So I managed to do this:
My first time beating this absolute classic, and like I've already written a few times, I just loved it. So what makes the game good? Well
First of all I think the fact that the game is challenging is a great feature, even though Im pretty sure I would be nowhere near as challenged the second time around. The fact that there is a very limit number of resources at your disposal, mean you have to think carefully about everything you do, including when and where to save. For instance when the hunter start crowding the house, figuring out the route to avoid as many as possible, is essensial to conserve those valuable shells. The fact that all enemies take a ton of shots to kill, that some safe rooms get repopulated, and that your movement is quite clumsy, all mean you have to plan ahead constantly - and also not be afraid of dying. Reminds me a bit of the Souls-game in this regard.
Second, all this creates a lot of tension which is of course the whole point of this game. And i didnt feel like the game was dated at all in this regard. Every time I entered a new room, I instantly took up the map to check where I should explore, and where enemies might hide. This imo just shows how well the game succeeds in its goal.
Third, the presentation is really fantastic. I know a lot of people like to shit on early 3D, but I actually thought the mansion, enemies, details etc were really great. And the atmospheric music is also really good (at least in the version I played).
Fourth, the interconnected level design is what makes the game so enjoyable to play, especially inside the mansion. This falls a bit apart in the end when you leaves the mansion, but for the first 2/3s of the game, its really fun to roam around the house.
Now the only really bad thing about the game, is in my opinion the bosses. I never cared to fight them strategically at all, I just brough enough healing items to take the damage, and then blasted away with whatever was my strongest weapon at the time. I adopted this strategy because your movement speed compared to the bosses are simply to slow, making it really frustrating trying to play them strategically, avoiding damage etc. Also, the constant camera switching and small space, also makes them more annoying than fun to play. In sheer presence, they were all good though, especially considering the hardware.
Last, I wouldnt exactly call it great, but I did enjoy the terrible story and acting, and while the main team wer imo all pretty bland, Wesker just gave away such a cool presence. Happy that I will see more of him!
All in all, i think the original Resident Evil definitely holds up, and Im looking forward to an even better challenge when I tackle Chris in the Directors Cut - a game I actually got my this threads very own and very generous Teknoman.
I think so far the atmosphere is pretty well, and it partly thanks to the lightning, that is really strong still. The sound design seems pretty well done to contribute to the atmosphere too.
