Resident Evil Retro Review
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VOICE OVER: Ty Richardson
WRITTEN BY: Ty Richardson
The original Resident Evil was released for the PlayStation on March 22, 1996. Since then it has spawned one of the largest horror game franchises in the world with the 8th installment, Resident Evil Village, set for release in 2021. To pay homage to the franchise and look back at where it all started, we're taking a look at the HD remaster of Resident Evil. Are YOU a fan of the Resident Evil franchise? Have you played the first game in the series? Let us know in the comments!
Script written by Ty Richardson
I’m gonna be honest with you - horror games are not really my thing. I mean, I own all of the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” games, and yet I’m too much of a baby to sit down with those games for more than five minutes. Granted, there’s been a few favorites of mine. “Until Dawn” and “Dead Space” were pretty good, and “HuniePop” got...real. (*sob* She rejected me…) So, what reason would I have to play any of the “Resident Evil” games? While I already own the two recent remakes, the franchise has only reached “acquaintance” status with me - I’m only familiar enough to know what the story is and who the characters are, but I’ve never really sat down to play these for myself. Closest I’ve gotten was watching playthroughs from Markiplier and Maximilian Dood. But now that the 25th anniversary has arrived, I think it’s time to rid of the pacifier, put on my big boy pants, and play the one that started it all. [show images of overpriced eBay and Amazon listings] ...Oh. Wow, that’s quite a bit of money. Okay, so I’m not rich enough to buy the original copy, and I’m not about to experience the version with pubescent trumpets. Instead, we’ll be looking at the 2002 remake that is available on just about every platform today...and is coincidentally almost always on sale.
Greetings, ladies and gentlemen of the internet! My name is Ty with MojoPlays, and this is a Retro Review of “Resident Evil HD”!
"Resident Evil HD" opens up with an eerie mystery: strange mur--DEMONETIZED! ...Okay, strange "events" have occurred outside Racoon City. When the city sends out its special task force, the group gets separated amid a chase involving zombified puppos. Now, the rest of the team must seek shelter in the enigmatic Spencer Mansion. As either Jill "Not a Sandwich" Valentine or "Pre-Boulder-Punching" Chris Redfield, you'll have to explore the labyrinthian home, uncover what went down, and figure out how to escape.
That last part, though? Easier said than done. Not only is Spencer Mansion riddled with flesh-eat-DEMONETIZED. ...Fine. Not only is Spencer Mansion riddled with fanatical meat-lovers, but some of the rooms contain perplexing puzzles and may even be rigged with traps. These can get about as simple as moving objects around or remembering the location of a particular object needed to solve the puzzle. However, that’s just me stripping them down to the bone. A lot of the puzzles can get cryptic and require a bit of out-of-the-box thinking. It wasn’t long before I just started looking at every little thing I could find, but it didn’t make solving them any less satisfying, though!
Normally, this amount of backtracking would be taxing on the brain and bring things to screeching halt, but "Resident Evil" does throw a few things at you to keep you on your toes. No matter how many times you kill all of the zombies in one location, they'll eventually respawn later. Either that, or that cor-DEMONETIZED! ...That sleepy zombie you've passed by a dozen times will wake up and attack you later down the road. This helps maintain a balance between suspense and quiet time for thinking. Things won’t always be up in your face all the time, but you better be ready in case something unexpected happens. (Like those damn dogs...hate those damn things…)
You do get a number of ways to defend yourself from the bloodthirs--DEMONETIZED! ...from the fruit punch guzzling zombies. (Geez, YouTube is sensitive!) Chris and Jill start out with a small pi--DEMONETIZED!--SMALL PEWPEW and a knife, but you’ll be able to find a few more weapons to help you later. You may also find equipment to let you escape a zombie’s grasp without getting bitten. Only problem is that combat can get a little cumbersome.
For your reference, I played the game as close to the original form as I could possibly get. That means not only did I play at a 4:3 aspect ratio, but I also used the same controls as the original. That’s right - I’m using clunky, old tank controls, son!! Navigation was never really a problem, thankfully. But this is what made combat a bit of a chore. It was difficult trying to aim for the head without the zombies getting too close, and even when they were at point-blank range, I still had a hard time making the shot. However, I knew that not every encounter was to be taken head-on. Sometimes, it really was better just to run away.
