8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Live the horror in the original that started it all!, December 27, 2005
= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
This review is from: Resident Evil (Video Game)
The Resident Evil series has been one of the most successful game franchises of the past decade, resulting in numerous sequels and re-makes of older installments in the series, as well as spawning two motion pictures. But this is the one that gave birth to not only a new game franchise, but a new genre as well.
Although the survival horror genre has all but disappeared today, in the late 1990s it was one of the top genres in the gaming business. Players assumed the role of a hero lurking about an eerie, creepy environment battling supernatural and superhuman entities. The trademark of survival horror was its intention to scare the living hell out of the player (much like a horror film).
If you've never played this original, I strongly suggest you do so. But make sure you first wait until the middle of the night and turn out all the lights in your room except for the TV...by the end of the first cutscene you may no longer have clean pants! That's how scary this game was when it was first released to unsuspecting fans a decade ago.
Following a string of bizarre incidents and disappearances on the outskirts of Raccoon City, the BRAVO police unit is sent to investigate. Things quickly go wrong however, and four members of the unit seek refuge in a creepy-looking mansion on the edge of the woods (sound familiar?). Now they must find out what the hell is going on.
You play as either Jill Valentine or Chris Redfield, blasting zombies and other undead enemies while exploring the mansion. The pre-rendered background graphics and dramatic shifts in camera angles heighten the suspense that rival Alfred Hitchcock films. You always have the fear that something deadly is waiting for you in the next room.
The plot and gameplay experience are outstanding and the graphics aren't that bad either (considering that this title is now ten years old). But the best part of RE is the mysterious, frightening mood that is conveyed while playing. There are some moments that will scare the living hell out of you!
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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Where it all started...., July 15, 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: Resident Evil (Video Game)
This game... what can't I say about this game: great graphics (for the time), suspense, moments of surprise and terror, and the best storyline in videogame history. Resident Evil is responsible for starting the videogame genre now known as Survival Horror. This game was truly revolutionary when it arrived on the Playstation in 1996. The set 2-Dimensional backgrounds with 3-D characters were the first of their kind. For the game itself you get to play as either male lead Chris Redfield (brother of Claire from Resident Evil 2) or the female lead Jill Valentine. Both have branching storylines that are quite different and challenging. Most people assume this game to be a shoot 'em up, but couldn't be farther from the truth. Ammo conservation, puzzle solving, and quick reactions are necessary to get to the heart of the resident evil that presides in a mansion that is literally overrun with genetically mutated monster. I gave this game 5 stars because the rating system asked "How much fun is this game?" I would have rated the game 3, but based on pure fun it deserves 5+. There are several drawbacks to buying this version of the game, though, and not the Director's Cut. The Director's Cut has 3 difficulty settings (this version has 1). In the arranged mode, the game plays with new camera angles that sometimes make seeing the zombies and monsters easier. This game is the best, but buy the Director's Cut if you want to own this title.
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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Where it all began, July 19, 2003
This review is from: Resident Evil (Video Game)
In the mid-nineties (I forget the exact year), Capcom turned the video game world on it's ear with Resident Evil; a game which at the time was nothing like anyone else had ever seen before. What many condider the first survival horror game (although the original Alone in the Dark can be considered that as well), you play as either Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine: both of whom are members of S.T.A.R.S.; an elite special forces group who are investigating a series of murders and attacks in Raccoon City. They are led towards a mysterious mansion in the outskirts of the city and are sent in when the first team sent in is never heard from again. Inside the mansion you are pitted against a horde of zombies, mutated dogs, beasts called hunters, and many more mutated lifeforms all straight out of a B rated horror movie. What made the game so fun and addicting was the suspense (remember the part where everything is quiet and your walking down the hallway when out of nowhere the dogs come bursting through the window?) and the graphics engine which combined fully 3-D models of the characters and beautifully pre-rendered backgrounds. While the "find the key to unlock the door" puzzles are tried and true (especially by today's standards), this original installment in the Resident Evil series is still loads of fun to play, and if you've never played it before than you should consider this essential playing.
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