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[ASilentProtagonist]

Agreed, it's HUNK. See the comparison photo here:

He has HUNK's four known signatures: wears a gas mask, rides in an Umbrella chopper, engages in Umbrella's B.O.W. disposal and clean-up, and has light-colored hair and stubble.

HUNK is presumably using Redfield's name and international reputation with anti-B.O.W. forces to lull Ethan into a false sense of security. We know that Ethan has weapons, engineering, and biochemistry training, based on his gun proficiency and ability to manufacture meds and ballistic ordnance. And we know that he mistrusts B.O.W. research because Mia had to lie to him about taking a B.O.W.-related gig. Yet he was still okay with her taking a "babysitting" gig that involved extended travel, not a normal job by any means.

All signs point to Ethan Winters being "Ethan W. - Deceased" -- a Level 9 Umbrella scientist who was supposed to have been killed by Wesker during the Spencer purge, but who may have faked his death. This would explain both his lack of concern over B.O.W. monstrostities, and his fixation on Mia explaining her lies to him, rather than providing an explanation of what the crap is actually happening on this crazy plantation. It's why he says, "Took you long enough," when Umbrella shows up at the end.

It explains too why the Umbrella operatives talking on the radio seem to know exactly who Ethan is, and the risks he poses. Some think they're talking about Lucas, but if so, why not the same "shoot on sight" order as Eveline? We can infer, too, that Ethan's previous experience and/or exposure to B.O.W. research is the reason that he alone can resist Eveline's mental coercion. He's clearly infected by the E-series, yet neither he, "Redfield," or Mia seem concerned. Even Eveline seems to recognize this -- she instructed Mia to kill Ethan during their initial encounter in the guest house, and later even went so far as to imprison him in a molded near-death state, where his mind remained lucid and safe, talking to the Bakers. And while he and Eveline clearly shared a telepathic link, he was able to brush off her hallucinations and inject her with apparent ease. She has zero influence over him, despite her best efforts, and him being infected from early on.

In this light, the ending takes on a whole new meaning. Umbrella has been reformed, under new leadership, and they're bringing two former assets back into the fold. My personal theory is that Mia was an Umbrella freelancer or former employee, not quite so high-tier as Ethan, which is why he was exposed to whatever agent made him immune to Eveline, and she wasn't.

I also believe Umbrella is likely where they met, which explains their mutual familiarity with B.O.W.s. This is also why a B.O.W. company would contact her to work on a freelance basis transporting the E-series host. When Umbrella started up again without Spencer and Wesker -- presumably sometime after the obliteration of Neo Umbrella in 2012, and before the completion of the E-series in 2014 -- Mia decided she could take the risk. She lied to Ethan, who still refused to trust Umbrella and presumably B.O.W. research in general, and went to work another B.O.W. mission. I'm still not clear whether it was Umbrella or a rival company that developed the E-series, but it's clearly at Umbrella that Ethan has a connection. He and Mia don't even question why they would show up, despite the Umbrella name being connected with scandal and disgrace. Perhaps "Redfield" has given him reassurances.

So now the two of them are wrapped up in Umbrella's clutches once again. That's how I see it, at least. I believe Ethan was probably on the phone with Umbrella at the very beginning, desperate enough to reach out to his old employer for backup, now that the guys at the top who wanted him dead are six feet under. Sure adds context to that, "Took you long enough" at the end, right?

Freakin great post. Can't wait for the DLC "Not a Hero" where the title of it has become more clear to me now. That guy is not Chris Redfield.

Ethan knew Wesker? God damn.

 

[MattyG]

Freakin great post. Can't wait for the DLC "Not a Hero" where the title of it has become more clear to me now. That guy is not Chris Redfield.

That was my first thought. I think they're trying to make us think that Chris has done questionable things with Umbrella when really, SURPRISE, he's not Chris (our "hero") at all!

 

[HiiiLife]

That moment when it is Chris and he turned heel.

Killed off his own sister, maybe even Sheva.

 

[Roni]

Unlikely. During their conversation, I recall Alan noting that he was infected as a result of her escape. I could be misremembering. But even if I am, there's zero evidence that her and Eveline's exit from the ship took a protracted amount of time, considering the crash was a massive event. If survivors had mysteriously appeared many days later, that detail would likely have been in the Bakers' notes.

I'll concede I'm unsure of this and can't be sure until I investigate the timestamp, even then I could come up empty, so it's best I just concede on this point.

