I was born in 1988 so I was still wet behind the ears when Resident Evil first released for the PS1, on 22nd March, 1996.
I don’t recall my first time seeing the game, but I think Resident Evil 2 was probably the first one we owned. I distinctly remember being frightened by the opening CG cutscene, and even more terrified by the controls.
I was a hopeless Dreamcast fanboy in the 2000s, so Resident Evil: Code Veronica was the first game in the series I really paid attention to.
I was approaching my teens at that point so I was tough enough to deal with the zombies, and all the mags at the time were hyping it up – it was a timed Dreamcast exclusive, after all.
I don’t think I ever actually got around to playing Code Veronica until it was ported to the PS3 a decade later, but I did watch the opening cutscene multiple times. Back then there was no YouTube, so demo discs were how I exposed myself to trailers for various upcoming games.
The first time I really sat down with a Resident Evil was with REmake for the GameCube; it’s amazing to think there was only six years between the PS1 original and this incredible reimagining – could you imagine if Sony announced a remake for The Last of Us: Part 2 later this year? That’d be six years too.
Obviously, the tech was evolving at a much quicker pace in those days, and REmake looked like a completely different game. I distinctly remember printing off a full strategy guide from GameFAQs – I hope all that paper got recycled, because it must have totalled hundreds of pages.
But that was the point I personally became a Resident Evil fan. I’d go on to really enjoy Resident Evil 0, and I’d list the original Resident Evil 4 among my favourite ever games. (Ironically, life has got in the way so I haven’t played the PS5 remake yet.)
I actually reviewed Resident Evil 4 for Nintendo Life when it came to the Wii; I don’t know why it’s remained in the site’s archives – I’m sure our overlord Ant Dickens would agree, things were a lot more hobbyist in those days.
When Resident Evil 5 came out in 2009, I was at that point in my life where I was a student, so I had a lot of free time. I remember picking up my copy from a local game store – remember those?! – first thing in the morning and then playing pretty much all day.
I recall that game getting a bit of a mixed reception at the time, but it was part of the PS3’s turning point for me. Obviously it was the exclusives like Uncharted 2: Among Thieves that really reinstated the console’s reputation, but the third-party games really picked up in the latter half of that generation too.
I was excited for Resident Evil 6 when it came around a few years later, and I bought it day one. But actually, I don’t think I ever took the wrapper off my PS3 copy; the mixed reviews softened my interest.
I played it a bit a few years later but I couldn’t really get into it. Despite it trying to do a bit of everything, I think it’s comfortably the worst numbered entry in the series.
Which brings me to the modern day and Resident Evil 7: Biohazard.
If you’ll recall, Sony was flogging the original PSVR at the time, and it was showing a demo called Kitchen. It wasn’t revealed until much later that this was actually based on Resident Evil, but I was really enthusiastic about virtual reality at the time, and I remember being blown away by that demo. I’m sure Simon Fitzgerald will share the full story.
In the end, I think Resident Evil 7: Biohazard really put the franchise back on the map, and kickstarted this unstoppable run we’re currently on. I loved the switch to the first-person perspective, and I thought the Baker household was an awesome backdrop.
I enjoyed Resident Evil: Village plenty, but it lacked the novelty of its predecessor for me. Still, I think Capcom’s ability to keep making really high quality campaigns has led us to the point we’re currently at, where Resident Evil Requiem is one of the fastest-selling entries in the series.
I’ve focused on my relationship with the mainline entries in this article, but I’ve enjoyed so much more Resident Evil over the years.
I personally enjoyed the Milla Jovovich movies, even if they strayed from the source material. I’ve even watched most of the CG films, too. And recently I bought the Infinite Darkness comic book; I’ve got some of the old S.D. Perry novels on my book shelf as well.
I remember getting a review code for Resident Evil Outbreak: File #2 all the way back in 2005; I would have been at high school back then, and was running my own multiformat website named Games Main Frame.
It’s crazy to think that game introduced Alyssa Ashcroft, who’s now a key figure in the latest game. I wonder if they’ll do more with her story in the future.
Whatever the future holds, it’s clear we have a lot more Resident Evil to look forward to. Despite being 30 years old today, the series is stronger right now than it’s ever been. And that’s a testament to the incredible stewardship from creator Capcom, despite the occasional up-and-down.
Happy 30th, Resident Evil!