User Reviews (1 - 11 of 94)

Show these reviews first:

Highest Rated
Lowest Rated Newest
Oldest Most Helpful
Least Helpful

3.5 Stars - This is where it all began

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 9 / 10
Date: July 21, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Resident Evil: Director's Cut (1997). The PSX re-release of the 1996 survival horror game.

Back when the PSX was first released, the system didn't have much in the way of standout games. Of course, there were a few noteworthy PSX launch games like Twisted Metal, Doom, and Tekken, but for the most part, the PSX didn't have anything outstanding yet. Thus, Resident Evil was made. Taking influences from the earlier survival horror series Alone In The Dark, Resident evil took all of its aspects to the next level and eventually became one of Capcom's most successful franchises to date, ranking just behind the Mega Man and Street Fighter games. In fact, the original RE game was probably the first PSX game to make the system worthwhile before other important games were released in the following years.

Most everyone who's played the games already knows the story, but for those who haven't, here's a brief synopsis: A strange murder occurrence just outside of Raccoon City has caused Police officials to be suspicious, so they sent two Special Tactics and Rescue Squad (STARS) teams to go investigate. You play as either Jill Valentine or Chris Redfield, both of them surviving STARS members. The teams end up getting stuck in the mountains, so they eventually find themselves inside a huge mansion, where the STARS members discover numerous creatures such as zombies, mutilated dogs, giant spiders, and other monsters. These were all created due to Umbrella Corporation's disastrous T-Virus. As the game goes along, more important discoveries are made.

Now let's talk about the game itself.

Of the three PSX RE games, this one easily has the worst graphics. We're talking first-generation PSX graphics here, if that's any indication. The character models are all blocky and easily stick out from the otherwise highly detailed still-screen environments. These environments are navigatably 3D, but the camera angles sit at fixed 2D points, which can be both good and bad, depending on the situation. By bad, I mean that some angles hinder the view of the action. The monsters (especially the zombies) have very limited animation and models compared to the later games, and its limited engine prevents the game from having more than 3 monsters on the screen at one time (not including the crows). So the only real decent graphical aspects are the rendered environments. But even they don't quite compare to the detail in the following games.

The sound effects are good for the most part. However, the zombies come off sounding more like moaning old men than actual monsters, and the voice acting... dear god? don't get me started. It's so hilariously bad that it's just fun to listen to. The dialogue doesn't help things at all along with the horrible acting which is bad even by B-movie standards. One of my friends almost died of laughter the last time I went through the game. The music on the other hand, is decent and suits the mood of each area appropriately. It's nothing special, but it does add to the overall suspense.

The controls are something that most people either love or hate. It took me some time to get used to them, but now I have no troubles whatsoever. Most people that hate them don't seem to realize that RE isn't just an all-out action game, but rather an exploration puzzle type game with action segments. The controls were a bit rough here, though they have been more refined in later releases. I do admit though, that it does get very tedious backtracking to the item box again and again because you can't hold all the items you want to. Between the two playable characters Jill and Chris, I personally found Jill to be the better one to control because she has more inventory slots and weapons than Chris, although Chris's voice acting isn't quite as nerve-grating as hers is. Both characters each have their own sub-character that helps them along game, such as Barry who helps Jill, and Rebecca who aids Chris.

Most people have said that this game was the scariest of all the RE games. I'm not sure I agree with that, but the atmosphere can be quite chilling at certain points. I suppose that the dogs breaking through the glass windows could've scared newbees to the series, but since I was introduced through RE2 and the fact that I've already played the MUCH freakier Silent Hill games, the original didn't scare me nearly as much as it should have. To the game's credit though, it does present the most puzzles, and a majority of them are real brain-benders. It's something that the series started to get away from as time went on. Plus, I thought that the game itself felt larger than all the others in the series, so it will take a while for new players to beat it. The challenge is also very high since there is very limited ammo to take out the creatures with. Even veteran RE fanatics still find the first game to be thoroughly challenging enough to come back for more.

