Without a doubt, a cornerstone of the horror game genre, Resident Evil made its mark in 1996 and shows no signs of stopping. With an excellent remake of Resident Evil 4 earlier this year, popularity has been at an all time high. Indeed, it’s largely remakes of the PS1 Resident Evil games that has kept the brand relevant. Each of the first four numbered Resi titles have been rebuilt from the ground up at some point, keeping gamers who weren’t around for the original titles in the loop with the storyline.
One unfortunate consequence of these remakes is the subtle erasure of the originals. Often disregarded for their hammy voice acting and unconventional control scheme, it’s easy to see why they’ve gathered this reputation. However, I’m of the opinion that anyone invested in gaming history or the Resi series owes it to themselves to at least give these games a look. As impossible as it may seem, there are a few areas where the original PS1 trilogy have a leg up on their modern counterparts.
Resident Evil 1 – The Foreboding Origins
If the original game could be summed up in a word, it’d be claustrophobia. No sprawling city streets, but a mansion of tight corridors and foreboding rooms. The Spencer Mansion is one of the most memorable locales in video game history, and it’s well worth a tour. Zombies are few in number, but difficult to evade. Puzzles are scattered and do well to ramp up tension, especially combined with inventory management. It’s the kind of game that feels difficult while you play, but is more forgiving than you’d realise. If the (approximately) 5 hour story seems on the short side, a second character and scenario provide satisfactory replay value.
While looking dated now, Resident Evil made fantastic use of cinematic perspectives to signpost items and enemies alike.
The low resolution of the PS1 does wonders to obscure the primitive textures and polygons. While many people like upscaling their games to higher resolutions via emulators, it exposes the rougher details in ways not meant to be seen. What’s commendable about these early games is the choice to render 3D characters and objects over a 2D image. Capcom would model each room, digitise it into a flat image, and use these for the backgrounds of each room. This clever trick enabled much more impressive visuals than contemporary games. It worked so well that this was even used for the remake of this game – to even greater effect.
How It Compares to the Remake
Of the original three games, the first Resident Evil is admittedly the hardest to recommend over its remake. RE1’s remake does wonders in closely adapting the source material while building onto it only where it makes sense. Dialogue is better worded, new puzzles are thrown in, and both the story and mansion have whole new areas. That said, there’s also a certain magic to playing the original, then playing the remake for the first time. Details you’d take for granted if you only play the remake become clever, self-aware tricks to veterans. Oh, and in spite of the much more professional voice acting… there’s something so lovable about the amateur performances and clumsy script that’s missing here. If nothing else, watching the story on YouTube is a solid way to appreciate this part of the original Resident Evil.
The remake of Resident Evil traded most of its camp for intense atmosphere, which still holds up. (image credit: Capcom)
Altogether, even if you only play the remake, you still get the story and atmosphere as intended. But there’s something special about seeing the birth of not just a franchise, but an entire genre. Fortunately, the original Resident Evil is available on PS5, via PS Plus Premium. Note that this is the Director’s Cut, with added features; it is not to be confused with the “DualShock Version” available on PS3, with a revised (and terrible) soundtrack.
Resident Evil 2 – The Explosive Successor
It’s surprising how much Resident Evil 2 strays from the design of the original. Where once you had one or two zombies in a tight corridor, you now have sprawling corridors and rooms. However, you also have considerably more zombies to deal with. People sometimes imply Resi became more action-oriented with the fourth game, but I’d argue it was RE2. More zombies means more ways to take them out, and you’ll definitely need to. It was explosive, tense and thrilling – a Hollywood movie-style experience pressed onto two PS1 discs.
As for what those discs hold, there’s a lot to sink your teeth into. Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield both have their own stories, enough to make the same setting feel brand new. Settings like the iconic Raccoon City Police Department are just the tip of the iceberg. Voice performances remain campy, but massively improved over the original. Pre-rendered backgrounds are amped up even further, and the character models? Not nearly as blocky as before. If you get your hands on the PC port of this game, you can even extensively mod it to look better than ever.
More detail, more action, and more desperate inventory management than ever before.
Having two discs may seem like an inconvenience in the modern day of digital releases, but it was used to genius effect. Each disc featured either Leon or Claire’s scenario; however, after beating one, you could load the save data with the other disc to play their “B side” scenario. It’s no walk in the park – tougher enemies, less resources, and the terrifying Tyrant “Mr. X” pursuing you at various points. Not only that, but there’s the “zapping” mechanic. Certain items you may have taken as one character will now be missing for the other. With all these features, Capcom really leapt far beyond RE1‘s mechanics and technology, resulting in one of the best videogame sequels of all time.