Of course, the terror doesn’t end with just the zombies. The environment and camera teams deserve utmost praise for their work here. Spencer Mansion is perhaps the most hauntingly beautiful place I’ve visited in a game. Even with a sophisticated exterior and foyer, there’s this sick feeling you get in the pit of your stomach just from looking at it. It's pristine and vintage enough that lets you know something’s up. Camera work, on the other hand, keeps you in suspense as to what lies around the next corner. Several times did I leap out of my seat because a zombie or dog appeared from off-screen.
Props to the sound team as well. Despite having a somewhat quiet atmosphere in terms of music, “Resident Evil” uses a hearty library of sounds to retain that unsettling feeling. From the clock in the dining hall and sounds of the house settling to zombies thumping against windows and a sudden rise in music, you’re always bracing yourself for the next jumpscare - the next moment where you freak out and start wasting ammo.
That isn’t to say my nerves were constantly jumping to the top of my skin. Of the few horror games I’ve played, “Resident Evil” was the least scary, and I think that’s partially because of the B-movie atmosphere and writing. Seriously, this is probably one of the funniest horror games I’ve played! I’ve known about some of the “Resident Evil” memes for a long time now, but my personal favorite moments are when Jill runs back to Barry after stumbling across “a monster” and when Wesker appears out of nowhere to save Chris in the intro. The writing is so dumb that I can’t help loving it, and the hokey character models bring it home. By the way, can I just say that I love Wesker’s stupid face? Come on, name ONE person who has their hair slicked back like that and constantly wears shades! This guy is a total douche canoe, and I wanna see more of him. Flippin’ edge lord and his deadpan expressions...
It’s funny - I never really expected to end up liking “Resident Evil” as much as I did. The franchise was never on my bad side, per se. Like I said in the beginning, horror games were never appealing to me with the exception of “Dead Space” and “Five Nights at Freddy’s”. However, “Resident Evil” showed me that its world wasn’t just creepy doorways and jumpscares. It wasn’t just spooky, gorgeous settings and disturbing sounds. There’s plenty of clever puzzles to solve, downtime for exploration, and enough goofy writing to lighten the mood. It may be a total jerk and try to scare me every once in a while, but it’s all in good fun. Happy 25th Anniversary, “Resident Evil”! It may have taken me a quarter of a century to get to know you better, but I’m incredibly excited to play catch up! Now, who wants to skip with me to the village of psychopaths and vampire ladies? There’ll be Jill sandwiches!
Resident Evil Retro Review
I’m gonna be honest with you - horror games are not really my thing. I mean, I own all of the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” games, and yet I’m too much of a baby to sit down with those games for more than five minutes. Granted, there’s been a few favorites of mine. “Until Dawn” and “Dead Space” were pretty good, and “HuniePop” got...real. (*sob* She rejected me…) So, what reason would I have to play any of the “Resident Evil” games? While I already own the two recent remakes, the franchise has only reached “acquaintance” status with me - I’m only familiar enough to know what the story is and who the characters are, but I’ve never really sat down to play these for myself. Closest I’ve gotten was watching playthroughs from Markiplier and Maximilian Dood. But now that the 25th anniversary has arrived, I think it’s time to rid of the pacifier, put on my big boy pants, and play the one that started it all. [show images of overpriced eBay and Amazon listings] ...Oh. Wow, that’s quite a bit of money. Okay, so I’m not rich enough to buy the original copy, and I’m not about to experience the version with pubescent trumpets. Instead, we’ll be looking at the 2002 remake that is available on just about every platform today...and is coincidentally almost always on sale.
Greetings, ladies and gentlemen of the internet! My name is Ty with MojoPlays, and this is a Retro Review of “Resident Evil HD”!
"Resident Evil HD" opens up with an eerie mystery: strange mur--DEMONETIZED! ...Okay, strange "events" have occurred outside Racoon City. When the city sends out its special task force, the group gets separated amid a chase involving zombified puppos. Now, the rest of the team must seek shelter in the enigmatic Spencer Mansion. As either Jill "Not a Sandwich" Valentine or "Pre-Boulder-Punching" Chris Redfield, you'll have to explore the labyrinthian home, uncover what went down, and figure out how to escape.
