Vimm's Lair: GameCube Reviews - Resident Evil

GameCube
Resident Evil

Graphics:
Sound:
Gameplay:
Overall:
8.08
7.89
7.91
7.99
Votes: 80
Reviews: 1


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Reviewer: slaid Date: Aug 20, 2022
I have never touched a Resident Evil game in my life until I decided to emulate this game one day. I have to say, that was a huge mistake. This is undisputedly one of the best games of the GameCube ever made and perhaps the prime way to experience RE1. I've played this game through twice already - once on Easy, once on Medium. I'll be including aspects of both difficulties, but as a casual player, personally, I much rather enjoyed Easy mode compared to Medium. I played Chris both times.

Graphics: 10
The first thing you realize about this game is that it's hugely atmospheric. The lighting from windows or computers will often be the only type of clear lighting you have, which makes for some of the most spooky yet atmospherically beautiful places in the game. Every model in the game looks great and everything visually looks fluid and normal - from the giant spider enemies, to the common zombie enemies, to the inspection of items in your inventory, etc. This is a beautiful game on the GameCube and was one of the reasons why I got sucked in so quick.

Sound: 9
The sound is another huge peak of this game. The ominous ambience as you stroll through the house, from the noise of dogs barking as you travel outside and the angry snarls or moans of enemies as you travel through enemy-invested territory all adds to the clever spookiness of the game. The game barely has any solace to give you through sound, unless you find a safe room - in which this calming, archaic melody plays as you get to take a breather from all of the harsh action you've had to go through. The game knows when to hit you right with blood-pumping fast music or the calming sound of ambience as you worry what lies in the next room. It's uniquely horrifying.

Gameplay: 9
The gameplay - as hard as it is, is uniquely rewarding. In your first playthrough, you will be met with surprises from enemies and a horrifying sense of doom multiple times throughout the game, and often times you will be low on ammo. The terror in this game stems from the fact that you never know if you have enough ammo to deal with everything which can pull out a fight or flight response in your mind, a response that many horror games struggle to do. You will always have options to fight, but it's up to you to decide if you want to run or stand your ground. The tank controls are nice when you get used to them, moving between the menus feels fluid, and the only complaint I have was the aiming and shooting of weapons. However - do not take this lightly, this game is hard for a survival/horror, especially on first playthrough. Expect to die a bunch of times, but use that annoyance to go farther.

Overall: 9
Everything I've needed to say about this game has been finished at this point, but this is probably one of the best games of the GameCube genre. If this site had a 9.5 choice, I would definitely pick it - but 9 is the closest I can give it. One of the most uniquely fun yet horrifying experiences on the GameCube, made perfect by its ominous music, detailed models, and a doomed gameplay. A must play for any fan wanting to get into horror.

Enjoy!