You're clearly right about two types of infection, but the idea of appeasing Mia isn't correct. After all, Eveline wipes Mia's memories. There's no evidence Mia can exert enough autonomy to make anything more than empty threats.

The only exception seems to be before you administer the serum, but I'd argue maybe Eveline got hit with some psychic feedback after obliterating Jack. She comes at you again quickly enough and takes back Mia. I still don't think there's enough evidence that Mia has control until you cure her.

I must insist, for someone (presumably Lucas) writes in the laptop file found in the Laboratory that "That bitch Mia is still somewhere in between Evie-La-La Land and reality. She gets pretty violent, so I locked her up in a cell." That entry is dated November 4th, 2015.

This clearly shows Mia was acting erratically and posing a danger to the operation, so much so the person writing saw fit to place her in the cell. When we find her, she mentions that at some point she remembers the family bringing food using a certain route. This either implies it has been a while since she was free by the time you get to her in 2017 or that she being locked up was a recurrent thing. Either way, she wasn't under Eveline's strict control and was prone to having constant violent outbursts from a point onwards.

And as a second point, as the game clearly shows, Eveline wants Mia to remember. Mia thinks it's Eveline wiping her memories, but their encounter in the ship shows Eveline wants Mia to remember because she believes that will convince her to be her mother voluntarily. Later in this file, there's another entry in which the writer complains Eveline is getting more and more obsessed with family and forcing the Bakers to kidnap even more people. He then says "Maybe she's getting tired of Mia not coming around, ...". Which, to me, shows she's been waiting for Mia to voluntarily accept her place as Eveline's mother. It's important to her that people stay with her of their own free will. Otherwise, they may as well be molded.

And there's zero evidence or justification for the notion of her being bed-ridden.

I'll agree this is far-fetched and would require a twist in the established rules for it to work. I concede this isn't a fair point and is probably wrong.

I also picked the Mia ending, so I'm not sure if I missed something about Zoe and Lucas working for Umbrella. But with both of them infected, Eveline would presumably know if they were conspiring or if they received a new case from the company.

The same file I mentioned before clearly shows the writer thanking someone for the substance that broke Eveline's control over him and that she was unaware of that. They write "Thanks to you guys it's been about a week since my head's been clear and back to normal. And she STILL thinks she's got me!". This is dated January 16, 2015. So whoever wrote that has been free of Eveline's control for at least 2 and half years by the time the game rolls around.

I really appreciate you taking the time to debate this with me, but I'm still sticking to my theory! ;-)

It's my pleasure, this is what I write in message boards for. Too bad not that many games with cool sci-fi mysteries are launching every month.

 

[AdaWong]

Yeah Eveline's boss fight is a total Carla boss fight from RE6 ripoff. Speaking of which, that is Chris and he just turned evil after Carla's extreme trolling. He's a hero no more.

 

[PizzaFace]

Does anyone have a screenshot of the paper clipping(?) at the very end of the credits? It seemed interesting.


Also, the phone buzzing...what was that about?

 

[MattyG]

Does anyone have a screenshot of the paper clipping(?) at the very end of the credits? It seemed interesting.


Also, the phone buzzing...what was that about?

I really thought something would come of this. Maybe it's part of some elaborate hidden ending like with the demos. I feel like this game has some secrets that might take a while to find.

 

[Spaghetti]

Just finished the game.

Hot take: It's basically Resident Evil Revelations 3.

I liked it, but I was hoping it'd lean more into OG RE. Maybe next time.

 

[PizzaFace]

Man, I can't believe they made a RE game that I not only loved from a gameplay standpoint, but who's story I really enjoyed. I really hope this sells well and they make 8, I can't wait to see where this all goes.

I really thought something would come of this. Maybe it's part of some elaborate hidden ending like with the demos. I feel like this game has some secrets that might take a while to find.

You might be right, at this point I think it's more likely to tie into DLC

 

[MetroidPrimeRib]

Yeah Eveline's boss fight is a total Carla boss fight from RE6 ripoff. Speaking of which, that is Chris and he just turned evil after Carla's extreme trolling. He's a hero no more.

I dunno, it seems pretty typical of RE bosses to turn into something like that at the end. Look at Spencer, Saddler/Salazar, Wesker.

The big virus thing with a face you shoot and also eyeballs is all over the series

 

[dbl219]

I must insist, for someone (presumably Lucas) writes in the laptop file found in the Laboratory that "That bitch Mia is still somewhere in between Evie-La-La Land and reality. She gets pretty violent, so I locked her up in a cell." That entry is dated November 4th, 2015.

