Written by: Luis Vox
Capcom has decided to bring some legacy Resident Evil titles to Steam. On April Fool’s Day, and no, it’s not a joke, they released the original three games from their long-running survival horror franchise. PC players can pick up each title for $9.99, and with Steam currently running a massive sale, those newly added classics are already sitting at 50% off.
In Resident Evil (1996), you step into the boots of S.T.A.R.S. members Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine as they investigate a series of strange attacks deep in the Arklay Mountains. Things go sideways fast when they’re forced into a seemingly abandoned mansion after being chased by infected dogs. What they uncover inside ties into a much larger conspiracy involving the Umbrella Corporation and its experiments with biological weapons.
Two years later, Capcom followed up with Resident Evil 2. This time, players take control of rookie RPD officer Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield, Chris’s sister. Claire is searching for her missing brother, while Leon is dealing with what might be the worst first day on the job imaginable. Both characters get pulled deeper into the nightmare that started in the original game.
Then in 1999, "Resident Evil 3: Nemesis" brought Jill Valentine back into the chaos. The story kicks off just before the events of RE2 and eventually runs alongside it. Raccoon City is fully overrun, and Jill is trying to escape before it’s too late. That becomes a lot harder once Nemesis shows up, an Umbrella bioweapon designed with one goal in mind: eliminate every remaining S.T.A.R.S. member. It doesn’t stop, it doesn’t slow down, and it doesn’t miss.
These are the games that helped define survival horror, and there’s no better way to celebrate 30 years of Resident Evil than going back to where it all began.
NOW FOR THE CATCH...
That said, there’s a bit of a catch. Capcom has added DRM to these classic releases, and it’s already causing issues. Players are reporting slowdowns, crashes, and compatibility problems with devices like the Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally. For those looking to avoid that headache, all three titles are also available DRM-free on GOG.