Regenerator (Resident Evil)

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Regenerator
Resident Evil character
Regenerator (Resident Evil).png
A type of enhanced Regenerator known as the Iron Maiden, as it appeared from Resident Evil 4 (2005)
First appearanceResident Evil 4 (2005)
Created byHiroyuki Kobayashi[1]

The Regenerator (リヘナラドール rihenaradōru), also known as Regenerador, is a fictional creature which appears in Capcom's Resident Evil 4. Named for their artificially-enhanced regenerative abilities, the Regenerators are experimental bioweapons created by Los Iluminados, which are capable of regrowing large portions of their body if damaged. Multiple video game journalists described Regenerator as one of the most memorable features of Resident Evil 4, as well as one of the most notable horror-themed monsters in video games.

Characteristics and design[]

The Regenerators are created and designed by longtime Capcom employee Hiroyuki Kobayashi.[2] Kobayashi described the creatures' origins within-universe lore as malformed creations during the experimentation process, a byproduct of Los Iluminados' research in Plaga-based bio-weapons. The Regenerators themselves were created via the implantation of multiple parasites into a human body, which causes the body to mutate radically.[3][2]

The Regenerator appears as a large, vaguely, human-shaped creature covered in hairless, seemingly rough, gray skin.[4][5] Their mouths are large with rasp breathing, taking up most of their otherwise-featureless faces, and are filled with needle-like teeth which force the Regenerator into a grin. They regenerate their limbs after being shot or destroyed.[4][6][7] The creature cannot be killed unless the player is able to find the Plagas and destroy them inside their bodies.[6]

During an interview of Famitsu, Shinji Mikami explained that elements like the Regenerators help present survival horror as a balance between a "scary kind of gameplay and the challenge of overcoming that fear", with the goal to allow players that sense of achievement when they manage to overcome the Regenerators.[8]

Appearances[]

The Regenerators first appeared in Resident Evil 4.[9] Before encountering the player, Regenerators tend to stand in place and take distinct heavy breaths, making it easy to tell if they are near. They usually approach the player by walking; however, almost all encounters take place in small confined spaces. When fired at, their limbs can be blown off, but after a short time, they regenerate back. There are two to five smaller parasites located inside their bodies that can only be seen with the infrared scope; destroying these will cause extra damage to them.[10][11]

An evolved version of the Regenerators called the "Iron Maiden" impale their prey in combat.[7]

Reception[]

Ian from Kotaku cited Regenerator at Resident Evil 4 on a game that scared him, stating that "Resident Evil 4 introduces regenerators, one of the most horrific monsters ever to be put into a video game. They’re tall and lanky with impossibly smooth skin, but the worst part is that you hear their difficult, raspy breathing before they come into view. And the only way to kill them for good—they regenerate, you see—is to use an infrared rifle scope to kill a bunch of little parasites inside their bodies before they can get close enough to munch on you. Some even have spikes for close-range impaling! I literally had to stop playing the game for the day after meeting my first regenerator."[4] Sam White of Digital Spy claimed Regenerator as terrifying, by saying that "The cryogenic lab section where I met my first regenerator was beyond terrifying, and I dreaded stumbling across another right until the game's end."[12] Aoife Wilson of Eurogamer said that Regenerator were the only enemies that she feared, by stating that "I was always freaked out by the Regenerators in Resident Evil 4."[13]

David Lozada of GameRevolution described Regenerators as the scariest video game enemies, stating that "Their heavy breathing noise only adds to their creepy persona as it reverberates through the walls and follows the player everywhere. And, of course, Leon Kennedy almost always encounters these things in tight, claustrophobic areas. Fun."[6] Aaron Potter of Den of Geek described Regenerator as the best Resident Evil monsters, stating that "the first time you encounter a Regenerator in Resident Evil 4 is easily one of the adventure’s scariest moments."[7] Peter Brown of GameSpot cited Regenerator as the Gaming's Greatest Monsters.[14] Carli Velocci of Paste described Regenerator as the scariest monster in video games, stating that "They pop up when you least expect it, and for the first time in the game, you feel helpless."[15] Andy Kelly of Kotaku described Regenerator as gaming's most stress-inducing sound effects, stating that "The ragged breathing of the fearsome Regenerators is just as scary as actually running into one."[16] Andy Kelly of PC Gamer described Regenerator as the best enemies in PC gaming, stating that "As the name suggests, these shivering freaks can take a lot of damage. You unload your pistol and it doesn’t flinch, inching closer and closer with an eerie grin on its face. And the spiky variety is even worse."[17]