This version of the game is a director?s cut edition, but it?s really nothing special. All we get is an extra mode that is more challenging and features different outfits for the main characters, but if you already own the original, there?s no need to get this version. Apparently the Japanese version also had extra cut-scenes, so we were cheated! So much for it being a ?director?s cut?, huh?

Although this game is extremely dated by today's standards, it's still worth checking out if you're a big fan of the series and want to see how the series got started in the first place. However, it's not really necessary now that a MUCH better remake is available on the Gamecube, so I suggest looking into that game instead. RECOMMENDED SPECIFICALLY TO FANS OF THE SERIES. NEW FANS SHOULD START WITH RE 2 OR THE GAMECUBE REMAKE OF THE ORIGINAL FIRST.

Amazing

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 12
Date: December 28, 1999
Author: Amazon User

This game is only for mature players,yet...I can't get enough of it.It combines a horror flick with cheez-E dye-o-log wit a action packed 3D game with great graphics and puzzels almost impossible to solve without a guide (or plenty of ammo)! I've played RE2 and RE nemesis,But this game still remains the beast in my heart.

An Adventure/Horror Game That Is Not For The Squeamish

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 10 / 12
Date: October 20, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Resident Evil is a creative and ambitious adventure/horror game that requires equal measures of patience, puzzle-solving ability, and lust for wreaking slash-and-burn mayhem. As a member of an elite S.T.A.R.S unit, your character is investigating a number of grisly murders and subsequent sightings of a variety of hideous, mutated creatures in the "Raccoon Mountains." One of the creatures chases you to an ominous-looking mansion, and this is where the game is played out.

This game is not for the very young or the very squeamish. There are a number of rather graphic interludes; early on, for example, you encounter a quite-realistic close-up of a "zombie" munching on the severed head of one of your unfortunate teammates, complete with soggy chewing noises. Overall, however, the game effects tend to seem more humorous than horrorific; e.g., animal-lover though I may be, I got quite a laugh out of the rabid wolves, which yelp and flip upside down when shot.

Resident Evil involves quite a bit of action early on. Once you locate the proper weaponry, however, the focus begins to shift. The undead are no match for a shotgun or bazooka, and before long you are free to search the mansion and surrounding real estate for clues. At this point, the game becomes equal parts strategic puzzle, riddle, and treasure hunt. You can only carry a limited number of items, and you can only leave items or save the game in one of the storerooms, which are scattered at random around the grounds. It can be maddening to realize that you need some key, tool, or formula, only to discover that you abandoned it some distance away.

Some of this game's greatest strengths are also its biggest weaknesses. Clearly meant to look like a movie, you view your character from constantly shifting, third-person viewpoints, and the graphics are often spectacular. However, controlling the character can be frustrating, especially when the view shifts dramatically as you are battling a mutant, and these shifts make it easy to get disoriented as you travel the maze-like hallways.

Resident Evil includes a number of somewhat-challenging puzzles and these were often the facets that brought me back to play again and again. On several occasions, though, I was irritated to discover that the game was overly picky about positioning and that I had failed to solve a puzzle because my character was a quarter-step out of place when I asked it to search for a clue or use a tool.

Finally, because the story unfolds as you go, your objectives are often unclear. For me, this only added to the mystery and helped hold my curiosity. Eventually, though, I began to wish for some direction. My brother-in-law and I probably put in about 60 hours of actually playing time on this game over Thanksgiving and Christmas, and after about 12 hours of wandering empty hallways and poking through rooms we had already searched a dozen times, the tedium got to us and we abandoned it. There were a number of points in the game where we were given choices, such as "Will you follow the team leader?" or "Will you pull the lever?" and we had no way of knowing whether we had chosen incorrectly or were, in fact, following a dead end.

I don't know how much of the game I actually completed, and someone with more time and patience and, perhaps, greater puzzle-solving abilities might find that I only scratched the surface. This really wouldn't surprise me, as the detail and scope that I encountered were truly impressive. I would certainly recommend Resident Evil to anyone who enjoys adventure and puzzles with a dark edge.

