Resident Evil

Synopsis

by Jonathan Sutyak

As the story goes, reports of missing people and sightings of dog-like monsters have come out of Raccoon Forest. Bravo Team was sent in to check out the situation but after their helicopter crashed all contact was lost. You and your comrades, Alpha Team, are then sent in to investigate.

Soon after your helicopter lands the team is attacked, some of which is shown in full-motion video. Out of fear the helicopter pilot takes off leaving the whole team behind. Some of the Alpha Team members are killed while the team flees for cover. Three of you escape into a nearby mansion that turns out to be filled with deadly creatures. At this point you take control of one of two available characters.

Your choices are Chris Redfield, a former member of the Air Force who hopes to prove himself to the team quickly, and Jill Valentine, a master at picking locks who has already rescued many other team members from danger. Chris can take more damage but Jill can hold two more items. Some of the other main characters found in the game include Barry Burton, weapons expertand Chris Redfield's old friend; Albert Wesker, leader of Alpha Team and founder of the Raccoon City S.T.A.R.S. unit; and Rebecca Chambers, the youngest member of the team and an expert in first aid.

While moving through the mansion the view automatically switches between fixed camera angles, but is always from a third-person perspective. The mansion is filled with puzzles and monsters, the majority of which are zombies. Players will need to either avoid the enemies or eliminate them while searching for clues, keys and various other items as they unlock the many secrets of the mansion.

Features

• Features exclusive alternate costumes for both Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine
• Saturn version includes a battle mini-game that involves eliminating zombies using one weapon
• Replay the game to unlock eight different endings

Extra Credits

by Brad Penniment

Resident Evil is based and inspired on two notable things. One of them is the PC classic Alone in the Dark. That was the first game in which players were thrown into a creepy house filled with dangerous, undead ghosts. Resident Evil, of course, expands on the idea and opts for a truly frightening experience.

Second, a lot of the various rooms of the house resemble those in Night of the Living Dead (both the original and remake). Resident Evil almost feels like a homage to George Romero -- his ideas inspired a lot of events found within this game.

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