Review by: Shawn Quigley

Published: September 15, 1997

As technologies continue to advance in the gaming world, we are beginning to see more and more console hits ported to the PC. This fall one of the Sony Playstation’s biggest hits, Resident Evil, will makes its debut on the PC platform. Resident Evil, along with some other titles, is paving the way for 3D accelerated-only games to hit the market, and Capcom Entertainment is bringing this award-winning Playstation title to the PC.

The story behind Resident Evil unfolds as you play. The plot focuses loosely on a search and rescue mission, but that quickly changes to a theme of “getting out alive.” In the beginning of the game, you and a few others find yourselves being sent to investigate a plane crash involving one of your fellow teammates. Upon arriving at the crash site, you are attacked by a pack of monsters that cause you to flee into a nearby mansion. This mansion was built on the grounds of a government experiment that went awry. It is in this house where the action unfolds.

Before you begin your adventure, you have a choice of taking on the role of one of two players. The first player is Chris Redfield, a slacker pilot and sharpshooter. The second player is a demolition expert of the special Tactics and Rescue Squad or S.T.A.R.S, named Jill Valentine. After choosing the character that you wish to play, the game takes you through some cutscenes that lead up to the point where you arrive in the mansion. The story varies a little depending on which character you choose, giving you the ability to play the game from two different characters’ points of view. You watch these cutscenes as though you are actually playing them. There really is no graphical difference between the cutscenes and actual gameplay. One of the unique aspects of Resident Evil is that the cutscenes are brilliantly blended right into the action. You might be playing along, when the computer actually takes over to add more to the story. The weaving in of the cutscenes really helps keep the flow of the gameplay moving. One nice aspect of Resident Evil is the ability to save your progress as you continue through the game. So, if you get killed, you can always go back to your last saved game point without needing to restart the entire game. Another key point about Resident Evil is that it is not a completely linear game. What this means is that it can be solved and won in several different ways. You are also not required to use every item you find. Some items you need to use to solve puzzles, while other items you can use to help you, but they are not required.

There are different weapons and items that you will use along the way as you struggle to get out of the mansion. Some of these weapons include guns, shotguns, bazookas, keys, and various other pieces of equipment that you pick up and use throughout the game. Most items are easy to find, but some of them require you to move things to get to them. Many of the props used in the game are movable, such as a chest or a table, and often times you can find things under them that would have gone unnoticed if you had not moved something. This becomes critical at different points in the game, especially for picking up that needed ammo clip! There are also different keys that you find to unlock certain doors in Resident Evil and without them you simply get stuck. Something that is also important to solving the game is inventory management. There are many different items that you pick up while playing, and there are times you need to choose carefullly which items you want to carry. This can have drastic effects on the outcome of the game because, if you encounter certain enemies or puzzles without the right items, you are sure to fail. This helps in guiding you through the adventure and definitely keeps you on track to solving the game.