The original Resident Evil was a classic. It's not every day that an entire genre is formed from a single game, but 'survival horror' didn't really exist until Capcom's horror masterpiece was released. It was entirely different from everything available at the time: it was cinematic, it was complex, and most of all...it was scary.
Fast-forward to 2002, and the original Resident Evil was remade from the ground up for Nintendo's GameCube. Everything that was horrifying about the original PlayStation version was amplified, and the reworked puzzles and new content made the GameCube port the definitive version. This wasn't a simple graphical polish: Resident Evil had been reborn.
Now, in 2015, Capcom is re-releasing the remake of Resident Evil in HD. After more than a decade, can the original survival horror classic stay relevant in today's action-oriented video game market?
Resident Evil's story doesn't really waste much time. The game opens with a team of S.T.A.R.S. members (essentially SWAT officers), landing in the middle of a dark, foggy forest. Our two heroes, Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine, are among them. Reports of vicious, cannibalistic murders taking place in the woods just outside Raccoon City have been circulating, and when the S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team, which was originally investigating the case, goes missing, it's up to Redfield, Valentine and their team to figure out what's really going on.
Upon landing, the situation quickly deteriorates, and not just because of the rotting dogs and zombie-filled mansion. The team is quickly separated...and you are suddenly very, very alone.
...and for the first few hours, that's it. Resident Evil isn't a story-heavy game, and features very few actual cutscenes until the end of the narrative. For the most part, the game's cinematics are used to introduce various bosses, while most of the plot details are left to journals and notes left scattered around the mansion. These optional collectibles may not be quite as gripping as a well-made cutscene, but all are well-written and, at times, genuinely creepy.
The only major problem with the story is its pacing: Resident Evil starts off slowly and stays that way until the end of the game. Characters aren't given any time to develop, and instead of giving the game's main plot twist a proper reveal, the whole plot is revealed via hidden documents. It's almost as if Resident Evil was holding its cards too close to its chest, then forgot to show its hand until the very end.
Even so, the game's story is still gripping. Reading the last words of a doomed scientist or terrified mother is frightening, and the tragic story of the mansion's architect alone is almost enough to recommend the story. It's not the smoothest story in the industry, and it stumbles a few times - but Resident Evil's focus on conspiracies and viral outbreaks still manages to keep players on edge, even all these years later.
Upon first booting up the game, there's only one real option: the main story mode. It may seem limited at first, but as previously stated, players are able to choose between Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine. Both stories may follow the same core plot points, but there are differences between the two: Jill has a lockpick, meaning she can open certain doors without a key; Chris' campaign features optional, playable segments as the rookie medic Rebecca Chambers. Both stories also feature unique characters for both characters, but playing through the game twice isn't about making different choices or seeing different endings (though they do exist), it's mostly about unlocking extra modes once the main story is finished.
The main story is no joke, though. Newer Resident Evil games may be all about action and spectacle, but the original is the complete opposite. Resident Evil is more about clearing and unlocking rooms than combat - in fact, avoiding combat is usually the best option. Ammo and weapons are extremely limited (half of the arsenal is hidden and entirely optional) and enemies can take quite a few rounds before finally dropping.
The real focus of Resident Evil are the puzzles. Almost every room in the mansion is locked when players first make their way inside, and it's up to them to unlock each room and move forward. Solving puzzles and avoiding deathtraps is far more interesting and rewarding than combat, and finally figuring out what to do and where to go is an incredibly satisfying feeling.
There are really only two problems with the puzzle mechanics, and the first is that the game tells you absolutely nothing. There are no waypoints, no hints, no nothing: Resident Evil offers no help whatsoever. It's entirely possible to pick up a key that players won't use for hours, or to unlock a door you passed once on the other side of the mansion. It can be extremely convoluted at times, which isn't so difficult as it is frustrating - there are plenty of players who will want a walkthrough at their side when taking on the mansion for the first time.
However, the worst part of the game - by far - is the crippling inventory system. At the start of the game, players are limited to six items total: for example, a handgun will take one space, and extra ammo will take another. At times, it's great: being low and ammo and space can make for some incredibly tense moments.
