Product Description

Resident Evil, the game often credited with starting the survival-horror genre, has been reinvented for the GameCube. For those unfamiliar with the series, a mysterious corporation has secretly been performing ungodly biotech experiments in the sleepy little town of Raccoon City. When reports of gory attacks come in from nearby areas, two crack military squads are sent to investigate. You take the role of either sharpshooter Chris Redfield or demolitions expert Jill Valentine to track down the source of the town's problems--specifically, something in a decaying mansion that's mutating animals into grotesque killers and turning humans into bloodthirsty zombies. Supplies and ammunition are scarce, so you'll have to know when to fight, when to run, and how to keep their wits about you--you can't afford to waste their shots and expect your character to survive.

The story has been retrofitted with motion-captured animation, next-generation graphics, real-time lighting and shadow effects, new areas, and newly rendered in-game video segments to create an even more cinematic experience. Also, a redesigned combat system lets you attack and defend yourself with a variety of items found in the environment.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2722 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Capcom
• Released on: 2002-09-13
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• ESRB Rating: Mature
• Platform: GameCube
• Original language: English

Amazon.co.uk Review
Ask anyone what the scariest game they've ever played is and they'll invariably mention Resident Evil (unless they're trying to be a smart aleck and choose Rise of the Robots). Six years after its original release the mix of cinematic camera angles, shock-horror movie atmosphere and the constant state of panic that having virtually no ammo or health gives you has still never been bettered.

Although films and music are forever being remade, remixed and generally reheated, games never seem to get the same treatment. Resident Evil is bucking that trend, though, and is back with almost another game's worth of extra rooms and puzzles and what are arguably the best graphics ever seen in a video game--we're talking near-photo-realistic characters and a subtle use of light and shadow as has never been seen before.

Ignoring the stodgy control system and incongruous puzzles, the genius of Resident Evil is that you genuinely don't know what'll happen next. Just deciding whether to risk opening a door can be a fearsome and suspenseful experience. The fact that you can only hold half a dozen items at any one time forces you to plan what you're going to do in far more detail than any other action game, deciding which monsters you can afford to shoot and where you can run to if things go pear-shaped. In short, if you're a Resi fan this revamp will be like manna from heaven; if you've yet to experience its dubious delights, you'd better break out the brown trousers right away. --David Jenkins

GamesMaster Magazine
"A big dollop, dirty, steaming evil that has been moulded into one of the best games you'll play. 94%."

Manufacturer's Description
For years a secluded mansion and its grounds have been the site of top-secret biotechnic experiments funded by a respected corporation. A while back the weekly laboratory reports started to become increasingly vague and now they have stopped completely. Recent gory attacks near the mansion have lead to rumours of unnatural canines on the prowl. Something has gone terribly wrong.

Two Special Tactics and Rescue Squad teams are sent to investigate these strange and gruesome developments. Bravo Team are the first to mobilise and they disappear almost immediately. Alpha Team follows, urgently driven towards the mansion to find out what happened to Bravo Team and see if they figure out what the hell is going on.

Customer Reviews

An Amazing Achievement
It is perhaps a sad testimony to my own lack of common sense that I assumed that Resident Evil wouldn't be very good. A huge fan of the series since the beginning I was however very disappointed with Resident Evil Zero. Although the story - the events leading up to Rebecca Chamber's appearance in the mansion in the original game was a good one, the reality was formulaic, dull and had a slightly careless feel to it. The evidence presented in Zero along with bilge like the Onimusha titles had lead me to believe that pre-rendered backdrops had had their day. Well not so. Resident Evil stands as a testimony to how potent a package an old story can make if it is lovingly realised and expertly executed. This may be hard to believe but despite being familiar territory the thrills and spills in this title are as visceral as when we first experienced them on the PS1 all those years ago.

Firstly, the mansion is enormous. It really is a mansion! And unlike the blandness of Zero every room is a work of art. From the architecture to the puzzles to the sinister and dramatic camera angles it all has the sheen of almost uncanny quality. The way free moving items and characters have been overlayed onto the backdrops gives such a sense of immersion that for the majority of the time you almost forget its not 3D. A zombie banging on a pane of glass trying to get to you, the standard issue movable crates and the items hidden seamlessly amongst the scenery all dissuaded me from criticism. The game designers have also taken real steps to break up some of the linearity of previous titles. Where a strong narrative exists free roaming game elements are not really possible, but here we have the next best thing: a genuine sense of unpredictability. In previous titles there is the overriding feeling that once you have cleared an area of monsters you are safe and can relax. In Resident Evil this sensation does not exist. Zombies burst through doors, windows and out of cupboards and there are even more shocks. As a Resident Evil veteran I am well used to passing rotting corpses lying on the floor. As you pass them, sometimes they stir and shamble after you and sometimes not. Imagine my shock the first time I passed a zombie who leapt to his feet and then ran after me roaring and swiping at me with his claws.

