Resident Evil (video game)
| Resident Evil | |
| Missing image Re1.jpg North American boxart for Gamecube re-release. | |
| Developer(s) | Capcom |
| Publisher(s) | Capcom Virgin Interactive (EU) |
| Designer(s) | Shinji Mikami |
| Release date(s) | March 22, 1996 (JP) March 22, 1996 (NA) August 1, 1996 (EU) |
| Genre | Survival horror |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Mature (M) BBFC: 15 |
| Platform(s) | Sony PlayStation, Sega Saturn, PC; remade for the Nintendo GameCube. |
| Media | CD-ROM |
| Input | Controller |
Resident Evil (Japanese:バイオハザード, Biohazard) is a survival horror game produced by Capcom and is the inaugural title in the Resident Evil franchise. It was first released in 1996 for the Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn. While not the first survival horror game, its success propelled the genre to new heights of popularity.
| Contents |
Story
The original game opens on the evening of July 24 1998 in the fictional Raccoon City where a number of grisly murders have taken place on the outskirts of town. Victims were attacked in their homes by a group of assailants with evidence of cannibalism. Local law enforcement sends in the S.T.A.R.S. Bravo team. After contact is lost, the Alpha team is sent out to rescue Bravo team and to continue the investigation. Alpha team locates the downed Bravo chopper but there is no sign of survivors; only a severed hand is found. Alpha team is suddenly attacked by ferocious dogs and flees to nearby Spencer Mansion, believed to be abandoned.
Trapped inside the mansion, the four remaining Alpha team members (Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield, Barry Burton and Albert Wesker) split up and search the mansion for a way out and clues to explain the murders. At this point the player takes control of either Chris or Jill and explores the mansion with him or her. One of the first discoveries to be made is a member of Bravo team being eaten by a zombie. The mansion turns out to full of secrets as the mansion turns out to be anything but abandoned. Scattered documents and computer discs suggest that a series of experiments were being executed by the Umbrella Corporation on the property. The mysterious undead zombies and other monsters are the results of these experiments, having been exposed to a biological weapon known as the "T-Virus" (hence the Japanese title, "BioHazard").
After navigating through a series of tunnels, passageways, and other buildings on the property, Chris /Jill discovers a secret underground laboratory containing detailed records of the Umbrella Corporation's experiments. In the lab, Albert Wesker reveals that he is a double agent working for Umbrella and he releases the "Tyrant," a giant humanoid monster created through prolonged exposure to the T-Virus. Upon release, the Tyrant immediately impales Wesker on its elongated claws. Chris/Jill apparently slays the Tyrant using firearms and triggers a self-destruct program to ensure an end to the laboratory and the experiments held there. After signalling for a rescue chopper, the Tyrant bursts from the ground through the landing pad and attacks. Suddenly resistant to bullets, the Tyrant is finally slain when the chopper pilot drops a rocket launcher and Chris/Jill uses it to completely destroy the creature. Chris/Jill escapes into the chopper and the game ends.
The ending sequence varies depending on choices made by the player as he/she explores the mansion. So long as the player escapes with two teammates, the ending plays out as described above. Rescuing only one or none of your teammates changes the outcome, in particular the fate of the laboratory and the Tyrant.
Gameplay
The gameplay environment consist of polygonal 3D characters placed over prerendered 2D backgrounds. As such, the game relies on pre-determined camera angles for view of the action instead of a real-time camera like most games. As a result, the game uses a "tank-like" control scheme where the character controls in a first person matter. Instead of moving the character in the direction the player is pushing, the character moves towards by pressing up and backwards by pressing down and turns the character in a 360 degrees angle by pushing left or right. Many Resident Evil detractors have criticized this control scheme, claiming it's unsuitable for a third-person action game, but many fans defend it, arguing that a conventional third person control scheme wouldn't be very feasible considering the various camera angles.
The player fight against enemies by arming their character with a weapon. The player draws their weapon by holding down the "Weapon Draw" button (usually a shoulder button) and pressing "Fire". In the attack stance, the player character remains static in one place and can turn their character and/or tilt their weapon up or down. Initially, the only weapons available to the player is an M9 Bayonet and a Beretta M92F, but later in the game, more weapons become accessible to the player such as a Remington M870 and a Colt Python. Ammo for firearms is limited and is often recommended that the player save their strongest weapons against bosses.
