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Resident Evil (1996 video game)

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"Resident Evil 1" redirects here. For the first live-action Resident Evil film, see Resident Evil (film).
Resident Evil
File:Resident Evil 1 cover art.jpg
North American box art
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)
Capcom
  • PlayStation
    Microsoft Windows
    • NA/PAL: Virgin Interactive
    Sega Saturn
    Capcom
    Nintendo DS
Director(s)Shinji Mikami
Producer(s)Masayuki Akahori
Artist(s)Isao Ohishi
Writer(s)Kenichi Iwao
Yasuyuki Saga
Takahiro Arimitsu
Composer(s)Makoto Tomozawa
Akari Kaida
Masami Ueda
SeriesResident Evil
Platform(s)PlayStation
Microsoft Windows
Sega Saturn
Nintendo DS
PlayStation Network
Release
March 22, 1996
  • PlayStation
    Director's Cut
    Director's Cut Dual Shock Ver.
    Microsoft Windows
    Sega Saturn
    Nintendo DS
    PlayStation Network
    Director's Cut
Genre(s)Survival horror
Mode(s)Single-player

Resident Evil, known as Bio Hazard or Biohazard (バイオハザード, Baiohazādo) in Japan, is a survival horror video game by Capcom. The first installment in the Resident Evil series, it was originally released in 1996 for the PlayStation and was subsequently ported to the Sega Saturn and PC. In 2002, a remake of the game was released for the Nintendo GameCube featuring new graphics, voice acting and many gameplay changes. A Nintendo DS port of the original was released in 2006 titled Resident Evil: Deadly Silence.

It was one of the first games to be dubbed a "survival horror", borrowing from the "ambient survival horror" genre coined by Alone in the Dark.[3] Accordingly, Game Informer refers to "the original Resident Evil" as "one of the most important games of all time."[4] The inspiration for Resident Evil was the earlier Capcom game Sweet Home. Shinji Mikami was initially commissioned to make a horror game set in a haunted mansion like Sweet Home,[5] which Resident Evil was originally intended to be a remake of.[6]

Gameplay

The player's character is a member of a special law enforcement task force who is trapped in a mansion populated by dangerous mutated creatures. The objective of the game is to uncover the mystery of the mansion and ultimately escape alive. The game's graphics consist of 3D polygonal characters and objects superimposed over pre-rendered backdrops with pre-determined camera angles. The player controls the character by pushing the d-pad or analog stick left or right to rotate the character and then move the character forward or backwards by the pushing the d-pad up or down.

A screenshot of a puzzle that has to be solved at the beginning of the game. The environmental graphics are pre-rendered, whereas the characters and the objects that can be interacted with are real-time polygonal models.

To fulfill the game's objective, the player uncovers various documents that provide exposition about the game's narrative, as well as clues that help them solve various puzzles within the mansion. Key items are also available that give the player access to other items or new areas. The player can arm their character with weapons to defend themselves from enemies, although the ammunition available for each firearm is limited and the player must learn to conserve the ammunition they have for situations where they will really need it. To restore the character's health, the player uses first-aid sprays or three types of healing herbs that can be mixed together in different combinations for different healing effects. The carrying capacity of the player is limited depending on the character and items that the player does not wish to carry at the moment can be stored into an item box to be retrieved for later use. To save their progress, the player must pick up an ink ribbon and use it on any of the typewriters scattered through key locations in the game. However, the supply of ink ribbons the player can acquire is also limited much like the player's ammo and healing supplies.

The various enemies the player encounters include infected creatures like flesh-eating zombies, zombie dogs, giant spiders, crows and artificial creatures with codenames such as "Hunters" and "Chimeras", as well as the game's ultimate adversary, a new type of biological weapon known as the "Tyrant".

