Review: Resident Evil CODE: Veronica X HD (XBLA)

When Resident Evil first came out, it introduced millions of gamers to the survival horror genre it solidified and defined. It also helped make zombies the oversaturated theme it is today. Well over a decade later, the franchise is still going strong with dozens of games across multiple gaming platforms. Resident Evil CODE: Veronica X recently made its debut on PSN and XBLA, but it originated on the underappreciated SEGA Dreamcast as Resident Evil CODE: Veronica. Due to adding the “X” to the end when re-released on the PlayStation 2, it rose to new levels of success and fame before making its way to the Gamecube as a rare port, and a must-have for fans. So, now that it’s made its way to another console, how does it stack up to its predecessors?

Well…it’s a bit of a mixed bag.

The game itself is unchanged. The story is the same, the gameplay is the same, the controls are the same, the everything else is the same, except for the graphics. There is a definitely noticeable visual improvement in the graphics for this new release of Resident Evil CODE: Veronica X, but that’s the only improvement you’re going to find. The controls, which were awkward even when the game was first released, remain obtrusive, awkward, and unfixed to this very day. In a game where your ammunition and health are limited, your only remaining defense must be mobility. In a game where even your mobility has been brutally hindered, what’s left?

Well, that’s all part of the game’s challenge, and always has been. It’s not just a matter of killing or avoiding zombies, solving puzzles, and navigating your way back and forth throughout the game’s creepy, suspense inspiring environments; it’s a matter of doing it all with an occasionally confusing camera and generally frustrating controls. It’s like driving a mountain touge run with two wheels and a warped steering column. It’s like climbing Kilimanjaro with cheap plastic mountaineer equipment while wearing a bathing suit. It’s like performing a triathlon barefoot, with no bicycle seat, and in Arctic water without a warm suit.

It’s like playing Resident Evil CODE: Veronica.

When Resident Evil was re-released, the Crimson Heads were added. In later Resident Evil games, the ability to physically attack zombies was included if you ran out of ammunition. You were given the option to curb stomp a down-but-not-out zombie instead of wasting precious ammunition. Also, Steve remained just as big of a douche as ever.

It is a landmark Resident Evil game, and if you’re a fan of the past iterations, you will be a fan of this one. The graphics are wonderfully updated, the voice acting is ridiculously bad, the story is sufficiently twisted, and the gameplay remains a sin against humanity. You get a lot of game for 1600 MSP / $19.99 PSN, and despite how much time I spent complaining about its control issues, it’s still a good game; the same game it’s been with each re-release, just prettier.