`Resident Evil’ treats senses to action-packed adventure
By Daily Bruin Staff
April 14, 1996 9:00 p.m.
Friday, April 12, 1996
Capcom game for Sony’s PlayStations surpasses all othersBy
William Schiffmann
The Associated Press
If you own one of Sony’s PlayStations and you want to know how
to save money on games, here’s the secret.
Buy a copy of Capcom’s Resident Evil. It’s so good  and so
long  that you may never have to buy another game. Or want
to.
Resident Evil is, plain and simple, a masterpiece, one of the
best games available for the PlayStation  or any system, for
that matter.
It’s a perfect combination of brain-teaser and shoot-em-up, with
killer dogs, zombies, vampires and other ghoulish monsters to wipe
out and vast areas of a haunted mansion and its grounds to
explore.
The game begins with a black-and-white film clip setting up the
plot. A crack team of officers enters Raccoon Forest, looking for a
second team which was dispatched earlier to investigate a string of
grisly murders.
Team No. 2 is attacked by huge razor-toothed hounds. In a panic,
they flee to a magnificent mansion.
But life doesn’t get any better indoors. You’re locked in, and
you have to be Einstein’s uncle to find your way out.
You play as one of two characters, Chris Redfield or Jill
Valentine. Each has advantages  Redfield can take more hits
but can only carry six items, Valentine is more vulnerable but can
pick locks and carry eight items.
Whichever character you choose, you set out on your own to
investigate the huge house. Approach something  dinner table,
grandfather clock  and the game will tell you what it is you
are seeing. Some things should be collected for use later, although
it’s rarely obvious that you should do so and the storage problem
becomes acute the more you explore.
Locked doors are everywhere. You can find keys, but will again
run into the storage problem. Once Jill gets a pick, she can open
many doors. You can also find upgraded weapons  Redfield
starts with only a knife  like shotguns, pistols and even a
bazooka. Believe me, you’ll need the firepower.
What sets this game apart is the incredibly complex puzzle
aspect.
Not only do you have to fend off monsters, you also have to
figure out where items go. One example  you find some sheet
music, then must figure out that playing it on a piano will open a
secret door. Basically, you have to try everything everywhere.
Not only is this a fabulously complex game, it’s beautiful to
look at. Incredible detail, texture mapping and dazzling color is
everywhere. Take time to look at what the programmers have
assembled for your pleasure  it’s awesome.
The perspectives are likewise amazing. Overhead views, winding
staircases, dark and foreboding hallways mean you’ll be seeing
things you may never have seen before in a game  and every
time you play, more is revealed.
The living  and the undead  move smoothly and are
extremely lifelike, although controlling your character is a
learning experience. I bumped into walls and tables constantly for
about half an hour before the d-pad action became second
nature.
Your animal and zombie foes are realistic and horrifying. Your
first contact with a ghastly pale zombie  he’s "dining" and
turns his head when you appear  is bizarre and
unsettling.
Sound effects are perfect, and the music adds to the
experience.
There are problems. The "solution" to each character’s ability
to carry items is scattering boxes around the mansion. Leave your
overflow in the box and come back for it later.
Good theory, but the boxes are scarce, and you often have to
retrace a lot of steps to retrieve something you really need.
Saving the game, likewise, is a serious drag. The only way is to
find a typewriter ribbon, then a typewriter. They are so rare that
you could lose hours of game play if you die before a save-writer
comes up. Not fair, Capcom.
Despite those drawbacks, Resident Evil is a tour de force, a
treat for eyes and ears and a better test of your intelligence than
the SATs.
I don’t say this often, but if you have a PlayStation, get
Resident Evil. You won’t be sorry.
Resident Evil is rated M, for ages 17 and up.
Not only is (Resident Evil) a fabulously complex game, it’s
beautiful to look at. Resident Evil is a tour de force, a treat for
eyes and ears and a better test of your intelligence than the
SATs.
