Though Resident Evil was originally released in 1996, this remaster is based off the 2002 remake, only released on the GameCube, and later, Wii. Thus, this HD version is the third time the remake gets released -- now on current generation consoles and PC, which means this gem is finally available to a much wider audience. Deservedly so.

As a survival horror title, you will be zigging and zagging through maze-like environments in order to gather resources, solve puzzles and avoid (or fight) zombies and other monsters. Knowing the ins-and-outs of your surroundings is essential, as you need to plan your route carefully -- most of the time the level design is nonlinear and interconnected enough to allow you to take alternate paths to reach the same destination. After all, given the game's genre, it's unlikely your ammunition will be enough to allow you to waltz through every room and take care of every threat.

Zombies, while slow, may be a bit tough to dodge due to the tight nature of the hallways and rooms. Dogs, on the other hand, are faster than your character, but easier to dodge and deal less damage. You will come across many other biological weapons as you play, from slow passive-agressive creatures to agile deadly monsters, and once new enemies are introduced, they may start appearing in previously explored areas, messing up with your once safe route.

Another factor that can ruin your life (and resources) are the Crimson Heads. These powered up zombies can run (!), hit like a truck and take more bullets to go down. But there's a catch -- they are actually regular zombies the player eliminated and didn't dispose of properly. So, after killing a zombie, burn them with kerosene (which of course is a limited resource) or obliterate their head with a good shotgun blast, otherwise you may regret revisiting the place where you killed them later on!

On top of all these dangers ahead of you, you'll be mostly progressing through the game by solving puzzles -- and there are plenty of them, from simple riddles to puzzle boss fights. You will have to act logically, memorize codes, interpret files, investigate the environment in search of hints and so on. If it feels like you're missing something required to complete a certain puzzle presented in a room, there's no doubt you will eventually find the item needed to solve that when you least expect. And then, you will need to smartly backtrack your way back to said room only to be greeted with more key items, precious ammo and/or new places to explore. Rinse and repeat.

The whole experience is backed by a great atmosphere from start to finish: the suspenseful tracks are there, the relieving save room tune is there as well; prerendered environments, though obviously upscaled from the original NGC release, still look very good, and lighting reacts more realistically to character models[images.onesite.com], greatly enhancing the look of the game while maintaining the core artwork.

Additionally, there are several unlockables that gives a lot of replayability to the game, such as outfits, new weapons and, most importantly, new difficulties. Beating the game more than a couple of times, for instance, rewards the player with the Invisible Enemy mode, which is exactly what it sounds like.

All in all, Resident Evil HD REMASTER is an amazing title. Its smart design constantly challenges the player by making them adjust their routes on the fly in order to avoid threats and save resources, while travelling back and forth through zombie filled rooms and hallways to solve puzzles and progress through the story. Wrap that gameplay loop around a solid presentation that oozes atmosphere and you have a tense, yet gripping experience.