Justin Crowe of Screen Rant described Regenerator as the scariest moments in the game series, and stated that "The tall, scaly alien-looking being is first seen lying on a table, and players find a memo explaining that they are experimental beings that can regenerate tissue and limbs. Suddenly, a crash is heard, and the things stumble to life, breathing hoarsely and sniffing for prey. There's a technique to taking them down, but without knowing it, they are literally unstoppable killing machines."[18] Ryan Lambie of Den of Geek cited Regenerator as an example of gaming icon as why horror games are scarier than horror movies.[19] Rock Paper Shotgun cited Regenerator one of the best remembered enemies from the series, stating that "the latest has one of the most frightening creatures ever to grace the series. That monster is separate, too, from Lady Dimitrescu, who become a pop-culture phenomenon (owing mostly to being very tall, among other things) in a way few characters in any medium manage."[20] Venture Beat cited Regenerator as an example as most vivid video game memories, he further said that "the fear of regenerators had been put into me. Even when I got the infra-red scope, and could take them out with ease, I still broke out in Goosebumps every time I heard that glottal, soggy breathing. I still do."[21] K. Delgrego of Engadget talks about how the game isn't quite as scary until encountering Regenerator, and stated that "Everything about these creatures just screams creepy. Their bubble eyes, their slow lurching walk, and especially the heavy breathing they emit. In fact, in the tight corridors you must navigate in order to escape the labs, your only cue to an approaching Regenerator is that awful noise."[5] Kat Bailey of USGamer talks about how "claustrophobic moments is where you would fumble to reload your gun as a Regenerador slouched slowly, inexorably down the hallway.", and cited the creature as "presented it in style that could be described as a creeping sort of terror."[8]

The Regenerator and the Plagas were also the main sources of inspiration for the development of the Necromorphs from the Dead Space multimedia franchise.[22]

References[]

  1. ^ "Sources: Capcom has overhauled its plans for a Resident Evil 4 remake". VGC. January 22, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "E3 2004: Resident Evil 4 Interview - IGN" – via www.ign.com.
  3. ^ Koichi Hamamura, ed (2006) (in Japanese). biohazard4 kaitaishinsho revised edition. Famitsu. ISBN 4-7577-2638-4.
  4. ^ a b c "What's A Game That Really Scared You?". Kotaku.
  5. ^ a b "3. Is Your Regenerator Running?". Engadget.
  6. ^ a b c "The Scariest Video Game Enemies Ever". GameRevolution. October 4, 2018.
  7. ^ a b c "15 Best Resident Evil Bosses and Monsters Ranked". Den of Geek. May 6, 2021.
  8. ^ a b Bailey, Kat (January 11, 2020). "Actually, Resident Evil 4 Was Plenty Scary".
  9. ^ "Resident Evil 4 (Game)". Giant Bomb.
  10. ^ "Resident Evil 4 Remake – 15 Things It Needs To Do".
  11. ^ Alexandria, Keira (April 15, 2020). "Resident Evil 4 Remake - 5 Things That Should Remain In The Game". Otakukart News.
  12. ^ White, Sam (March 12, 2014). "Resident Evil 4 Ultimate on PC reviewed". Digital Spy.
  13. ^ Wilson, Aoife (November 30, 2016). "What I think after five hours of Resident Evil 7".
  14. ^ "Gaming's Greatest Monsters".
  15. ^ "The 10 Scariest Monsters in Videogames". pastemagazine.com. October 30, 2014.
  16. ^ "Gaming's Most Stress-Inducing Sound Effects". Kotaku Australia. June 24, 2021.
  17. ^ Kelly, Andy (March 17, 2015). "The best enemies in PC gaming". PC Gamer.
  18. ^ "Resident Evil: 10 Scariest Moments In The Game Series". ScreenRant. May 19, 2021.
  19. ^ "Why horror games are scarier than horror movies". Den of Geek. October 7, 2014.
  20. ^ "The 25 best horror games on PC to play in 2021". July 21, 2021.
  21. ^ "Resident Evil 4 Shows How "Dangerous" Is More Terrifying than "Scary"". October 27, 2010.
  22. ^ "Monster of the Week: The Godfather of the Necromorph on Creating Dead Space's Famous Creature". 14 October 2019.
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