Resident Evil  Resident Evil 2  Developed by: Capcom Platforms:   Guest Reviews by Daniel Riley Resident Evil Release Date: 1996

Guest writer Daniel Riley reviews both Resident Evil and Resident Evil 2.

Resident Evil, when first released in 1996, was the one of the very first killer apps for the recently released Sony Playstation. Since that time, it has been ported to both the Sega Saturn and PC and received a Playstation "Director's Cut." Each version has had added features, such as rearranged items, an "Extreme Battle Mode," or an unedited introduction movie. What has remained the same is the heart and soul of the original, in all of its horrifying glory.

Resident Evil begins with a group of highly trained special operations agents known as the S.T.A.R.S. landing in a large field on the outskirts of Raccoon City. They have been called in to investigate strange murders and mutilations that have been occurring in the city and surrounding woods.

Upon landing, the team begins its search. What they find is the nightmare of a lifetime. They are quickly attacked by a pack of undead canines and forced to escape to a seemingly deserted mansion. Inside, the real horror begins …

Playing as either Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine, the player must make use of his or her teammates, wits, and trigger fingers. The resulting journey will take you through the mansion, a guardhouse, a cave system, and a secret laboratory. You will encounter countless well-designed enemies, each fitting the description of science gone wrong. The goal is to destroy the horror in Raccoon City and escape with your life. Story--A.

Many imitators have followed, but RE's gameplay gets the nod for being intuitive and original. The up-is-forward and back-is-backward control system is perfect for the prerendered backgrounds and allows perfect control for the seasoned or unseasoned player.

The puzzles and obstacles are all very well-done, from collecting pieces of a puzzle to putting aging pictures in order. There is no really hard part of RE and also no really easy one. RE represents the perfect challenge, free of frustration.

The only major complaints that I have with the setup of RE is the use of the chests and save ribbons. While I realize that carrying an unlimited inventory is unrealistic, so are magical chests that can transfer their contents to one another. On the save ribbon side, I welcome the challenge that limited saves represent. However, I do not like replaying large chunks of a game because I am afraid to save due to not knowing how many more saves I will find. Thankfully, this problem was removed from the PC version.

In short, the gameplay in RE spawned a genre. It has been imitated but never surpassed. Keeping in mind that this game was released first in 1996, it is incredible. Gameplay--A-.

Many may argue that the use of prerendered backgrounds lessens RE's visual appeal. I disagree wholeheartedly. The dynamic camera angles and setups for scares would not be at all possible with 3D environments. The Playstation hardware also could never handle characters with such detail if the backgrounds had to be calculated too. For a first-generation PSX title, RE was nearly the definition of eye candy. Playing through each incarnation made me appreciate the look more and more. From the PSX to the Saturn to the PC to the Director's Cut, RE is a gorgeous 32-bit adventure, even in 1999. The visuals for a game of this kind should have one goal in mind: to set up the mood of terror and isolation. Never has a game succeeded in doing both so well. Graphics--A.

The horror genre has a much heavier reliance on sound than other genres. RE is no exception. The growling Cerberus, the swipe of Tyrant's claws, and the screams of the dragging on the zombie's leg all add immensely to the overall package. In blind areas, the player has no alternative to listening for danger, an aspect that adds greatly to the fear and suspense of the title. The music, when necessary, is also a wonderful mix of spook and adrenaline. Never can I remember a game before RE that succeeding in setting such an aural mood. Sound--A+.

Resident Evil is a rare commodity in several ways. First, it is one of the few titles that can jump from a console to the PC and back with no loss of quality or experience. Second, it a game that can be picked up three years after its release and still have the same impact it did on day one. Finally, very few games can claim to have spawned a genre. Resident Evil can make this claim, as well as the unique claim of near perfection on the first try.

Final Grade--A.

Resident Evil 2

Release Date: 1998 , 1999

It is a rarity in any form of media (games, movies, or books) when a sequel is able to surpass the original. Even with that in mind, Resident Evil 2 was one of my most anticipated releases of 1998.

Taking place only two months after the first adventure, it helps to further uncover the true extent of Umbrella Corporation's evil intentions. As either Leon Kennedy, a brand-new cop, or Claire Redfield, Chris's (from RE) little sister, the player is once again immersed in the world of survival horror. This time around, the mission takes place in the Raccoon City streets, the police station, a sewer system, a laboratory, and more. The goal is to track down the next generation of toxins, the G-Virus. Along the way, many of the virus's creations stand in your way, from the dog-like Cerberus to the mutated scientist William Birkin.

Like a season finale of The X-Files, Resident Evil 2 answers questions from the previous story and creates many more, all in the name of terror.

The gameplay in RE2 is true to the original in every way. This indicates that Capcom is a believer in the old adage, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." The up-is-forward, back-is-backward control system is still in place. The easy-to-use menus, items, and maps are a relief in today's pattern of complicated mechanics. Perhaps the greatest attribute of RE2 is that an RE veteran or beginner will be able to pick it up and have no trouble jumping right in.

Capcom did not completely rest on its laurels, however. Little touches were added to heighten the overall experience. For instance, a wounded character now is very sluggish to control. Each hit he/she take worsens his/her ability to move effectively. That is a very nice touch, as it lets the player know the severity of injury without checking the status menu.

True to its heritage, RE2 has one of the most intuitive gameplay schemes I have seen in nearly two decades of console gaming. This holds even more true for the PC version, as PC games are notorious for horrible mechanics. The graphics in RE2 also remain faithful to the original in style. In quality, however, they go much farther. All of the characters, areas, and effects are much cleaner in RE2. Everything has a very polished look, from the fire of the wreck at the beginning to battle with Tyrant X. The prerendered backgrounds make for a great setup in many cases. Not being able to peer around the corner adds tremendously to the feeling of anticipation or dread that the player will feel as he or she enters new territory. Gameplay--A.

Again, the character being wounded makes an impact. In the graphics department, a hurt protagonist has a much bigger impact. Seeing Leon or Claire hunched over and limping adds to the urgency of the situation. It is much more concrete to see the pain, rather than relying on the color of the health monitor. The enemies also now register damage. A zombie shot in the legs with a shotgun will have limbs missing and have to drag itself after the shooter.

RE2 is one of the cleanest-looking 3D adventures on either the PSX or PC. Running the game at 640x480 and full screen on the PC is incredible, if you have a good 3D accelerator card. The visuals surpass the original in every way, a must for a successful follow-up. Graphics--A+.

The survival horror genre is built largely on a successful sound system. From terrorizing music to growls of bloodthirsty creatures, sound must be excellent in order for a horror game to be the same. RE2 excels in this area as well. The player will be transported to a whole new range of emotions by the aural excellence of RE2. Excitement over a short-lived victory will end in terror of a newly found isolation. Dread of an impending boss encounter will end in the last gasps of life. This experience will occur both in gameplay and in the sound. A marriage made in heaven (or hell as the case may be). Sound--A+.

While RE2 obviously does not provide the unique adventure that RE did when it was first released, the sequel still managed to surpass the original in nearly every way. A first-time RE adventurer will not miss a beat, although if you missed the first game, you have already missed much more.

In short, Capcom has written the book on how to make a sequel once again. RE2 is an absolute winner and represents the pinnacle of the survival horror genre on Sony's 32-bit machine and the PC. Games like RE2 come along at most once a year. When they do, adventure and horror fans alike owe it to themselves to be in line. The horror has just begun.

Final Grade--A+.

If you would like to learn more about the Resident Evil series, then be sure to visit Daniel Riley's Resident Evil web site.