After their helicopter crashes, the team is chased by mutated dogs (Cerberus) and forced to seek refuge in a nearby mansion. Players choose to control either or Jill Valentine as they navigate the estate, which is actually a front for a secret laboratory owned by the Umbrella Corporation .

The story of is the definitive starting point of the survival horror franchise. Set in July 1998, it follows the elite S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team as they investigate a series of cannibalistic murders in the Arklay Mountains outside Raccoon City . The Incident at Spencer Mansion