The player must survive by fighting against the various monsters that are populating the mansion. The most common enemies in the game are zombies, who are slow-moving and easy to outrun, but hard to avoid in tight corners. During later portions of the game, the player must also fight against zombie dogs (known as "Cerberus"), Hunters, Chimeras and Web Spinners, as well as small enemies such as crows, wasps and adders. The player must also fight against bosses such as a giant snake (Yawn), a mutated plant (Plant 42) a giant spider (Black Tiger) and the Tyrant itself.
Health is restored by using first-aid sprays or healing herbs. Of the two, healing herbs are more common and restored a portion of the player's health, while first-aid sprays are more scarce, but will restore the player's health completely. There are three types of healing herbs available: green herbs (for restoring health), blue herbs (which cures poisonous bites) and red herbs (which can't be used by itself, but will tripled the healing powers of a green herb when mixed with one). The player can mix herbs up to five possible combinations).
The player must find their way into the house by picking up various keys and items which are integral to the game's progress, while solving puzzles along the way. The player has a limited capacity for carrying items and thus, enforcing the need to carry only essential items and still have space for new items. As such, storage boxes are available for the player to store any item for later use.
The player can only save their progress by going to typewriter and using ink ribbons to save their game. Ink ribbons are available in limited quantities, forcing the player to think carefully on whether they made enough progress to justify saving the game. This saving method has also been criticized by many, but designer Shinji Mikami defended it by arguing that it increases the tension in the game.
There are also various documents available to the player within the mansion which serves to provide the solutions to certain puzzles or simply to further divulge the plot to the player.
The game gives you control of Alpha Team members Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine as they look for another way out and try to locate the Bravo team. The characters play out similar scenarios but they have different skills. Chris is assisted by Bravo Team medic Rebecca Chambers (who becomes playable in certain portions of his game), while Jill gets help from fellow Alpha Team member Barry Burton. Jill's quest is easier because she has a higher item-carrying capacity (eight compared to Chris' six) and can pick simple locks. She also has access to a bazooka and can complete certain puzzles by herself, while Chris needs Rebecca Chambers' help in certain areas. Chris' limitations make his quest harder but he has more stamina than Jill and can sustain greater damage.
Unlike subsequent Resident Evil games, this game had a live-action opening and ending. The acting and dialogue in these scenes is often mocked but some argue that the perceived deficiencies perfectly fit the mood of a B-grade horror film. The opening footage in the western version was edited for gore.
Alternate versions
Resident Evil: Director's Cut
In 1997 Resident Evil was re-released on the Playstation as Resident Evil: Director's Cut, featuring a new difficulty setting containing alternate costumes, an enhanced ("one of a thousand") model of the Beretta, new camera angles and different item and enemy placement. A new enemy zombie was also introduced in this version. Originally packaged with a Resident Evil 2 demo, a later version was released featuring compatibility for Sony's Dual Shock controller, a new soundtrack by Mamoru Samuragoch and (exclusive to the Japanese release) a bonus disk with downloadable save data and footage of the unreleased prototype version of Resident Evil 2 ("Resident Evil 1.5").
One element which wasn't changed (despite advertising to the contrary) was the live-action footage. The North American and European releases were marketed as featuring the original, uncensored footage as seen in Biohazard. Capcom claimed the omission was the result of a localization mistake made by the developing team and offered the uncensored footage as a free download from their website as a appeasement.
2002 remake
Resident Evil was remade for the Nintendo GameCube and released in 2002. This new version features all-new graphics and sound, and also incorporates gameplay elements from the later installments (such as the use of body language and the 180 degrees turn) while the overall plot and map remain mostly unchanged. The original live-action FMV segments are replaced by CG versions and the voice actors were recast. Chris and Jill are still the only two selectable characters, however most of the puzzles have been changed. It is also now necessary to decapitate or burn zombies to prevent them from regenerating later in the game as the fast and deadly "Crimson Heads."
This game features many additional modes, secrets and various endings over the original as well as revealing the fates of architect George Trevor and his daughter Lisa (who is retroactively inserted to the game's storyline as a monster). Additional story elements bring Umbrella executive William Birkin and Alexia Ashford into the overall plot.