Resident Evil: Deadly Silence

"The definite version of Resident Evil. And now you can now play it on the loo."

Introduction
Right. All the way back in 1995 we had Resident Evil. A game that truly set the Survival Horror market ablaze. What Capcom managed back then was pure genius. They managed to find a way to truly terrify their target audience with huge monsters, scary jump moments (the closet comes to mind) and a genuinely creepy atmosphere. I cannot forget the mansion themes, nor the horrific voice acting and corny opening scene, but they made a complete package and provided a platform for a future series that provided many of us with some of out best moments in gaming. Even now Resident Evil sits atop the survival horror pedestal as best horror franchise of all time.

Next we had Directors Cut, which gave us a few extras and then REmake; this expanded the mansion itself giving the whole mansion a new feel and look while improving the tension and visuals at the same time. A few years later we were once again given another slice of RE with Deadly Silence.

Story 9/10
Sure back when RE first came out the story was quite sloppy, but as the franchise progressed we were given a huge storyline about a Special Tactics and Rescue Squad (S.T.A.R.S), a branch from the Raccoon City police department, who are better trained police members, basically, and Umbrella, a major pharmaceutical company who in secret tamper with the laws of nature by trying to create unstoppable biological weapons of mass destruction.

The story goes something like this. Recently bizarre murders have occurred in the Arklay Mountains on the outskirts of Raccoon City involving strange creatures. It is believed that a cult group are currently in the area, but after more people go missing, the S.T.A.R.S Bravo team are sent in to investigate. Their helicopter soon runs into trouble and crashes, and they radio for backup. Enter Alpha team and the lead protagonists, Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield, two highly trained members of the Alpha team. Upon landing the Alpha team are attacked by vicious dogs and so they seek refuge in a huge mansion full of nasty little puzzles and the living dead. Thus, they set out on a quest to escape the mansion alive.

The story in RE was never developed that well until REmake, but by playing future RE titles and spin offs we were given a whole story, back-story and a plethora of characters and their back-stories. The RE series actually has one of the most intriguing story-lines in video game history. Even now we still want to know what its lead characters are up to, and this is where it all started

Presentation 8/10
Menus are similar to the original PSone versions, but the stylus makes them easier to move through. The new map feature really helps, because we no longer have to open the menu every five seconds to know where a particular room is. Everything is top notch from the layout of the cut scenes to equipping weapons. Everything just feels a lot neater.

Gameplay 9/10
RE:DS is fast paced. No longer do we have to watch doors open, nor those annoyingly poor voiced cut scenes that slow down the gameplay. Open a door and press the 'A' button and the next area will instantly load; this is very convenient.

The controls really aren't that bad, so ignore all those masters of hyperbole who rave that these are the worst controls ever because they aren't. In fact the controls feel just as good as any other DS game, in fact they play better than they ever did and smoothly, too. The added stylus events, like the new knife sections where you have to kill everything on the screen are a neat addition, but unnecessary as they don't really feel right when they suddenly appear- especially in a room you had killed all zombies in just two seconds before.

Between the two modes, Classic- which is the original PSone version made portable, and Rebirth mode which adds new features like the before mentioned Knife events. Also included in Rebirth are new puzzles which you solve with your stylus, most notable puzzles include the Armour room where you have scales and 5 gems stones. You have to get equal weight on both scales, but each gem stone are different in weight. Other new features include puzzle boxes in save rooms where you have to get all the right colours in their given coloured slots within a given amount of turns. Apart from the puzzles, both modes play similar. Rebirth also gives us the awesome and highly useful quick turn. The map used on the top DS screen is also one of the better new features, now getting to an area- if unfamiliar- is now made easier without opening the map screen; plus there is also a dot that moves on the map when you do, which is neat.

Scattered about the mansion and its grounds are numerous creatures that have become the undead. With limited amount of ammunition your aim is to solve the riddles of the mansion and uncover the masked truth. With two difficulties, two modes, a knife mode and faster paced gameplay, you have plenty of survival horror on your hands. There is the odd slowdown when traversing through water though.

Visuals 9/10
Some of the best I've seen on the DS. No longer do the characters look super pixelated, the change between PSone to DS is great. Characters look better, the cut scenes are more clearer and the backgrounds look gorgeous and ooze tension and evil. Hunters, zombies and dogs still look great. I remember the conservatory on the first floor with the crow and Forests lifeless body by the bazooka looking fabulous. The Mansion entrance hallway, being wide and eerily empty and cold. Every area has a certain mood and Capcom have lost none of the original creepiness with the change. In fact, I think it actually looks better and RE:DS presentation is even better than before.

Audio 9/10
Full of atmosphere and tension. The eerie music involved is perfect as is the shuffling of the zombies and their groans, the hunters shrieks and the basilisks hisses. Walking into the attic for the first time to pure silence before being attacked by a gargantuan snake really puts the shakes in you, or even the first time you notice the zombie in the corridor next to Kenneth, you know you're in for a real treat in the sound department.

Unfortunately, for better or worse, the infamous voice acting sequences have returned. "Jill Sandwich" and other corny favorites have returned and much appreciated because at least these characters had more livelier voices than the boring monotone drone of the REmakes actors; man did the make the story so intolerable.

Conclusion
RE:DS takes an old game in its original form and manages to make it feel and play as good as any up to contemporary survival adventure title. In fact, its classic gameplay allows it to stand out amongst the crowds of average wannabe horror titles we have been receiving lately. DS manages to improve upon the original formula, but adds new elements and features without taking away the essence of the original RE. Everything feels near perfect and the fear and scares never fail. Although this is just emulation perfection at its best, Capcom manages to make it feel new. I'd take my hat of to Capcom- if I wore one- for managing to re-release once again what is essentially the same game they released numerous times before and still make a profit. Now I know why I love them so much.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 08/19/09

Game Release: Resident Evil: Deadly Silence (EU, 03/31/06)