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RESIDENT EVIL CODE: VERONICA X (PS2)
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Publisher: Capcom.
Developer: Capcom. Released: September 2001 (Europe). Genre: Survival Horror. Posted 27th October 2012. By Shane Battams © 2012 |
Though its origins lie with Alone in the Dark, Resident Evil is considered by many one of the pioneers of the survival horror genre. Capcom took the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach to their beloved series, mostly refining each new instalment while sticking to the core formula established in the first game: sparse ammo, plentiful enemies, puzzles which require backtracking and it’s ‘tank’ style control scheme. With Code: Veronica X, players get to delve deeper into the events of the second game while discovering the true depths of the evil corporation Umbrella. Does this edition simply refine further, or does it stray from the zombie-bitten norm?
CVX takes places three months after the events of Resident Evil's 2 and 3. You play as Claire Redfield, who after attempting to infiltrate an Umbrella facility in Paris, is caught and incarcerated in Rockfort Island. Things quickly go downhill after that, as the facility is under attack and flesh-eating zombies are on the prowl. Her main objective is to escape the facility and find any trace of her brother Chris. Speaking of which, you also control him at several points, as he tries to track down his sister. Fans of the series will enjoy the story as it ties up loose ends from the previous two games, and a brief summary at the beginning will keep newcomers mostly up to date with what’s currently happening, even if it’s pretty basic. It’s the same melodramatic, entertaining fare that this series is known for: incredibly corny dialogue mixed with shocks.
CVX takes places three months after the events of Resident Evil's 2 and 3. You play as Claire Redfield, who after attempting to infiltrate an Umbrella facility in Paris, is caught and incarcerated in Rockfort Island. Things quickly go downhill after that, as the facility is under attack and flesh-eating zombies are on the prowl. Her main objective is to escape the facility and find any trace of her brother Chris. Speaking of which, you also control him at several points, as he tries to track down his sister. Fans of the series will enjoy the story as it ties up loose ends from the previous two games, and a brief summary at the beginning will keep newcomers mostly up to date with what’s currently happening, even if it’s pretty basic. It’s the same melodramatic, entertaining fare that this series is known for: incredibly corny dialogue mixed with shocks.
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"Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit amphetamines..."
Code Veronica X is a port of the Dreamcast game, and while this version has some extras, it’s debatable whether it’s worth shelling out if you already have the original. The inclusion of several new cut-scenes integrated seamlessly into the original narrative, explaining the involvement of series antagonist Albert Wesker, will please hardcore fans looking for expansion of the canon, if not anyone else. Outside of that, there’s also the convenience of playing with a single disc (unless you happen to buy the GameCube version) and a new Battle Mode, including a first-person version of this, but every time I tried to test this mode it would crash, so it’s not really much of an addition. Ultimately, those who already own the DC version of this game won’t find much of an incentive to upgrade. It’s still quite a lengthy game, though the lifespan’s variable depending on your experience with the series. Average players will probably complete the game in around 10 hours, with a rank given based on how many saves you used, how many times you died and completion time, giving reason to trek through again to better your playing.
Once in control of Claire, you have a huge space to move around in, with each area linked by doors and stairways. You first explore Rockfort Island, and eventually end up in an Antarctic facility. With Chris, you re-explore these two areas after the events in Claire’s campaign. The main objective is to progress through each area by solving puzzles that are blocking the path of escape. Most areas will contain zombies and disgusting creatures, though entering a different area means escape unless you have to backtrack. Though you may get lucky, zombies have a tendency to respawn in some areas, putting pressure on your ammo conservation and survival. Fans of the series will find the game to be comfortably familiar, although the experience is remains unsettling in terms of atmosphere.
Once in control of Claire, you have a huge space to move around in, with each area linked by doors and stairways. You first explore Rockfort Island, and eventually end up in an Antarctic facility. With Chris, you re-explore these two areas after the events in Claire’s campaign. The main objective is to progress through each area by solving puzzles that are blocking the path of escape. Most areas will contain zombies and disgusting creatures, though entering a different area means escape unless you have to backtrack. Though you may get lucky, zombies have a tendency to respawn in some areas, putting pressure on your ammo conservation and survival. Fans of the series will find the game to be comfortably familiar, although the experience is remains unsettling in terms of atmosphere.
