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In late May of the year 2000, Capcom released a game
for the new Sega Dreamcast called "Resident Evil CODE: Veronica". The game is actually the fourth installment
of an already legendary series that pioneered what we now like to refer to as "survival horror games". The
game was absolutely eaten up by gamers and series enthusiasts alike, and for good reason.
The plot is as intriguing as a full-fledged Hollywood production (a GOOD Hollywood production, that is). You
start out as Claire Redfield. After a deadly ordeal in Raccoon City, Claire searches for clues that would
help her locate her missing brother, Chris who is a member of the S.T.A.R.S. military group. After
breaking into a facility of the evil Umbrella Corporation, Claire is captured and sent to a remote
island prison camp. However, as with most good stories, it doesn't stop there.
Claire is awakened in her prison cell by what sounds
like a large crash or explosion outside. As she looks around the dark, damp cell, someone walks through the
door and into view. Equipping a lighter, Claire reveals an agent of Umbrella, wounded and bleeding. He
releases her from her cell, but forewarns her that she has no real chance of escaping from the island.
Apparently, there was an attack on the island (series fans will recognize the instigator of the attack), and
the experimental T-virus was released turning many of the inhabitants of the island into mindless,
flesh-eating zombies...gruesome! At first look, your
eyes will probably never see
anything better for a very long time. The opening CG movie is so realistic and entertaining that it will
almost trigger a migraine if you begin to think of how long the developers took to create it. You can see
individual hair follicles, the ridges on lips, and even eyebrows and eyelashes (not to mention the most
realistic eye and facial movements I've seen in a CG sequence). It's worth starting the game over just to
see the opening movie again!
As soon as the movie ends, the game begins immediately. Initially, you almost don't realize that
the movie has ended. However, when Claire equips her lighter to brighten things up, it starts to look more
like Dreamcast-rendered graphics (which is never a bad thing). The in-game graphics are incredible! All of
the characters are rendered with painstaking detail, and you can even see unique facial expressions on the
characters giving this a totally realistic and immersive feel. While a majority of the
cut scenes in the game aren't rendered in CG, I seriously doubt you'll mind at all!
Another big draw of this game is it's graphical feel. From start to finish, you feel more like you're
playing through a 20-30+ hour movie than just a video game. The game has a very cinematic feel thanks to
complex camera moves and amazing shots. It's
interesting to note just how much certain camera angles trigger certain emotions. I recall one room I
walked into, and just the way the camera moved sent
chills up and down my spine even though there wasn't any real danger to be found. The game is worth getting
almost just for that!
Controls are a major part of this game. If you're not used to playing this style of game, you may find the
controls to be a little awkward and at times just plain awful. However, once you get the hang of it, and
realize that the dynamic camera changes would make any other control configuration useless, you'll learn to
appreciate it much more. Before you know it, though, the controls will be second-nature to you and you'll
wonder why you were griping at them in the first place!
Another issue is the in-game menu screen. Here you can view your inventory and equip weapons or use medicine
to heal yourself. The menus are easy to navigate and
very efficient, although you'll more than once find yourself wishing for a way to carry more items (there
are a few "side packs" in the game that do just that). Be forewarned that if you carry a weapon such as the
sub-machine guns, it will take up two spaces in your inventory.
The battles in this game are top-notch. Using whatever weapons you can find, you'll fend off flesh-eating
zombies, killer attack dogs, ugly-looking mutants, and some really big spiders (just check out the gigantic
spider in the frozen Antarctic facility on disc two...I hate spiders, especially those bigger than my
house)! Most of the zombies are slow and dumb. However, when they attack in groups (which is usually
the case) they are a serious foe to be reckoned with. The Bandersnatch enemy (or "stretchy-arm guy", as I
call him) can stretch his arms to attack or even to use as a sort of grappling hook to quickly get right
in your face. Nevertheless, each enemy in this game will definitely give you a good scare. 
