Resident Evil games aren’t known for being kind, which makes streamer MattDaRoc’s feat of beating four of the series’ classic games in a row (in all of their various configurations and routes) without taking a single hit all the more impressive.
MattDaRoc has completed a “God Run,” which entails a player beating multiple games in a row without taking any damage. Getting hit in Resident Evil 2’s Claire-B run means restarting the sequence from the beginning in the previous game, wasting hours of playtime. These runs are grueling tests of skill that are made even more so by the high stakes.
Unsurprisingly, “No-Hit” runs of games are notoriously difficult. It’s one thing to avoid death; it’s quite another to avoid minor damage ticks, as anyone who has attempted to achieve a perfect ranking in a character action game like Bayonetta can attest. This is compounded when a game’s damage avoidance tools (such as blocks, dodges with invincibility frames, and parries) are severely limited, as they are in classic Resident Evil games.
MattDaRoc’s 15-hour journey through the Resident Evil series begins with Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, followed by four bespoke Resident Evil playthroughs, four Resident Evil 2 playthroughs, and a final run through Resident Evil: Code Veronica. Each game takes about an hour and a half to complete, with Code Veronica taking the longest at around two hours.
God Runs become as much about luck as they are about skill once they reach a certain level of difficulty. Getting a perfect ten-game streak is a huge accomplishment in and of itself, but unexpected or cheap hits can completely derail an otherwise flawless run, especially when they’re linked together like this. This is part of what makes MattDaRoc’s God Run so impressive; he not only plays these games with a rehearsed, surgical precision, but he also does so with an infectious amount of chill. Other God Runs I’ve seen have been tense, sweaty, and desperate, but he takes a calm approach to a horror game series. Even if he was hit during this 15-hour series of runs, I’m confident he’d just vibe his way back to the start.
MattDaRoc is no stranger to No-Hit runs, as evidenced by dozens of increasingly impressive playthroughs of various Resident Evil games, ranging from the classics to their recent remakes, on his YouTube channel. His devotion to the series is truly admirable, and his S-Rank, Inferno Difficulty Resident Evil 3 Remake playthrough is a thing of beauty.