Ultimately survival horror games aim to immerse the gamer in what basically amounts to an interactive movie. For this to work effectively there must be a pacing and distribution of set-pieces to make the whole thing read like a film. Once again Resident Evil cannot be faulted on this score. Aggressively side-stepping that old computer game 'thing' of having all of the impressive stuff at the beginning and a load of repetition and mediocrity thereafter Resident Evil is so well constructed its frightening. After the initial events that take place in the mansion the game will lead you out into the smaller residence in the grounds. Here you will be confronted with a more concise set of puzzles which ultimately lead you into one of the most amazingly exciting set-pieces I've ever seen in a computer game. From their an encounter with series nemesis Wesker will lead you back into the mansion to unlock all those other doors you couldn't wait to open on your last visit. Again there is more to see and do. Things have altered slightly in the mansion and there are more challenges awaiting.

Its always difficult to justify giving a game full marks, however in this case I don't see how I could give it anything less. I try to play through every survival horror game that comes out on the main console formats but not since Resident Evil: Code Veronica X have I been so totally immersed and captivated by a game. In short it's a work of genius. Rehashing a title that was so mind-blowing the first time around is always going to be a risky proposal but here it works perfectly. Essentially the story is (thankfully) exactly the same as the first time around but everything is done bigger, bolder, better and in classic Resident Evil style. And so to those responsible for Resident Evil Zero: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Stunning
This was the first Resident Evil game I decided to bother with - I'm not particularly fond of being scared out of my wits, but having seen screenshots of the game, I just had to see what it looked like in action. Yes, I bought it based on the graphics - as I'm sure many others will have done. Which is wrong, of course - except Resident Evil actually turned out to be quite a sweet little game.

Yes, it looks amazing. The environments are nearly photo-realistic, and the characters and enemies never looked better. Coupled with some haunting sound effects, it's presentation is constantly unsettling. If you like being scared, you'll probably get some kicks out of RE's many shock moments - I know I yelled out on more than one occasion. It's also clever how it tricks you into thinking something's going to happen - for instance, you see a window crack, and expect something horrible to come exploding through... but it doesn't. But it unnerves you no-end. The quality camera-placement throughout makes for some more creepiness, as the action is viewed from behind some leaves, or through a window, by some unknown watcher. It's damn creepy.

Don't listen to people who whine about the controls. Really, they work just fine. Probably the most useful feature is the 180-turn you can pull off by tapping the C-Stick any way - handy for escaping advancing monsters. And full free 3D movement wouldn't work in this game - you'd be running all over the place like some drunk as the camera-angles constantly change... anyone who's played Devil May Cry might know the feeling. As it is, it's sometimes a little clunky, but it works.

The puzzles that make up the biggest part of the game aren't mind-bending, although one or two might have you stumped for a while. What does begin to grate is having to ferry an endless supply of keys from one end of a gigantic mansion to another. Shock moments keep things interesting, but it can get a little tedious from time to time. It's compulsive to keep playing, just to see what lies around the next turn. And although the story isn't too great (I don't suppose it's going to be until the series comes to a close and everything's explained), the cinematics are enjoyable enough and usually give you something else to do other than collect keys.

With two characters to play through and multiple endings, the game has substance for those who look for it. Resident Evil offers a deeply unsettling, but highly enjoyable experience that fans of horror should love. It's so amazingly real, you can't help but feel at least a tinge of fear, even if you're a veteran. As a newbie, I was terrified, but gripped by it's unputdownable nature.

A re-hash eh?
I have played the NTSC version of Resident Evil (GC). Two words can fully sum up Capcoms latest effort in milking the Resident Evil/Biohazard series, Damn Aamazing! The graphics are still pre-rendered 2d backdrops, but the level of detail in these newly re-rendered backdrops is fantastic. At one point I spotted a small spider scuttling across it's web in the corner of the screen. Even oil burning lanterns give off a realistic heat wave. The characters, enemies and items have also had a face-lift, with thousands more polygons to play with, the 3d modellers have made enhancements since the days of the Playstation versions of the games. Now the characters look real, crows have eyes that glare at you, and the Cerberuses (The dogs) have rib cages protruding from their sides. Motion Captured (MOCAP) animations were used for even more realism. Of course, that's just the graphical side of the game. Next we have the new areas and puzzles. Without spoiling anything, I will say that there are structural differences to the Spencer Estate that are noticeable even from the Main Hall. There are also areas that were in the original concept designs, but never made it to the game, such as the wooden cabin outside (Reminded me and my friend of the Evil Dead cabin). Having said that, it is still the same old Resident Evil mansion we all came to love. Anyone thinking this is just a re-hash of the original, with some little extras bolted on, then you are gravely mistaken. Even people who played the original will be slaving away at this for 12 hours, with people who havent playing for around 20. Believe me, the playing time is well worth it, considering there are 10 endings. All in all, a very good game, worth 5 stars!