This clearly shows Mia was acting erratically and posing a danger to the operation, so much so the person writing saw fit to place her in the cell. When we find her, she mentions that at some point she remembers the family bringing food using a certain route. This either implies it has been a while since she was free by the time you get to her in 2017 or that she being locked up was a recurrent thing. Either way, she wasn't under Eveline's strict control and was prone to having constant violent outbursts from a point onwards.

Good point. I forgot about this letter. It clearly supports your conclusion, so I must defer to you on this one.

And as a second point, as the game clearly shows, Eveline wants Mia to remember. Mia thinks it's Eveline wiping her memories, but their encounter in the ship shows Eveline wants Mia to remember because she believes that will convince her to be her mother voluntarily. Later in this file, there's another entry in which the writer complains Eveline is getting more and more obsessed with family and forcing the Bakers to kidnap even more people. He then says "Maybe she's getting tired of Mia not coming around, ...". Which, to me, shows she's been waiting for Mia to voluntarily accept her place as Eveline's mother. It's important to her that people stay with her of their own free will. Otherwise, they may as well be molded.

This I'm still a little iffy on, in terms of the rules. I could debate that the only reason Eveline's control on Mia is somewhat loose is because Eveline wants her to come around voluntarily -- that Mia's random outbursts are an unintended side effect of this.

I also don't think necessarily that the memory wiping is some random thing. Yes, she wants Mia to remember that moment when she said she'd be Eveline's mommy. But I doubt she wants Mia to also recall years of imprisonment, or more than a dozen murders at the hands of the Bakers; that would be detrimental to her plans of playing house. Perhaps Eveline's attempts to manipulate Mia's mind, while still allowing some emotion for the motherly instincts Eveline so wishes to evoke, are what's led to Mia's fractured and unstable state. Eveline's messing around with her too much, instead of either just exerting control, or turning her into mold. So Mia's perhaps stuck in a weird limbo, half-controlled and losing her marbles.

It also occurred to me that during her VHS escape attempt, and on the ship before she regains her memory, she's unable to carry any items. She can even examine the flamethrower grip on the VHS, but can't take it. I could just be overthinking the gameplay. However it's interesting that once she refuses Eveline, and Eveline gives up on her, Mia is suddenly able to arm herself. It could definitely just be her memories coming back. But physical skills tend not to be impacted by amnesia. It made me wonder whether she was in fact restricted from actually acting on violent urges that would harm Eveline herself, instead causing trouble mostly for the Bakers.

The same file I mentioned before clearly shows the writer thanking someone for the substance that broke Eveline's control over him and that she was unaware of that. They write "Thanks to you guys it's been about a week since my head's been clear and back to normal. And she STILL thinks she's got me!". This is dated January 16, 2015. So whoever wrote that has been free of Eveline's control for at least 2 and half years by the time the game rolls around.

I must've been sleepy, because I didn't absorb this part of the note. Are you sure it's the same file as the one before? I know I missed a few, but I do recognize the earlier part you mentioned about locking up Mia. It's possible I just didn't absorb the whole thing. I had a couple late nights playing this game!

It's my pleasure, this is what I write in message boards for. Too bad not that many games with cool sci-fi mysteries are launching every month.

Amen to that. While tiding myself over for RE7, I was actually just enjoying Quantum Break -- I realized only a couple weeks ago that it was out on Steam for Windows 7. Alan Wake was one of my favorite games of last generation, and while I would've liked a sequel, Remedy's knack for engrossing sci-fi storytelling is as good as ever with QB.

Now, to wait for my next sci-fi fix, Mass Effect: Andromeda! :-D

 

[mf.luder]

I wish I was more familiar with the RE series, I'll have to dive into the lore a little bit more.

Enjoyed this game, definitely can't wait for play through 2. I wish I had a bigger backpack!

 

[Rean]

Yeah, Ethan being related to umbrella makes his lack of reactions to the molded make sense.

He really only comments on margarite's transformation in the Old House. She's throwing bugs at you and even melts in a hole after she falls into it, but Ethan doesn't say anything until he sees her spider like shadow in the tunnel and he goes "What the fuck? That's special."

 

[dbl219]

Yeah, Ethan being related to umbrella makes his lack of reactions to the molded make sense.

He really only comments on margarite's transformation in the Old House. She's throwing bugs at you and even melts in a hole after she falls into it, but Ethan doesn't say anything until he sees her spider like shadow in the tunnel and he goes "What the fuck? That's special."

