Capcom's first installment in their now-famous conpiracy series, later spunoff into the worst films ever to see daylight
Depending on your character, you are accompanied at appropriate times throughout the mansion by Rebecca Chambers or Barry Burton.
Resident Evil's Full Motion Video intro is a throwback to what I found to be a good period in videogame history, using a series of actors & actresses of whom are also seen at the game's end (more or less depending on Good/Semi-Good/Bad endings for both characters, six in total)
They aren't of the Hollywood mainstream, however, and are each listed by a singular name at the end (ridiculously, being that they could've benefitted from the popularity of the game- I know I'd rather see them, mediocre acting and all, than the crap we saw in what was possibly the worst game-to-film transitions in the world)
From there, they retreat to a house in the outskirts of the forest, where actual gameplay begins after a brief cutscene.
The game's cutscenes, as well as FMV endings, are dependant both upon choice of character, and your actions throughout the game (in many cases cutscenes vary with subtle things, such as which room you happen upon first)
Throughout you discover various maps and files (such as diary entries, instructive texts, etc.) which, though aren't a complete requirement for finishing the game, detail the mansion, and the conspiracy that spawned the game's many sequels (similar to the files on Alone in the Dark- a game that, at its base is similar to Resident Evil, but the two are in so many ways world apart- for instance, while Alone In The Dark included basic hand-to-hand combat and a few guns, Resident Evil is primarily firearm-based with a knife to fall back on (though the game's gun/ammunition supply leaves many gamers, luckily, without the need to use the knife)
The voice acting (and of course the FMV acting) has often been scrutinized, but if you have ever played the DreamCast's House of the Dead 2 (which is a favorite of mine, mind you, I ain't knockin' the gameplay) HOTD2's acting made RE's almost operatic.
The health system is unique, operating under terms of Fine/Caution/Danger and when applicable Poison, but gives into the stereotype of making the female characer's stamina less than the male's (which is weird because in reality the presence of higher levels of estrogen allow females to bleed in excess and survive, so it would really be the other way around, but can't we just settle for equality, if in nothing else in life a videogame?)
The characters heal themselves with the use of Green Herbs (and yet surprisingly, never need a bite to eat) Red Herbs (boosts the effect of the Green Herb, as does adding another Green or Blue Herb, or all of the above, in any case it is then broken up onto a piece of paper [Insert Ganja Joke Here]) as well as Blue Herbs, which are used to heal Poison.
First Aid Sprays are the most effective, raising health from Danger to Fine.
The gameplay consists of solving various puzzles, while shooting, stabbing, decapitating, and flaming the infected human and animal presence in and around the mansion.
The music on the original Resident Evil is creepy and suspenseful, a bit moreso than Resident Evil: The Director's Cut.
While the PSX remake of the game (RE:DC) has a few new elements (mostly changed camera angles for veteran Resident Evil fans who can't get enough of the mansion, at least one new scare and a remixed soundtrack)
I'd recommend playing this version first, and then after playing the Playstation version, definitely play the GameCube remake, which, unlike RE:DC, adds a ton of new elements, new rooms, and virtually everything we wanted when we bought RE:DC.
A brilliant game that, though it is often compared to Alone in the Dark, has found its way out of AITD's shadow over the years by producing a story more conspiracy and suspense based than the psychological horror (not that RE lacks in psych-horror) Alone in the Dark (which is a favorite of mine, but I believe the two franchises to be similar only at face value)
Aside from the numerous endings, replay value also consists of a key that can be used to unlock a room in the Mansion to give your character different pairs of clothes, and a weapon (what, you thought I'd give spoilers?) that can be obtained by beating the game quickly.
I recommend:
A) To play this game and see all of the various endings.
B) To avoid the movie, like Tomb Raider, at all costs, unless seeing the girl from The Fifth Element in her birthday suit is that important to you.
Blessed Be