"It's the same as before."

It’s all the same.

BioHazard Code: Veronica Complete for the GameCube is the third, and probably final port of BioHazard games to come onto the GameCube. One can argue that Code: Veronica brought the story of the series (in the U.S. it’s Resident Evil) forward moreso than BioHazard 3 did. Code: Veronica is the official sequel to BioHazard 2, rather than BioHazard 3, as well, so you know what to expect. You take Claire Redfield through a military island out in the sea in order for her to survive and finally complete the task she began in Bio2; finding Chris, her brother.

Code: Veronica Complete (CVX) on the GameCube is essentially a port of the Dreamcast Code: Veronica Complete which was only released in Japan. It is definitely NOT a port of the PlayStation 2 version. And, just to note:

Bio0 = BioHazard Zero
Bio2 = BioHazard 2
Bio3 = BioHazard 3

// Graphics //
Code: Veronica may not be the best looking game in today’s age, but it still holds up well. It even exceeds the graphics of quite a few original GameCube games as well. The worlds are detailed, and they’re all in full 3D. It’s still a Dreamcast game at heart, though. The game does have a low polygon count overall, and some of the effects are ugly (such as the fire, which isn’t very convincing anymore). The cut-scenes looks pretty nice, and the facial detail is average, although they’re a bit stiff and the FMV is actually much better than some of the FMV sequences from the original GameCube BioHazard games. Don’t expect the killer graphics you saw with Bio0; they’re not here. However, the game does retain a perfect look and feel of the Dreamcast game. Any slowdown in the previous versions have been removed here (particularly wherever explosions occur).

// Gameplay //
It’s Resident Evil we all know and love or hate. Code: Veronica’s overall mechanics are the second-to-last advanced of the whole series, the very original RE excluded. The very last in the series is Bio2. That’s actually a bit surprising, because Code: Veronica (with the exception of Gun Survivor 4) is technically the latest RE game in the story. But all the basic shooting, puzzle and item snatching are in there, coupled with the backtracking, gun collecting and disc swapping many RE games have. Code: Veronica is nowhere near as advanced as Bio3 or Bio0, the former which featured more advanced combat and the latter which features innovations in the character swapping and item dropping department. Code: Veronica also lacks the defense items the remake of the original Biohazard featured, another minus. What keeps Code: Veronica above BioHazard 2 is that it features the 180 turn, but that’s just about it. It’s Bio2 on ice with a brand new story.

What happens to be unique with Code: Veronica is that it features an extended version of the zapping system, different from the one featured in Bio0 and Bio2. Instead of each character having parallel scenarios (we get to play as Chris and Claire Redfield in this game), each character’s games happen one right after the other. Claire and Chris explore many of the same areas over the course of the game, and with that, items Claire doesn’t pick up can be picked up by Chris later on. It’s not Bio2 where we get to repeat the same game as a different character and it isn’t Bio0 where we can swap characters at will. It’s different, and greatfully so.

The game is also longer than any other RE game out there. About twice as long as one scenario in the remake, an hour or so longer than Zero, twice as long as Bio3 and about as long as three scenarios in Bio2. So you’re in for one heck of an adventure.

// Controls //
Out of all the previous versions of Code: Veronica, the GC versions comes out in the control department, because of the added convenience of the C-Stick auto-turn function as well as the superior analog stick. The analog stick really is recommended for Code: Veronica as the game’s smooth movements seem to react better to the control stick, or maybe it’s just me.

Version differences aside, it’s exactly the same as the controls in Bio2, but with the C-Stick. The fundamental of UP = FORWARD stays with this game, and by now, most RE players are used to it. Haters of the previous control schemes for the RE games will hate these, too. There’s NO difference. Personally, I’m used to them and I love them, but it’s all up to you. The RE control scheme might feel clunky to some gamers, but it’s really as effective as it gets for the genre (play Clock Tower 3 and see how frustrating it gets with the analog stick).

// Sound //
Code: Veronica definitely has the best soundtrack of all RE games. Different from the very music themes of the PSone trilogy and the more ambient tunes of the GC RE games, CV has a very strong theme to it. It’s hard to explain, but the music overall is great, such as the Tyrant’s theme, or Alexia’s theme. It all fits with the environment. Too bad the nice ending theme from the very original Dreamcast game was removed from the Complete version, but the new theme is just as nice.

Gravity sounds, as I call them, include footsteps, shooting sounds, moans and voice acting, are all on par in this game. Footsteps make the right sounds in the right environment, the voice acting is pretty good (really, people seem to bog it down because of their accents, which is totally unfair; the lines are said pretty well) and the moans and sounds of explosions are all believable.

// Features //
We have the long main game and battle mode. That’s about it. GameCube gamers don’t get any demos of Devil May Cry, or any limited edition slipcovers or such. No Wesker’s Report DVD (there’s a book in the collector’s box however), no promotions, no nothing. Just a straight up port. Capcom could have at least included videos of Killer7 and the upcoming BioHazard 4, or something like that, but they didn’t because they wanted a straight up conversion. And they gave it to us.

Japanese gamers, at least, get it cheap. Japanese PS2 gamers and gamers of the original DC version had to pay 6800 Yen, while Complete gamers on the DC had to pay 5800 Yen. GC gamers pay the cheaper rate of 4800 Yen. Not the biggest savings in the world, but if you don’t even own CV yet, get this version. Other than that, it’s all the same. Please note that this game features the extended ending and extra cut-scenes from the PS2 version and Japanese DC Complete.

Replay value is lacking, since the game has one solid ending. It would have been cool if they put the original DC ending back in as an optional ending (maybe if we don’t collect an item or something, we could get that ending or something similar to that) in order for the replay to get pumped up a bit but it’s not there. Bummer.

// Overall //
Code: Veronica Complete still holds up pretty well in this day and age, but it’s easily outclassed by the original GameCube RE games with better graphics, improved mechanics and more replay value. It’s still a great game on its own but it’s a bit outdated overall.

Breakdown:

// Graphics: 7.8 //
Still good in this day, but the game features some ugly effects such as the fire effects, and the polygon count is low. Cut-scenes and FMV are pretty nice overall, but the cut-scenes are a bit stiff.

// Gameplay: 8 //
Not quite as advanced as most other REs but it does have its quirks.

// Sound: 10 //
GREAT soundtrack and accurate noises.

// Features: 5.0 //
Just the main game and battle game, nothing more, nothing less. A BioHazard 4 or Killer7 video would have been nice...

// Controls: 9.0 //
Same as always. Flawed or perfect, pick one.

// Story: 10 //
A great continuation of RE2. You know what to expect here.

Overall: 8.3/10 == 8/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 08/28/03