And yet the cheeseball dialogue and characters almost seems part of the experience nowadays. I was never tempted to skip a cut scene because the atmosphere ensures you care about the sparse details they provide you. In too many games today the story can feel like unnecessary clutter. In Resident Evil they’re always entertaining whether it’s for their camp or their reveals. The gameplay has been tweaked too. A more modern control scheme makes traveling through the game’s alternating camera angles much more natural. It also retains the Gamecube’s addition of Crimson Heads, which were the freakish clawed beasts that zombies turn into if you didn’t properly dispose of them in time.
The game is damn hard, even harder than it’s ps1 predecessor. Inventory is severely limited, and safe rooms where you can store items in an item box are finite. Maps are more critical here than ever, because you must strategize your movements lest you run into an unnecessary shootout that’ll cost you precious ammo. You must also be conscious of the corpses you leave behind, and which zombies you want to take down. Kerosene and fire ammunition are limited too, forcing you to pick your fights carefully. If a Crimson Head is allowed to form, they’re nasty business to deal with. They run much quicker than their droll counterparts, and deck out loads more damage. Not to mention the corridors you fight in are tight and leave little room for you to maneuver their wide spread claw attacks. So what encourages you through this relentless barrage? A deep feeling of progression, and reward. Not just the crunchy splash of a shotgun headshot (though that is particularly satisfying), but the unlocking of a previously locked door, the discovery of a new weapon or puzzle item, or the defeat of a difficult boss.
Every kind of progression feels pivotal because it takes some wit on your behalf. Now, this type of high-risk/high-reward gameplay does not suit everyone. The way in which the camera shifts between painterly compositions may not appeal to your modern sensibilities. Nor may the demanding core gameplay. But if reading this sort of thing gets you animated, know that Resident Evil was the place Survival Horror was born, and you should get to know the origins of your own taste. If you’ve already played Resident Evil, you know what you’re in for. And the new 16:9 wide aspect ratio, and a stellar re-detailed 1080p sheen may just be enough to convince you to play again. The edgy atmosphere, bolstered by some high contrast lighting, is more prevalent here than ever before.
Little has changed from the Gamecube remake, but that’s because the gameplay had already been perfected then. But what better timing, good Survival-Horror (even in the Resident Evil brand) has never been so hard to come by. Why do strong Survival Horror entries like Dead Space and Resident Evil eventually dissolve in quality through sequels? Does success really pressure them to emphasize mainstream action? I suppose it’s best to catch it in it’s purest distillation, and Resident Evil is where it all began. This is time very well spent between a lackluster gap in modern releases.
Check out my review of Shinji Mikami’s (Director of Resident Evil) recent return to roots The Evil Within.
