Resident Evil (2002)

Wow I can’t believe I never reviewed this! I originally had played in 2019 Covid era to get ready for the Resident Evil 2 Remake, and it was merely a means to an end. Little did I know this game alone would completely and permanently change my taste in gaming forever - pretty much setting me off on a path to try to find anything that will scratch the same itch.

This game is a masterpiece. The art, atmosphere, music, level design, puzzles, combat… it is the best. A remake of the game that coined and invented the survival horror genre (after being inspired by Alone in the Dark), REmake is just a legendary game and must play for any video game fan period.

I love this game so much that it is a bit hard to even review. The only real criticism I have (which is true for literally every resident evil game) - the final third is significantly worse than the beginning. The Spencer Mansion is a masterpiece of game design, every decision in the pathing, enemy placement, backtracking, puzzles, level design, set pieces, etc. And honestly I wish this game was just 2 Spencer Mansions rather than an outdoor / cave area and a lab.

Otherwise though, I will forever be chasing the dragon of my first playthrough of this game. Many have come close- Tormented Souls, Conscript, and most recently Echoes of the Living (which I’ve yet to finish - release the patch already!!). These games come to mind as being worth successors and masterpieces in their own right. But there is truly nothing like the 2002 remake of Resident Evil, and I doubt anything could ever replace the deeply burrowed place it has in my heart.

Resident Evil Remake is a wonderfully fun an complex game. It definitely shows it's age at times, but is surprisingly original despite this. The setting is absolutely astounding. Every area and room you visit feels like something new. The camera angles, while occasionally annoying, add much tension and fear. Even the gameplay itself comes to be incredibly fun once you get used to it. I would highly recommend Resident Evil Remake to any fans of the genre or series.

4.00/5.00

See my full review here: https://watchreadgame.com/resident-evil-remake/

TL;DR: A good game but beware of backtracking and occasional obtuse puzzles.

Pros:

• Gameplay: Game sells itself as Survival horror and feels it. At no point in-game did I find myself ever feeling fully at "ease" with my position. Constantly scrounging for items and worrying about Zombies or other assorted Horrors really helps keep the player in a constant state of tense dread. I especially like the Inventory system that really helps tie the games thematic pretensions into gameplay.
• Music: Excellent tracks that really help solidify the spooky atmosphere.
• Story: Very cheesy. This game's story will not be for everyone. But I personally found it enjoyable in a very "80's creature feature" way. Characters are fun if not exactly complex and the pacing of the uncovering of the background of the Mansion is done very well

Neutral:

• Graphics: Even this remake is beginning to show its age in my opinion. However, the game still has moments where it looks great especially in some of its late game environments.

Cons

• Occasional puzzle woes: One or two puzzles in this game are slightly frustrating to solve or might seem slightly unfair. This is partially a result of the inventory system I mentioned earlier. While I was a fan of the overall implementation of the system I can easily see how some players might get frustrated with how puzzles are used in the game. This is not a massive issue in my opinion but something worth noting.
• Controls: Occasionally the game seemed to actively wrestle against my inputs. Overall I would say the game controlled well but sometimes while attempting to aim the controls felt highly cumbersome.

Conclusion

This is a great game with a fun story and highly suspenseful gameplay.

This is not only how I imagined RE1 when I first played it, back when I was a kid, but also better. Everything about it. The mansion, the new surprises, the graphics, the silly/scary story, the atmosphere, combat, unlockables, sound... Absolutely amazing. The only bad things, in my opinion, are the cameras, tank controls and the whole inventory system. It makes for a tense experience, but a dated one, a little.

But don't let that break you. This game is a masterpiece!

I wasn’t too sure how I’d feel about this remake, being that I’d barely played the original and that even this build is now over fifteen years old. When I first leapt into the fixed camera angles and much slower pace (compared with the later entries that I’ve just played), I felt pretty hesitant. But I have to say, this is another Resident Evil game I’ve fallen in love with. In fact, I think I’m starting to Stan this franchise.

Like the others I’ve really loved, this has chilling sound design, beautiful environments and really strange but enticing world building. I enjoyed the campy story. Yes, the voice acting is crap, but even that has it’s own strange appeal.

The only criticism I have is that the first half of the game gives you a lot of area to explore, in spite of your tiny inventory. This made for a lot of backtracking, which I didn’t love; and it also made me a lot more confused when it came to solving puzzles. Once I got a better grasp of the mechanics in place to guide you as a player, I found it a bit more straightforward. But the puzzle solving was always a bit less tedious in the smaller map segments.

Overall though, the atmosphere and level of engagement I got out of this were top notch, and my criticisms are relatively minor in comparison. There is a reason this is a classic!

I remember playing this briefly at my friend's house when I was a teenager and I've wanted to play it ever since so I was pleased when it appeared on steam as a HD remaster. And I think they've done a wonderful job with it. The controls are mostly great with an option to disable tank controls. Menus and gameplay in general are great and faithful to the original. But the most impressive thing is the graphics and atmosphere. The models are all remastered but the pre-rendered backgrounds really shine and it's amazing to think they managed this from the original 480p backdrops. There's a lot of effects, lighting and detailing that makes it look beautiful at 1080p in most areas. The atmosphere is truly creepy and the shadows, lighting and weird camera angles make this perhaps the ultimate experience in the genre, the pinnacle of genre that was birthed by Alone in the Dark.

This game, to me, is more about atmosphere than anything else. The lack of HUD and the awkward camera angles makes you feel like you're watching a horror film. You can't see around the corners, you hear the sounds of moans and thunder and you're running out of ammo and even save slots. This all raises the tension and paints a wonderfully stressful experience.

The puzzles were also a big highlight for me. In many ways this game was reminiscent of Black Mirror, not only because it was set in a big creepy mansion, but because of the perfectly-balanced puzzles. I didn't need to use a guide and all the puzzles were intuitive and stimulating. It's a real delight for the senses: the horror, the conservation of ammo, saves and health, plus trying to figure out puzzles and explore this giant maze-like mansion, it's a wonderful blend. Having never played any version of this, I was really surprised by how huge this game is, it took me a long time to complete; for $10 I definitely got value for money.

The story is interesting, the characters are mostly well portrayed, though a little cheesy at times, and Jill makes a great vulnerable-yet-strong heroine. I only have a few small complaints about the game. Firstly, the weak romance sub-plot between Jill and Chris was really bad. You meet Chris in the first 10 seconds of the game and don't see him again. Then, right at the very end you are reunited and it's supposed to be a heartwarming moment. But I was like "who the hell is this loser?" I really feel like his character was unnecessary and that the devs should have made a bold decision and stuck with a female-only player character; her character seems far more interesting than the standard one-dimensional white strongman Chris. My other complaint is the difficulty: I chose "normal" but I thought it was way too easy. Especially toward the end I had about 40 unused health packs and 200 rounds of ammo. Maybe it's my own fault, perhaps I should have manned up and chosen the harder difficulty. If anyone hasn't played this, that would be my recommendation.

Final Judgement:
Pros: Incredible spooky atmosphere, brilliant blend of gameplay mechanics, beautiful places to explore and mysteries to solve.
Cons: Sometimes the cheesy voice acting is too cheesy, some occasional blurring in the pre-rendered backgrounds, normal mode is too easy, "Chris" seems redundant. The final acts of the game were a bit weak.
Score: 7.5/10