Review

There's probably a whole generation of gamers who have grown up only knowing the Resident Evil series through 4, 5 and 6. These people will play this latest release and be surprised by how little action there is. In the first hour of play I only had to draw my gun three times, but Resident Evil was always an adventure game first, action game second, testing your brain with its puzzles rather than your trigger finger.

There is also no hand-holding. Many times I found myself wandering around the hallways without a clue what to do next, even in the early stages. If this game had been made today there would probably be a marker on the map telling me which room I should visit next or a waypoint arrow. It's quite refreshing for a game to allow us to get completely stuck as it makes the eventual discoveries even more satisfying.

Very little has actually been done to the game in bringing it to 2015, perhaps the biggest and best new feature is the new directional control method. There are occasional issues when the camera changes but I found it to be a big improvement. For purists the old rotational “tank” controls are still included if you want to use them. The HD visuals have taken an already good looking game and made it look even better. There's none of the motion blur that spoilt the original cut-scenes and you can now see exactly how detailed the rooms are.

I've been very vocal in the past about the current trend for HD remakes, getting particularly irked by being asked to pay again for games that are barely a year old (The Last Of Us, GTA V and Tomb Raider). Capcom have got it right with this one though. The game is old enough, having been last released on the Wii in 2009, the budget price is correct and the spit and polish they've given it has enhanced what was already a great game. It's well worth revisiting if you've played it before and near essential for anyone who hasn't.

About the Review

Platform

Microsoft Xbox One

Developer

Capcom

Publisher

Capcom

Released

20th January 2015