It wasn’t until the 1980’s that “horror” was ever felt in a video game. 1982’s Haunted House on the Atari repurposed the effect of fear within haunted houses, by creating a universe of consequences for failing to survive. Although Haunted House kickstarted the horror genre, 1989’s Sweet Home was the true inspiration for the entire Resident Evil franchise. A title that debuted as both a film and a video game, was well-received in Japan, however, it did not have the chance to make a an impact on the western front. The director of the game, Tokuro Fujiwara, felt creatively stifled- Sweet Home had very poor graphics and controls, with no capability of cinematography. Therefore, when the PlayStation came out in 1994, Fujiwara, alongside Shinji Mikami, found the opportunity to recreate or reinvent Sweet Home. This was the beginning of Resident Evil.
In Resident Evil: The Director’s Cut, the player can play as one of two protagonists, Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine. The story begins with the player trapped in a mansion sprawled with zombies, zombified dogs, and other creatures. By stabbing, shooting, and/or avoiding enemies throughout the mansion, survival becomes the ultimate goal as you try to figure out the cause of the zombies. However, this game is a horror game, and Fujiwara and Mikami ensure that even those who are unafraid of their creatures feel terror.
The discomforting camera angles, the grotesque saturation of the colors, and the eerie ambient music all help to create Resident Evil’s presentation of horror. However, nothing is quite more impactful and unique than the door and stair animations. At the core of the game, the player must explore the mansion to solve its mysteries. This requires the player to traverse through various rooms and floors, a need Fujiwara and Mikami are aware of. They take advantage of this need by adding door opening, and stair walking cutscenes that slowly take you between rooms and floors.
The cutscenes do not reveal much, and they seem insignificant, but they unconsciously reinforce notions of suspension and induced fear. Having a door animation before the player enters a new room evokes fear of surprise for whatever might be behind the opening door. The stair animation solidifies the experience of never knowing what may be in store- whether it be a mass of zombies or a ghastly silent hall.
Even so, what makes these cutscenes so beautifully contrived is the inability to skip them. Every time the player opens the door or transfers floors, they are subject to experience the 5-second animation. Fujiwara and Mikami are controlling the pace and the effect of fear. As such, Resident Evil did not forefront the survival horror genre by cutscenes that were exclusively horrific. Resident Evil incorporated constant anxiety and discomfort which truly emphasized the temporal component of survival- the player must be fearful of an attacking zombie dog, and the possibility of one. The game exemplified the power of a design choice and its benefit to the essence of the game. Nevertheless, Resident Evil did not just prove itself as a horror game, but it proved itself as a well-designed game by sticking to its use of subtlety to also make a statement on women in video games.
It begins with the character selection. Immediately granting the option to choose between Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine undermines the expectation of the predominantly male demographic having games relate to them and them only. With a female protagonist as an option, the player is brought to question the differences and the reasoning behind their choice. Will they choose Chris Redfield out of comfort, or will they explore Jill Valentine’s story? This ask that Mikami, the lead motivator for Resident Evil’s feminism, is making pushes male players away from the norm and helps them transition into a mental state of accepting women in video games.
When players do finally make that choice, to play the game as Jill Valentine, they are presented with Jill in her conventional combat uniform: a gray tank top, blue pants, and black military boots. No article of clothing suggests an overt sexualization and even the use of gray and blue express notions of conservation and intelligence. Mikami is using these subtle, deliberate design choices not only to introduce gamers to female protagonists but also to introduce them less as objects and more human.
Regarding equality, moreover, Jill Valentine’s character is arguably superior to Chris Redfields. In a game that involves exploration and the baggage of items, the inventory becomes a recurring source of use. While Chris Redfield has 6 inventory slots, Jill Valentine has 8. Moreover, the recurring need to enter rooms respectively requires a need for keys. As such, Jill Valentine carries a lockpick while Chris Redfield has to collect his keys from around the mansion. The implications of Jill Valentine having these advantages over Chris is again, a subtle, feminist move. Mikami is enabling the players to have a positive experience while playing Jill, to reward them for stepping out of their comfort zone.
However, Resident Evil is not perfect. Jill Valentine’s story arc has her exploring the mansion with a partner Barry. Chris Redfield’s story arc has him go alone. This discrepancy is quite obvious as the story progresses, particularly because Barry is then used to ease the process for Jill. For example, right at the beginning of the story, both Jill and Chris encounter and are introduced to their first zombie. Yet while Chris is allowed to kill the zombie and move on, Jill must return to her partner Barry for him to expose of the zombie. This need for Barry within Jill’s plot undermines many of the other efforts Mikami is making. Nonetheless, the efforts made are still appreciated.
Therefore, a retro game that created and fronted the survival horror genre, Resident Evil is an example of the value in each of a game designer's decisions. The decisions to create door and stair-use animations fit perfectly into the setting of the mansion. The decisions of Jill being a playable character and her advantageous inventory allow the designers to subtlety but noticeably share the ideals of equal representation of women in games. It's these choices that matter, and Resident Evil teaches us so.
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