Resident Evil

aka: Biohazard, Biohazard: HD Remaster, REmake, Resident Evil Archives: Resident Evil
Moby ID: 12847
GameCube Specs
Note: We may earn an affiliate commission on purchases made via eBay or Amazon links (prices updated 3/28 4:21 PM )
Included in Original See Also

Description official descriptions

Special forces S.T.A.R.S. Bravo team's helicopter malfunctioned and crashed during their mission, disappearing into the Arklay Mountains. This and what happens to them is told in the story of Resident Evil Zero. Now, S.T.A.R.S. Alpha team is sent on a mission to investigate a series of murders around Raccoon Forest. Spotting the Bravo team's helicopter, or what's left of it, they land nearby and investigate the surrounding area. Unaware of what they might expect, one member is attacked and devoured by zombified Dobermans. The rest of the team, with a little bit of luck, find shelter in a nearby mansion, not knowing it was probably better to stay out.

You play the entire game with one of the two selectable characters, Chris Redfield, or Jill Valentine. The starting point is the lobby of the mansion the three surviving S.T.A.R.S. members just stepped in. After a short while, the team decides to split and search for any possible survivors or anything useful that may help them break out of this dreadful place. To their amazement, they encountered an enemy they never were trained to confront, zombies. There is only one mission to be considered now: survival.

The GameCube and the later Wii versions are largely a remake of the original Resident Evil for the PlayStation, with some additions. While the floorplan of the returning locations is almost entirely unchanged, several new areas have been added in, extending your stay in the mansion. A new enemy, Lisa, has been added to the game, making your trips outside of the mansion much more dangerous. Finally killing a zombie is now no longer good enough to put them to rest. They must be destroyed totally with fire or else they will rise again; faster, deadlier, and madder than before.

The 2015 PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and Windows version called Resident Evil (also known as Biohazard: HD Remaster) is a remastered version of GameCube remake of the original Resident Evil with enhanced graphics and sounds, widescreen support and an alternative control scheme next to the default one. Additionally, when starting a new game, the player can choose between original character models, or Chris and Jill models from Resident Evil 5 which came after the original GameCube release.

Spellings

  • バイオハザード - Japanese spelling
  • バイオハザード HDリマスター - Japanese spelling
  • 生化危机 - Chinese spelling (simplified)

Groups +

Screenshots

Promos

Credits (GameCube version)

209 People (197 developers, 12 thanks) · View all

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 86% (based on 72 ratings)

Players

Average score: 4.2 out of 5 (based on 114 ratings with 9 reviews)

The remake of one of horror gamings most influential titles steals the crown all over again.

The Good
It's true that Resident Evil was not the first Survival Horror title ever made but it certainly revolutionized the genre and brought it into the mainstream. Now the remake is set to bring about the biggest evolution that the RE series has seen since, well... since the original that it's based on.

Of course the first thing that jumps out at you is that the visuals have been vastly improved. Capcom have finally done away with the circle shadows of previous titles and now figures arch up walls and tree branches outside are silouetted in motion against ceilings as they sway in the wind. Lights flicker and cast real-time shadows and colours over everything enriching the environment in a thick, dank, dread. Characters are so detailed that even the creases in their clothes are fully modelled, not texture maps and in-game models are the same models used in the stunning real-time cutscenes. The game looks so good in fact, that it puts even the pre-rendered CG cutscenes of any previous RE game to shame. The abundance of eye candy does more than just look good though, it creates an atmosphere so thick with tension that nothing else can compare with it, coupled with the amazing soundtrack of course. Each footstep echoes out with unnerving realism and suspense. Music is a beautifully haunting blend of old and new tracks that have been completely revamped and, like the visuals are better than ever.

Yes it looks and sounds fantastic but Capcom didn't stop with a facelift, many things about the actual game have been changed also. There are new areas to explore as well as a host of new puzzles (which are a lot better) new weapons plus some new enemies including an extremely creepy woman who I'll always remember as the scariest character ever to grace a RE title. It's always a joy to see areas from the original redone for old school players of the series but pretty soon you start treating them like new areas because most of the jumps and sequences are changed leaving you very susceptable to attack. One section, new to the game but shall remain nameless for spoiler purposes had me so tense I started to feel sick in the stomach, something I have not felt playing a horror game for many years.

