Resident Evil: Code Veronica X

Code Veronica is a landmark for the Resident Evil series. After an entire year, the game regarded a killer-app title for Sega’s Dreamcast is now available on Playstation 2. Capcom’s Resident Evil: Code Veronica was a landmark for the aging series, featuring full 3D backgrounds and amazing cinematic style. Code Veronica’s point in the storyline falls directly after the events in Resident Evil 2. Claire Redfield breaks into the bio-weapons Umbrella Corporation headquarters in search of her brother, Chris. She is captured, however, and sent to a prison camp on an island in an unknown location. She wakes up to a wounded guard unlocking her cell and telling her that she’s free to go, if she can escape the island. Unfortunately, the Umbrella-developed T-virus has run rampant on the island, turning all of the personnel into flesh-eating zombies and monsters. Claire soon meets up with a young man named Steve and must work with him to escape from the island.

Code Veronica is faithful to the Resident Evil series’ control scheme where a character is rotated and can move forward and backwards depending on the direction. Players unfamiliar with the Resident Evil series may need to adjust themselves to the control scheme, but it soon becomes second nature. Capcom has added incredibly useful combat feature such as auto-aim and 180 degree quick turn. Strangely, it is missing the sidestep maneuver from Resident Evil 3, which would have been a welcome addition in this installment. Players must progress through the island, collecting items, clues and puzzle pieces while fighting off enemies. There are many puzzles to be solved, but they are fairly logical and are neither to easy nor too difficult. Ammo and health pickups are plentiful but limited, so it helps to be conservative while fighting or avoiding enemies. The annoying typewriter save system via a limited number of ink ribbons is still there, but there are plenty of opportunities to record your progress. Upon completing the game you are rewarded with a special zombie-blasting “Battle Mode” which features a first-person perspective option.

Graphically, Code Veronica is still impressive despite its age. Unlike the previous Resident Evil games’ detailed but static 2D backgrounds, the backgrounds in Code Veronica are rendered in full 3D, meaning that cinematic camera angles and movements can heighten the experience. Capcom’s PS2 port of the original Dreamcast version is flawless: not a texture or polygon was sacrificed. In fact, the level of detail has been increased slightly, even though the faces remain far more detailed than the blocky-looking bodies as in the DC version. Subtle lighting effects and a nice use of haze/fog give the game plenty of its unnerving atmosphere.

The audio quality seems to be slightly cleaner than the Dreamcast version, thanks to the DVD-ROM format of the PS2. Music is masterfully composed and enhances the cinematic cutscenes and frenetic moments immensely. Although Capcom’s history of English voice dubbing is spotty, the actors’ performances in Code Veronica are convincing and well spoken.

Fans and newcomers of the series will enjoy Resident Evil: Code Veronica X. There aren't enough new features for owners of the Dreamcast version to buy the Playstation 2 edition, but it is an outstanding game for those who have not experienced it yet. The game also includes a free, playable demo of Capcom’s upcoming game Devil May Cry, which is outstandingly fun in its own right.