Resident Evil, Capcom’s seminal horror franchise, is in the middle of a renaissance thanks to several remakes and new entries in recent years. But the game that started it all, 1996’s Resident Evil, remains a difficult game to play for modern gamers, at least in its original state. However, thanks to games storefront GOG, that’s no longer an issue: you can now play Resident Evil 1 in all its unremastered glory on PC.
GOG, in partnership with Capcom, has brought the original 1996 release to PC with all of its original content intact. And while it absolutely preserves the original experience, this re-release also includes some essential quality-of-life improvements, like full compatibility with Windows 10 and Windows 11, improved DirectX game renderer, improved timing of the cutscenes, and full support for modern controllers. The game is $US9.99, and there are plans to bring the original versions of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis to GOG at a later date.
Previously, the earliest version of Resident Evil on most platforms was the 2002 remake, originally released on GameCube. While many players may default to playing the remake of the game for its better controls and graphics, access to the original version of this seminal horror game is fantastic for game preservation and history. And for those who are old and stuck in their ways.
In recent years, Capcom has gone back to the older games in the series to make beautiful new remakes for modern audiences, starting in 2019 with the Resident Evil 2 remake. The remakes have reached RE4, and leaks suggest more remasters and remakes are on the way, specifically for 2002’s prequel title Resident Evil Zero and 2000’s Claire Redfield-focused CODE-Veronica. But leakers have remained adamant that the original game is not getting another remake.
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