Resident Evil: Deadly Silence

"It's baaaaack...... again"

Welcome one and all to the amazing spectacle that is... RESIDENT EVIL: DS... Ah, yes, we all know that it is finally here and now lies the question.. is its welcome a warm one or something a tad bit on the chilly side.

Here are the facts, jack. This "REmake" is actually a Director's cut of the Director's Cut Playstation original. Everything you found in the original RE is found in this DS crossover. The humorous voice acting (reason to buy this game alone if you've never played it before), the B-movie cheesey plot... The grandpa zombies (they sound like croaking old men when they moan).. The live action FMV cheese (yes, in 98% EXACT same quality as the PS version... on a tiny DS cart... amazing!). Oh and how could we forget the best feature yet... THE TANK CONTROL SCHEME! *the only TRUE reason to be afraid*

What isnt the same as in the PS version, are the fact that there are added puzzles, improved character models and their motions (they arent AS stiff as boards.. but they're still stiff.) The zombie and monster models have had some improvements, also. There are a few added puzzles and situations that arise where you will have to use the DS stylus. One common example of this is when you enter a room, suddenly you're thrown into 1st person view and you have to fend off hoards of zombies with your knife! This definitely heightens the fear factor because these situations come on so randomly. Lastly, there are a ton MORE monsters in the new revision which helps with those old complaints of the game being boring. Adding an element of RE4 (the GOD of RE...) to the mix helps heighten its relation to survival horror.

Oh and on a final note, there is a multiplayer mode which I have yet to try out, but from what other sources are calling it.. It's more of a gimmick at this time due to the fact there are some pretty big limits on the system. I cant be certain, so I say give it a try for yourself and you decide if its worthy of mention or not.

Ok, now you know the new stuff... NOW, it's time for the "master of unlocking" to break-down some of game's aesthetics... keeping in mind that this game was made 10 years ago!

STORY: 6 "It's back... with the same old tale... we've heard at least 5 times over!"

There are just so many times you can hear the same story over before you get tired of the thing. Needless to say, unless you've never picked up any version of this game before... You must know what the story entails. A group of special forces gets trapped in a mansion and must find out why there are undead monsters running about. The mysterious Umbrella corp. is somehow involved in more ways than one and with something hidden behind their laboratory doors... it's up to you to find out what's going on and escape.

The blemishes in the story writing (or translation maybe) actually make it one of its charms. The dialogue is so horribly written... it makes one shudder in disgust... yet, it's useful for making one laugh in uncontrollable spats, EVEN if you've played this version before! Overall, the story has gone sour over the years and now... We have the laughs of the plot to push us through.

VISUALS: 6 "My... what ugly faces you have"

The visuals are a mixed bag of good and bad. First you have the live action FMVs which are quite different and since they are hardly used in the videogame world today... it is somewhat intriguing. The FMV conversion to the DS was almost perfect and without any conversion annoyances like slowdown, blurriness, etc. The computer generated FMV didn't survive as well but in the end, the detail of this issue is so small, it's easy to overlook.

The background visuals of back then definitely don't stand up to today's standard. The backgrounds are stagnant and very plain with a really limited color palette (not a DS hardware issue, but it was how the game was made back in the day). There are almost no objects that you can truly interact with. No specified details that make you stare in amazement. The glamour of this sort of game was lost back when RE2 arrived back in 1998.

The game models however have all been revamped and fixed.. sort of. They move slightly more fluidly when compared to the original PS version. However, they never move like we WISH they would. Chris looks like he's still running with a poll shoved up his.... ok, IT'S GOTTEN BETTER! Take my word for it! The zombies have the greatest improvement with them actually walking like zombies in this version! That adds about a .07 fear factor to the mix. Yay!

Overall, the visual package doesn't stack well to today's standards. Too bad but true.

AUDIO: 7 "Depending on how you look at it... It can be your favorite feature about RE.. or the point of ultimate disgust! Open minds everyone... open minds!"

The number one thing that comes to mind about this game's audio... is the PUTRID voice acting. I believe a common everyday person could have voiced better portions than these worldly rejects. When capcom did a casting call, it was obvious they went out of their way to find the worst actors in the United States. One thing that can be said is.... we LOVE Capcom for doing it though. There is no other game that tries to be so serious, yet pulls a 180 due to lack of skill and turns itself into a horror/COMEDY adventure. I'm going to move on before I become a MATT-SANDWICH! ooooooooooooooohahahaha..............

So yes, the rest of the score and game music isnt that horrible. It can actually create a relatively surreal and unnerving atmosphere at times. It's when these moments come that you can see why RE became such a huge hit.

As for the sound effects... They are quite lacking but the subtleties are so small, it's not worth making a huge deal about. Just get used to the sound of your anvil heavy shoes when you run about.

The DS hardware is able to translate the sound in almost the exact same quality of the game's CD based form! That certainly is a feat for Capcom to accomplish on this tiny little card.

GAMEPLAY: 9 "Horror Adventure's in our nature!"

RE is a game about shooting monsters, conserving ammo, completing puzzles; being rewarded with cut scenes and plot points. It's also about backtracking and strategically planning out which items you will need to take on your destined adventure. It's about knowing when to save, and how to predict your future stepping into the next room. Overall, its a good package that runs at a much better pace (in this DS version) than its PS counterpart. Improvements have been made to help keep the game exciting for the old vets and those new. There are plenty more monsters and new puzzles to keep us busy. Hooray! There's also some nice spooks with use of jump-events (events that make you JUMP).

The bosses and monsters create a challenge and with very limited supplies (depending on which character you're using) it's definitely a race for survival. The entire adventure for a first timer can take one probably about 7-10 hours to complete. I'm looking at about 3-5 hours for a vet due to the similar structure of the adventure including the new additions.

Overall, a great combination and despite its age, the game still enraptures the player quite well! I know I found myself playing the game 3 hours a day nonstop.

REPLAYABILITY: 9 "..I play it over and over again"

If there's one thing anyone who plays RE must know... it's that the games are addictive, especially if you're someone who's new to the RE game. This game is no exception. You'll find yourself trying it over and over just to feel the rush of unlocking those doors and fighting off the hoards of zombies and their monstrous friends. Also with the motivation of getting such extras like the hidden minigame and multiplayer characters, it's more than worth a few plays! Also if you're into the original version of RE: Director's Cut, you'll find the original game in its original state, puzzles and all!

OVERALL: 8 "A classic, restored and improved.. and in your hand!"

This isnt the most visually pleasing game... this isnt the most ambitious effort of audio soundscape ever created... This isnt the story that could rival the emotion of Final Fantasy... What we have is a game that is a true classic, revamped in some areas and overall, it reminds us of how the series began and MOST OF ALL... You can take it ANYWHERE to play! A $30-35 price tag isnt too shabby either so do yourself a favor and pick this classic up! Dont debate, just pick it up, especially if you've never played it before!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 02/14/06