By Patrick Reilly—
With the recent releases of Resident Evil Revelations, the offshoot Resident Evil Operation Raccoon City, and expected release of Resident Evil 6 in October, it was time for a reunion with the games that started it all.
Anyone who’s played Resident Evil 4 & 5 can completely forget what was learned. You’ll recognize certain elements such as herbs and limited item space, but these games are quite different. If you play these games thinking you can blow away every enemy you’re “undead” wrong.
Because of the heavy amount of backtracking, limited ammo, scarce health items, and the necessity of holding leftover items in storage boxes, the game forces you to pick and choose your fights. There are also a limited amount of saves which the game ranks you on making it just that much difficult .
Resident Evil’s setting is in a mansion where a secret underground facility leaks a virus know as the T-Virus, mutating the workers and animals nearby into zombies. Among these creatures are escaped experiments also known as bio-organic weapons. It is generally a creepy and atmospheric place highlighted by the tension of walking through claustrophobic halls and the pacing of enemies.
In the game you play one of two characters Jill or Chris, two members of the towns Special Tactics and Rescue Services also known as S.T.A.R.S. Generally, the faults with this game are the really bad voice actors and weird localization of language, especially in the infamous line, “Here, Jill, you are the master of Unlocking.”
The game, which can seem difficult, never feels impossible. Although the Chris play through is annoying because of the necessary backtracking to item boxes, the game is still extremely fun.
Resident Evil 2 is, more or less, similar in game play as 1, yet you are now in the zombie-infested, fictional town Raccoon City. The additions, while minor, still keep true to the core of the Resident Evil series. I will also note that while the game limits how many characters could be on screen at one time, the game still makes you feel that a horde of zombies are after you.
Overall these games are solid, creepy, and I recommend to anyone who loves the survival horror genre or the Resident Evil series to play these games.