It was a game that redefined horror as we know it, from paying homage to classic thrillers from previous decades, to inspiring other developers to follow the foundation it laid for a bold new sub-genre!
1996’s Resident Evil was a game that didn’t just define a genre, it broke down the door (sometimes literally) and invited players into a nightmare they couldn’t escape!
Released on March 22, 1996, for the PlayStation by Capcom, “Resident Evil “or “Biohazard” in Japan was the brainchild of Shinji Mikami and Tokuro Fujiwara. Inspired by Capcom’s own Sweet Home (1989) and classic horror films, i.e. George A Romero’s Night of the Living Dead, and Lucio Fulci’s Zombie the game dropped players into the eerie Spencer Mansion, where they controlled either Jill Valentine or Chris Redfield, members of the elite S.T.A.R.S. team. What started as a rescue mission spiraled into a fight for survival against zombies, mutated creatures, and the shadowy Umbrella Corporation.
The game wasn’t the first to dabble in horror titles like Alone in the Dark (1992) which had laid some groundwork, but Resident Evil perfected the formula. Its pre-rendered backgrounds, fixed camera angles, and tank-like controls weren’t just quirks; they were deliberate choices that amplified tension. You couldn’t see around every corner, and every step felt like a gamble. Couple that with limited inventory space and scarce resources (those precious ink ribbons for saving!), and you had a recipe for dread that kept players on edge.
The voice acting in the game is notoriously wooden, with lines such as "Jill, here’s a lockpick, it might be handy if you, the master of unlocking, take it with you" becoming well-known for their campy nature. Despite this, the dialogue and low-budget cinematics have a certain charm that has endeared them to fans over time. To balance the campy dialogue, the growling sounds of the zombies and certain cutscenes create an immersive experience comparable to watching a horror film.
Resident Evil wasn’t just a hit, it was a phenomenon! Selling over 2.75 million copies on the PlayStation alone, it proved survival horror could be a commercial juggernaut. Its success has birthed a franchise that, by 2025, spans over 30 games, including remakes, spin-offs, and blockbuster sequels like Resident Evil 2 (1998) and Resident Evil 4 (2005), the latter of which revolutionized third-person action games.
The 1996 original set the template: atmospheric storytelling, resource management, and puzzles wrapped in a B-movie horror package. It influenced countless titles whether its Silent Hill, Dead Space, or even The Last of Us, all of which owe a debt of gratitude to that first creaky mansion door. The game’s DNA is in the slow-burn tension and “less is more” philosophy that survival horror still clings to, even as the genre evolved with faster pacing and action-heavy mechanics.
Beyond games, Resident Evil became a cultural force. The 2002 live-action film starring Milla Jovovich kicked off a six-movie series that, while divisive among purists such as myself, it grossed over $1.2 billion worldwide. Novels, comics, and even stage plays expanded the lore, while the 2021 Resident Evil Village and the 2019 Resident Evil 2 remake showed the franchise’s staying power nearly three decades later.
The original wasn’t flawless, those damn tank-like controls and camera angles frustrated as much as they were terrified. However, Capcom didn’t rest on its laurels. The 2002 GameCube remake polished the visuals, refined the mechanics, and added new scares, setting a gold standard for remakes with the Resident Evil 4 remake (2023) earning critical acclaim, it’s clear Capcom mastered the art of honoring the past while pushing forward.
The legacy isn’t just in sales or sequels, it’s in how Resident Evil made gamers feel. It wasn’t about jump scares (though it had those); it was the creeping dread of low ammo, the relief of finding a green herb, the satisfaction of solving a cryptic puzzle that turned gaming into a visceral, and immersive experience.
As of this writing, March 30, 2025, Resident Evil (1996) stands as a titan. A relic of the ‘90s that feels timeless, a game that didn’t just scare the shit out of me and many others but shaped how we play and tell stories and helped to codify the subgenre "survival horror" along with Biopunk within the gaming landscape.
Underneath its horror tropes, Resident Evil holds a mirror to Mega corporations that lack culpability. This itself is why the game stands out way among the others
Its mansion doors may creak, but they still swing wide open for new fans, proving that some legacies never die; they just reanimate and mutate into something even stronger!
