Post by D on Aug 10, 2006 2:50:41 GMT -5
Background
Richard Aiken was Bravo Team's back-up man. He excelled not only in combat tactics, but also in communications. He was a cheerful and openhearted member of S.T.A.R.S., who was always helpful to the more recent members and was supporting of Rebecca on her first mission. He also preferred to wield a formidable custom assault shotgun that he personally modified to more suitably fit the S.T.A.R.S. team's unique operational situations.
During the mansion incident, he was poisoned in an attack by the B.O.W. "Yawn", and was tended by Bravo Team's medical officer, Rebecca Chambers, until the arrival of Alpha Team. Alpha's members fought through the mansion desperately searching for a suitable antidote to the highly toxic venom coursing through Richard's veins. Their efforts proved successful and they delivered the serum to him in time to neutralize the effects of the B.O.W.'s venom. In gratitude, he gave the team his tactical radio, which they later used to receive incoming transmissions from the team's pilot, Brad. However, Richard himself did not live to escape the mansion.
Richard is one of the most prominent and memorable minor characters of Bravo Team due to the way his death changes between versions of the first game. In the original Resident Evil release, Richard dies regardless of whether the serum is delivered to him on time or not (in Chris' scenario, he is already dead if the player has already met Rebecca in the Medicine Room). In the GameCube remake, his life can be prolonged if he's given the serum. He manages to survive further into the game until the story reaches a certain point, where he is given a more heroic death. In Jill's scenario, he helps her fight the Yawn, only to push her aside and be swallowed by the creature as it lunges towards her. In Chris' scenario, he is killed by Neptune, an infected shark (pushing Chris Redfield out of the creature's path), in the underground Aqua Ring when he sees the creature surfacing to attack the unexpecting Chris. At this point, the player can obtain Richard's customized Remington M870 Tactical shotgun. With its higher load capacity (up to ten rounds) and greater firepower, it's a preferable alternative to the standard shotgun.
In the "Rebirth Mode" featured in Deadly Silence (the Nintendo DS version of the game), instead of delivering a Serum to Richard, the player has the choice of giving CPR (by blowing into the microphone) to Richard. He ends up dying anyway, but not before revealing an alternate solution to the clock puzzle in the dining room. After solving the initial puzzle, if the player checks the clock once again and enters the time given by Richard, additional shotgun shells will be dropped from the ceiling to pick up.
Also in Deadly Silence, Richard is an unlockable character in the game's wireless multiplayer mode. The player can unlock Richard by completing all three stages in the Competitive Mode. His specializes in using wide-range weapons such as the shotgun.