The sound has to be one of the best aspects of the game. From Claire's footsteps, to the eerie and
fearful moaning of the zombies, to the incredible music score, this game excels in almost every area of
sound. One neat sound will always amaze me: As you walk into a courtyard, you fight off a few attack
dogs. When they're all dead, you still hear a slight buzzing sound and an occasional "tink". After looking
all over the place, you finally notice two lampposts in the courtyard with little tiny insects flying
around the light and occasionally hitting the glass (the "tinking" sound). The detail in this game is
simply amazing!
All of the cut scenes were done with voice actors to give it a truly cinematic feel. This may be the only
downfall of the game, and still it's not a very big one. The voice acting at times can be either extremely
well-played or just downright cheesy. Not to mention the occasional gasp from Claire sounds more like
fingernails on a chalkboard. But on the whole, it fits the bill nicely, and you'll quickly dismiss any hard
feelings you have about the game as you are drawn deeper into the storyline.
Strangely enough, there is no bad language in the dialog of this game. Considering the type of game it
is, that is greatly surprising! Most developers nowadays think that if they're going to have a
cinematic feel to their games, then it requires the same cinematic language. I greatly appreciate the
choice of the developers to completely leave out any offensive language and just get on with the story.
It's not missed, and quite frankly you never notice that it's gone.
Speaking of offensive language, there's also another good point about the game. Neither the story nor the
characters attack or even acknowledge religious topics. This is a strong turn from many other games in
which you have stories about multiple gods, New Age philosophy, and other things that conflict with a
Christian's spirit. The designers were apparently wanting to have their game appeal to a massive
audience, and they accomplished this exceptionally!
The only problem Christians may have with the game is the use of guns and blood and gore. I personally have
never been affected by matters such as blood and gore,
but some parents (and rightfully so) may not want their younger children playing this game. The gore for
the most part is rather fake-looking (except for the stains on the wall which are quite realistic), and
some certain aspects of the game are definitely too much for younger kids and even some younger teenagers.
If you are going to buy this game for your child, try to make an accurate judgment on how or even if this
will affect him.
All in all, Resident Evil CODE: Veronica is one of the greatest games out there right now. Even fans of the
series will be shocked at just how great a game this is. Incredible graphics, great controls, amazing sound
quality, and almost no offensive material (except for the blood and gore) make this game a defnite must-own
for anyone who wants a good game.
Oh, and after riding the submarine, be sure to watch the bubbles...you'll know it when you see it!
by Jerrod Putman
 Tell
us what you think of this review by clicking here!.
Final
Score
Highlights: Nearly everything about this game is
perfect. The visuals, sounds, controls, and gameplay are all top-notch.
Lowlights: The voice acting can be a little sketchy at
times, and it may take a while to get used to the controls.
Also the violence will turn many Christians away.
Hints: WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T FORGET THE FIRE
EXTINGUISHER!!!
Recommendation: If I had more thumbs, I'd stick all of
them up. It's a great game, and you feel like you've accomplished two things in the end--watched a great
movie, and played a great game. If it weren't for the violence
I would recommend the game to anyone. But if violence is of
any concern to you, you'll want to think twice before picking up
this game.
Age Appropriateness:
This game has
some content that is definitely not for younger kids and even some
young teenagers. Approach this game cautiously and try to make a
sound spiritual judgment about the violence factor before allowing
your teenager to play this game. If you decide it's two much, I
recommend getting something from the guys at Shine,
Two Guys, or
N'Lightning.
Christian Sense (CS):
3+ --
Blood and gore will definitely conflict with many Christians. However, I
wanted to give it a higher rating to focus on the non-blasphemous content and the inoffensive language that I greatly admire about the game.
Game Engine (GE): 5 -- This is the closest thing to
perfect as a game can get. The visuals, sounds, and presentation of the game are simply matchless. You'll
be hard pressed to find anything better!
Game Play (GP): 4.5 -- I hated to do it, but I
couldn't give a perfect score when the learning curve for the controls is so high. Despite this initial
flaw, everything else about the game is exceptional. The gameplay is fabulous, and the use of raw emotions
has not (in my mind) been used to this degree, and it works beautifully.
Overall: 4.25 -- Just nearly perfect, and although
bloody, it won't make you cringe because of offensive language or contradictory views on religion. A
definite must-own in my opinion!
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