and discovered the Resident Evil franchise decades after providing the voice work for the iconic villain.
Currently, Pablo and his son Lexonal are doing YouTube videos showing their first playthrough of Resident Evil. He admits that, while he isn’t a gamer in any regard, he is enjoying Resident Evil so far, especially the sense of freedom and exploration it provides players. Although Resident Evil isn’t technically a free-roam, open-world game, Pablo’s initial impression of the game hits the classic survival horror elements that cemented Resident Evil’s place in the hall of fame of the video game industry.
It is worth remembering that games belonging to the classic Resident Evil era have no in-game prompts, no suggested objectives, and provide players with a limited amount of ammo and saves. All these elements encourage players to make their own decisions whether to kill that zombie, use that ammo, or go through that door. Pablo found this level of freedom grounded in exploration fascinating, especially now in the middle of the pandemic where most people find themselves trapped inside their homes.
How Resident Evil Encapsulates a Sense of Responsibility
Another thing that fascinated Pablo while playing Resident Evil was the level of responsibility players must have to see the game through. It is no secret that survival horror games like Resident Evil utilize limited resources to evoke a sense of fear that makes basic enemies, such as zombies, feel like a threat. Additionally, Pablo observed how Resident Evil encourages players to strategize their every move while keeping them accountable for their actions.
In many ways, Pablo observed the responsibility required of the player while watching his son Lexonal play Resident Evil. Frequently, the father and son duo would often face decisions such as whether to use specific bullets now, or save them for later, as they progress through the Spencer mansion, and every so often, they find themselves dying multiple times. However, instead of getting frustrated with the game’s mechanics, Pablo sees it as a reflection of real life, where one may find themselves failing again and again. As such, the critical part despite all those failures is to persevere and take ownership of one’s actions.
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