Resident Evil Review! Where the Evil Began…

Posted October 1, 2012 by MissValentine in

Rating

Graphics

Gameplay

Sound

Replayability

Total Score

Overview:

Pros:

High replayability, unlockables, solid story.

Cons:

Sticky controls, annoying camera angles.

In preparations for Resident Evil 6, we take a look at where it all began, Resident Evil. It was the game that introduced the world to true survival horror. Zombies and other mutant enemies inhabit the famous Spencer mansion. What will it take to survive the absolute terror that is Resident Evil?

by MissValentine

Full Article

Resident Evil is a game that surprised everyone with how different it was. At the time, there really was no other game like it and it definitely set the pace for survival horror. Resident Evil is a name that continues on even to today. The franchise may have strayed but this was the game that stamped its mark on video game history. Mysteries unraveled, traitors were exposed, and chills down the spine were certainly given with this classic game.

Story:

Resident Evil takes place in the fictional town of Raccoon City, in a remote mansion outside the city limits. The S.T.A.R.S. Alpha team (that’s Special Tactics and Rescue Squad) is sent to the surrounding woods of the mansion via helicopter to look for the recently missing Bravo team. Things immediately take a turn for the worst when they find a gun with a severed hand attached. When this discovery unveils, the team is suddenly attacked by vicious dogs. As they try to run back to the helicopter, the pilot takes off leaving the team stranded. The teams runs and runs until they come across what looks like an abandoned house. As a last resort, they hole themselves inside the house to escape. While inside the mansion, they start investigating and it isn’t long before the S.T.A.R.S. team realizes that there are just as many bloodcurdling forces inside the house as there were outside.

Gameplay:

This game has two playable characters: Jill Valentine or Chris Redfield. Each of these characters encounters the story differently, with them teaming up with different people at different places to unlock the secrecy behind the mansion. You’d think the gameplay of this game would be simple: kill anything that moves but for the more casual gamer, this is difficult. This game isn’t called survival horror for no reason. Ammo and health items have to be conserved and strategically used. For a first playthough, this tactic is pretty hard just because you really don’t know what is going to happen next. After various playthroughs, you get the hang of knowing when and where to use healing items and ammunition. This game also offers Arranged mode (something that wasn’t included in the original cut) that offers different camera angles and both re-scattered items and enemies to increase difficulty. For even more difficulty and for veteran Resident Evil players, the Director’s Cut also offers Advanced mode. More enemies are added while the hits able to be taken is reduced to anywhere between 2 to 4 hits, depending on the enemy. Despite the added difficulty, this game on easy or normal can still be a challenge to casual gamers. Inventory slots are limited and puzzles keep some objects hidden so that the player will have to put their thinking caps on. As an added bonus, beating the game under certain stipulations will unlock costumes or weapons.

Graphics:

By today’s standards, the graphics of this game really aren’t anything to sneeze at but at the time, these graphics were just totally remarkable. There was always this creepy, eerie feel to the entire game because of how mysterious the mansion looked. The characters look very blocky but it didn’t weigh down the game at all. Another thing is the sequences for moving between rooms. You see short cinematics of doors open, walking up and down stairs, and descending ladders. What really enhanced the game was the gore. There’s just something about heads being blown off and flesh being munched on that makes this game both terrifying and fun at the same time. It’s satisfying seeing zombie heads blown off with a shotgun or punting the head of the zombie biting at your ankles. A lot of people have said that the camera angles partly diminish the value of the game because things blend in or they change too abruptly and that is definitely an annoyance to gamers who aren’t use to this kind of game. A cool added feature to the game is the live action scenes. It’s a little comical in the way that some of these actors were completely over-acting but it was something new that made the game stick out.

Sound:

Another thing this game is known for is the voice acting. It’s very clear that the voice acting of this game is over-dramatized. There’s emphasis in sentences that really don’t need them and there are some lines that are just laughable, like the most famous “You were almost a Jill sandwich!” I’m sure even back in the day, people were giggling at these cheesy one-liners which brought the seriousness of the game down. As for the music, it was really good for its time. All the areas you access in the game have bone chilling music to go along with it. The creaking of the door and stair cinematics also added to the scare factor.

Verdict:

Resident Evil is definitely a classic and has been one of my favorites for the longest time. This game can be hard to sell to people who have only played the recent Resident Evil games because this is so unlike what you see today. The graphics are dated but classic and the sounds still give me the willies today. The replayability of this game is high because of all the different difficulty levels and modes, plus the unlockable weapons and costumes. It’s safe to say that the scary world of Resident Evil not only propelled itself into the classic video game category but it kept us coming back for more each and every time.

(The score of reviews of classic games are based off of how the game was when it first came out)