--"Diamond" Chip Cassano for Skirmisher Online Gaming Magazine

Better to play RE1 before RE2

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 9 / 11
Date: November 22, 1999
Author: Amazon User

I bought RE2 before RE1DC, and not suprisingly, RE1 was a bit disappointing. It is a great game and I enjoy playing it, but once one is accustomed to playing RE2, RE1 seems a little "lame". Kind of like driving a Lexus around for a while, then changing to a Corrolla. Still a nice car, but not quite the same.

Don't get me wrong, I HIGHLY recommend the game, but if you're just getting into the RE series, buy and play them in order.

O.K.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: September 25, 1999
Author: Amazon User

The second release of the original horror game, you are put back in control of Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine, which are stuck in a mansion full of man eating monsters. Is this really supposed to be a directors cut? Well it ain't, the extra blood and gore is nowhere to be found. Not much has changed, except the music. What was once a spine tiggling beats are now things that make the game less scarier. Dual Shock? Not really a big deal. Sure there are tremors, but it doesn't really spice up the game. Directors Cut is still good, but only worth getting if you don't already own the original. R.E. veterans, stick to a rental.

Good game

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 6 / 8
Date: July 06, 2000
Author: Amazon User

This was the second RE game that I played, and though good, it did not live up to RE 2...

...In fun factor. But I did enjoy the puzzles and challenge of it.

Here are my opinions of the whole thing:

Graphics:*** (Great for an old game, but they should have made them better for the new version.)

Sound:** (The sound effects are great, but in the dual shock version [the one I have] the music is different and not as good, plus the dialogue [is bad])

Control:**** {Great control, but the walking is kind of hard to get used to)

Fun:***1/2 (Overall a good game, just not great.)

BEST GAME EVER

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: May 20, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Resident Evil and the series 1,2,3, are the best games ever. This is the first game I played that was not a RPG game since I'm a big fan of RPG'S I thought I would try iy out, well I rented out the 2nd one and loved it so much I went out and bought all 3 of them. I would love to get the 4th one but as of yet I don't have the Dreamcast. I highly recommened this game and the others.

One of the Playstation's Finest Games

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 17
Date: December 28, 1999
Author: Amazon User

"Resident Evil: Director's Cut" is great! Not another DOOM-like game where you blow everything to bits, this game is all about survival in an old mansion filled with zombies, mutant dogs, giant snakes, and other horrible mutations. The suspense and atmosphere will have you shaking in your boots, then you'll be scared to death when something goes crashing through a window just when you've calmed down. A must-have title. I even played "Resident Evil 2" first, and it's still a must-have! That's my two cents.

Resident Evil: Director's Cut review

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: November 12, 2000
Author: Amazon User