Plot

Setting

A series of bizarre murders have occurred on the outskirts of Raccoon City, with signs of cannibalism on the victims' remains. The Raccoon Police Department's Special Tactics And Rescue Service (S.T.A.R.S.) are assigned to investigate the murders. S.T.A.R.S. is divided into two teams: Alpha and Bravo. Bravo team is sent first, but after contact with them is lost, Alpha team is sent to investigate their disappearance.

Characters

The player has a choice between Alpha team members Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine as the main character. Jill has more firepower and a lockpick that enables her to access areas and items easily, while Chris has limited firepower but is more durable in terms of taking damage from enemies. The game's supporting characters includes Barry Burton, Alpha team's weapons expert who provides Jill with additional firepower; Rebecca Chambers, a surviving member of Bravo team who supports Chris with her medical expertise; Albert Wesker, the captain of STARS and leader of Alpha team; and Brad Vickers, the helicopter pilot who sends transmissions to them as he tries to find them in the helicopter. Other minor characters include Joseph Frost, the sixth member of Alpha team whose sudden death sets the story into motion, Enrico Marini, the leader of Bravo team who gives the player the game's most critical plot twist, Richard Aiken, who gives the player a radio used to receive Brad's transmissions, Kenneth Sullivan, a member of Bravo team killed just after Alpha team arrives, and Forest Speyer, whose corpse is found on the balcony by the player.

Story

The game begins on July 24, 1998 after Alpha team locates Bravo team's helicopter, but there are no signs of survivors; only a severed hand is found. While searching the area for further clues, Alpha team is attacked by ferocious dogs, one of which kills one of the team's members, Joseph Frost. Alpha's helicopter pilot, Brad Vickers, panics and takes off alone. Pursued by the dogs who killed their colleague, Alpha team is forced to seek refuge within a nearby mansion. It is believed to be abandoned.

With the dogs roaming outside, the four remaining Alpha team members (Albert Wesker, Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine and Barry Burton) are trapped within. Depending on which character is the player, one of the members of Alpha team is separated from the others during the chase and does not make it to the mansion (Barry if Chris, Chris if Jill). A gunshot rings out, and the player character moves to investigate. At this point, the player takes control of the character and begins to explore the mansion. One of the first discoveries is a member of Bravo team, Kenneth J. Sullivan, being eaten by a zombie. While searching the mansion, the character finds the other members of Bravo team, such as Richard Aiken, dying of poison, who gives the character his radio before dying; Forest Speyer, found dead on the balcony; and Enrico Marini, who reveals that one member of the team is a traitor before being shot and killed by an unseen attacker. The character eventually finds the mansion to be riddled with puzzles, traps, and horrors. Scattered documents suggest that a series of illegal experiments were being undertaken on the property by a clandestine research team, under the authority and supervision of the Umbrella Corporation, a biomedical conglomerate. The creatures roaming the mansion and surrounding region are the results of these experiments, which have exposed the mansion's personnel and various animals and insects to a highly contagious and mutagenic biological agent known as the T-virus.

After navigating a series of underground tunnels, passageways and buildings, the player discovers a secret underground laboratory containing the Umbrella Corporation's experiments, including the Tyrant. In the lab, the player learns that Wesker is a double agent working for Umbrella. Wesker is killed after that by one of the creations. The player finds the other playable character in a cell, put there by Wesker, and manages to get him/her out by activating the self-destruct system. Chris, Jill and the helper character (Rebecca if Chris, Barry if Jill) head for the heliport, but the other two are separated from the player due to more creatures. The player gets up to the heliport and manages to contact Brad and meet the other two survivors there, but they are attacked by the Tyrant, a giant humanoid monster created through prolonged exposure to the T-virus. After the Tyrant is defeated, Chris, Jill and Barry/Rebecca manage to escape the premises in the team helicopter.

Development

Resident Evil was created by a team of staff members who would later become part of Capcom Production Studio 4.[7]

English localization

A scene from the uncut intro. Chris smokes a cigarette.

