Resident Evil is a franchise most play for the atmosphere, level design, or puzzles. Later games do emphasize combat more, but the earlier games’ appeal comes from everything surrounding the combat. That said, the series has always had boss fights and has always done a good enough job at making them memorable set pieces.
More often than not, bosses exist as ammo sinks– beats in the game where players will have their inventory management challenged. Improving upon just about everything that came before it, Resident Evil’s 2002 remake gives the original game’s bosses a much-needed makeover. They’re not the best set of bosses in the series, but you’ll never forget them.
7 Yawn
Yawn wasn’t difficult even in the original, but the remake arguably makes both encounters against Yawn even easier thanks to the remake’s better controls. It’s incredibly easy to get through the first Yawn encounter without even physically touching the snake. The second encounter forces a fight, but the same strategy works.
Just run around Yawn, fire away, and repeat when needed. A quick witted player can comfortably get through the second fight on their first try without getting hit. Yawn stands out as one of the few things the remake doesn’t necessarily improve. That said, cutscenes do make Yawn way more intimidating than he was the first go around.
6 Black Tiger
To his credit, Black Tiger is actually a bit tougher in the remake than in the original. Let him, and he can actually kill Jill or Chris without too much effort. That said, the player can do the same to him. Jill’s Flame Rounds perhaps may be better spent elsewhere, but they make quick work of Black Tiger.
As does Chris’ Flamethrower. Find a safe spot and fire away. Within distance, though. Black Tiger is surprisingly relentless which can result in players wasting Flamethrower fuel as they get stunlocked by Black Tiger. Either way, it’s a boss fight that should end in less than a minute.
5 Lisa Trevor
Exclusive to the remake, players encounter Lisa Trevor three times over the course of the game. A Nemesis esque figure, Lisa Trevor very slowly stumbles after players whenever they’re in a room together. While running will always create distance, she’s a heavy hitter and will take you down if you let her catch up.
The first encounter is the shortest, but most frantic. Players are ambushed and have to very quickly reorient themselves as Lisa Trevor attacks again. The second encounter initially has Lisa hidden with a fork in the road, making picking a path always tense. The final encounter either has Jill & Barry or Chris & Wesker facing off against her.
Jill or Chris need to push blocks off the boss arena while Barry or Wesker fend off Lisa. Worth keeping in mind, Lisa can kill Barry here. She’ll knock Wesker off in Chris’ campaign if you let her, but Wesker will otherwise be fine later. For Jill, this means keeping Barry alive while pushing the blocks off. Each encounter is a highlight, but they’re fairly light as far as game design goes.
4 Plant 42
Plant 42 is the most “video-gamey” of the remake bosses, but that’s not a bad thing. It has a traditional gameplay loop with players needing to shoot it when its shell is up only for it to defend itself and start swinging. Plant 42 can actually be quite dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing, though, especially when playing as Chris who can’t make V-Jolt.
It’s possible to fall off from the second floor while fighting Plant 42, so keep in mind where you’re standing in relation to the edge. Plant 42 can also take punishment, so don’t expect to get by with the Handgun. This bad boy demands some real ammunition. Worth noting, whether or not players brought Richard the Serum in time actually affects how the fight plays out as Chris.
If Richard survived, Chris will have to fight Plant 42 all alone. If Richard died, however, Rebecca will show up to save Chris, mirroring how she does so in the original. Interestingly, this means players can get through the remake without ever needing to play as Rebecca.
3 Tyrant
Like Yawn, Tyrant is fought twice over the course of the game and essentially back to back with only a brief respite to save before the finale. Both encounters are easy in the grand scheme of things, but they stand out for just being gripping boss fights. The first fight begins with Wesker’s supposed death, forcing players to fend off Tyrant with whatever they have on hand.
Upon downing him, players are then tasked with escaping the lab as the Spencer Estate prepares to self destruct. Once outside, however, the Tyrant intercepts Jill or Chris as they signal for Brad to pick them up. As the time limit ticks down, players have to survive against Tyrant until Brad drops them the Rocket Launcher.
In the original game, this would be that, but Tyrant can actually a rocket away, forcing players to fire another. The fight will end then and there, but it’s one last twist for fans of the original. It might even dissuade some from using the Rocket Launcher a second time.
2 Crimson Head Prototype 1
In the original game, players had to find four crests that would allow them to exit the mansion outback– albeit without leaving the premises. The remake replaces the crests with death masks and has players bringing the masks down to a brand new crypt. Each time players offer a mask as tribute, a chain falls from a suspended coffin, blood oozing down.
When all four masks are in place, players are forced to fight the original Crimson Head. He’s tough, he’s fast, and he will slaughter you if you’re careless. The arena is generous enough where players can dodge, but this is an intimidating fight. Especially on a first playthrough.
Most players will already have triggered Crimson Heads by this point and will understand the level of threat they’re in immediately. It’s especially brutal as Jill. While she has a larger inventory, she can’t tank hits like Chris, meaning players will want to end the fight fast. (Hope you brought the Grenade Launcher.)
1 Neptune
Neptune’s not much of a threat in the original game. She might nip a new player once or twice, but most veterans will be able to maneuver around her with relative ease. Not so in the remake where Neptune is not only far more aggressive, she’s part of a scripted boss fight that stands out as one of the tensest moments in a game that’s already incredibly intense.
If players kept Richard alive as Chris, he’ll show up here again to be immediately eaten by the mother Neptune. Should players let Neptune somehow catch up to them, she’ll insta-kill Chris or Jill by eating them whole. Players need to know where they’re going and keep their pace getting there.
After fleeing from Neptune underground, players then have to drain the water in the Aqua Ring as Neptune repeatedly smashes her head into the window in order to let herself in. Players have a limited amount of time to solve an overwhelming puzzle that’ll ultimately drain the water as Neptune gets closer and closer to making her way in. Even in draining the water, Neptune isn’t quite done yet, only dying after players electrocute her in shallow water.
Few boss fights are this intense.