One of the new features is that if you take a zombie down but don't do it appropriately, they can come back to life even more dangerous than they were before. There is also a very handy emergency weapon feature that allows you to use various small arms on zombies just before they are about to attack you, saving you some health and allowing for a quick getaway.

As before the layout of the game and overall story is much the same but a really nice addition is the Trevor Spencer side story that was originally to be included in the first game but was removed for various reasons. In fact, many of the new areas relate directly to this story too and this helps add a richness to the game that was painfully absent in the original version.

The Bad
It's always the same for every game in the series, the voice acting is terrible. Yes it was redone for the remake and while the lines and acting are an improvement over the abysmal example that the original gave us, they are still awful and fall in line with the average offerings of more recent RE titles.

None of the core controls have been changed either and while this is open for debate as to whether it's a good or bad thing, some players may be a little put out by this. There is also a lack of the quick dodge feature that RE3 had which is a real shame and I still don't see why you can't walk around with your gun pointed ahead. Many other games have done this such as Nocturne and there's no reason why this otherwise brilliant game should lack this simple but effective feature.

The Bottom Line
The finest example of Survival Horror to date. Similar enough to the original to be considered a remake but different enough in many ways to be more than worth getting for long time fans of the series.

GameCube · by Sycada (177) · 2004

Scared the living crap out of me!

The Good
Everything. I found the gameplay to be excellent, the graphics to be stupendous, and the characters to be real and the monsters to be paralyzingly realistic! As a matter of fact, I couldn't play this after a while. My wife wouldn't and couldn't watch me play, as it upset her and gave her nightmares. I myself tried to play it by myself both day or night, and couldn't, especially at night!! For example, when the dogs smashed through one of the windows, I almost had a heart attack! My heart skipped a beat and I had to stop the game to calm down.
When I saw my first zombie come BACK to life, faster and with more evil intent, I ended up trading it in towards some other games. I know, what a wuss! The dogs were bad enough, but now I had to contend with superzombies? You never knew when or where they would come.
Very very creepy! And I played "Silent Hill" to the end, so I know scary! If I didn't feel like my heart was going to burst out my ribcage, I would probably of played this longer, but I couldn't take it anymore. It truely transends the game world and pulls you deep into it's story and environments!

The Bad
About the only thing that bothered me was the camera control. It was quirky and cumbersome. In this kind of game that is a BIG problem. You really need to be able to see around you and quickly. There wasn't a problem with vision, you do have total 360 degree vision on both planes of view, but it was sloppy to control.
A bit annoying with the save stations being difficult to locate and get back to, which made for a lot of restarts. This isn't a big problem, except when you haven't had a chance to save for a while, and you loose all your progress!!

The Bottom Line
One of the all time classics. One of the all time scariest survival horror titles made!
Personally, it really did scare the crap out of me, and if you play it, be warned.
I wish I could have played it to completion, but I, I....j-j-just couldn't, no, I couldn't....no, no.......no.....not again, no.....sob..."What was that?"...."Who's there?"....gulp

