Resident Evil

Resident Evil is a 1996 survival-horror game developed and published by Capcom for the PlayStation system. The game is the first in the long-running Resident Evil series, which has spawned over 10 sequels and spin-offs. Though not the first survival-horror game created (Alone in the Dark was released in 1992), Resident Evil is considered the catalyst for the widespread popularization of the genre.

Fast Facts

1. Developer/Publisher: Capcom
2. Platforms: Playstation, Windows PC, Sega Saturn, Nintendo DS, Gamecube
3. Genre: Survival-Horror
4. The first game to ever be called "survival-horror"
5. The director of Resident Evil, Shinji Mikami claims that the Gamecube remake is 70% different from the original
6. Was made into a movie in 2002
7. Was inspired by an earlier Capcom game, Sweet Home
8. Mode: Single Player
9. Rating: ESRB Mature (M)
10. Release Date:
    1. PlayStation: March 30, 1996
    2. Sega Saturn: August 31, 1997
    3. PC: September 30, 1997
    4. GameCube: April 30, 2002
    5. DS: February 7, 2006

Story

The game takes place in the fictional Raccoon City, a town ravaged by a mysterious string of brutal murders. The S.T.A.R.S (Special Tactics and Rescue Squad, a division of the Raccoon City Police Dept.) Bravo Team is sent into the city via helicopter to investigate and resolve the situation, but the team vanishes. As a countermeasure, the Alpha team is deployed to rescue them. They discover the Bravo Team's downed helicopter, and signs of a struggle, but the S.T.A.R.S. officers are nowhere to be found. The Alpha team is then attacked by rabid wolves, killing Brad Vickers. Fleeing to safety, the remaining officers Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield, Barry Burton and Albert Wesker take shelter in a convenient nearby mansion. Chris (or Jill, depending on who you choose to play as), investigates the sprawling mansion, killing zombies and uncovering a dark mystery involving the Umbrella Corporation and a deadly virus.

Gameplay

Resident Evil is essentially a third-person 3D action-adventure game, but because of the setting and gameplay specifics, it is referred to as a survival-horror game. You progress through the game by traveling from room to room in the giant mansion, solving puzzles, killing zombies, acquiring items like keys, more powerful weapons, and working towards a final escape from the horror.

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