Resident Evil Code: Veronica

"Horrifying in the best possible way"

Mmm... brains...

Graphics: 9/10

Using the full power of the Dreamcast, Code Veronica is gorgeous. Characters are among some of the best looking on the Dreamcast, all lit up by a cacophony of lighting effects. For the first time in the Resident Evil series, the playfield is full in 3D instead of grainy jpeg backgrounds. It all looks marvellous.

Unfortunately, due to the nature of the game, animation can be a little ropy. Claire and the other characters don't stop running when they reach walls, etc. It looks a little odd, but not enough to completely destroy the graphics. Otherwise, the game never slows down and looks rather brilliant.

Sound: 10/10

One of the best things about Code Veronica is the central element of sound in the game. While the music and sound effects are of a high quality, it's how they are implemented that's important. The music is suitably eerie, with organ tunes playing away in the background. Suddenly, the music spikes and your heart races- but there aren't any zombies, it's just the game tricking you. You can hear zombies and monsters stirring in the room, but you don't know where they are. It scares the crap out of you at times.

Gameplay: 8/10

Surely by now everyone knows what Resident Evil is about- the player goes from location to location, wiping out hordes of the undead and other monsters, and occasionally solving the odd puzzle. Although the series has varied a little at times, such as the first person shooter 'RE: Gun Survivor' and the player-switching antics of 'Resident Evil Zero' on Gamecube, for the most part it remains consistent.

Code Veronica centres around Claire Redfield, the survivor of Resident Evil 2 and the sister of the original Resident Evil's Chris Redfield. With going into too much detail about the game's plot, I can assure you that some freaky things are going to happen to Miss Redfield.

When you begin the game, you have little or no weaponry bar a weedy knife and it's up to you to unravel the mysteries of the game. At first, it can be a little daunting to play when you're fending off zombies with little more than a warm hug and a hearty handshake. Once you get the hang of things, the game is much better.

One of the harshest criticisms I can make about Code Veronica is that the antiquated control system still remains, and it still sucks. Instead of full analogue control as seen in the N64 conversion of Resident Evil 2, we have the old 'turn and run' system. This can add tension to the game, but most of the time it's just bloody annoying. Would it really have been hard for Capcom to implement new, updated controls? As I write, this still remains the case in the Gamecube Resident Evil games.

Despite the awful control system, Code Veronica remains a fun game to play. There are few things more satisfying in gaming than blowing a zombie's head clean off with a shotgun. The weapons on offer range from the superlative (Dual Uzis... Hell yeah!) to the redundant (Bowgun... pointless!) but unfortunately, due to the game's nature, you don't always get the chance to go in guns blazing. That is, until you control Steve.

Steve Burnside is one of the other main characters in Code Veronica. When you take control of him, I challenge you not to have fun. As Steve, the game plays more like the old PC classic Doom than Resident Evil- you mow down the monsters in droves. And it's absolutely brilliant. Moments like this set Code Veronica apart from other titles on the market, because it has the ability to enthrall you one minute, then completely scare the **** out of you the next.

Is Code Veronica scary? Of course. There are moments that made me jump, normally due to a lack of ammo and no shortage whatsoever of evil monsters trying to eat my brains. As I said before, the sound effects are crucial- you can hear monsters prowling, but can't see them. The tension gradually builds up in a crescendo of events until you have to turn the Dreamcast off and go calm down.

The locations on offer in Code Veronica are both varied and interesting. My particular favourite is the haunted mansion, which is full of tension and reveals a lot of the game's plot. Why the Umbrella corporation would build a house with more puzzles than an episode of the Krypton Factor is beyond me, but it makes for a good game. There's much satisfaction to be add as you open up new rooms in the levels, and it keeps the atmosphere uneasy as you never know what's happening next.

To summarize, Code Veronica is a great game. It's still IMO the best survival horror game out, and it puts the two Gamecube Resident Evils to shame. But the controls are still really frustrating.

Lastability 7/10

It's a tough game to complete first time through, but after that there isn't a lot to make you want to return to the game. The extra Battle mode is great fun and a worthwhile diversion. You'll probably dig it out from time to time to relive the memories, anyway.

Overall

The best Resident Evil game yet, but it's still far from perfect and has a few design flaws which really should been sorted out. That said, it's as good as survival horror is going to get, and is highly recommended.

86%

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 05/19/03, Updated 05/19/03