When the Resident Evil remake was released for the Nintendo GameCube in 2002, fans and critics alike saw it as one of the best looking games ever made. And rightly so, thanks to its photorealistic pre-rendered backgrounds, which stood out with surprising detail even on classic CRT displays of the time. Realistic character models, haunting music and stunning visuals combine to create one of the best survival games ever made.
He was both a relic of the past, a representative of the future and years ahead of his time. Capcom was right to be confident about this sprawling descent into terror, as the remaster released in 2015 ensured it hasn't aged a day. Even when you're playing around with the tank's controls, instead of an updated movement style, it still feels like you're walking through a maze of unknown horrors waiting to pop out around every corner. It was campy and creepy in the best possible way, ripe with so many tropes and clichés that the series would have become routine.
As the remaster celebrates its 10th anniversary, let's take a look back at one of the best survival horror movies the medium has ever seen.
The Spencer Mansion is a character in itself
I will forever admire the simplicity of Resident Evil. After a short opening scene where we see a STARS unit ascend the Arklay Mountains to investigate a series of gruesome murders, only to be attacked by a pack of infected dogs and forced to take refuge where they can. Unfortunately, this place ends up being the Spencer Mansion, a sprawling estate belonging to a family with a deep, dark history that will gradually be revealed in the coming hours.
You can't go back outside where wild animals are waiting to tear you apart, while this strange building is so mysterious that splitting up and looking for clues is the best solution. So with only a few magazines of pistol ammo in your inventory, you're off on an adventure to make history. It's worth noting that in the game you can choose to play as either Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine. Chris is stronger and able to take more damage, while Jill has a key that allows her to enter new areas. The story also diverges at certain points, which means it's a game, as both are necessary to get the big picture.
Like most Resident Evil games, this one is so much more fun after you play it a few times. There are even achievements and trophies for it.
What begins as a series of rooms in a beautifully decorated mansion evolves into a laboratory buried deep underground, gardens and billiards rooms filled with giant spiders and snakes and betrayal from colleagues you thought would cost you a lifetime.
Resident Evil is filled with so many iconic moments and images that it's hard to remember them all, but I admire how a remaster like this was able to capture them on modern hardware in ways that are still available today. The gameplay formula of exploration, combat, and puzzles seen here pioneered the entire genre, and we've seen Crow Country, Signalis, Fear the Spotlight, and a few others reinvent it time and time again in recent years.
A survival horror game formula for the ages
Pinpointing exactly what makes this game so scary despite its camp dialogue has long fascinated me. The delivery of the line is hideous, but also a charming part of its timeless appeal that has carried across the series since its inception. Controls that aim to limit and disorient, combined with pre-rendered backgrounds, help establish a sense of constant paranoia.
You are never safe and a single zombie will be enough to take you down for good. When you beat them, you don't set them on fire and they come back even hungrier. The level design that constantly evolves as you return to it only reinforces this, ensuring that you can still learn and discover new things amidst the horror.
I'll never forget the first time I walked into a pool room and saw a giant tarantula towering over me as the camera angle shifted. Thanks for the lifelong phobia…
Despite the fixed camera angles and limited resources, the in-the-moment gameplay of fighting enemies and solving puzzles has since been retained, even as the series has increasingly embraced high-octane action. It could be argued that the modern interpretation of this began with Resident Evil, as well as many of the character and enemy designs we've come to adore over the years. They would be nothing without this remake trying to reinvent what it means to be a Resident Evil game. As the remaster celebrates ten years, this is still the best way to play it.
Raccoon City. Beset by a storm of evil attacks, a remote mountain community is completely overwhelmed. Mutant beasts and bloodthirsty zombies infest the landscape. You are STARS – Special Tactics and Rescue Squad. Your mission; explore an ominous mansion at the heart of a horrific disaster. Uncover the secrets of a radical genetic research facility. With brand new graphics, new puzzles, extra features and anfd zombies lurking around every corner, just getting out alive can be the ultimate test!