The original PlayStation version of Resident Evil featured several considerable changes between its original Japanese release and its English-language counterparts. The North American and European versions of the intro were heavily cut from the one featured in the Japanese releases. Shots of mangled corpses, a "Cerberus" zombie dog being shot, and Joseph's death were edited out, as well as scenes featuring the character Chris Redfield smoking a cigarette. The Japanese PlayStation version, Bio Hazard, also features a vocal ending theme performed by Fumitaka Fuchigami that was not in any other versions of the game.

In the game itself, the auto-aiming function was disabled and the numbers of ink ribbons found by the player were reduced. Capcom also planned to eliminate the "fourth dimensional" item boxes for the North American version (meaning that any item the player stored in one item box could not be retrieved in another), but they were restored for the released version of the game in North America.[5] The later released GameCube version of the game features a hidden difficulty setting called "Real Survival," which eliminates the fourth dimensional item boxes.

The Japanese releases all contain English voice acting with Japanese captions and text. Japanese voice acting for the game was also recorded, but was left unused.[8][9] According to Mikami, the Japanese voice acting was removed from the game as he found the quality of the performances to be unsatisfactory.[10]

Title change

The game was originally called Bio Hazard in Japan. However, it was decided to change the name in the US and Europe after Chris Kramer, the Director of Communications at Capcom, pointed out that it would be impossible to trademark "Biohazard" in the US. Among others, another game and a band already were using the name. Capcom therefore decided to run a contest within its company to find a new name. They eventually settled on Resident Evil, since the game takes place in a mansion.[11] Interviewed by GamesRadar, Chris Kramer said:

"I thought it was super-cheesy; can’t remember what I felt was a better alternative, probably something stupid about zombies – but the rest of the marketing crew loved it and were ultimately able to convince Capcom Japan and Mikami-san that the name fit."

Release history

Director's Cut

An updated version of Resident Evil for the PlayStation, titled Resident Evil: Director's Cut, was released on September 1997, a year and a half after the original game's release. Director's Cut was produced to compensate for the delay of the sequel, Resident Evil 2, and was originally bundled with a playable demo of that game.

The main addition to Director's Cut is an "arranged" version of the game that changes the location of nearly every vital item in the mansion, as well as the enemy placement. The main characters, as well as Rebecca, are given a new wardrobe and the player's handgun is replaced by an improved model where any shot fired has a random chance of decapitating a zombie, killing it instantly. The original version of the game is included as well, along with a new "beginner" mode where the enemies are easier to kill and the amount of ammunition that can be found by the player is doubled. Additionally, the auto-aim function was restored in all modes, though it is not noted in the in-game controls so the player must accidentally stumble upon it.

The North American and European releases of the Director's Cut were marketed as featuring the original, uncensored footage as seen in the Japanese releases. However, the Full Motion Video (FMV) sequences were still censored. Capcom claimed the omission was the result of a localization mistake made by the developers and offered the uncensored intro as a free download from their website. The French and German PAL versions of Director's Cut feature the uncensored FMVs, in colored versions.

Dual Shock Ver.

A second release of Director's Cut, known as the Dual Shock Ver., was released in Japan and North America. The Dual Shock Ver. featured support for the DualShock controller's analog controls and vibration functions, as well as a new symphonic soundtrack by Mamoru Samuragoch, replacing the original soundtrack by Makoto Tomozawa, Akari Kaida, and Masami Ueda. The Japanese Dual Shock Ver. came packaged with a bonus disc that contained downloadable save data and footage of the Japanese dubbed version of the opening cut scene and other footage, along with gameplay footage of Resident Evil 1.5, the canceled version of Resident Evil 2.

Resident Evil: Director's Cut Dual Shock Ver. was later released for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable as a downloadable game available from the PlayStation Network.[12]

Sega Saturn version

The Sega Saturn version added an unlockable Battle Game minigame in which the player must traverse through a series of rooms from the main game and eliminate all enemies within them with the weapons selected by the player. This minigame features two exclusive enemies not in the main game: a zombie version of Wesker and a gold-colored Tyrant. The player's performance is graded at the end of the minigame. The Saturn version also features exclusive enemy monsters, such as a re-skinned breed of Hunters known as Ticks and a second Tyrant prior to the game's final battle. Exclusive outfits for Jill and Chris were added as well.

