Written by Luis Vox
With the 30th anniversary of the Resident Evil franchise passing us by like a shuffling zombie preparing for its attack, I wanted to do something a little different to celebrate this momentous occasion. Instead of the usual full franchise dissection and looking back on a 30 year run, we wanted to deep dive into the origin of the first game in the series. How this love letter to George A. Romero first infected Capcom and ultimately mutated into the tyrant that helped put the first PlayStation on the map.
Confirmed information on the early development of Resident Evil is unfortunately spotty at best. Regulated to interviews and stories translated from several Japanese publications throughout the years and compiled on Resident Evil’s Wiki page, I’m going to do my best here to add as much context as possible.
The Origins of Resident Evil
The origin of Resident Evil can be traced as far back as 1989. Capcom was developing a game for the Family Computer (Famicom) that was a tie in to a Japanese horror film, Sweet Home. In Sweet Home, a small film crew visits an old abandoned mansion of a famous artist who leaves behind some priceless paintings. The filmmaking team wants to find these paintings and restore them while documenting everything. Once they enter the mansion, the team is confronted by unexplainable paranormal events, forcing them to solve the mysteries and uncover the truth of what happened.
The game follows the same narrative but adds a nice twist with you being able to play as any of the five characters. If the player dies, that character is now gone, but the game continues, allowing for five different possible endings and multiple alternate outcomes to story points. Many considered the game superior to the film.
In 1993, Tokuro Fujiwara, a producer for Capcom, asked a young game designer, Shinji Mikami, to create and direct a remake of Sweet Home for the Super Famicom system. As Mikami began working on the game, he was more inspired by the films Dawn of the Dead and The Shining and decided to change direction. First concepts were a fully 3D first person shooter (FPS), before settling on the now iconic third person cinematic direction. Hardcore fans will note that Capcom would eventually go the FPS route with rail shooter Resident Evil: Survivor, but there is no need to dive further into that train wreck.
At the time, horror gaming was still in its infancy. We got subpar movie tie ins for Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street, Ghosts ’n Goblins, Castlevania, Clock Tower, The 7th Guest, and Alone in the Dark. While Alone in the Dark is considered by many to be the early blueprint, Resident Evil is also considered by many to be the first true survival horror experience. Alone in the Dark is Psycho, while Resident Evil is Halloween. You cannot have one without the other, but one took what was built and made it their own. Resident Evil even coined the term “survival horror.”
The Iconic Opening and Cinematic Identity
IGN also did a great piece in 2022, breaking down the history of the legendary live action opening cinematic of the original game. The cinematic shows S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team arriving in the Arklay Mountains and investigating the attacks, before being chased down by ravenous mutated dogs. The article showcases the full process, from finding and casting actors who fit the look of the completed game characters, to all the challenges of the shoot itself.
The opening scene is iconic and a perfect example of how cinematic the game aspired to be, even if it was a little cheesy. Along with the ending sequences displaying the different outcomes, some giving perfect closure to the previous events or a final reminder of the teammates you failed to save.
WATCH THE ORIGINAL CINEMATIC OPENING FOR "RESIDENT EVIL" BELOW
Gameplay, Atmosphere, and First Encounters
Resident Evil took static camera angles and tank controls to build a story of failed experiments and government conspiracies. It was one of the first games to ever make you feel as if you were genuinely in a horror film, not just watching one. You were stuck in this mansion with zombies, decaying dogs, and mutated creatures.
Everyone remembers the first time they came across that first zombie who was snacking on S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team member Kenneth Sullivan. The wide eyes that stare at you as its undead corpse shuffles to its feet, ready to attack you and claim another victim. Or the first time you find yourself underground and in the panic of fighting off Hunters, you fail to see the spider webs along the path, only to be greeted by a giant mutated spider as a boss fight.
Influences and Horror DNA
The mansion itself was said to be inspired by The Overlook Hotel. The tight corridors and labyrinthine halls of the film, haunted by the Grady twins, do a great job of foreshadowing the horrors that await. The same applies to walking down a familiar dark corridor and the camera shifting so slightly, just to have a zombie crash out of a room and attack you.
The original Resident Evil had the same sensibility that 1980s cheesy horror films had. The questionable voice acting and ridiculous dialogue choices (looking at you “Jill Sandwich”) didn’t take away the sense of pure dread that washed over you when you were walking down the same hallway for the hundredth time, just to be greeted by ravenous dogs crashing through the windows.
It was a jump scare that almost killed every teenager at the time, me included. It was the first time most of us dealt with inventory and resource management. I remember the feeling of despair when you shot the last bullet from your 9mm pistol, only to be forced to contend with a hallway filled with zombies, dogs, or hunters and all you had was your combat knife. Trial by fire. That was “git gud,” before Soulsborne games existed.
Legacy, Ports, and Modern Preservation
As of this writing, the original Resident Evil has been re released or ported numerous times and remade technically twice, in 2002 for the GameCube and in 2006 for the DS with Deadly Silence. The first remake was built from the ground up, using the power of the GameCube to re-envision the Spencer Mansion, adding new areas and deepening the story, including introducing Lisa Trevor to terrifying results.
Capcom also added the much-feared Crimson Head zombie, a mutation of the regular undead where if left with their heads intact or not burned to ashes, they would reanimate again, this time with blood red skin, claws, and enhanced speed. An HD remastered version of the remake was ported over to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in 2015. It came packed with an HD remaster of Resident Evil 0 as well.
The DS version is technically a remake with enhanced visuals and added features exclusive to the handheld, including touch screen puzzle integration, a new harder Rebirth mode, and microphone support. Deadly Silence would also feature a multiplayer mode. You and a friend could play special missions on separate DS systems. It was features like these that refreshed the tried and true experience for old school fans but cemented its legacy for newcomers.
Currently, the game is available on multiple digital storefronts such as GOG and Steam, and is usually on sale or part of bundles. Now is as good a time as any to rediscover it again if it’s been a while, or play it for the first time and see why it’s considered a must play classic.
Closing Thoughts
Thirty years later, its impact has infected all forms of pop culture, from film, novels, and comic books. Even more recent games like Tormented Souls and Crow Country wear the RE influences as a badge of honor.
So let’s raise a glass of T Virus infected zombie blood, or if you’re playing it safe, soda, water, or whisky, to the first 30 years and get excited for the next 30 years.
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