Resident Evil
1996 · Action-Adventure · PlayStation
Overview
Resident Evil defined the survival horror genre. S.T.A.R.S. operatives trapped in a zombie-filled mansion solved puzzles, managed scarce ammunition, and filled ink ribbons into typewriters to save progress. Fixed camera angles from pre-rendered backgrounds were art-directed for tension. The game sold 2 million copies and spawned one of Capcom's most durable franchises.
Deep Dive
Resident Evil was directed by Shinji Mikami at Capcom. The game was inspired by Capcom's Famicom game Sweet Home and by the film Night of the Living Dead. The tank controls — moving the character relative to their facing direction rather than relative to the camera — were a function of the fixed camera system. The inventory management, limited saves, and scarce ammunition were all designed to produce anxiety rather than comfort.
Developer Story
Resident Evil was directed by Shinji Mikami at Capcom in approximately two years. The game began development as a remake of Sweet Home but evolved significantly. The decision to use pre-rendered backgrounds was made late in production to achieve visual quality the PlayStation's real-time 3D couldn't provide. The game launched in Japan in March 1996.
Did You Know?
- Resident Evil's original title in Japan was Biohazard — the name was changed for Western markets because a band called Biohazard objected to the trademark.
- The game's opening FMV sequence — live-action footage of zombies feeding — was used to demonstrate PlayStation hardware capability at trade shows.
- The typewriter save system — requiring ink ribbons as a consumable resource — was designed to make saving feel like a meaningful decision rather than a free action.
- Shinji Mikami directed Resident Evil 4 in 2005 and later said he designed it partly to 'kill' the survival horror genre he had created — replacing the fixed cameras and tank controls with over-the-shoulder action.