Yeah, I laughed out loud at that one. It seemed more like an offhand comment on the uniqueness of her mutation, rather than any real surprise at the overall massive amounts of weirdness he's surrounded by.

 

[BumperLips]

Anyone else find it interesting that out of all the characters, Jack seemed the most sympathetic towards Eveline? Since he said that he understands that all she wants is a family.

 

[Wezzulus]

Anyone else find it interesting that out of all the characters, Jack seemed the most sympathetic towards Eveline? Since he said that he understands that all she wants is a family.

Probably because Jack's a family man.

 

[Razgriz-Specter]

That moment when it is Chris and he turned heel.

Killed off his own sister, maybe even Sheva.

 

[BumperLips]

Probably because Jack's a family man.

True. Pretty obvious. I guess Margaruite would say the same had she been in the scene as well.

 

[DVCY201]

Anyone else find it interesting that out of all the characters, Jack seemed the most sympathetic towards Eveline? Since he said that he understands that all she wants is a family.

Welcome to the family, son. Dude calls everyone 'son', he's actually a nice guy

 

[beril]

? How did Mia come off like a Silent Hill character? I think her backstory is anyways she's working for the organization that made Eveline and was keeping it a secret from her husband she was some badass secret agent, but the bioweapon infected her and made her a literal mother figure.

Well the game starts off with you receiving a message from your supposedly dead wife and goes to find her. Comparisons to Silent Hill 2 are pretty inevitable. She also looks about as creepy as SH2 CG as well. But yes the similarities pretty much end there.

 

[Jake2by4]

Eveline will call to Jack and he will came. She'll answer him like he's the one, he's arms stretched out but when she's done. He'll be torn apart.

 

[Roni]

This I'm still a little iffy on, in terms of the rules. I could debate that the only reason Eveline's control on Mia is somewhat loose is because Eveline wants her to come around voluntarily -- that Mia's random outbursts are an unintended side effect of this.

I also don't think necessarily that the memory wiping is some random thing. Yes, she wants Mia to remember that moment when she said she'd be Eveline's mommy. But I doubt she wants Mia to also recall years of imprisonment, or more than a dozen murders at the hands of the Bakers; that would be detrimental to her plans of playing house. Perhaps Eveline's attempts to manipulate Mia's mind, while still allowing some emotion for the motherly instincts Eveline so wishes to evoke, are what's led to Mia's fractured and unstable state. Eveline's messing around with her too much, instead of either just exerting control, or turning her into mold. So Mia's perhaps stuck in a weird limbo, half-controlled and losing her marbles.

It also occurred to me that during her VHS escape attempt, and on the ship before she regains her memory, she's unable to carry any items. She can even examine the flamethrower grip on the VHS, but can't take it. I could just be overthinking the gameplay. However it's interesting that once she refuses Eveline, and Eveline gives up on her, Mia is suddenly able to arm herself. It could definitely just be her memories coming back. But physical skills tend not to be impacted by amnesia. It made me wonder whether she was in fact restricted from actually acting on violent urges that would harm Eveline herself, instead causing trouble mostly for the Bakers.

I don't feel like I have enough to speculate on how she was breaking Eveline's control. If that was a side effect from the freedom she wanted Mia to have or not. But given Ethan's presence and his interaction with Eveline's mental control. I'm inclined to say the early stages must be pretty mild for anyone. Mild enough Ethan could see and hear Eveline towards the middle of the game, but she couldn't coerce him into doing anything. Mentally weak individuals fall prey to her complete control under prolonged exposure to her influence - Jack & Marguerite - while stronger individuals may be able to occasionally break control completely - Mia - and the strongest may be able to resist her completely, but at the cost of not being able to function properly: feeling dizzy all the time, hazy or even suffering severe headaches - Zoe.

At the very end, she could perhaps mess with Ethan's sense of space and time in pretty significant ways, given we experienced our approach towards Eveline as her trying to blast us away using some sort of telekinesis in the Guest House attic. I'm even convinced that with enough time, Ethan would've become just like Mia: having only momentary glimpses into reality before Eveline's grip tightened for another unknown amount of time.

Another detail that is perhaps worth noting in terms of the infection's progression, and this even ties to Mia's bedridden hypothesis, is that there are levels to the infection and its apparent effects: Jack can completely regenerate his brain from a headshot wound in minutes, his skin can be completely reconstructed from severe burns, gunshot wounds are something that can stop him given enough punishment, but don't matter in the long run. All the while, Ethan's stapled wrist is left with an exposed scar all night and his hand while functional doesn't seem to feel pain.

