Resident Evil Code: Veronica X

"Excellent port of a great game"

Introduction

Resident Evil:Code Veronica X is a port with some slight differences. The Gamecube version is almost a code for code port of the game, with very little enhancements and thus it wasn't received very well by major websites and magazines. Resident Evil:Code Veronica remains the only full 3D Resident Evil, with Outbreak and 4 to follow next. While the game may have aged since its original Dreamcast release, it has all the classic gameplay elements found in previous Resident Evil's and is by far the best Resident Evil to date.

Presentation

The presentation in Resident Evil:Code Veronica is good, but in some ways it shows it's age. The title screen shows a picture of Claire and Chris in the background along with the options you can choose from. It looks good and goes well with the story. The story is told through both cutscenes and FMV's. The cutscenes are wonderful, featuring dramatic camera angles when necessary and do a good job of telling the story of the game. The voice acting, while not too great, is better than previous Resident Evil titles. The FMV's, on the other hand, still look good to this day and don't look like they have aged a bit. They were well directed but are used only for the more important parts of the story.

Graphics

The graphics in the Gamecube version of Resident Evil:Code Veronica look slightly better than earlier releases of the game, but it still shows its age. The character models look slightly better in the Gamecube version, but you will really only notice it in cutscenes. The environments for the most part look good, but have aged quite a bit over the years. Unlike previous Resident Evil's, which use pre-rendered backgrounds, Code Veronica uses full 3D backgrounds. The major advantages of full 3D backgrounds is that you can interact with the environment more and it allows for more and better camera angles. However though, you can't control the camera, but at least the default camera doesn't ever get annoying. In comparison to the PS2 version of the game, the Gamecube build features slightly sharper looking environments. While they are nothing that will blow you away anymore, the graphics still look good enough to be classified as a next-gen game.

Sound/Music

The sound effects sound realistic and get the job done of helping to create a atmospheric experience. The music is by far one of the best parts of the game. Unlike past Resident Evil's, which used cheesy music during cutscenes, Code Veronica uses music that fits the cutscenes well and this gives the game a more cinematic feel. The gameplay music is far and between, but the tracks that are there sound good and fit the theme of the game well. When you are in outdoor areas, you will here no music and when you are in-door areas, you will hear music. The tracks for each area fit the area well and the ambient sound effects in the outdoor areas add to the atmosphere of the game, which is necessary in a survival horror title.

Controls

The game plays well with the Gamecube controller and it almost feels as if the controller is meant for Resident Evil. The R button pulls out your weapon, the L button changes your target, the A button is the action button, the B button is the run button, Y brings up the menu where you can equip/use items, the Z button brings up the map, and the Start button brings up the options menu. New to the Gamecube version is the ''Type C'' control scheme. This works a lot better than the ''old'' scheme and long time veterans of the series will appreciate it, although it does take some time getting used to.

Story

The story in Resident Evil:Code Veronica is full of all sorts of twists and interesting plot developments. The basic story revolves around Claire and Chris Redfield, but throughout the game you will meet up with characters who make the story a whole lot more complicated and interesting. Code Veronica by far has the best story out of any Resident Evil to date.

Gameplay

The gameplay in Resident Evil:Code Veronica is your typical survival horror. You go around various areas finding key items, weapons, ammo, health, and documents along with fighting off various types of enemies. The game at heart is a adventure game, so there is a lot of backtracking and it does get annoying at times. Enemies you will fight throughout the game include zombies, mutated dogs, hunters, and other creatures. Like every other game in the series, you will fight various bosses. The bosses require some strategy and aren't as easy to defeat as the common enemies. To fight off against the enemies you have to find weapons and ammo. Weapons in the game include your basic assortment of weapons from previous titles but with two new weapons never before seen in a Resident Evil game, the Sniper Rifle and Linear Launcher. Throughout the game you will control three different characters, Claire, Steve, and Chris. You control Claire and Steve the first half of the game and Chris the second half of the game. The gameplay is what you expect from your typical survival horror game.

Replay Value

There is plenty of replay value in the game. Once you beat it, you unlock the battle game and it is in that mini-game that you have to get all the secrets. You unlock hidden characters for the battle game, hidden costumes for the battle game, and you can unlock certain weapons with unlimited ammo for the main game. The main game takes around 10-15 hours the first time through if you have never played the game before and around 5-8 hours if you have played it before.

Final Scores

Presentation - 8.5/10
Graphics - 7/10
Sound/Music - 9.7/10
Controls - 10/10
Story - 9.8/10
Gameplay - 8.6/10
Replay Value - 7.5/10

Final Score - 8.8/10

Rent/buy

This is really a mixed bag if you should rent it or buy it. If you want to collect all the Resident Evil games for Gamecube or have never played Resident Evil:Code Veronica X before than buy it. If you have only played the original Code Veronica or aren't really into survival horror games, then give it a rent. If you have played the game before, then don't either buy it or rent it, as it is essentially the same game. The game cost 39.99 new, which IMO is ridiculous considering you can get the other versions much cheaper.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/25/04