Resident Evil

aka: Biohazard, RE
Moby ID: 1195
PlayStation Specs
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Description official descriptions

A team of S.T.A.R.S (Special Tactics And Rescue Squad) members are called to investigate a series of murders near Raccoon City. While searching the woods near the city, the team is attacked by bloodthirsty dogs and they have to retreat to a nearby mansion.

The player chooses between Jill Valentine or Chris Redfield and starts to explore the mansion. It soon becomes very clear that it isn't just any mansion, but a hellish place where the undead walk the corridors, and other horrors are lurking in the darkness, waiting to eat some heads. While solving puzzles, collecting keys, and shooting monsters, the player has to unravel the mystery behind this mansion and, if possible, get out alive.

Exclusive to the SEGA Saturn version is a Battle Mode bonus mode, where, with limited ammo and under the threat of limited time, the player must survive a series of rooms filled with monsters.

Spellings

  • バイオハザード - Japanese spelling
  • 惡靈古堡 - Chinese spelling (traditional)
  • 生化危机 - Chinese spelling (simplified)

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Screenshots

Promos

Credits (PlayStation version)

94 People (90 developers, 4 thanks) · View all

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 85% (based on 54 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.9 out of 5 (based on 220 ratings with 13 reviews)

Beware of mansions in the hills.

The Good
This is a chilling game. There are some definatly scary moments in this game. Remember when the lurker first sneaks up on you? Wow that freaked me out. Why here and not other games? Well this game has got that elusive element of atmosphere.

The plot is you are a member of S.T.A.R.S. an elite rescue team sent to investigate some strange goings on in small remote town. Things go bad and you end up trapped in an apparently empty mansion. As you explore the game you will unravel the mystery of the Umbrella Corp's experiments. While the story is pretty standard zombie movie stuff, it was presented well and was quite intriguing. The mansion is huge and interestingly designed so you will keep playing late at night just so you can find that next key.

I also loved the music and sound effects for the game. While the sounds were not the greatest ever, they worked for the game. I really enjoyed the music. The music in the kitchen made me totally paranoid!

The Bad
The acting is hilariously bad! In a way it enhances it as a computer version of the countless zombie movies that inspired the game.

As mentioned in another review, the second half is weak, previously safe areas now have enemies in them and since the combat is functional but not great, all the fighting is tiresome at that point.

While the game is a nice mix of adventuring gaming with real time combat. The puzzles are not that challenging. Console gamers aren't use to these type of games so they were probably a lot more challenged by it. But any old time computer adventure gamer will find the puzzles fairly obvious.

The Bottom Line
While I love the series, I have to admit that this was orginally done better in the first Alone in the Dark, which is game fans of this should check out.

Windows · by woods01 (129) · 2001

Ouch! When I said, "bite me", I did not mean it literally!

The Good
Resident Evil (a.k.a Biohazard) brought the survival horror genre to life for an audience that had not heard of the genre before, or confined it to games that were not terribly scary or fun to play; i.e. the first Alone In The Dark game.

Never before had most gamers played a game quite like this before. Resident Evil level's of graphic violence, blood and gore was jaw dropping to a generation of gamers who were used to the censorship policies of the two home console gatekeepers; Nintendo and Sega.

Yes, Sega had a bit more of a liberal policy then Nintendo, but most of the games released for a Sega system that featured graphic violence, tended to be using it as a gimmick. This was not the case with Resident Evil.

The adult content in Resident Evil was not just a gimmick to cover up an otherwise lame or inferior product. The graphic violence, blood and gore and (if you looked closely) some risque pictures all served to tell a story along the lines of the great horror films.

Resident Evil's story paid homage to classic horror films, while also offering up some of developers own gruesome ideas.

The adult content puts you in a truly interactive horror film, and also helps set the stage for what would probably happen if employees -- who lived and worked in a giant mansion/lab -- slowly became infected with a deadly virus.

Many of the elements used to make a great scary movie were wonderfully brought into the video game world through this game.

In addition to the story, the game featured some truly incredible graphics, music and sound effects. Yet, Resident Evil was not just a "pretty face".

The character control were responsive, tight and easy to master. In a game that requires brains as well as (well-armed) brawns, it was refreshing to see how natural it felt to solve puzzles or unload a clip onto a monster.

The result was that Resident Evil became a game that the player wanted to fully explore, while also being downright terrified at what could be behind the corner or in the next room.

Players of Resident Evil had every reason to be terrified, although we might have been to macho to admit it to our peers.

It did not take long before players realized that the Umbrella was up to no good. The Gothic mansion housed undead former employees as well some of the most creatures ever seen in a video game.

The way that these video game zombies looked, moved and, yes, the creepy sounds that they made, invoked a level of terror only the great horror films have been able to mine out of people.

It was not just zombies! The design of the dogs, birds, mutants, giant spiders and snakes all were designed to bring out the horror in surrvial horror.

The sound of a door opening, a nice way to handling the loading time, meant walking into the dangerous and undead unknown.