But then again, we might just be looking too closely at the gameplay for narrative answers.

I must've been sleepy, because I didn't absorb this part of the note. Are you sure it's the same file as the one before? I know I missed a few, but I do recognize the earlier part you mentioned about locking up Mia. It's possible I just didn't absorb the whole thing. I had a couple late nights playing this game!

Yeah, I stopped playing once because of that. I was too sleepy and didn't want to just rush through stuff. You can check the file I mention in this video: https://youtu.be/4Ln9-AY3keI?t=25m57s

I added the timestamp so you can just drop and watch it. It's File #28 - Email Log. I missed two files in my playthrough. But barring some next level shit I missed, I found this file to be the most important in the entire game.

 

[Razgriz-Specter]

that is Chris and he just turned evil after Carla's extreme trolling. He's a hero no more.

Chris potentially mentally fucked up 3 maybe 4 mainline games in a row ain't fun Capcom.
6 was already stupid enough in that aspect.

 

[galvenize]

I like what I'm reading here. Hope someone makes a video that goes in depth on the lore.

 

[TRUE ORDER]

Great post dbl219!
Didn't remember at all that file mentioning those Umbrella workers

 

[Razgriz-Specter]

I really wonder if "Not a Hero" will connect with Vendetta at all considering they both release in May.

 

[BumperLips]

Oh has anyone been able to fill the blanks in the documents in the lab? Can't find pics of the original ones to try and figure it out.

 

[Lucent]

I'm on the ship and I was wondering...do I see Lucas again? Seemed like he ran away before I saved Zoe and Mia and fought Jack. Was hoping I could see him in a transformed state.

Edit: Read up on a wiki. Guess not. Guess he'll show up in DLC or something. Lame.

 

[Hours Left]

Agreed, it's HUNK. See the comparison photo here:

He has HUNK's four known signatures: wears a gas mask, rides in an Umbrella chopper, engages in Umbrella's B.O.W. disposal and clean-up, and has light-colored hair and stubble. Another thing worth noting is that HUNK appeared in the Raid mode of RE: Revelations, and as one of three starting characters in RE: Mercenaries 3D, both games directed by Koshi Nakanishi, who also directed Resident Evil 7.

It also explains why the DLC starring "Redfield" is titled, "Not A Hero." Because in all likelihood he's not Chris Redfield, he's HUNK, Umbrella's wetworks man.

HUNK is presumably using Redfield's name and international reputation with anti-B.O.W. forces to lull Ethan into a false sense of security. We know that Ethan has weapons, engineering, and biochemistry training, based on his gun proficiency and ability to manufacture meds and ballistic ordnance. And we know that he mistrusts B.O.W. research because Mia had to lie to him about taking a B.O.W.-related gig. Yet he was still okay with her taking a gig that involved extended travel by ship, "babysitting" a mysterious VIP -- not a normal job by any means.

All signs point to Ethan Winters being "Ethan W. - Deceased" -- a Level 9 Umbrella scientist who was supposed to have been killed by Wesker during the Spencer purge, but who may have faked his death. This would explain both his lack of concern over B.O.W. monstrostities, and his fixation on Mia explaining her lies to him, rather than providing an explanation of what the crap is actually happening on this crazy plantation. It's why he says, "Took you long enough," when Umbrella shows up at the end.

It explains too why the Umbrella operatives talking on the radio seem to know exactly who Ethan is, and the risks he poses. Some players have proposed they're talking about Lucas, but if so, why not the same "shoot on sight" order as Eveline? Another user pointed out that Lucas may be a company collaborator, but it doesn't explain the deliberately ambiguous references to "him," rather than calling Lucas Baker out by name. They also say this person has been in touch with "you know who." Is this referring to Lucas being in touch with a rival B.O.W. company? Or does it relate to Ethan's phone call at the beginning of the game, perhaps to an Umbrella higher-up who prefers to go unnamed? It might be intentional that you can interpret it either way.

We can infer, too, that Ethan's previous experience and/or exposure to B.O.W. research could be the reason that he alone can resist Eveline's mental coercion. He's clearly infected by the E-series, yet neither he, "Redfield," or Mia seem concerned. Even Eveline seems to recognize this -- she instructed Mia to kill Ethan outright during their initial encounter in the guest house, and later went so far as to imprison him in a molded near-death state, where his mind remained lucid and safe, talking to the Bakers, even though Eveline claimed to Mia that he was dead. Maybe Eveline even thought he was. But ultimately, Ethan was able to escape the mold, which as we saw, turned members of the ship's crew into Molded B.O.W.s rather quickly. Then, he was also able to brush off Eveline's hallucinations and inject her quite easily with the Necrotoxin-E. She could neither kill, nor control him with her E-series infection.

