I played on: PS1
I paid: ???
Available on: PS1, Saturn, PC
Notes: This is a review for the original version of this game, not
the Director's cut, DS remake or Gamecube remake. You can find my
reviews for those games here.
Resident Evil was groundbreaking back in 1996 but in 2020 and beyond
this original version has been surpassed a number of times.
This was the original and classic Resident Evil game, and one of
Survival Horror's early hits. You play as Raccoon City's elite police
squad known as the S.T.A.R.S. After the Bravo team fails to report in
while investigating several nasty murders your team is sent in to
find them. This leaves you cut off and alone in a mansion full of
traps and monsters. Honestly, this story is a classic by now so the
odds are you know what it's about. Spooky house, a secret lab, double
agent and so on. The infamous voice acting is just as enjoyable today
as it ever has been. While it's no doubt awful it does carry a
certain B-Movie charm to it. I love it and play this version
just for the cutscenes alone.
Outside of the story, the gameplay has you exploring the mansion and
its grounds solving puzzles, finding keys and when you have the ammo
to spare taking on Umbrella's pets. This is the OG version of the
founding game though and it shows. The Director's Cut that came out
just a year later would introduce difficulty modes and a lock-on system
for aiming. This version is also available on the go with both the PSP
and PSVita. Then Deadly Silence on the DS would introduce quick
turning, as well as the ability to have your map and health displayed
at all times on the second screen. This is not even mentioning the
Gamecube remake that brought in all-new graphics, enemies, defense
weapons, new voice work and so much more. The HD version of the
Gamecube remake then introduced modern controls and a 16:9 aspect
ratio. With this version now available on the Switch, you can even play
the HD Remake on the go. That leaves this PS1 version feeling awfully far behind and dated next to the number of remakes and ports.
Ultimately Resident Evil is a great game, it's an absolute classic
that I love to bits but this original version is by far the worst way
to experience it now. Any and all fans of horror gaming need to play
this game but maybe not this version of this game. I would recommend
either the Director's Cut on the PSP, PS3 or PSVita or Deadly Silence
on the DS. This way you get all the joys and comforts that the series
introduced in later sequels as well as the comically awful
cutscenes. Unless you're a massive fan of the series or retro gaming
this original 1996 version isn't really worth playing anymore. I'm
giving it a 6 out of 10 because although it's the most dated
incarnation of this classic the brilliance is still there. But at the same time, there are better ways to play this now.
Recommendation Rating: 6 out of 10.
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