Windows version

The Windows version featured the uncensored footage from the Japanese version, but the opening intro is in full color rather than black and white. Support for 3D accelerators was added as well, allowing for much sharper graphics. Two new unlockable weapons were added, a MAC-10 for Jill and an FN Minimi for Chris. New unlockable outfits for Chris and Jill were added as well.

Unreleased Game Boy Color version

A Game Boy Color version of Resident Evil was planned,[13] but later canceled by Capcom, citing that the port was of poor quality.[14] Capcom later released a new game in the series for the platform titled Resident Evil Gaiden.

GameCube remake

Resident Evil
Developer(s)Capcom Production
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Shinji Mikami
Producer(s)Hiroyuki Kobayashi
Composer(s)Shusaku Uchiyama
Makoto Tomozawa
Misao Senbongi
SeriesResident Evil
Platform(s)Nintendo GameCube
Wii
ReleaseNintendo GameCube
Wii
Genre(s)Survival horror
Mode(s)Single-player

In 2002, a remade version of the game, known as Resident Evil in Western regions and as Biohazard in Japan, was released for the Nintendo GameCube. This was part of an exclusivity agreement between Capcom and Nintendo that spanned three new games. The title includes a variety of new gameplay elements, environments, and story details as well as state of the art visuals. Shinji Mikami has stated that the remake is "70% different from the original."[15]

The room with the puzzle shown above, as it appears in the remake with enhanced environment and character graphics. In this scene, Chris attacks a zombie with a dagger, one of several new defense items.

The game is notable for its nearly photo-realistic environments, all of which are pre-rendered. The remake features all-new graphics and sound, and also incorporates gameplay elements from the later installments such as the use of body language to indicate the main character's health and the 180-degree turn. In addition, it introduced a new running style that was also used in Resident Evil Zero, and several new areas were added to the game. The overall plot remains largely unchanged. The original live-action FMV segments were redone in CG, with the voice acting done by a new cast. The script was rewritten to have a more serious tone and improved translation, as opposed to the unprofessional dialogue and roughly-translated script of the original. Gameplay mechanics are largely the same although most of the puzzles have been changed and the player can equip a defensive weapon that can be used when seized by an enemy.

Additionally, the remake features many unlockable game modes, secrets, and various endings not found in the original. It also restores the George Trevor subplot, and splices other main characters of the Resident Evil games, such as William Birkin and Alexia Ashford into the game's backstory.

The GameCube version of Resident Evil sold over 1.35 million copies.[16]

Deadly Silence

A Nintendo DS port of the original Resident Evil, titled Resident Evil: Deadly Silence was made to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the series. Deadly Silence includes a "Classic Mode", the original game with minimal enhancements and touch-screen support, and a "Rebirth Mode", containing a greater number of enemies and a series of new puzzles that make use of the platform's specifications.

The game makes use of the dual screen display with the top screen used to display the map, along with the player's remaining ammunition and health (determined by the color of the background); while the bottom screen displays the main action, and can be switched to show the player's inventory. The DS version also includes updated play mechanics: the 180-degree turn introduced in Resident Evil 3, along with the knife button and tactical reload from Resident Evil 4. The updated controls are applicable to both Classic and Rebirth modes. Dialog and loading screens can now be skipped. The live-action footage was still censored, even in the game's Japanese release; however, the scene showing Kenneth's decapitated head was kept.

In "Rebirth", new puzzles are added that use the system's touch-screen. "Knife Battle" sequences, viewed from a first-person perspective, are also added, in which the player must fend off incoming enemies by swinging the knife via the stylus. One particular puzzle requires the player to resuscitate an injured comrade by blowing into the built-in microphone. The player can also shake off enemies by using the touch screen, performing a melee attack.

