Growing up, Resident Evil was a staple in my household, among many other video game franchises. It was the first time I'd experienced a horror game, but at five years old, I really had no idea what I was doing. I would watch my father solve puzzles and obliterate the undead; I would run in circles around Spencer Mansion. Fast forward nineteen years since the 1996 debut and Resident Evil is still a family favorite. I'd completed nearly every Resident Evil game to date, so naturally, when the HD remaster of the original classic was announced, I could hardly contain myself.
Resident Evil remains largely unchanged since the 2002 GameCube remake. It has always been a game about exploration, puzzle solving and resource management; with having access to finite ammunition and inventory spaces, it becomes an experience of prioritization and a lot of back-and-forth to item depositories. It was an incredibly tedious inclusion, but one that I love and do not mind whatsoever. It's one of the many things that separates the classic Resident Evil from the modern, Hollywood action inspired titles.
The plot surrounding Resident Evil remains unchanged: in 1998, the Special Tactics and Rescue Service deployed Alpha Team to investigate the disappearance of Bravo Team. The team discovers their comrades' downed helicopter and are attacked by monstrous canines, forcing the officers to retreat into a nearby mansion. The protagonist - Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine, by player choice - soon learns that the mansion is home to puzzles, traps, and horrors. With exploration, puzzle solving and survival elements, the player discovers through scattered documents that the biomedical company, the Umbrella Corportation, used the mansion to house illegal experiments with a highly contagious and mutagenic biological agent known as the T-Virus, which has infected the mansion's personnel and various animals and insects.
The player may take control of either Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine for their playthrough, in their classic appearance or how they looked in Resident Evil 4. Either player character has their pros and cons, with Jill having a larger inventory capacity than Chris, but less constitution and health, for example. In this remaster, while it's advertised as being one based on the PlayStation/Saturn release, it's easily comparable to the 2002 GameCube remake. It would appear that the developers had picked up where they left off thirteen years ago and improved upon their GameCube release.
There are a few differences between the 1996 original and this remastered edition: the game is more demanding at all difficulty levels and includes a slightly increased map size and slightly expanded graveyard scenes. Some minor objects, like ammunition magazines, have been moved. The biggest difference between the original 1996 version and this remastered edition is the inclusion of Crimson Heads, which puts an emphasis on using your fuel canteen and lighter to burn the undead you've put down, lest they return later as faster, more deadly creatures. Either that, or avoid killing the zombies altogether, but where's the fun in that?
Resident Evil was never a game for the impatient. It requires a bit of detective work, determination and forgiveness as you navigate Spencer Mansion and revisit the same rooms time and again looking for things you may have missed and attempting to put two and two together. Unless of course, you plan on using a guide or walkthrough for your experience. I hadn't played the classic in an unforgivable amount of time, and while I remembered where some items were and recalled what went where and when, I had an easier time revisiting the experience. However, remembering where specific rooms are was certainly a rewarding challenge.
The remastered edition of Resident Evil is a wonderful inclusion to both previous and new generation consoles; with a lovely 1080p resolution, improved backdrops and textures, it's certainly an experience to revisit. Resident Evil offers some modernized changes, including choosing between the classic 4:3 aspect ratio and a new 16:9 as well as choosing between the classic and modern control schemes. The true and unfortunate disappointment is that while the game has been beautifully touched up on the grand scheme of things, there are still some blurry textures and pixelated backdrops that look like they haven't been touched at all since 1996. It's hardly noticeable at times, but there are some rooms and locations where it's as clear as a summer's day.
Resident Evil is one of many classic titles I enjoy revisiting frequently, when dusting off the PlayStation and Nintendo 64 a few times a month. Its remastering of an eternal classic is a wonderful treat on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 and I can only hope they'll deliver Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis in a similar, albeit improved fashion.
Edgar writes: "Let's take a look at the Resident Evil HD Remaster, how it significantly improved upon the original and became one of the best horror games ever made."
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Amazon has heavily discounted several Capcom digital games for the Xbox One with Dead Rising 3: Apocalypse Edition dropping to $7.50, Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition to $12.50, Resident Evil HD Remaster to $8.00 and more.
For nostalgic reasons. This is a 10/10 game for me. It is Mikami's masterpiece.
Awesome review Valenka although you and i would disagree on the score but its a good read nonetheless :) .
Cant wait to see more reviews from you.