The music played in a room with a storage chest was designed to set a more relaxing mode, just as the music used during a boss sequence was designed to make you want to turn the lights back on.

The Bad
Resident Evil has great controls, until you see how much better the controls were in Resident Evil 2 and 3.

Yes, it may be an unfair (or odd) complaint, but you may not fully appreciate all of the Resident Evil's control quirks, until you see how much better things ended up being in the two sequels.

Resident Evil has the computer control the camera angle, and most of the time it does a superb job. However, a few times in the game existed, when the computer's choice was not especially helpful or what I would have chosen.

The full-motion-video is excellent, although the acting involved is (at times) strictly average. Having seen the full-motion-video of the Sega CD, it was nice to see it done well here, but I can also appreciate why live actors were not used in the sequels.

Some of the language used in the game is a bit off, i.e. the master of unlocking, although I probably be annoyed if it was changed today.

Lastly, it probably should be noted that the game was, slightly, censored. It is not a huge complaint, but the original full motion video clips did show some of the main characters lighting a cigarette.

The game already had a "Mature" rating, so it is not likely that this video clip would have impacted the ESRB rating. It is not really necessary from a story standpoint, but it does feel a tad silly that it was cut.

It was cut from the Playstation 1 (even the re-released Director's Cut), but I think it was included when the game was ported over to the PC.

This makes the censorship even sillier, because it seems to be suggesting that a 17+ PC gamer is somehow better able to handle a game character smoking cigarettes, then a home console gamer.

The Bottom Line
Resident Evil really put the horror in surrvial horror, and the fun in trying to survive. Playing the game feels like being the star in a classic horror film, and it will certainly make you rethink your position on playing video games with the lights out.

PlayStation · by ETJB (428) · 2014

"The logo that started it all"

The Good
When was the last time you ever brought a Playstation and start thinking a title that defined taking the pages out of every horror movie?

For starters, I never heard of a video game titled "Resident Evil" before. I know it stands for BIOHAZARD in Japanese, but I will never ever forget the great and wonderful work the big bad guys of Capcom introduced to the genre called "Survival Horror." But "Resident Evil" killed it! It has great cutscenes, including my favorite moment in the beginning of the game, when you play Jill Valentine trying to investigate through a haunted police station until all of a sudden, a vicious type of zombie dog came though the window and I was totally freaked out. It's like "Saw" meets "Friday the 13th."

The characters are outstanding. My favorite "Resident Evil" character was Albert Wesker. He was the Hannibal Lecter of evil geniuses. When he starts making a eerie grin on his face, you know that something bad is going to happen when it comes to flesh-eating zombies and disgusting creatures.

The Bad
Although I had a few problems on how the game starts, here's how the game almost lost its mark:

Voice Acting: This was a bad example of dialogues in a video game. Remember when Barry used to say to Jill: "Jill, Here's a lockpick. It might come in handy if you, the master of unlocking, take it with you." I wasn't sure what that means but as far as I concern, he should be taking shooting lessons instead of stand-up comedy. I know Jill won the hearts by many critics and nicknamed her "The Master of Unlocking" or "The First Female Protagonist of a horror game," but Barry is by far the utmost worst character in Capcom history.

Another bad idea in the game is the "You Died" or "You Are Dead" game over screens. I hope Capcom should get rid of those pesky screens. What happens when your ammo is running out and there's nowhere left to run with no safe rooms to save the game data and hordes of zombies shows up and you got eaten by brain food? I hope this will be the last time in every "Resident Evil" game with those restrictions to be disappointed by fans.

The Bottom Line
Everyone should revisit the same year that "Tomb Raider" got started. 15 years, more "Resident Evil" games coming out, 4 successful movies, a book series, everything. Man, I wish I was the only one stranded in the house playing the game for more than "an hour."

"Resident Evil" is not just the greatest franchise of all time, it's truly reminds me of a flashback of what makes horror so much fun. A truly, great classic and a masterpiece. That's what the first "Resident Evil" game was all about. "Resident Evil" is the greatest game of the Playstation Era.

PlayStation · by Kadeem Gomez (31) · 2011

[ View all 13 player reviews ]

Discussion

Subject By Date
What is your favorite Resident Evil? TwoDividedByZero (114) Apr 16, 2010

Trivia

1001 Video Games

Resident Evil appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.

Cancelled Port

Significant work on a port to Game Boy Color was completed before Capcom pulled the plug citing quality concerns. This port was a fairly direct adaptation of the original with characters moving about in 3D on prerendered backdrops.

Cut Content

  • When originally released in the US and Europe (for the PlayStation), the game had several cuts in its cutscenes, and some death sequences. Thankfully the PC version (excluding the UK version) restores all the missing stuff and plays like the original Japanese release.
  • The Japanese version had a color intro but in the Western release the intro was Black & White and was censored.

