Resident Evil (1996) Review – The Original That Defined Survival Horror
In April 2026, Capcom finally brought the true original Resident Evil (1996) to Steam. Now running on modern PCs with an improved DirectX renderer, integer scaling, anti-aliasing, gamma correction, VSync options, and windowed mode support. The core game remains completely untouched
Atmosphere & Terror
The Spencer Mansion has never felt more alive… or more dangerous. Fixed camera angles, deliberate pacing, and one of the most oppressive soundtracks in gaming history combine to create genuine dread. Zombies shuffle toward you with horrifying inevitability. The first zombie encounter in the dining room still hits hard. The dogs through the window, the spiders in the basement, the Tyrant, they all remain effective because the game never holds your hand and never lets you feel safe. The new rendering options on Steam make the game look cleaner on modern displays without altering its low-poly, pre-rendered charm. It runs smoothly and looks better than it ever did on original hardware or emulation, while keeping the exact same oppressive mood.
Gameplay & Systems
This is survival horror in its purest form. Limited inventory, ink ribbon saves, herb mixing, and backtracking through a living mansion force you to plan and manage resources constantly. Every decision carries weight. The tank controls and fixed cameras are not flaws, they are the entire point. They make you feel slow, vulnerable, and panicked. Modern players who complain about them are missing the design intent: this game wants you to be scared, not comfortable. The Steam version preserves these mechanics perfectly while adding quality-of-life rendering tweaks that make it more accessible on today’s hardware.
Story, Replayability & Legacy
Playing as Jill or Chris still offers different item layouts, dialogue, and paths. Getting the true ending requires real effort. The B-movie story, cheesy voice acting, and escalating horror remain gloriously intact. This is the game that invented the modern survival horror genre. Without it, we don’t get Silent Hill, Dead Space, or the entire RE series that followed. Seeing it officially on Steam in 2026 feels like a victory for preservation.
Minor Notes on the Port
The enhanced renderer and display options are genuinely welcome. However, the version uses Capcom’s Enigma DRM (like the recent GOG ports), and some players have reported minor Steam Deck compatibility quirks. These are port-level issues, not problems with the game itself.
Final Verdict
The 1996 original Resident Evil on Steam is the definitive way to experience the game that started it all in 2026. It is tense, brilliant, and still genuinely scary. The new technical options remove most modern barriers while keeping the soul of the 1996 classic completely intact. If you’ve never played the real original (not the remake), this is the version to buy. If you have played it before, the Steam release is the best it has ever looked and played on PC.
Score: 9.2 / 10
Essential. Terrifying. Timeless.
A masterpiece of survival horror that finally has a proper modern PC home.