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The series’ horror elements are still in full force here. Ammo is extremely scarce, with way more enemies to deal with than ammo available. If you go gun-ho on every enemy you’ll quickly find yourself in short supply of firepower, and you’ll probably find yourself running from more zombies than killing them. Yet you may also find yourself overstocked, unable to pick up items required for puzzles. You can’t drop items you pick up, except puzzle items which are no longer needed, requiring you to find a safe room and drop items into a chest. It can be tiring having to go back and forth, and this is further compounded by the save system, requiring you to find Ink Ribbons that are in short supply to record your progress. Because of this, you may end up losing hours of gameplay from an untimely death. Casual games will certainly be intimidated by such daunting prospects, but the intensity created from the limited ammo and punishing save system ratchet up the tension, making Code: Veronica a consistently unsettling game.
The game has a mix of combat and puzzle solving. Puzzles are mostly related to finding objects and backtracking to a previous room to use them. There’s a few puzzles related to pressing buttons such as an oil machine puzzle, but these mostly require trial-and-error to figure out. Combat requires your character to remain static while using an auto-aim targeting system. Claire starts with a standard pistol and combat knife, but you can pick up new weapons along the way, although several, such as the bow gun, can be missed. It’s frightening watching a zombie shamble towards you despite firing bullet after bullet, and combat works well in not only exciting action-hungry gamers but also in creating a sense of tension from its limited nature. There’s also several boss fights, usually requiring some extra-powered weaponry to pass.
The game has a mix of combat and puzzle solving. Puzzles are mostly related to finding objects and backtracking to a previous room to use them. There’s a few puzzles related to pressing buttons such as an oil machine puzzle, but these mostly require trial-and-error to figure out. Combat requires your character to remain static while using an auto-aim targeting system. Claire starts with a standard pistol and combat knife, but you can pick up new weapons along the way, although several, such as the bow gun, can be missed. It’s frightening watching a zombie shamble towards you despite firing bullet after bullet, and combat works well in not only exciting action-hungry gamers but also in creating a sense of tension from its limited nature. There’s also several boss fights, usually requiring some extra-powered weaponry to pass.
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The presentation goes a long way to adding to the horror experience, even if technically it is somewhat dated. It’s visually similar to the Dreamcast version, but considering that game was ahead of its time, the game looks solid, with better definition of colour. The character models look somewhat pixelated, and while the backgrounds look very intricate, they too suffer from slight pixelation. However, atmospheric touches like flickering lights, detailed zombies and sporadic moments of lightning put the players on edge constantly. The sound also does a good job of unnerving the player, such as the heartbeat you hear when crossing into some rooms and the tense music which appears at the right moment, but the moments of silence are just as creepy. The voice acting is mixed however, with moments of stiff, overly-dramatic or downright silly dialogue.
So while this edition isn’t wholly different from its lauded predecessors, Capcom again delivers a great, scary survival-horror experience. It will satisfy fans thanks to filling in plot strands left hanging from the previous two games, and its gameplay is just a refinement on what makes this it one of the scariest, and one of the most successful series’. Anyone turned off by its punishing gameplay won’t find any reason to start playing now, and the minimal new additions won’t tempt owners of the Dreamcast version, but anyone who has even a remote interest in the survival horror genre will find Code: Veronica X to be a worthwhile addition.
So while this edition isn’t wholly different from its lauded predecessors, Capcom again delivers a great, scary survival-horror experience. It will satisfy fans thanks to filling in plot strands left hanging from the previous two games, and its gameplay is just a refinement on what makes this it one of the scariest, and one of the most successful series’. Anyone turned off by its punishing gameplay won’t find any reason to start playing now, and the minimal new additions won’t tempt owners of the Dreamcast version, but anyone who has even a remote interest in the survival horror genre will find Code: Veronica X to be a worthwhile addition.
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VERDICT
Visual: 7/10
Audio: 8/10 Gameplay: 8/10 Longevity: 8/10 OVERALL: 8/10 |