In this light, the ending takes on a whole new meaning. Umbrella has been reformed, under new leadership, and they're bringing two former assets back into the fold. My personal theory is that Mia was an Umbrella freelancer or former employee, not quite so high-tier as Ethan, which is why he may have been intentionally or unintentionally exposed to whatever agent made him immune to Eveline, while Mia wasn't.

I also believe Umbrella is likely where they met, which explains their mutual familiarity with B.O.W.s. This is also why a B.O.W. company would contact her to work on a freelance basis transporting the E-series host. When Umbrella started up again without Spencer and Wesker -- presumably sometime after the obliteration of Neo Umbrella in 2012, and before the completion of the E-series in 2014 -- Mia decided she could take the risk. She lied to Ethan, who still refused to trust Umbrella and presumably B.O.W. research in general, and went to work another B.O.W. mission. I'm still not clear whether it was Umbrella or a rival company that developed the E-series, but it's clearly at Umbrella that Ethan has a connection, as evinced by his dialogue and reactions. He and Mia don't even question why they would show up, despite the Umbrella name being connected with scandal and disgrace.

And now, the two of them are wrapped up in Umbrella's clutches once again. That's how I see it, at least. I believe Ethan was probably on the phone with Umbrella at the very beginning, desperate enough to reach out to his old employer for backup, now that the guys at the top who wanted him dead are six feet under. Sure adds context to that, "Took you long enough" at the end, right?

A+++

 

[Anung]

I'm on the ship and I was wondering...do I see Lucas again? Seemed like he ran away before I saved Zoe and Mia and fought Jack. Was hoping I could see him in a transformed state.

Edit: Read up on a wiki. Guess not. Guess he'll show up in DLC or something. Lame.

I thought that thing was Lucas. Guess I was wrong. They must be saving it for DLC or something. Maybe Hunk Chris will bump into his BOW form.

 

[Shredderi]

Jesus what a ride. Overall a very good game and the best RE since RE4. I have so many questions. I think it's pretty clear that should the game perform well enough, capcom laid out the groundwork for the next RE game both in terms of style and story/setting/characters. I don't think this is the last we'll hear of Ethan's misadventures.

 

[luulubuu]

Agreed, it's HUNK. See the comparison photo here:

He has HUNK's four known signatures: wears a gas mask, rides in an Umbrella chopper, engages in Umbrella's B.O.W. disposal and clean-up, and has light-colored hair and stubble. Another thing worth noting is that HUNK appeared in the Raid mode of RE: Revelations, and as one of three starting characters in RE: Mercenaries 3D, both games directed by Koshi Nakanishi, who also directed Resident Evil 7.

It also explains why the DLC starring "Redfield" is titled, "Not A Hero." Because in all likelihood he's not Chris Redfield, he's HUNK, Umbrella's wetworks man.

HUNK is presumably using Redfield's name and international reputation with anti-B.O.W. forces to lull Ethan into a false sense of security. We know that Ethan has weapons, engineering, and biochemistry training, based on his gun proficiency and ability to manufacture meds and ballistic ordnance. And we know that he mistrusts B.O.W. research because Mia had to lie to him about taking a B.O.W.-related gig. Yet he was still okay with her taking a gig that involved extended travel by ship, "babysitting" a mysterious VIP -- not a normal job by any means.

All signs point to Ethan Winters being "Ethan W. - Deceased" -- a Level 9 Umbrella scientist who was supposed to have been killed by Wesker during the Spencer purge, but who may have faked his death. This would explain both his lack of concern over B.O.W. monstrostities, and his fixation on Mia explaining her lies to him, rather than providing an explanation of what the crap is actually happening on this crazy plantation. It's why he says, "Took you long enough," when Umbrella shows up at the end.

It explains too why the Umbrella operatives talking on the radio seem to know exactly who Ethan is, and the risks he poses. Some players have proposed they're talking about Lucas, but if so, why not the same "shoot on sight" order as Eveline? Another user pointed out that Lucas may be a company collaborator, but it doesn't explain the deliberately ambiguous references to "him," rather than calling Lucas Baker out by name. They also say this person has been in touch with "you know who." Is this referring to Lucas being in touch with a rival B.O.W. company? Or does it relate to Ethan's phone call at the beginning of the game, perhaps to an Umbrella higher-up who prefers to go unnamed? It might be intentional that you can interpret it either way.

