Resident Evil is all over the news these days thanks to its recently announced live action Netflix series, along with a CG anime series and a film that promises to reboot the biohazard outbreak’s start, staying much truer to the video games than previous film entries (can we expect the same from the upcoming Metal Gear Solid film?). As a result, it's not unusual to find gamers are interested in going back to where the series began with the groundbreaking PlayStation title released in 1996. Those who are new to the series might wonder how something so archaic in comparison to its later sequels could still be enjoyed by droves of fans these days, but Resident Evil is one of the most popular games to tackle in the speedrunning community.
Thanks to the relatively quick run Resident Evil offers and two main playable characters with multiple endings, gamers will gladly allow for many plays through to get the full experience. Jill Valentine is the game's easy mode, with access to the lock pick and the game's most versatile weapon, the bazooka. In order to achieve her best ending she must collect all the optional M.O. disks in order to save Chris Redfield, her fellow S.T.A.R.S. Alpha team partner, all while escaping with fellow teammate Barry Burton from the dangerous Spencer Mansion and its shambling hordes. How is this accomplished in record time? Get ready to run and try to keep up.
10 Learn To Dodge
Killing unnecessary enemies kills too much time. If potential speedrunners want to take Jill from beginning to end as quickly as possible, they must learn when to run, which is near constantly. Not only does it make sense that running around her enemies will get Jill to her goal faster than a shootout, but it will also cut down on the time needed to stock up on additional ammo she'd blow through if she got too trigger happy. So, take the path of least resistance and dodge as much as possible.
9 Ditch The Pistol ASAP
It may seem counterintuitive to abandon Jill's trusty Beretta nine-millimeter pistol at the very first item box she comes across in a house crawling with bloodthirsty beasts, but there's no need for it if you're interested in a quick run. While the Beretta uses the most commonly found ammunition in the game, its stopping power is not nearly worth the precious space it takes up in your limited inventory. It's highly recommended that you resist the urge to hold on to the little peashooter and, of course, don't waste any time to pick up those pistol clips littered throughout the game.
8 Skip The Shotgun
It hurts to say no to the shotgun. This weapon makes zombies a minimal threat thanks to the shotgun's ability to instantly decapitate the walking dead with a single shotgun shell, an ammunition source that becomes quite common as the game progresses. It's also effective against the deadly quick Hunters who can withstand quite a lot of firepower.
The shotgun is synonymous with zombie outbreaks thanks to films like Dawn of the Dead or Evil Dead (which will soon get a new game), but to speedrunners it's only dead weight. The amount of extra time and inventory space it takes for a determined speedrunner to acquire the shotgun renders this powerhouse a pump-action redundancy.
7 Plan Your Route
There's no time for exploration in a speedrun, so gamers who are looking to set a new record must be sure to have a thorough understanding of where to go and what to do in such a way that they've optimized every step Jill takes through each frame of the game. A true master of Resident Evil will know what items are needed to access the essential keys, weapons and encounters to finish the run as quickly and efficiently as they can. The enduring appeal of a Resident Evil game is its replayability, so new fans should slow down on their first few plays and familiarize themselves with the various monsters and environments Jill comes across. Time is too precious for backtracking in a speedrun.
6 Ignore The Magnum
It's a cruel world filled with tough decisions and often bitter results. Resident Evil is no different. While it's a shame a speedrunner can't depend on the single most devastatingly powerful weapon found in the mansion, if they want to make every millisecond count on the clock during gameplay Jill simply must do without the mighty magnum, now a staple in the series. In order to acquire the magnum Jill traverses way off the streamlined path for a speedy run, solving a clunky puzzle in the midst of it all before inserting the red jewel needed in the tiger statue's eye to yield the revolver. Optimized runs can't make time for the magnum.
5 No Need For The Lighter
Yes, it's shiny and alluring when you come across it, but the lighter is not an essential item to complete Jill's mission. The lighter serves as a means to secure additional ammunition and a map, nothing more.
The amount of time it takes to grab the lighter, even accidentally, will take any speedrunner immediately out of the short list for fastest runs, seeing how they will then need to deposit it in an item box and layer terrible extra time onto the ever-ticking clock.
4 Grab The Bazooka
Finally, some good news for Jill's arsenal! The bazooka is the true hero of Resident Evil thanks to its devastating stopping power and multiple varieties of ammunition. No enemy can stand against a fully loaded bazooka, be it with explosive grenade rounds, scorching incendiary shells or the caustic acid rounds that melt anything in sight. While Jill will mainly use this mighty weapon on boss fights she can't avoid, there's no denying a trusty bazooka helps to set her at ease while navigating a ghoul-filled mansion.
3 Know The Codes
There is a certain time in the game Jill must unlock the basement levels via a computer terminal locked by a username and passcodes. On the first play, Jill would uncover the secrets through hidden documents and cryptic clues, but, of course, a speedrunner must always be ready with the codes at a moment's notice. There are variations on the code depending on which version is played, but the original PlayStation releases has "JOHN" as the username, "ADA" and "MOLE" to follow for codes to unlock the basement levels. Excellent foreshadowing to the sequel with that Ada Wong mention, Capcom.
2 Item Management
Evading mutated biological monstrosities is tough as it is, but getting a firm hold on the best way to optimally manage Jill's inventory is a herculean task in comparison. Speedrunners must have incredible attention to detail when it comes to what they carry in their severely limited inventory if they hope to rank among the game's greatest record holders. Only through practice and repetition is anyone likely to come close to the nearly perfect runs modern gamers have accomplished on the classic Resident Evil. You'll need to memorize exactly what to deposit and what to reclaim each time you go to the item box, which must be kept to a minimum.
1 Study The Pros
The world record for a Resident Evil speedrun on PlayStation with Jill's best ending, where both Chris and Barry survive, belongs to a Canadian streamer who goes by Bawkbasoup, according to speedrun.com. With a runtime of one hour, nine minutes and 57 seconds, Bawkbasoup holds a lead over the second place run in the category by nearly an entire minute. Now, Bawkbasoup plays Bio Hazard, the Japanese release of Resident Evil, because all text that comes up on the screen displays more quickly than other language ports thanks to the way Japanese text conveys more information with fewer characters. If a gamer really wants to make their mark on the speedrunning community they should learn how to play the Japanese version and, yes, it'll take some getting used to.