Unfortunately, such times are a clear minority: the inventory actually gets in the way of progress far too frequently. Half of the time, it doesn't even make sense. There's no way to pick up bullets and load them into an empty weapon; you need to have dedicated space for the ammo before you load it into the gun. The same thing goes for health, as there's no way to use health immediately after picking it up - there has to be space in your inventory, even if you plan on using it immediately. There's no way to drop items from the inventory, either: if you pick something up, you best plan to keep it.
To put it simply, the whole thing is obnoxious: it feels like padding, and the pacing comes to an absolute crawl far too often. It's something that later entries in the franchise fixed, and something that Capcom could have rebalanced - having such ancient design choices still in the game makes the whole experience feel incredibly dated.
In terms of controls, Resident Evil has always gotten a bit of a bad rap. Because of the game's static camera angles (as opposed to the over-the-shoulder model newer games use), when it was first released, the tank-style controls made sense. Holding 'up' on the controller always moved the character forward, regardless of the camera angle. Over the years, however, the tank controls became sluggish, obtuse and difficult to use - thankfully, Capcom has added a new analog control scheme.
The control scheme now changes depending on the game's camera: holding 'up' will make the character move to the top of the screen, regardless of angle. It's not perfect - there are times when players may get stuck in between two camera angles, rapidly running back and forth - but between the new controls and the fact that running is the new default speed, the Resident Evil Remaster feels far more nimble than its predecessors. It's a welcome change, though purists need not worry: Capcom also included the game's original controls without having to switch to a separate control scheme. By using the directional pad instead of the analog stick, players can use the original tank-style controls without having to enter a menu. It's a nice move on Capcom's part, and goes a long way towards pleasing both purists and newcomers.
Combat, regardless of control scheme, still works largely the same. Resident Evil uses a lock-on system: holding one trigger button will target the nearest threat, the other trigger fires the weapon. There's no manual aiming, save for looking up or down at a predesignated angle, and while the aiming scheme works for the game's slower pace, it doesn't really require any actual skill to use.
Once the main story is completed, the extra modes become available. Most players will want to tackle the same story mode with a different character first, refining the original run for faster times and new weaponry. Getting better means unlocking new costumes along with special weapons, which can be used for even faster runs.
The only real missed opportunity here is that, aside from some new costumes, all of the extra modes were present in the 2002 GameCube remake. There's nothing really new, and Capcom could have remixed the items and enemies a la the Resident Evil Director's Cut on the PS1. It's still a lot of fun to barrel through the extra modes, but for returning fans, there's nothing truly new to offer in terms of content.
Back in 2002, the Resident Evil remake was absolutely gorgeous. The pre-rendered backgrounds were almost unrecognizable from the original release, and character models looked like actual people instead of Lego bricks. For the most part, the 2015 HD Remaster uses those same 2002 assets, and as such, most of the game still looks fantastic. The new lighting and upgraded character models really stand out - being able to see the fabric and seams on Chris' vest is a great touch, and the new 3D lighting models can completely change the look and feel of a room.
In some select cases, it's easy to see that some of the textures clearly weren't made for an HD television screen. Entire rooms can look fuzzy and pixelated, but for the vast majority of the game's story, the picture that Capcom has painted looks gorgeous...it's just a shame that not all environments were created equal.
The game's sound design has been left mostly unchanged, though that isn't a bad thing by any means. Yes, some of the less-than-stellar voice acting remains, but the moans and shrieks of the mansion's mutated populations are just as frightening now as they were back in 2002.
When it comes down to it, Resident Evil is still scary. Yes, there are jump scares here and there, but the game's use of camera angles, sound design and gameplay will truly put players on the edge of their seats. It's not a flashy game by any means, but it's a stronger experience because of that - this is a game that sticks with you. The backtracking can hurt the atmosphere a bit, but hearing the telltale screech of a Crimson Head and knowing that only there are only three rounds left in your handgun is an absolutely horrifying experience, and one unique to Resident Evil.
STORY:
★★★★☆
DESIGN:
★★★☆☆
GAMEPLAY:
★★★★☆
PRESENTATION:
★★★★½
OVERALL:
★★★★☆