Dewey

Bravo Team's pilot, Dewey, was originally conceived as a thin African-American member of STARS who would've also served as the game's comic relief. He and another character named Gelzer (a giant man with cybernetic implants) were planned to appear in the game, but were discarded from the final version. The Edward Dewey in Biohazard 0 is a tall Caucasian and is a departure from the character's initial concept. The thin African-American 'comic-relief' character was eventually recycled into Jim from Resident Evil: Outbreak.

Ending

Along with the remake, this is the only Resident Evil to feature a "best-case-scenario" ending which does not elude to a possible sequel or spin-off and suggests that "everything is finally over". The reason for this is possibly because the company was uncertain how well the game would be received, so this game could stand on its own story-wise if it failed economically.

GameCube Remake

Completely redone for the Nintendo GameCube: includes better graphics, CG FMVs (rather than live-action), different item placement and other goodies. Part of the Resident Evil exclusive GameCube deal which includes ports of other instalments as well as Resident Evil Zero.

Inspiration

  • Resident Evil was originally inspired by the Japanese game Sweet Home for Famicom (NES).
  • The American film Night of the Living Dead was credited as inspiration for this, the first game in the series.

Japanese Voice-Acting

Although Japanese games with English text/dialogue are not uncommon, Resident Evil was originally intended to have Japanese dialogue for its domestic release. These were discarded before release, however, and to date the only Resident Evil media to not have spoken English in its home land has been Resident Evil: 4D Executer, a short movie that played over an "interactive ride" that was only shown in Japan.

Name Change

Originally entitled Biohazard, the game's name had to be changed to Resident Evil in US and European versions because of copyright issues - the name Biohazard was (and is) being used by an American metal band.

Novels and Movies

A book adaptation of this game was published in 1998 by Pocket Books, written by S.D. Perry and entitled The Umbrella Conspiracy, launching a seven-book series of novels by the same author adapting from the Resident Evil games (described under the individual games' trivia sections) and inspired by their themes and premises -- of those latter, notably number 2 in the series, 1998's Caliban Cove, and #4, Underworld, published in 1999.

A separate series of novels inspired by Resident Evil has been published in Japan:1. Biohazard: The Beginning (1997), by Hiroyuki Aniga; 2. Biohazard: The Beast of the North Sea (Biohazard Hokkai no Yôjû) (1998), by Kyu Asakura; 3. Biohazard: to the Liberty (2002), by Suiren Kimura; and 4. Biohazard: Rose Blank (2002), by Tadashi Aizawa.

Of course, the series has also inspired two movies starring Milla Jovovich: Resident Evil: Genesis and Resident Evil: Apocalypse, with which you are likely to be far more familiar, each of which also boasts novelizations of their own.

Parental Consent Trial

In 2002, St. Louis Judge Stephen Limbough reviewed a videotape of four games, in order to decide whether or not parental consent would have to be granted for children to purchase M-rated games. There was much hilarity online when the original Resident Evil, one of the four games, was incorrectly identified by the court and its reports as The Resident of Evil Creek. In the end, the judge's decision said the city could regulate video games because they were not free speech protected by the First Amendment.

References to the Game

This game is referenced in the Eiffel 65 song My Console.

Sales

According to publisher Capcom, Resident Evil has sold 2.75 million copies worldwide since its initial release (as of June 30, 2016).

Sega Saturn Release

The Japanese Sega Saturn release of Biohazard does indeed contain the uncensored introduction but it is still monochrome. Joseph's death is extended and there are shots of the Cerberi being torn to pieces by the gunshots.

Awards

  • Electronic Gaming Monthly
    • May 1996 (Issue 82) - Game of the Month
    • March 1997 (Issue 92) - Adventure Game of the Year runner-up (PlayStation / Saturn version) + PlayStation Game of the Year (Readers' Choice) + Adventure Game of the Year runner-up (PlayStation version) (Readers' Choice) + Game of the Year runner-up (All Systems) (PlayStation version) (Readers' Choice)
    • November 1997 (Issue 100) - ranked #1 (Readers' Top 10 Games of All Time) (PSX version)
    • 1998 Buyer's Guide - Worst Voice Acting Runner-Up
  • Retro Gamer
    • October 2004 (Issue #9) – #37 Best Game Of All Time (Readers' Vote)

Information also contributed by Ace of Sevens, Andrew Pine, J. Michael Bottorff , Kyle Levesque, Lain Crowley, Matthew Bailey, MegaMegaMan, Oyn, Pseudo_Intellectual, Sciere and Tiago Jaques

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Related Sites +

  • Resident Evil Fan
    With tons of videos, artwork, interviews and a Resident Evil encyclopedia, this fansite contains everything that the passionate fan could ask for.
  • Wikipedia: Resident Evil
    Information about Resident Evil at Wikipedia

Identifiers +

  • MobyGames ID: 1195
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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Matthew Bailey.

SEGA Saturn added by Kartanym.

Additional contributors: Trixter, Zovni, Unicorn Lynx, tarmo888, Foxhack, Alaka, DreinIX, —-, Paulus18950, CalaisianMindthief, Patrick Bregger, FatherJack.

Game added March 27, 2000. Last modified March 8, 2024.