There’s an interesting new video game rating that has appeared online.
As shared by Gematsu, PEGI has published a new rating for Resident Evil. The thing is, this is the PC version of Resident Evil from 1996.
Most gamers will remember Resident Evil as one of the big games of the PlayStation when it released in 1996. However, fans don’t know or remember that that original version of the game got a PC release shortly after the PlayStation release.
In Japan, it received that PC port in December 1996, and boasted of having uncensored footage as well as a full color opening video. This 1996 version had all of the uncensored FMV sequences, which could not be retained on the PlayStation. By all means, this version was the definitive version, at least before Resident Evil Director’s Cut came out.
Of course, most fans today would consider Resident Evil Director’s Cut to be the definitive version, because it came with an arranged version of the game. That arranged version moved around where the items were, giving gamers who already finished the game another reason to play through it again.
It also came with several gameplay improvements, making it the most popular way to play the original. But it turned out Resident Evil Director’s Cut still had some censored footage, seeing as it was a PlayStation exclusive release.
PEGI’s rating description made it clear that this is a port of the older game and not a remake. Under Content-Specific Issues, PEGI said this:
“This game contains depictions of graphic violence to human characters. There are many occasions when the player’s character can be killed in horrific ways such as being torn in half. Due to the retro animation style of the game, the gore is not extremely detailed, but there is still an emphasis on the horrific nature of the violence and the pain it causes.”
As you may imagine, PEGI’s rating was quite strict, and they did give it an 18 Rating, equivalent to the ESRB’s M rating. Some fans may question why this port is even necessary, and to that I would say it’s the uncensored footage, that hadn’t seen a rerelease since, that would make it worthwhile.
But given that the normal for 2024 is a far cry from what it was in 1996, it would not be controversial to bring the violence of the original game’s FMVs over to the consoles, including the Nintendo Switch. While this rating also indicated PC, it may be possible that Capcom planned this to be a multiplatform release.
While it’s certainly unexpected, we would definitely welcome another look back at the first Resident Evil.