The game also includes wireless LAN support for up to four players with two different multiplayer game modes. The first is a cooperative mode in which each player must help each other solve puzzles and escape the mansion together. The other is a competitive mode in which the objective is to get the highest score out of all the players by destroying the most monsters, with the tougher monsters being worth more points. There are three playable multiplayer stages and nine playable characters.

Wii version

A Wii version of the Resident Evil remake originally released for the GameCube was released in Japan on December 25, 2008. As with the previous Wii version of Resident Evil Zero, the game saw minimal changes in its transition to the Wii.[17] The Wii version was released in North America and Europe in June 2009 under the title Resident Evil Archives: Resident Evil.[18]

Novelization

The Umbrella Conspiracy
AuthorS. D. Perry
LanguageEnglish
SeriesResident Evil
GenreHorror
PublisherPocket Books
Publication date
October 1, 1998
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (Paperback)
Pages304 pp
ISBNISBN 0-671-02439-6 Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character
Preceded byZero Hour 
Followed byCaliban Cove 

Resident Evil: The Umbrella Conspiracy is a 1998 novelization of the 1996 video game Resident Evil, was written by author S.D. Perry as the first book in her series of Resident Evil novels. The novel combines Jill's and Chris scenarios into one narrative and features all five of the main characters (including Barry Burton, Rebecca Chambers and Albert Wesker).

The book also takes liberty with some of the original source materials; the most notable difference being the inclusion of an original character named Trent, an insider from Umbrella Corporation who provides Jill with information about the Spencer Mansion prior to the events of the mansion incident. Since the book was written a few years before the Nintendo GameCube remake, the novelization omits the presence of Lisa Trevor in the mansion. However, the book does allude to the original version of George Trevor's Journal from The True Story Behind Bio Hazard, as well as the short story it contained, Bio Hazard: The Beginning, which involved the disappearance of Chris Redfield's friend, Billy Rabbitson. Another notable difference in the novels is moving the location of Raccoon City from the Midwest to Pennsylvania, apparently about an hour's drive from New York. Overall,despite having been written before the retcon introduced in REmake and RE 0, the book still maintains overall similarity to what the story warped into in the early 2000s.

Reception

The game received positive reviews from critics. For example, GameSpot praised the game, describing it as "one of those rare games that's almost as entertaining to watch as it is to play",[33] while Computer Gaming World gave a more mixed review for the Windows version in explaining that they "tried to hate it with its graphic violence, rampant sexism, poor voice acting and use of every horror cliché however...it's actually fun."[41]

The PlayStation game was a best seller in North America. In total, according to Capcom's Investor Relations website, the original Resident Evil has sold over 2.75 million units.[16]

The GameCube version of Resident Evil received critical acclaim. GameSpot said this about the remake: "Capcom has nearly perfected its craft and created the best Resident Evil ever".[15] IGN mentioned at the time that the remake was "the prettiest, most atmospheric and all-around scariest game we've ever played".[36] The original game was put into the Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition 2008 for the "Worst Game Dialogue Ever".

The GameCube remake of Resident Evil sold over 1.35 million units.[16]

