4. Resident Evil
I defy any gamer to not remember where they were when the first Zombie CGI appeared onscreen in Resident Evil. As you recovered from that initial shock, perhaps noticing the decapitated body in the corner of the room, there was a more pressing concern of the figure quickly rising to face you. Would you pull out your revolver and shoot him down or would you run back into the dining room and ask Barry "Jill Sandwich" Burton for help? In fact, regardless of the answer, the horror had only begun - you had already entered the world of survival horror. First released in March 1996, it was Capcom's jump into the genre that many gave many a gamer (some of them too young to be legally playing it) sleepless nights. You played as either Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine, both members of STARS, a special group organised by the Raccoon City Police Department. After a number of bizarre incidents on the outskirts of the City your compatriots were sent to investigate. Having lost contact with them you are now sent in on a fact finding and rescue mission, quickly becoming overwhelmed by wild dogs and heading for the assumed safety of a carefully placed mansion. As the story unfolds you develop friendships, discover enemies and, oh yes, fight bloodthirsty zombies and failed lab experiments. Before Resident Evil came along a games plot was carefully structured and uncomplicated, no real thought was given to the expanded background story of main or minor characters outside RPG's. Even though the voice acting was absurdly amateur and the live action video's of the characters was practically comedic in hindsight, this was a game, which gave us a franchise we can be proud of.