Resident Evil

2002's Resident Evil, a remake of the classic 1996 game, was headed by Shinji Mikami with the goal of replacing the original and realising his true vision for the story and game. And there's no doubt he succeeded.

Having never played the original, this leaves me with no desire to do so after experiencing Mikami's true vision for entering the survival horror. The graphics and visuals are stunning and have a slick, clean and classy flare to them. The direction is at times scary, other times exciting, and sometimes just plain cool. The entire opening cutscene sets the stage perfectly for an atmospheric horror with Hollywood-influences, having expert lighting, sound-design, pacing and camerawork.

The central characters also have an endearing goodness about them which makes them instantly likeable, while the unfolding mystery of Spencer Mansion is constantly engaging.

My first play through as Jill Valentine (which took about 18 hours), was a nerve-wracking and intense experience. Turning every corner and entering every new room was an effectively scary thing. Throughout the run, there is also a consistent amount of new enemies and creepily cool bosses thrown into the mix that kept me on edge. At times, it was hard to see where this was all leading, but the mystery of the Mansion and finding out what would happen next kept me going. As soon as I concluded I felt an urge to play it all again. I wanted to see what the game was like now knowing what it had in store.

And it was on my second playthrough, as Chris Redfield (which took around 10 hours), that the experience truly came together for me. It perfectly clicked as to why there were two playable character experiences in the first place. Knowing what was coming, I was truly able to appreciate how seamlessly the puzzles, discovery and pacing all came together. And it was rewardingly fun to prepare myself for each coming obstacle and overcome the horror. Not to mention, the differences in characters and story here and there that help make it feel like a fresh experience.

It's safe to say this game has a timeless balance of horror, tension, mystery and excitement that make it a truly fulfilling and memorable game. Not to mention a nice ray of hope and heart with its primary characters. Resident Evil deserves its place as a classic video game.

The remake of "Resident Evil" for the Gamecube is a top remake. This is one of the reasons that I purchased a Gamecube.

The graphics are superb, the atmosphere is quite chilling, the gameplay is top notch. There are new areas, enemies, puzzles and gameplay features. The original music is still here with a slightly remixed focus; from the un-nerving mansion corridor tunes to the soft and soothing "Save Room" theme and the delicate "Sigh of Relief".

GRAPHICS - 10/10

Easily the best graphics I have seen on the Gamecube - almost real in parts. Superb shades and lighting. Even better than Resident Evil 4 in my opinion.

CONTROLS - 7.5/10

A little bit fiddly at first but you soon get adapted to them in 30 minutes or so.

LENGTH - 7.5/10

A decent length. First playthrough it will probably take about 5-8 hours to complete depending on how good you are.

I just wish is was a few hours longer than was it is. First time around it will take some beating but after you have completed it you will know the specific routes, item locations etc.

If only there was a piece of programming within the game that randomised all item & enemy locations every time you played to allow for a new challenge.

FEAR FACTOR - 8.5/10

I'll admit that when I first played on this I was a bit nervous going around corners and walking past those "crimson heads" as well as other things.

The camera angles are perfectly placed in that you can't really see where you are going at times and it makes you slightly nervous not knowing what is ahead. As well as that, the graphics and lighting effects make the game superbly eerie with dark hallways and gloomy shadowy rooms. There are also a few other surprises and shocks in the game that just might just make you jump...

SOUND & MUSIC - 9/10

The music from the original is all here but is slightly different and remixed. Excellent for those nostalgic memories from the original.

REPLAY VALUE - 8/10

Extras can be unlocked depending on how you complete the game. These will have you replaying over and over again for some time.

OVERALL - 9.5/10

A superb remake. Great to re-visit the original RE with updated graphics and gameplay.

Here's me hoping for another Resident Evil remake for the PS3 or Wii in the future.

Resident Evil for the Gamecube is a remake of the original that hit the Playstation in 1996.This game is a completely different game,it is alot harder and it has alot more areas.The graphics are revolutionary,the gameplay is excellent and the control is pretty good.Resident Evil has new updated graphics that are so far the best out there,you can see every little detail on the characters' clothing,and the lighting and fire effects are amazing.This one also has better sound effects,the gun shots sound more realistic,and the zombies/enemies sound more disturbing.The game is also very interactive,for example,you can burn zombies when they're on the floor,stab them in the head,shove grenades in they're throat,and shock them.The games controlling in my opinion is the same,the control scheme is the same as the previous games,the joystick is a little to sensitive,but it cant effect your gameplay.Capcom has completely remade Resident Evil,it has some new bosses,more areas,more items,different puzzles,and I think a new gun.From What I have heard,Resident Evil has lots more replay value,it has 10 different endings,and invisible enemy mode.The best part of this game is indeed the fun factor.You can now stab zombies in the head,shock them with a tazer,and put grenades down they're throat.The blood effects are more realistic,when you shoot a zombie,the blood will go on the carpets and soak into it,and when you stomp on zombies heads,blood splatters all over the floor.Really,Resident Evil is so far the best game on the Gamecube right now. Graphics:10/10 ; Control:10/10 ; Gameplay:10/10 ; Fun factor:10/10. Resident Evil is a great game that delivers everything you could possibly want in a game.10 out of 10.

I would like to point out how much I adore Capcom for giving the players a thing not many other companies have, a totally re-rendered ultimate version of the original RE, with a lot of added content.

The graphics are some of the best the Gamecube has to offer, boasting chilling life-like fog, intensely detailed backgrounds and nerve-shattering enemies. And the sound is absolutely stunning, with different sounds of footsteps for just about every surface, different howls for every enemy and very realistic sounds of thunder, that really set the mood for any horror game.

Some players might be turned off by the constant running around and little action, but that makes it all the more terrifying when the action gets going. Ammunition is low, there are never enough health kits and one is constantly pushed into narrow hallways.

RE is a tough game, with an emphasis on the "survive" part of horror games. It'll probably take you from 20-25 hours to complete, but those hours will be as nerve-wrecking, mind- shattering and tension-fueled as any other horror game on the market today.

In all, RE has the same style of gameplay as presented in the original, so the haters should stay away, but the fans are in for one heck of a thrill ride.

When I first heard of Resident Evil, my mom would not let me play it because I was not old enough to. When I turned 20, I wanted to try it out, and my mom said, "Okay, go ahead, but you won't like it."

Instead, I was wrong about not liking it. The minute I started playing the game, I was instantly hooked to it. When I started playing the beginning of it, It felt so intense, that the zombie scene when you first encountered a zombie had me put in a shock.

I was always afraid because I would be attacked if I was in a safe room in the game and all you have to do is survive. That's the main goal of this game.

This game is an excellent game you want to play. I have a Nintendo Wii and this game should be added to my collection. Play Resident Evil, period.