Released in 1996 for PlayStation, Resident Evil is a survival horror game developed by Capcom Planning Room 2 in which members of an elite special forces unit called S.T.A.R.S. are trapped inside a sprawling mansion and must fight through zombies and other mutants while investigating the source of a deadly infection. The game presents its action through fixed, pre-determined camera angles rather than a real-time camera, rendering characters as polygonal 3D models set against detailed pre-rendered 2D backgrounds. Alongside combat against grotesque enemies, players must solve puzzles and explore the environment to progress. The game combines shooter, puzzle, and adventure elements into a tense, resource-conscious experience. Widely credited with coining the term "survival horror" and establishing the genre as a commercial and creative force, it remains a foundational title in gaming history.

Storyline

On July 24, 1998, when a series of bizarre murders occur on the outskirts of the Midwestern town of Raccoon City, the Raccoon City Police Department's S.T.A.R.S. team are assigned to investigate. After contact with Bravo Team is lost, Alpha Team is sent to investigate their disappearance. Alpha Team locates Bravo Team's crashed helicopter and land at the site, where they are suddenly attacked by a pack of monstrous dogs, killing one of the team's members. After Alpha Team's helicopter pilot, Brad Vickers, panics and takes off alone, the remaining members of the team (Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, Albert Wesker and Barry Burton) are forced to seek refuge in a nearby abandoned mansion. It soon becomes very clear that it isn't just any mansion, but a hellish place where the undead walk the corridors and other horrors are lurking in the darkness, waiting to eat some heads.