The original Resident Evil trilogy is re-releasing on PC free of DRM on GOG, with the first title being available right now

What you need to know

• GOG, the online digital distribution retailer for PC games, has announced that they're working with Capcom to re-release the PlayStation One versions of the original Resident Evil trilogy on PC, DRM-free.
• The first game of the trilogy, Resident Evil, is now available on GOG.com to purchase, while Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis will be re-released at a later date.
• Resident Evil is a series of horror games created by Capcom back in the 1990s that has gone on to revolutionize the survival horror genre and become one of Capcom's best-selling video game franchises.

Last week, Capcom made the shocking announcement of bringing back its classic Marvel Vs. Capcom games to modern consoles (except Xbox), and now it is re-releasing another one of its iconic franchises on PC in partnership with GOG. That's right, on June 26, 2024, the digital distribution platform, GOG declared that it is working with Capcom to bring back the original Resident Evil trilogy on GOG.com.

The first game, Resident Evil, is available right now, while Resident Evil 2, and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis will come to GOG.com at a later date.

The original Resident Evil trilogy was ported to Windows PC back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but these old versions are incompatible with modern PCs and Capcom has never ported them to Steam. So if people wanted to play the original Resident Evil games on PC, they had to emulate them via ROMs.

So GOG, in their ongoing mission to preserve and protect classic games from becoming lost media, has decided to fill in and re-release new PC editions of these iconic games. These GOG re-releases of Resident Evil, Resident Evil 2, and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis will be DRM-free and include quality-of-life improvements and upgraded compatibility for modern PC hardware. 

In addition, GOG's re-release of Resident Evil 1 is the uncut edition, which features more scenes of extreme violence and gore than the original PlayStation One released worldwide back in 1996.

Enter a world of classic survival horror

Personally speaking, I'm happy to see GOG bring the original Resident Evil games on PC, so modern fans can experience the series' roots. These games helped shape the survival horror genre into what it is today through thanks to their haunting atmospheres, disturbing monster designs, and tight gameplay where resource management of your ammo and items is key to your survival.

While the remakes of these games are classics in their own right like the Resident Evil 1 Remake and Resident Evil 2 Remake, the original PlayStation games still hold up despite their age in my opinion. I'd even argue that the original Resident Evil 3: Nemesis is better than the Resident Evil 3 remake as it has far more content to play through.

So, if you're a series veteran who wants to relive nostalgic memories or a new fan who was introduced through Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, Resident Evil Village, or Resident Evil 4 Remake, head over to GOG.com and get your hands on the original Resident Evil to see the origins of one of Capcom's best-selling franchises.

Resident Evil

A series of mysterious murders have been occurring at Arklay Mountains and Raccoon City's elite S.T.A.R.S. unit have been sent to investigate. But what they find will turn their world into a living nightmare.

Buy at: GOG.com