GameCube · by Oblio (97) · 2006

Just as Great as the Original

The Good
Obviously this game is a retelling of all the events that took place in the original Resident Evil, with some minor additions to the storyline. For example, players are introduced to the Trevor family - a family that was unfortunately involved with Umbrella's experiments at the mansion - through various diaries and memos found throughout the game. There's also new areas added to explore as well. Some of these new areas include a graveyard, a forest. and some additional rooms which hold key items. Players will often see a lot of the same enemies that were present in the original, such as zombies, zombie dogs, hunters, and the Tyrant. However, one cool element that mixes up the familiarity of this gameplay is the regeneration factor. Unlike the original, zombie's must be killed by either decapitating or incinerating them. Failure to do this within a certain time frame results in the zombies being resurrected in a much more aggressive form. This makes the player be even more strategic as they must decide if they should run past them, carry kerosene (which is needed to burn the bodies), or just leave the bodies and hope that you won't have to return to said area. Not only is this a great remake of a classic game, but it's also a very ambitious game in itself. The graphics were beautiful for 2002, the gameplay mechanics were fantastic, the addition of "Defensive Weapons" was a great touch, and it had a wonderfully balanced ambiance of eerie, atmospheric horror and fast-paced storytelling. The controls translated well to the GameCube controller, I thought. But then again, I've never understood why people criticized the original game for having "tank controls," as I never had problems with those controls, either. The soundtrack for the remake is a stir of both new musical scores and faithful renditions of older tracks from the original soundtrack. The sound (including it's dialog, sound effects, and soundscapes) was flawless, with voice acting and dialog greatly improved from the original, the gunshots sounded clean and powerful, and the whole umbrella (no pun intended) of soundscapes, like outside ambiance and creaking floorboards, was quite instrumental to building the daunting atmosphere that players were presented with here.

The Bad
I didn't find many things to dislike in this game -- which is a pleasant surprise seeing as remakes have the tendency to often butcher classic characters and deviate too much from it's original premise. Anything to dislike at this point would be nitpicking, at least for me anyways. But I won't waste time with nitpicking, as the minor miscues in this game aren't even worth mentioning.

The Bottom Line
Not only is the remake of Resident Evil a definite highlight for the series, but it is also a tremendous graphical triumph for the GameCube. The crew involved in the production of this remake should be quite proud of their work. Aside from all that, this reproduction of Resident Evil is definitely one of the best titles in the RE series, and is just as good as the original. I honestly can't decide which is the better game, but I deeply appreciate this remake for being just as great as the original because that's something which doesn't really happen all that often. This is definitely a GameCube title to check out, and for those who can't be bothered to dig out their GameCubes (or buy one, for that matter), be sure to check out the HD remaster that just came out which looks even more amazing than it already did.

GameCube · by blancmange (52) · 2015

[ View all 9 player reviews ]

Trivia

Development

Actress Julia Voth's likeness was used in the Jill Valentine character.

Sales

According to publisher Capcom, the GC version of Resident Evil has sold 1.35 million copies worldwide since its initial release, while the HD Remaster versions have sold an additional 2.3 million copies (as of September 30, 2018).

Awards

  • 4Players
    • 2002 – #2 Best GameCube Game of the Year (Readers' Vote)
    • 2002 – Best GameCube Action Game of the Year (Readers' Vote)

Analytics

MobyPro Early Access

Upgrade to MobyPro to view research rankings!

Related Games

Resident Evil 0
Released 2002 on GameCube, Windows, 2016 on Xbox 360...
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Released 2017 on Windows, Windows Apps, PlayStation 4...
Resident Evil 4
Released 2023 on Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5...
Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition
Released 2010 on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, 2016 on PlayStation 4...
Resident Evil: HD Bundle
Released 2009 on PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Resident Evil: Revelations 2
Released 2015 on Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3...
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard - Gold Edition
Released 2017 on Windows Apps, Windows, PlayStation 4...
Resident Evil: Village
Released 2021 on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One...
Resident Evil: Code: Veronica X
Released 2001 on Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, 2003 on GameCube...

Related Sites +

Identifiers +

  • MobyGames ID: 12847
  • [ Please login / register to view all identifiers ]

Contribute

Are you familiar with this game? Help document and preserve this entry in video game history! If your contribution is approved, you will earn points and be credited as a contributor.

Contributors to this Entry

Game added by MAT.

Wii added by Robond. Nintendo Switch added by Kam1Kaz3NL77. Xbox One, Xbox 360, Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 added by Jay Chay.

Additional contributors: Unicorn Lynx, Joshua J. Slone, Crawly, —-, Robond, CalaisianMindthief, Patrick Bregger, Rik Hideto, Kennyannydenny.

Game added April 15, 2004. Last modified March 13, 2024.