****1/2
Resident Evil is one of those games that needs to be rated, not on the game itself, but what it did for the video gaming world. RE was the first video game to actually put the gamer into a real life horror movie and then say, "survive this!" So, RE, along with other games, became known as the "survival horror" games. While RE, on terms of gameplay, might not be the greatest game ever made, it's still fun. Of course though, that's not what the game focuses on anyway. This game focuses on trying to scare the dickens out of every gamer who picks it up, at least, the first time they play it. Scenes like where you head out of the dining room and into the long corridor. You look right; nothing but doors. You look left; a corner that you can't see around, so you head to the left and turn the corner and your first taste of a true horror game/movie starts. The cut scene reveals the back head of your first encounter with a zombie, one that happens to be munching on one of your comrades. As he turns around to look at you, you see that pale, ugly face of the undead that you'll see all throughout the game. After you dispose of the creature you finally realize just what you're in for. The second scene that had everyone talking is your first trip down the carpeted, "L" shaped hallway with all the windows. As you enter there aren't any zombies so you think, "Oh, good, no creatures to kill me..." or so you think. As you're making your way down the hall, your first encounter with a Cerberos (zombie dog) occurs. The glass breaks and you jump out of your seat as the dog heads toward you. Everyone out there might as well admit that the first time you ran into that dog you were frozen with fright just long enough for him to take a bite out of you. Then you snapped back into action and squeezed off 3-5 shots and killed that doggy dead. Things like this is what made this game so great. Although the gameplay of: raise gun, and then shoot monster until he dies isn't exactly cutting edge, it serves its purpose. The game is split between killing monsters and solving puzzles that are anywhere from easy to very difficult. The puzzle part gives you the "game" feeling and everything else; the killing monsters, cheesy plot, horrible dialogue, and creepy music gives you the scary movie feeling. The plot is mainly about a group of scientists that were working on a virus that turns living things into mad, blood thirsty creatures of the undead. Several murders start occuring in the small town of Raccoon City with the victums being eaten. The STARS (Special Tactics And Rescue Squad) are sent to investigate. They disappear and another STARS group is sent to find them. What they find is their downed helicopter and strange, growling creatures lurking in the woods. The creatures start chasing them and the STARS members start running. What they run into is the mansion where the experiments started in the first place. Half of their group, by now, is either missing or dead. Here, in the main hallway of the mansion, is where you start your adventure. Later in the adventure you uncover Umbrella's (the evil corperation) secret and the conspiracy within your own group. One thing that made RE was the creepy music. While very simple, it still gave you the feeling of a classic horror movie. The greatest part of the game was the brilliant camera angles that were given to you in each area. From the first moment you walk into the dining room you know that Capcom knew what they were doing. The view shows your character at the end of the room and the camera angle is at the end of the long dining table. The graphics in the game are very good as well. What stands out though is Capcom's attention to every detail when it came to the mansion's design. If you stop and really look at the place, you'll notice that it really is a beautiful place. (if it wasn't crawling with zombies that is). In the game your ammo and weopons are extremely limited. Throughout the entire game all you get is a knife, 9mm handgun, shotgun, and a flamethrower or bazooka (depending on which character you pick). Also, the ammo through the game is extremely limited, I mean to the point where you almost have to try and avoid every fight you possibly can. This becomes very mind numbing and repetitive. So, the bad parts in the game: dialogue, lack of weopons and ammo, simple gameplay, very hard puzzles, and running around the mansion all the time. The good parts: graphics, mansion's detail, creepy music, outstanding camera angles, and the best translation of a horror movie into a game of it's time. RE has spawned several sequels, and several RE clones such as Silent Hill and House of the Dead. However, there will never be another game that will give you the feeling the first RE did. Resident Evil is a classic in the way that it created a whole new genre of games, and how many games can claim they did that!

A pretty good game for Playstation 1

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: March 18, 2002
Author: Amazon User

This was one of my favorite games for playstation. I won't bother telling you the storyline or the highlights because they have already been said over and over.

The good:
1) Good scare factor, and the creepiest setting of all of the Res Evil games
2) Ammunition that must be conserved, forcing you to use it wisely, but never quite leaving you short either
3) A fun storyline, and not as far fetched as some of the other expansions that this series goes into (Simple and scary is best)
4) You find things such as Ammo and Weapons were you would expect to find them, not just lying around

The bad:
1) Puzzles suck, and there are a lot of them
2) Controls make running in a straight line nearly impossible
3) The underlying Myths and Good vs. Evil themes that pop up from time to time
4) Slow animations for opening doors

The mildly annoying:
1) Small arsenal of weapons (you are a special stars member, but you aren't carrying any weapons...go figure)
2) Sometimes a perfectly aimed shot will miss completely (especially if the Zombie is on the ground)
3) Sometimes the storyline will twist off into a difficult to follow tangent
4) Graphics are poor, but not as stupid looking as Res Evil 2

Summary
The game is good, and I liked it better than the others because it was scarier, and the graphics were poor, but looked real. The storyline was also better than the follow ups in my opinion. If it wasn't for all the puzzles I may have given it 5 stars.

Review Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next 

Actions