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Perhaps when Capcom dreamed up the name for this game, they were trying to tell us something - that when you buy Resident Evil, it's as if a thing possessed has been invited into your home.

Just know this: Nothing can prepare you for the terror contained in Resident Evil. You may tell yourself that a bunch of zombies and mutants are merely entertaining content for a video game. No doubt impressive too. And from the screenshots, the mansion looks "well drawn", and could be judged as suitably "atmospheric". You're a connoisseur. You have a good idea of what to expect from detailed polygon models, brought to life with skillful motion-capture technique.

You anticipate that the supporting soundtrack is worthy of the presentation too. In all this, your confidence in high expectations from Capcom is rewarded. Yet their game's overpowering strength lies with its power to shock to the core. Fear is intertwined between every twist to this gruesome tale. And as the plot unravels, it gets harder to hold yourself together. Compared to this, Hell Raiser is like a Muppet movie.

Even when motionless, with Chris or Jill standing in an empty room, the terror of Resident Evil is overwhelming. Reason being that the music is clearly saying "do not go any further if you value your life".

Macabre trains permeate the atmosphere like a foul stench, grabbing players with icy fingers at the back of the neck, and draining the blood from all limbs. Most clever of all is the way Capcom use silence between times, so all that is heard is the drumming of heavy boots on the floor.

That and the scrape of a zombie's totten leg, or ominous padding of canine paws. Outside, crickets chirp in the bushes, and wolves howl in the dark beyond. It's uncontrollable how the sound content in Resident Evil causes fear to well up inside. So much so that there are times when you feel choked by it.

If you already own Alone In The Dark for your PlayStation, you have a pretty good idea of how Resident Evil is structured - although Capcom's game is superior in every respect. So for the benefit of all, here's a breakdown of the gameplay.

To keep everyone happy, and on a razor's edge, the largest proportion of Resident Evil gameplay is "Kill Or Be Killed!" Throughout their mission, Chris and Jill are stalked by the monsters created by one huge pharmaceutical disaster. Players must learn what weapons are best used against which foes, while developing nifty footwork to escape when necessary.

Most of the time that our heroes are wandering about, they're looking for somewhere to deposit some object they've found to exchange it for another, or even simply to trigger a switch that helps them in some other way. The most outstanding examples are the four crests, required to open the doorway to the outside world. Once returned to their place, the catch is sprung.

Once a safe area is cleared, there is time to make sense of the immediate surroundings. So Chris or Jill set to work, rifling through old files, looking for crucial leads that would help their mission succeed, and be compact enough to carry around at all times for reference.

Maps fall under this category, as do assorted written documents which are first read then sorted in files.

Resident Evil is described by Capcom as a Survival Horror game. Survivng that horror depends on your dexterity and decision-making skills with one of two elite armed-forces personnel: Chris Redfield, or Jill Valentine. They are members of STARS (Special Tactics and Rescue Service), and form part of the Alpha team who are called to investigate a series of bizarre murders that have taken place in the mountains which surround Raccoon City. This is STARS' second foray into that bleak area, having lost all contact with Brave team in the first instance.

The difficulty level of Resident Evil is governed by the choice of character. Players requiring a lot of support tag along with Jill. Those with nerves of steel and lightning reflexes - not to mention a great deal more patience - adopt Chris.

Readily armed with a Beretta Pistol, and Lock Pick, Jill is ready for action from the start. Though her constitution is less capable of withstanding physical abuse, her wit and popularity with certain team members (namely an over-protective Barry Burton) gives her the advantage over Chris. So straightaway Jill has access to areas, and contents of storage devices that Chris takes time locating the keys for.

Also, Jill has room to carry eight items which saves to-ing and fro-ing, and makes room for First Aid of some description.

As a member of the Weapons Division, Chris has a better aim than Jill. Which is essential because he has less chance of stocking up on ammo - he only has a Combat Knife to begin with! His hardy frame is more resilient to damage, but this braun detracts from his brain power.

Consequently, this officer is at the mercy of others to perform tasks which involve any complex thinking. Most stressful of all for the player is that Chris only has the capacity to carry six items at one time, which requires a lot of planning ahead.

