Remember the first time you played the original Resident Evil? Do you recall how you felt when those dogs burst through the window in that long corridor? Sure, there were far more frightening things to come in the series, but that initial jump scare had you on the edge of your seat, why? In setting the scene early on, the game had done an expert job of building tension - there was a foreboding about the mansion you were exploring, even though it first appeared empty. The startling contrast between the vast, almost-cavernous foyer, complete with massive staircase, and the narrow, almost-suffocating hallways gets you straight away, and chips away at you. In reality, you've already witnessed the first zombie by the time a few mutated dogs launch themselves at you, but such was the brilliant atmosphere of the first game that it feels even scarier. The more recent Resi games simply lack this kind of quality in setting tone.
