Resident Evil

History:
Resident Evil is perhaps one of the most amazing video game series in terms of its evolution over time and their series has sold nearly 40 million copies. The original Resident Evil was released for PlayStation in 1996 under the title Biohazard in Japan and was one of the first games to ever be categorized as a "survival horror." Perhaps understandably for the time, the graphics, voice acting, and overall game-play were abysmal. However, it was still incredibly fun to play and became a best seller, despite being a joke by modern standards (in fact, many 'inside jokes' with RE fans, such "Jill sandwich" or "sleeping with the ultimate failure," originate from the original's poor dialogue). Two years later, the first true sequel was released, Resident Evil 2, featuring new characters and a new setting, yet still continuing a linear plot with the original game. Unlike most action-based games, the North American versions were actually more violent than the original Japanese. 1999 saw the release of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis which reintroduced Jill Valentine as a main, playable character as she had been in the original. 2000 saw the release of Resident Evil: Code Veronica, firmly establishing the choice to stick to the established main characters Chris Redfield, Claire Redfield, Jill Valentine, and Leon Kennedy as the main heroes of the series. As more and more games were released and the linear plot of them continued to thicken, the greater the graphics, music, and voice acting became. However, it was with the release of Resident Evil 4 in 2002 (along with Resident Evil REmake and Resident Evil Zero) that saw the biggest change for the series. Gone were the days of the fixed camera angles, auto-aiming, and bulky polygonal characters. Resident Evil 4 had a smooth new look (similar graphics are seen in REmake and Zero) and had become a third person shooter. Though the change in format was met with mixed reviews from fans, the video game community praised the fourth installment in the series enough that Resident Evil 5 (released in 2009 after Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles in 2007 and Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles in earlier 2009) had similar third person shooter game-play.

Personal Comments:
I love Resident Evil from the bottom of my heart. The characters are fantastic (never have I hated a villain more than Albert Wesker) and the modern graphics are beautiful. It's a video game series that has never stopped growing and responds well to public demand. Though I do deeply miss the good old days. I find the newer Resident Evils just won't scare you like the classics will. Sure, you may jump now and then as they've kept the occasional spook (especially in Resident Evil 5's Lost in Nightmares mini-game), but it's not a game you need to play with the lights on anymore. However, though 4 and 5 are poor survival horrors, they're great third-person shooters, and for that they deserve praise. Though, I am choosing to ignore Resident Evil 2: Survivor, as I recommend the rest of the world do too. I recommend the older Resident Evils to all survival horror fans and those that enjoy them should enjoy REmake and Zero as well. If you're a third-person shooter junkie, Resident Evil 4 & 5 should give you hours of enjoyment. Resident Evil has always had incredible replay value, so buying the games is in no way a waste of resources.

On the other hand... Capcom, do you think you could get Chris off the steroids and change Jill's hair back? Least you could do for me owning the whole series, right? Thanks.

Resident Evil is very scary but it is fun, so if you haven't tried it before, I suggest you go and try it


Graphics The graphics are good for its time. You might try to play it from Resident Evil 1 up until Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles and see how the graphics develop through time

Storyline: The first version storyline is a bit...well...it's understandable, but it took a while to get it. Anyway, the storyline is now improved during the second season and continue to improve as time flies by. The more you play, the more you will understand one big storyline this game has

Music: In my point of view, the music is OK but most of the time, the music doesn't match the scene. For example, in Resident Evil 2, I really don't understand the music used in the main hall. The music doesn't tell me exactly what should I expect in the hall, but in season 3 there seem to be an improvement for this game.