We can infer, too, that Ethan's previous experience and/or exposure to B.O.W. research could be the reason that he alone can resist Eveline's mental coercion. He's clearly infected by the E-series, yet neither he, "Redfield," or Mia seem concerned. Even Eveline seems to recognize this -- she instructed Mia to kill Ethan outright during their initial encounter in the guest house, and later went so far as to imprison him in a molded near-death state, where his mind remained lucid and safe, talking to the Bakers, even though Eveline claimed to Mia that he was dead. Maybe Eveline even thought he was. But ultimately, Ethan was able to escape the mold, which as we saw, turned members of the ship's crew into Molded B.O.W.s rather quickly. Then, he was also able to brush off Eveline's hallucinations and inject her quite easily with the Necrotoxin-E. She could neither kill, nor control him with her E-series infection.

In this light, the ending takes on a whole new meaning. Umbrella has been reformed, under new leadership, and they're bringing two former assets back into the fold. My personal theory is that Mia was an Umbrella freelancer or former employee, not quite so high-tier as Ethan, which is why he may have been intentionally or unintentionally exposed to whatever agent made him immune to Eveline, while Mia wasn't.

I also believe Umbrella is likely where they met, which explains their mutual familiarity with B.O.W.s. This is also why a B.O.W. company would contact her to work on a freelance basis transporting the E-series host. When Umbrella started up again without Spencer and Wesker -- presumably sometime after the obliteration of Neo Umbrella in 2012, and before the completion of the E-series in 2014 -- Mia decided she could take the risk. She lied to Ethan, who still refused to trust Umbrella and presumably B.O.W. research in general, and went to work another B.O.W. mission. I'm still not clear whether it was Umbrella or a rival company that developed the E-series, but it's clearly at Umbrella that Ethan has a connection, as evinced by his dialogue and reactions. He and Mia don't even question why they would show up, despite the Umbrella name being connected with scandal and disgrace.

And now, the two of them are wrapped up in Umbrella's clutches once again. That's how I see it, at least. I believe Ethan was probably on the phone with Umbrella at the very beginning, desperate enough to reach out to his old employer for backup, now that the guys at the top who wanted him dead are six feet under. Sure adds context to that, "Took you long enough" at the end, right?

Love this theory. Hope we can get more clues in the future.

Is a DLC coming regarding this? You mention "Not a Hero" is that part of the Season Pass?

 

[duder92]

So I beat it on normal, with not much troubles. Decided to start another run on Madhouse mode, and man, I can't even get past the Mia fight in the attic. I can get off a few headshots, but I just cant keep her off of me.

Any tips?

If I'm having this much trouble, should I even bother trying to push through this?

I dont mind difficult, but I just feel like I dont have the maneuverability to avoid her attacks

 

[Astral]

Good thing this thread exists otherwise the ending would've made no sense. There's no way that's Chris. I know Capcom likes to fuck with his appearance but this guy doesn't even remotely resemble Chris. He's not even swole. Assuming this is HUNK and Ethan is a former Umbrella employee, I just have one question.

What happened to Lucas and who's side was he on? I'm convinced that the creator of the E-series wasn't Umbrella but some unknown competitor. Is this competitor the receiver of that email Lucas sent? If not then who is? I was also convinced that the abomination at the end was Lucas but then I remembered that he said he wasn't infected or at the very least not under Evelin's control. Are we absolutely positive that that thing in the end was Jack? I thought it was said in a file that if injected with a serum after being too far gone, you die.

I guess that's more than one question.

 

[Blunoise]

That guy is not Chris. Didn't y'all know a new moviesnis coming out with Leon and chris. Probably the same time as this game begins.

https://youtu.be/Fs5g-l0Bcss

 

[adamsapple]

God damn ! spoiler thread already 37 pages long :O

Just finished it. Agreed with people on this page, "redfield" definitely is not Chris. It's good this game seems to have a healthy number of DLC contents coming, a lot of niggling questions which I hope they answer.

I'd like to see more on Mia as well. What her deal was.

 

[KyleCross]

As bad as Jill's redesign was, she still looked like Jill in ORC and Revelations.

No, she didn't. How can you honestly think that?

 

[dbl219]

Yeah, I stopped playing once because of that. I was too sleepy and didn't want to just rush through stuff. You can check the file I mention in this video: https://youtu.be/4Ln9-AY3keI?t=25m57s

I added the timestamp so you can just drop and watch it. It's File #28 - Email Log. I missed two files in my playthrough. But barring some next level shit I missed, I found this file to be the most important in the entire game.

