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0 Before there was Requiem and a large collection of remasters, there was the original Resident Evil trilogy. The original 90 releases are now available on Steam. You can grab them for £7.99 each now.
Check out our other PC reviews here.
Once upon a time, these were some of the most terrifying games that ever existed
Gameplay
Arguably, the first Resident Evil is one of the most important horror games to come out in the 90s, launching the franchise into the public eye and defining a solid run of horror games. After being sent to investigate strange murders just outside Raccoon City, you can play as either Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine as you explore the horrors of Arklay Mansion. The second installment introduces Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield trying to flee Raccoon City after a T-Virus outbreak. Players must navigate the RPD station as well as underground areas to get their freedom and escape the zombie bio-weapon hoards. Finally, the third installment takes players back to the point of view of Jill Valentine. Set mere hours before the events of Resident Evil 2, Jill is also trying to escape the T-Virus outbreak. Unfortunately for her, she’s being chased down by “Nemesis” a heavily mutated, and armed, bio-weapon.
They games are the same as they were upon initial release so fans of the franchise already know what’s going to happen. Despite it’s age, going back to old graphics, terrible voice acting and tank mechanics was actually really nostalgic. That nostaligia more than makes up for the short comings that a game from the 90s would be riddled with. I had such a good time going back through these games without having to download the remakes. They’re perfect for existing fans but can be a fun entry point for people that may have joined later in the franchise and have yet to experience the original games.
Controlling the apocalypse
Unfortunately for some, the keyboard controls for the games are whacky. Using tank controls to move the character can be difficult at the best of times but these controls took even longer to lock down.
Arrow keys control your movement, ‘V’ is to run and ‘C’ is your interaction button. You can remap them to a degree but even then it’s a bit difficult to find something comfortable. Using a controller will definitely make life easier if you don’t want to struggle with mapping. In spite of the awkward layout, I had a pretty good time learning the controls and using the original layout. It’s a cool nostalgic throwback to my collection of Sold Out games that sat on a shelf waiting to be played.
Graphics & Audio
Graphics from the 90s leave little to talk about. Obviously, can’t be expecting modern day graphics. The graphics are exactly what they were back in the day, and I love it. It perfectly captures the nostalgia of the game. These Resident Evil games have their own kind of beauty to be appreciated. The sound design follows the same story. Nothing has been updated, everything is how it was packaged back in the day to give you an authentic experience. RE3: Nemesis did have something funky going on with the faces constantly moving even when nothing was happening. It was like watching Ditto try to turn into a new Pokemon but a bit more disconcering. Again, that will just be down to the age of the game.
Some people will definitely hate these games simply because they’re ugly so if you’re not a fan of classic graphics then don’t waste your money here. That being said, every fan should try the classic Resident Evil experience. Don’t let the ugly nature of the game put you off.
Longevity
Unsurprisingly, as a straight port to Steam there isn’t really any changes between the new additions to the store and the original releases. For 90s games, the run time of the Resident Evil games is actually quite impressive. If you’re wondering how long each game is, here’s a breakdown for you:
- Resident Evil – 7 hours
- Resident Evil 2 – 6 hours
- Resident Evil 3: Nemesis – 7 hours
Resident Evil 3 also includes Mercenaries: Operation Mad Jackal to add to your playtime.
Realistically, they’re not that much shorter than some of the new additions to the series that slap a £70 price tag on them. For £8 a pop, there’s plenty of game to make it worth the money.
Final Thoughts
It’s no secret that I am a big fan of the Resident Evil franchise. I’ve bought the fourth game so many times it’s embarrassing. I also got my hands on Requiem and reviewed that which you can read here. Going into these three games, I knew I was going to have a great time and rate this game highly. That being said, the first three (remasters included) have never been my favourite of the franchise. Whilst I could quite easily give this collection of games the platinum award, I also managed to accidentally exit Resident Evil 3 about 83 times. The original Resident Evil trilogy more than deserves the Thumb Culture Gold Award. Now I’m off to finish every single one of these and then every game that comes after.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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