Scary Game Review: Resident Evil 1

Resident Evil (1) is a survival-horror game created by Capcom and released in 1996 for the PlayStation (later imported to other consoles). This game is said to change the survival-horror video game landscape. And I'd say that claim is not only legit, but fact. Resident Evil, as a franchise, is huge and there's no denying it's influence on games of today and most likely tomorrow.

Synopsis:

The first installment in the Resident Evil series introduces series mainstays Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine as members of an elite task force known as S.T.A.R.S. At the start of the game, players select one of the two as they investigate the disappearance of their fellow team members on the outskirts of Raccoon City, and become trapped in an old mansion infested with zombies. As players explore the mysterious mansion, they uncover clues and solve puzzles, battling the various monsters along the way. Depending on the player's actions, the game ends with different outcomes.

(Source of Synopsis: Wikipedia.org - cause everyone uses it. Don't deny it!) 

+++My Review+++

The Good:

-The soundtrack is really good in this game. Some games, Silent Hill being the biggest culprit, has music that just doesn't fit the scene. Not knocking fans of the music nor the composers, but the music doesn't fit. This game did a good job. My favorite had to be the peaceful, but scary, tune in that room that had the chest (where you could take things and leave things), the bed, and the typewriter. It was very relaxing and made it feel like that is the player's only sanctuary. Note: Watching the whole story, I realized this tune was always present in the "safe" rooms. Not sure if that's what they're called, but that's what I'm calling it.

-You get to see where it all began, unless you include Resident Evil Zero, which came out after the first game (may do a review on that if I ever get around to it). You get to see Jill Valentine's (who is a big part of the series) birth to the video game world in this game. As well as Chris Redfield. You can choose to play as either Jill or Chris in this game. The playthough guy I watched was Harshly Critical, who played as Jill. Jill and Chris never seemed to cross paths at all during the game, until the very end. Makes me think for the remake they're doing for this game should have co-op.

-Also, depending on who you play as, the story would change. Choices you make in the game could determine a different ending. As was the case with Harshly Critical, who never saw the ending he received. He was baffled by it, is the best I can put it.

-The game seems like a challenge. SEEMS being the keyword, as I never played it. Whys it a challenge? Young ones, let me tell you something. There was once a time in video game history where you didn't have infinite ammo, you didn't have a bottomless back packs (like Joel's in The Last of Us) that can fit tons of guns, ammo, first-aid kits, etc. etc. Most needful objects in games didn't give off a glimmer or anything to make it easier for you to find. You had to actually look long and hard for bullets for a pistol that only had 3 left in the chamber; in RE 1 you would need to combine a red plant and a green plant to give you some health back and those plants seemed like they were freaking hard to find. There was no such thing as auto save! You get very far in a game, forgot to save? Too freaking bad, Jack. You're going back to your last save. Either rage quit or get back on the horse, because you're doing it all again. Games didn't baby the player back then is what I'm saying. To me, this is a good thing if you like a challenge.

6 item slots for Chris. 8 items slots for Jill. You need to pick an item up? Either you need to drop a valuable, maybe bullets, maybe a first-aid kit. If you can't, too bad. 

-A plus for me, and this is speaking of personal taste, is that there weren't that many jump scares. Were they present? Yes. But the game didn't rely on them. 

The Bad:

-Honestly the only complaint I would have about the game is the bosses. Not that they don't seem hard or that you don't deserve a pat on the back for beating them. But large animals? It doesn't seem horror like. It seems more like an episode of Fear Factor. From big sharks, to a big snake, to big spiders, honestly, they covered just about all my fears! Still though, I didn't understand why there were big animals rather than horror like bosses. That's pretty much the only thing I didn't care for in this game. And the final boss was a total let down. Tyrant was intimidating, but not strong. Couple gun shots and he was down for the count. (Spoiler) Though at the end of the game, it did show his eyes open. Typical ending, also not great.


The Scary:

-Of course, it has that famous video game moment where Jill see's a zombie for the first time. The famous head turn!

You bet your ass you gonna get chomped! 

-Crimson Heads. They're a more evolved zombie (or are the enemies infected? Either way) that can run pretty damn fast, so get legging it when you see one! 

-Although I didn't care for the mega animal bosses, I did enjoy just about all the infected/zombies and the weird creatures, like the Hunters. They were very creative and scary. 

-The soundtrack also had a lot to do with setting the mood. It was very good all way around. 

-Atmosphere is everything and this game does have it! From creepy corridors, to a scary graveyard, it does good. 

-The game does put you at the edge of your seat. By doing this, you fear what's around every corner, behind every door, or what's going to crash through the window this time. 

Conclusion:

Even after eighteen years and a few remakes, the original Resident Evil still holds up. Can't wait to see what happens in my next Resident Evil walkthrough! 

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