It is soon learned that all the diabolical goings on in this place are the work of the Umbrella pharmaceutical company. The mansion, with its extensive grounds, is one big Bio-research centre gone bad. Chemicals used in experiments have had strange side-effects on every living thing - including plants and animals. Victims fall into two distinct categories: Re-Animated, and Mutants.

1. Umbrella Employees
   How they died is a mystery - this you can worry about later! Meanwhile just make sure they don't get too close, as they have an appetite for human flesh. Projectile vomiting is another party trick of theirs.
2. Snakes
   Slither across the floor at speed, and strike out with their venomous fangs at passersby. A Flame Thrower is useful against them, but evasion is a wiser tactic - as some are destroyed, more drop down from higher places.
3. Ravens
   These are fun to destroy whichever method you choose, as they squawk to their death amid a flurry of feathers. They attack in numbers however, so it's a mistake to just wade in there. One shotgun blast can take a few down at once.
4. Doberman Hounds
   These go straight for the throat! In doing so, they scamper around in an erratic fashion which makes them tough to hit. Try to keep them pinned with the Beretta, catching them as they raise themselves from the ground.

1. Giant Snake
   Should the snake get Chris or Jill for good, their final moments are spent being swallowed whole. Thankfully this is not a constrictor, though the huge coils are impossible to step over. Sink bullets into any part of its body you choose.
2. Plants
   If these things were just bushes, and sat there looking angry, our task should be a whole lot easier. Only they've got tentacles, which reach out to strangle victims. The largest variety are so strong they can pick people off the floor.
3. Giant Spiders
   We're sure that there's going to be some people wanting to put down the Sony controller and run upon seeing these move! They're poisonous - of course - and once they are blown to pieces, tiny babies scuttle from the remains. Yaaagh!
4. Lizard Men
   Encountered once Alpha team have infiltrated the guardhouse. Huge bulks stalking about on tip-toe, screeching and leaping high into the air as they go for the kill. Armour piercing bullets are needed to stop them dead.

Away from the chaos are a series of Sanctuaries, in which players get the chance to breathe a huge sigh of relief, and record their character's progress. However to do so requires an ink ribbon for use with a typewriter, and these are on a strict ration. Also there to make good use of is an item box. Place anything you wish to store for later use in here, and it is conveniently found to exist in any item box located anywhere in the mansion.

We got our first look at Resident Evil at the end of last year, when only a few rooms had been programmed in. It was scary even back then! We've been following the new versions of the game right through development, and each time it got scarier!

It's very much like a real interactive movie, and it's far more playable that most of the games that go under that label. Right from the beginning, the slightly dodgy plot draws you into the game, and within a few minutes you'll have been shocked enough to need to take a quick breather!

Though some programming teams may just slap a game together quickly to go with the shocks, Capcom have put everything in to make a fantastic game as well as a fantastic experience. Some people won't find the game very hard, as a lot of the puzzles are self-explanatory, but it'll take most people a fair while to do - and it's very different depending on whether you're using Chris or Jill. It's more frightening than many films, and it's more fun than many games - genius!

This isn't so much a game, or something that you feel comfortable saying you've played. Resident Evil is more of a harrowing experience which you feel proud to have endured, laughing at the face of death all the way.

In truth I am at a loss for words to describe the impression this title has made on me. At first I told myself that no 'game' with this quality of content could last beyond a couple of hours before reaching its climax. I was wrong.

After the first shocking incident, I thought to myself that I was then prepared for anything. Then I found that I wasn't. Morever, the number of times I have found myself clenching my teeth in real trepidation since that time I cannot count.

These feelings you will know all too well once you begin your own trip down RE's corridors. On a purely functional basis, I find that there is nothing to fault this title for.

Created any other way, it's hard to imagine how Capcom could have managed the same overall effect. Both Jill and Chris respond instantly to commands, and their restrictions enhance player involvement as opposed to limiting it - they walk slowly backwards, and take time recovering between gun shots or knife swipes. It all adds to the tension.

Every part of this title is created to induce a feeling of terror - from the colour scheme to player perspective, through to the unsettling movement of all foes, and the claustrophobic nature of the many puzzles. All the while your mind will be screaming "Get me out of here!" but at the same time you will be wanting more.

Resident Evil is, and will always be remembered as, totally awesome - the one game that truly makes you want to scream.

Capcom depart from their usual beat-'em-up strategy and deliver one of the most incredible gaming experiences ever. Real scary too!