References

  1. ^ "BIO HAZARD DIRECTOR'S CUT". PlayStation.com(Japan). Sony. 2006-11-22. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
  2. ^ "Products". Nex Entertainment Co., Ltd. Retrieved 14 November 2010.
  3. ^ "Virtual Frights And Delights Throughout Video Game History".
  4. ^ "Enter The Survival Horror... A Resident Evil Retrospective". Game Informer (174): 132. 2007. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  5. ^ a b The True Story Behind Bio Hazard (in Japanese).
  6. ^ Time Machine: Sweet Home, Computer and Video Games
  7. ^ a b "Production Studio 4" (in Japanese). Capcom Co., Ltd. {{cite web}}: |archive-url= requires |url= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  8. ^ Bio Hazard: Complete disc, bundled with Bio Hazard: Director's Cut Dual Shock Ver.
  9. ^ Bio Hazard Symphony Op. 91, Disc 2 Track 9
  10. ^ "We also recorded Japanese voices (for the game), not just English ones. They were discarded because they were really lame." (英語だけでなくじつは日本語のボイズ収録も行なった。　カッコ悪かったのでボツに。, Eigo dake de naku jitsu wa nihongo no boisu shūroku mo okonatta. Kakkowarukatta node botsu ni.), The True Story Behind BIO HAZARD, page 157.
  11. ^ "GR Asks: Why was Biohazard renamed Resident Evil? | GamesRadar". GamesRadar. 2009-04-08. Retrieved 2010-02-02.
  12. ^ "Sony Announces downloadable PS1 Games for PSP".
  13. ^ "Resident Evil (GBC) preview". IGN.
  14. ^ "Resident Evil Passes On". IGN.
  15. ^ a b c Shane Satterfield (April 29, 2002). "Resident Evil Review, Resident Evil GameCube Review - GameSpot.com". GameSpot. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  16. ^ a b c "CAPCOM Platinum Titles". Capcom. June 30, 2011. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  17. ^ "Resident Evil Set for Wii".
  18. ^ Tom Bramwell (2009-04-28). "Resident Evil Wiimake out this June News | Wii | Eurogamer". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2010-02-02.
  19. ^ "Resident Evil: Deadly Silence for DS Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  20. ^ "Resident Evil for GameCube Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  21. ^ "Resident Evil for PlayStation Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  22. ^ "Resident Evil Archives: Resident Evil for Wii Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  23. ^ "Resident Evil: Deadly Silence for DS - GameRankings". GameRankings. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  24. ^ "Resident Evil for GameCube - GameRankings". GameRankings. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  25. ^ "Resident Evil for PC - GameRankings". GameRankings. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  26. ^ "Resident Evil for PlayStation - GameRankings". GameRankings. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  27. ^ "Resident Evil for Saturn - GameRankings". GameRankings. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  28. ^ "Resident Evil Archives: Resident Evil for Wii - GameRankings". GameRankings. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  29. ^ Mike Weigand (April 29, 2002). "Resident Evil Review from GamePro". GamePro. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  30. ^ James Mielke (March 27, 2006). "Resident Evil DS Review for DS from 1UP.com". 1UP. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  31. ^ Greg Kasavin (February 6, 2006). "Resident Evil: Deadly Silence Review, Resident Evil: Deadly Silence DS Review - GameSpot.com". GameSpot. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  32. ^ Ryan Mac Donald (November 21, 1997). "Resident Evil Review, Resident Evil PC Review - GameSpot.com". GameSpot. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  33. ^ a b Staff (December 1, 1996). "Resident Evil Review, Resident Evil PlayStation Review - GameSpot.com". GameSpot. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  34. ^ Ryan MacDonald (November 6, 1997). "Resident Evil Review, Resident Evil Saturn Review - GameSpot.com". GameSpot. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  35. ^ Craig Harris (February 6, 2006). "Resident Evil: Deadly Silence - Nintendo DS Review at IGN". IGN. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  36. ^ a b Matt Casamassina (April 26, 2002). "Resident Evil - GameCube Review at IGN". IGN. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  37. ^ Staff (November 25, 1996). "Resident Evil - PlayStation Review at IGN". IGN. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  38. ^ Matt Casamassina (July 7, 2009). "Resident Evil Archives Review - Wii Review at IGN". IGN. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  39. ^ William Harms (February 10, 2006). "GameSpy: Resident Evil: Deadly Silence". GameSpy. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  40. ^ Hector Guzman (May 1, 2002). "GameSpy: Resident Evil". GameSpy. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  41. ^ Computer Gaming World. 1998. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)

External links

Media related to Resident Evil at Wikimedia Commons

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