How It Compares to the Remake
Of course, Resident Evil 2 received an extremely popular remake back in 2018. As its own game, it’s a fantastic experience with jaw-dropping graphics – and I do mean that literally. When you stack it up versus the original, however, gaps do begin to show. The “zapping” mechanic is gone, as is the general A/B scenarios. This simplifies the experience, but at the cost of those unique, changed story elements that made the original so impressive. Mr. X’s presence is greatly expanded, but almost to the point of over-saturation that misses the point of his presence in the original. And of course, the music; the original games’ soundtrack is swapped for more standard ambience. Modernised, but not necessarily improved. That said, the original soundtrack is so good you can buy it as DLC and switch to it in-game. A neat inclusion (although one that arguably should’ve been unlockable, not premium).
Seeing the unmistakable police station hall rendered with modern visuals was a dream come true for thousands. (image credit: Capcom)
With all that said and done, Resident Evil 2 is worth a try. Challenging, but ceaselessly enjoyable, even if taken as a time capsule of years gone by. That’s not to discredit the remake, which is also worth playing – but there really are some things that it simply doesn’t have over the original. Unfortunately, despite selling over 6 million copies over its lifetime, Capcom have insisted on burying it. The only digital release of the game is stuck on the PS3 at the time of writing; the only other option is to dig out a physical copy. It’s a really big shame, and hopefully it gets added to PS5 before long.
Resident Evil 3 – The Fearsome Threequel
Despite not originally being designed as a mainline game, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis fits perfectly with the others. Resi 1 pioneered, Resi 2 expanded, and Resi 3 got experimental with the formula. A single action-packed scenario, made even harder for the veterans of the series. New, slightly janky but nonetheless impressive mechanics that were worth a try. All that, and a thrilling storyline that marked a fitting ending to the Racoon City saga.
Capcom really channelled that Lara Croft energy for Jill in her second go-around.
Playing as Resident Evil 1 survivor Jill Valentine, you take to the infested streets of Racoon City. The plot runs concurrently with RE2, with a small degree of overlap. Zombies are greater in number and more aggressive, and at the top of the monster pantheon is the unmistakable Nemesis. An even more extreme version of the Tyrant from RE2, Nemesis pursues the player with unmatched ferocity. Every encounter is life-or-death, and the rewards for felling him are well worth the risk. To counter-act the ramped-up threats, there’s a quick-dodge move added to the repertoire. It was fairly janky and the timing was finicky, but it was a clever addition all the same. Not all of the game feels fairly designed, but it’s a worthy challenge if you’ve mastered Resi 1 and 2.
How It Compares to the Remake
It’s widely agreed upon that Resident Evil 3 is at the bottom of the RE remake pantheon. While the core essentials of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis are retained, not enough is done with what’s there. Nemesis is more scripted in his encounters than in the original, and entire areas are removed. Carlos is at least made into a far more memorable and lovable sidekick, but the whole game reeks of a rushed development – even more-so than its predecessor. It’s unlikely we’ll see another remake of this game any time soon, nor is Capcom intent on further updates.
Nemesis looks scarier than ever in the remake – but his actual presence left a lot to be desired. (image credit: Capcom)
Altogether, most people agree that the original Resident Evil 3 is a superior game to the remake. While the RE3 remake is definitely the less complete game of the two, it remains a decent game on its own merits. The original RE3, on the other hand, has a few frustrating elements that might have been worth cutting. Unfortunately, getting a hold of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis is no easier than playing it. As with the other two games, it remains available on the PS3 Store for $5.99 USD (while other 7th gen storefronts aren’t quite so fortunate). No news exists on a PS5 port under the PS1 Classics line-up, but here’s hoping it’s soon.
Conclusion
Old games definitely aren’t for everyone. As such, there’s no shame whatsoever in sticking to the modernised remakes. Even the Resident Evil 3 remake, as unpopular as it is among the fanbase, is a perfectly fine game. If you have a love for videogame history, though, the original PS1 trilogy is essential. The ways in which Capcom worked around 90s hardware limitations is nothing short of admirable. They’re tense, exciting, and very, very replayable. Here’s hoping Capcom unearth Resident Evil 2 and 3 in the near future to give fans an easier time revisiting the roots of the franchise. While they’re at it, maybe they can finally give Code: Veronica that much needed remake?
