They were a lot easier to defend in 1996.
Back then, there was literally nothing like Resident Evil.
It was a groundbreaking moment for video games, so...so what if the controls were awkward
and clunky and pushing up meant walking sideways?
It was the first of its kind, you know?
There are always kinks to work out.
That is, unless you like kinks.
See, the strangest thing happened in the wake of the original Resident Evil.
Developers and even fans alike took the flaws of that game as traits that were somehow vital
to the genre.
Resident Evil Code: Veronica X released in 2001, which was 18 months after the release
of the original Code: Veronica for the Dreamcast.
Given that that system was rapidly...taking on water, so to speak, it made sense to bring
Code: Veronica to more seaworthy vessels.
The game takes place in the immediate aftermath of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis.
Claire Redfield is off searching for her brother Chris, and as you’d expect, this gets her
in an unfortunate situation.
She’s captured by someone and taken to this strange island...a place that, while foreign
and remote, also seems very familiar.
The
gameplay wasn’t changed from Code: Veronica...which wasn’t changed from the games prior, either.
In fact, if anything, it takes Resident Evil controls backward.
So the minor improvements that were made in Resident Evil 3?
The strafing and fast-access map?
Gone in Code: Veronica X.
Fortunately, though, there are things to like about Code: Veronica X.
This is a massive game.
Its environments are bigger and more diverse, its cut scenes are beautifully done and its
graphics were top-notch for their time.
There’s so much attention to detail in Code: Veronica X.
Which makes its bad choices all the more puzzling in retrospect.
Nonetheless, this is still an interesting game to play, especially in the context of
the turning point that was Resident Evil 4.
It’s a retrospective reminder of why this series had to change, not only to stay relevant...but
to save itself.
Even the great ones can show their age.
And despite flashes of brilliance, Resident Evil was overdue for a makeover in Code: Veronica
X.