Resident Evil: Director's Cut

"A great addition to the Biohazard (Resident Evil) series"

Before the original Biohazard/Resident Evil was released, there really wasn’t a real survival horror game. Perhaps that was why Biohazard became an instant success. It was scary, it was suspenseful, and most of all, it was fun. In fact, it spawned an amazingly successful series of survival horror games called the Biohazard series (or Resident Evil in North America). But when advances in technology allowed for Capcom’s staff to make this game even better, they did not wait to release a more advanced version. And being the big Biohazard fan that I am, I couldn’t wait to play it. After playing it, I can honestly say that the wait was definitely worth it. Almost every aspect has improved over the original Biohazard. In fact, I would say that this game fits perfectly well in the legends of PSX category.

Perhaps all of you are wondering what exactly is the Director’s Cut. The Director’s Cut is basically a remake of the original with some technical improvements. The story and script of the game remain unchanged (there are some minor variations which will be explained later). Think of the Star Wars special edition. The Biohazard Director’s Cut is similar to the Star Wars special edition. It takes up to date technology and uses it to make a better version of the product.

What makes the Biohazard series so famous is its excellent story. And like all stories, it has to have a beginning. And this is where the story begins (if you want to get technical, the story really begins in Biohazard zero. But since this is the first Biohazard game, let’s just say that the story begins here, for all our sakes). Our tale opens in an American suburb known as Raccoon City. There has been resent reports of missing people and “cannibal disease”. The Raccoon City Police Department has sent out the Special Tactics and Rescue Squad (S.T.A.R.S.) Bravo team to investigate. But they went missing too. So the RPD sent out the STARS Alpha team, hoping to find the missing Bravo team. But what they found was their helicopter, empty. Being attacked, the Alpha Team retreats to a mansion. That is where the game begins...

The gameplay is no different form the original Biohazard. The game is like an action and role playing game combined. This game is a third person shooter. Players can play as either Jill Valentine or Chris Redfield. Each of them has their own story line, as well as advantage/disadvantage, and partners. Each character will go through the mansion and solve its secrets and kill or avoid zombies that stand in the way. Players will be able to collect more powerful weapons along the way. But because this game belongs in the genre “survival horror”, there are some pretty scary moments in the game. The zombies, dogs jumping through the window, all of it will scare you. Another technique used to scare you is the suspense, which is used a lot in this game. Foreshadowing is another technique used to keep the player interested. But what I like best about this game is how they have RPG like puzzles. The puzzles are all very challenging, most of them even as challenging as some of the more well known puzzles featured in some RPGs. There are many hidden keys and objects needed to progress through the mansion.

What I like best about this game is the realism (if you can ignore the fact that as far as we know zombies and mutants don’t quite exist for sure). As your character takes hit, he/she will begin to clutch an injured body part. They will even begin to limp as their injury keeps getting worse.

But by now, you are probably wondering what other new things are featured in this version of Biohazard. First of all, there are new modes, along with the original Biohazard. First of all, there is the beginner’s mode, which is basically the original game, except the enemies are easier to kill. Also, there is more ammo. The arranged mode is the big new feature of the game. In this mode, ammo is much more scarce, the enemies are much tougher to kill. Most of the items found in the original game is now in a new location, forcing Biohazard veterans to search the mansion all over again. This mode also features new camera angles.

The challenge in this game is very high, perhaps even a bit too high for beginners. On the other hand, the beginner mode really helps Biohazard rookies in adapting themselves to the world of survival horror. The arranged mode will give even the most seasoned Biohazard players a challenge, mainly because a lot of the items and objects are in a new location. The controls are where this game really lacks. First of all, your character cannot walk/run and shoot at the same time. Which makes some of the more intense battles very tough. Secondly, the left and right buttons is not used to move left and right. Instead, they are used to turn left and right. This makes the controls very awkward. And worse of all, you must hold R1 for your character to put up his/her gun. For moments where you need your gun fast, this is most likely to cause your character a hit or even death. I just wish someone at Capcom would have enough guts to suggest a change from this.

The graphics are very nice. All the pre-rendered backgrounds look extremely detailed. Their luster and lighting effects are done to perfection. This all goes back to the realism aspect. The rooms really look like a room you would find in a mansion. But because the camera angles are all set (the camera won’t move with your character, it will switch to another camera if your character moves far enough. This can become increasingly annoying. Especially when the enemy you are shooting at is not on the same screen you are. Also, if a large enemy is standing between your character and the camera, it can cause huge problems.

The audio is where this game is well done, but could be a lot better.. The soundtrack is perfect for a horror game. It will get your emotions going. But besides from the fear, the music will fit the proper emotion. The sound is somewhat poorly done. The groans of a zombie and any other enemy are fine, but the voice acting is terrible. I have never heard such terrible voice acting in my life. Some of the voices are so bad I can’t even describe it.

The fun factor is quite high mainly because it is quite scary and it will keep you in suspense. You won’t be able to stop playing it. The story is also very involving and deep. The replay value is pretty high. Once you finish it with one character, you’ll want to play it with the other character. There are eight endings to this game, so that will keep you busy for a while. Plus once you beat it in the original mode, you’ll want to go into the arranged mode for the extra challenge.

Overall, I would say this is an excellent game. But if you have the original Biohazard, consider carefully before buying this game. You might want to rent it first to try it. But if you are a die hard Biohazard fan like me, I would definitely recommend it.

FINAL RANKINGS
Gameplay:10
Controls:5
Challenge:9
Graphics:7.5
Audio:7
Fun Factor:9.5
Replay Value:10
Overall:8

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 12/09/00, Updated 12/09/00