Thanks very much! It's been great talking with you, many excellent points for me to digest.

 

[erlim]

That moment when it is Chris and he turned heel.

Killed off his own sister, maybe even Sheva.

Yeah 'Not a Hero' is him unceremoniously killing Jill, Barry, Claire, and Sheva.

That guy is not Chris. Didn't y'all know a new moviesnis coming out with Leon and chris. Probably the same time as this game begins.

https://youtu.be/Fs5g-l0Bcss

Vendetta takes place before RE7, and lots and lots of people have pointed out that the CG Movie team and game development team had absolutely no contact.

 

[Sinatar]

Yeah Eveline's boss fight is a total Carla boss fight from RE6 ripoff. Speaking of which, that is Chris and he just turned evil after Carla's extreme trolling. He's a hero no more.

Feels more like yet another Evil Dead reference, especially the first part of the fight where you're shooting the giant face in the attic.

 

[Blunoise]

Yeah 'Not a Hero' is him unceremoniously killing Jill, Barry, Claire, and Sheva.



Vendetta takes place before RE7, and lots and lots of people have pointed out that the CG Movie team and game development team had absolutely no contact.

Oh that sucks. But still can't be no way that guy is Chris, and he lost all his muscle mass in four years

 

[Åesop]

So I beat it on normal, with not much troubles. Decided to start another run on Madhouse mode, and man, I can't even get past the Mia fight in the attic. I can get off a few headshots, but I just cant keep her off of me.

Any tips?

If I'm having this much trouble, should I even bother trying to push through this?

I dont mind difficult, but I just feel like I dont have the maneuverability to avoid her attacks

Do you even block?

 

[dbl219]

Love this theory. Hope we can get more clues in the future.

Is a DLC coming regarding this? You mention "Not a Hero" is that part of the Season Pass?

Yeah, it's actually a free DLC, I believe, coming this Spring. The concept art depicts the title, "Not A Hero," as well as an image of "Redfield" appearing to grimace, growl, or shout -- a rather angry expression.

Interestingly, you can also see a partly transparent figure beside him, dressed in identical tactical gear, but clearly wearing a gas mask. If it's not HUNK, they're at least giving him a nod.

 

[erlim]

That's because they used this guy for the likeness.

Resident Evil doesn't base likenesses on the VA like a lot of games do.

The guy they based his likeness on isn't that far off from the look of RE5, 6, Revelaitons, and Vendetta Chris. I mean the real live-action guy has more of an air about him than the way his in-game model turned out.

edit:

What game is this from:

 

[SlasherJPC]

Yeah, it's actually a free DLC, I believe, coming this Spring. The concept art depicts the title, "Not A Hero," as well as an image of "Redfield" appearing to grimace, growl, or shout -- a rather angry expression.

Interestingly, you can also see a partly transparent figure beside him, dressed in identical tactical gear, but clearly wearing a gas mask. If it's not HUNK, they're at least giving him a nod.

My guess is we play as him, motives are revealed, and it has nothing to do with trying to save anyone. Not a hero indeed? Also why do I get the feeling Jack will make a return maybe in that dlc? Notice he doesn't break when calcified like everyone else.

 

[dbl219]

edit:

What game is this from:

Resident Evil 5.

 

[Anung]

It'll be weird if all the follow up DLC fills in the blanks in this game in such an episodic manner. Hopefully they'll save some questions for a sequel. I definitely need to know what happened to Lucas though.

I loved how Shibito-esque Marguerite's BOW form was.

 

[FireVoa]

1. Doesn't look like Chris.
2. Doesn't sound like Chris.
3. Introduces himself as just Redfield. Not bothering to add his first name being Chris.
4. Arrives on clean up duty mission on a Umbrella helicopter.

Conclusion: Actual Chris Redfield is still very much a member of the BSAA and this is just someone using an alias, most likely Hunk who actually does work for Umbrella and does actually clean up BOW messes.

 

[SargerusBR]

Come to think of it, the option to cure either Zoe or Mia is a fucking waste of time because if you cure Zoe she gets killed 3 minutes later and if you cure Mia she gets infected again.

 

[Jake2by4]

Come to think of it, the option to cure either Zoe or Mia is a waste because if you cure Zoe she gets killed 3 minutes later and if you cure Mia she gets infected again.

My thing is how was Zoe killed so quickly if she was cured of the Eveline gift.