Resident Evil is the game that defined the Survival Horror genre, though it was not the one that started it, it refined on what it’s predecessors had created and made it into something grand. The basic idea in Resident Evil is you are put against overwhelming odds, facing terrible monsters with almost nothing to defend yourself with. Sound like any fun to you? Then read on…
GFX
Almost a decade has passed since Resident Evil was first released on the PSOne, or just Playstation at that time. Back then the graphics were nothing short of fantastic. The pre-rendered backdrops were something straight out of a movie as well as the character and enemy models. Surely the game’s shock value would not have been as great as it was if it had not looked as good.
SOUND
Resident Evil’s music and sound effects department was in order. The musics do a great job of setting up a great horror-like atmosphere. All of the sound effects, from weapons to enemies are also well done, the shotgun blasts like it ought to and the zombies moan in their rightful way. Resident Evil also features voice acting which is the game’s weakest link. Characters that speak make it easier to identify with the cast but with the quality of the spoken dialogue in Resident Evil really makes you wonder “What the heck was Capcom thinking?”. Not only is the dialogue clumsy, badly written and cheesy it’s also really badly acted by whoever spoke it. Luckily there isn’t much of it. What the game does better than any game out there is give you these Boo!- type scares which is creates by suddenly throwing an enemy at you from an unexpected place and at the same time playing an intense, panicky music. This is one of the things that makes Resident Evil an unforgettable experience.
STORY
In Resident Evil, you play as a member of the S.T.A.R.S (Special Tactics And Rescue Service) Alpha Team, a specialist group within the Raccon City Police Department, sent in to the Raccoon Mountains to investigate the sudden disappearance of their fellow Bravo Team. After a series of events the Alpha team is forced to look shelter within a mansion, in which the gameplay takes place. Resident Evil opens up it’s plot in the forms of scattered memos and letters of the inhabitants of the mansion. The plot has it all, it has a little bit of drama, betrayal and maybe even a slight amount of love in it, but mostly it revolves around science fiction and horror. It is stereotypical in a way but the way Resident Evil delivers it just makes up for it. The story really supports the great gameplay of Resident Evil.
CONCLUSION
Resident Evil is the game that started it all and is pretty much unequalled by any other survival horror game out there and definetely a game that everyone should even try even if survival horror games aren’t your thing. Capcom also noticed this and by this day Resident Evil has spawned numerous sequels and side-games and even a Remake of this original. This is the game that started it all and the game that defined survival horror. Any self-respecting gamer should have a go with this and enjoy the finest piece of survival horror gaming.
