This is the game I bought my PlayStation for. I originally bought one with my brother at launch with Ridge Racer, but completed that in an afternoon and didn’t see much else interesting. We sold that one, and when this game was released I used the money I had from that sale to buy my own. Initially I couldn’t afford a memory card, and so had to start from scratch every time. As such I remember large parts of this game very well thirty years later.
As either Jill or Chris you explore the mansion, killing monsters and solving item-based puzzles. You are limited with your ammunition and ability to save, you have to constantly be on the lookout for ammo boxes or ink ribbons which you use on typewriters to save your progress.
The story and atmosphere in this game are spot on for a campy b-movie. Sometimes it’s difficult to tell whether it’s a joke or if the developers intended it to be serious. The acting is truly awful. There is no way these people were actually real actors. Despite this there are sections where the horror element of it is very well done. Exploring the wooden side buildings in particular can feel creepy.
I never played this version though, the Director’s Cut. It includes a new arrange mode in which most of the puzzle items are shuffled around the house. There are also new camera angles throughout the mansion. I thought I’d try it since I do love this game and it would give a new spin on something I am very familiar with. In the end I don’t think it really adds a huge amount though. I read online that this version was actually created to soften the blow of Resident Evil 2 being delayed after having been scrapped and started again. It does have the feel of a quick and dirty hack now that I think about it.
This time I actually managed to complete the game in under three hours, which unlocks a rocket launcher with infinite ammo for your next playthrough. It is quite funny to wander through the game absolutely obliterating zombies with the most powerful weapon normally only available for the final boss.