Resident Evil is a remake of the game released in November of 1996. You play one of two selectable S.T.A.R.S members sent to investigate recent happenings in Raccoon City after several members of one of your teams has disappeared. When you investigae a crash site you quickly realize that things aren't as they should be. After a series of close calls you end up in a abandoned mansion. That is where you start to unravel the mystery of what is going on. On your adventure you will find several items that you will use for puzzles as well as a plethora of weapons. This remake has new puzzles as well as a host of new scripted events making it worthy of replaying even if you finished the original one. The core game play is basically the same as the original with a few added enhancements, but the graphics have been completely overhauled, making the previous version look like a Sega Genesis game. The game now has a movie like feel to it, and visually shines in every way possible. This is hands down one of the best looking games on the Gamecube. Capcom left no stoned unturned. Every flickering light, particle effect, and shadow is where it should be.

Resident Evil is one of the pioneers when it comes to survival horror. I tried to play this game as it should be played; at night with lights off, and speakers cranked up. That lasted all of about the intro. See, I have my chair with its back to the window and I cannot tell you how many times I jumped out of my seat. The sound in this game is creepy. When you're in a dark hallway, and you hear a zombie moaning as it's dragging its feet toward you, it makes you afraid to turn the corner. Very few games use sound this well. The little touches with different sounds such as walking on wood as opposed to carpet, or firing different weapons like shotguns or magnums are all done remarkably well.

Resident Evil's Achilles heel has always been its camera and control; or lack there of. It uses preset cameras, and at times has you running back in the direction you just came from. This game still uses the preset cameras, but they added a 180 degree quick turn to help you in tight situations. To be honest the controls are still frustrating. I still find myself running into walls, and getting grabbed by zombies while I am trying to run away. Of course, a lot of this is due to my sheer panic when something is happening. I found that using the D-pad as opposed to the analog stick works a lot better.

While control issues and camera problems usually spell the end for most games when it comes to recommending them to someone, this is not the case for Resident Evil. This game is so much fun, and so scary that you overlook all of the pesky control issues. In my opinion it actually adds to the desire to stay alive. It seems as if the cards are stacked against you, and a bad control scheme is just another obstacle you have to overcome. It's like how in the movies, the girl always seems to fall and hurt her ankle, thereby making her chances of surviving that much worse, only to somehow barely make it out alive. That is the formula that horror films live by, and Resident Evil takes it and runs with it. I highly recommend this game to anyone that has never played a game in the series. It has everything you could want, and then some. Capcom didn't teach an old dog new tricks... but it sure did make it pretty.