That last part, though? Easier said than done. Not only is Spencer Mansion riddled with flesh-eat-DEMONETIZED. ...Fine. Not only is Spencer Mansion riddled with fanatical meat-lovers, but some of the rooms contain perplexing puzzles and may even be rigged with traps. These can get about as simple as moving objects around or remembering the location of a particular object needed to solve the puzzle. However, that’s just me stripping them down to the bone. A lot of the puzzles can get cryptic and require a bit of out-of-the-box thinking. It wasn’t long before I just started looking at every little thing I could find, but it didn’t make solving them any less satisfying, though!
Normally, this amount of backtracking would be taxing on the brain and bring things to screeching halt, but "Resident Evil" does throw a few things at you to keep you on your toes. No matter how many times you kill all of the zombies in one location, they'll eventually respawn later. Either that, or that cor-DEMONETIZED! ...That sleepy zombie you've passed by a dozen times will wake up and attack you later down the road. This helps maintain a balance between suspense and quiet time for thinking. Things won’t always be up in your face all the time, but you better be ready in case something unexpected happens. (Like those damn dogs...hate those damn things…)
You do get a number of ways to defend yourself from the bloodthirs--DEMONETIZED! ...from the fruit punch guzzling zombies. (Geez, YouTube is sensitive!) Chris and Jill start out with a small pi--DEMONETIZED!--SMALL PEWPEW and a knife, but you’ll be able to find a few more weapons to help you later. You may also find equipment to let you escape a zombie’s grasp without getting bitten. Only problem is that combat can get a little cumbersome.
For your reference, I played the game as close to the original form as I could possibly get. That means not only did I play at a 4:3 aspect ratio, but I also used the same controls as the original. That’s right - I’m using clunky, old tank controls, son!! Navigation was never really a problem, thankfully. But this is what made combat a bit of a chore. It was difficult trying to aim for the head without the zombies getting too close, and even when they were at point-blank range, I still had a hard time making the shot. However, I knew that not every encounter was to be taken head-on. Sometimes, it really was better just to run away.
Of course, the terror doesn’t end with just the zombies. The environment and camera teams deserve utmost praise for their work here. Spencer Mansion is perhaps the most hauntingly beautiful place I’ve visited in a game. Even with a sophisticated exterior and foyer, there’s this sick feeling you get in the pit of your stomach just from looking at it. It's pristine and vintage enough that lets you know something’s up. Camera work, on the other hand, keeps you in suspense as to what lies around the next corner. Several times did I leap out of my seat because a zombie or dog appeared from off-screen.
Props to the sound team as well. Despite having a somewhat quiet atmosphere in terms of music, “Resident Evil” uses a hearty library of sounds to retain that unsettling feeling. From the clock in the dining hall and sounds of the house settling to zombies thumping against windows and a sudden rise in music, you’re always bracing yourself for the next jumpscare - the next moment where you freak out and start wasting ammo.
That isn’t to say my nerves were constantly jumping to the top of my skin. Of the few horror games I’ve played, “Resident Evil” was the least scary, and I think that’s partially because of the B-movie atmosphere and writing. Seriously, this is probably one of the funniest horror games I’ve played! I’ve known about some of the “Resident Evil” memes for a long time now, but my personal favorite moments are when Jill runs back to Barry after stumbling across “a monster” and when Wesker appears out of nowhere to save Chris in the intro. The writing is so dumb that I can’t help loving it, and the hokey character models bring it home. By the way, can I just say that I love Wesker’s stupid face? Come on, name ONE person who has their hair slicked back like that and constantly wears shades! This guy is a total douche canoe, and I wanna see more of him. Flippin’ edge lord and his deadpan expressions...
It’s funny - I never really expected to end up liking “Resident Evil” as much as I did. The franchise was never on my bad side, per se. Like I said in the beginning, horror games were never appealing to me with the exception of “Dead Space” and “Five Nights at Freddy’s”. However, “Resident Evil” showed me that its world wasn’t just creepy doorways and jumpscares. It wasn’t just spooky, gorgeous settings and disturbing sounds. There’s plenty of clever puzzles to solve, downtime for exploration, and enough goofy writing to lighten the mood. It may be a total jerk and try to scare me every once in a while, but it’s all in good fun. Happy 25th Anniversary, “Resident Evil”! It may have taken me a quarter of a century to get to know you better, but I’m incredibly excited to play catch up! Now, who wants to skip with me to the village of psychopaths and vampire ladies? There’ll be Jill sandwiches!
