On the surface, the zombies popularized by the Resident Evil video games closely resemble George Romero’s ghouls that kickstarted the genre back in 1968. In the first game, they’re the result of genetic experimentation in pursuit of the creation of the ultimate bio-weapon. But the thing that makes Resident Evil stand out amongst zombie stories is the fact that the zombies themselves are far from the most dangerous and horrific thing unleashed upon the world by Umbrella. And the T-Virus, which created the zombies and other monstrosities, is just one source for the grotesque mutations that players encounter throughout the series.
Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil reboot is an original take on the series, and with that comes a unique interpretation of Umbrella’s biological tampering, one that’s definitely not the original T-Virus from the first game but instead feels like a combination of elements from a few mutation sources across the series.
