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| Reviewer | Platform | Publisher | Developer | Players |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Mark Walker | GameCube | Capcom | Capcom | 1 |
| Requirements | Also on... | Buy from Amazon.co.uk | ||
| Memory Card: 6 blocks for 15 separate saves. | PS2, DC | Click here to buy Resident Evil: Code Veronica X. | ||
This game may have first appeared on the Dreamcast back in 2000, before being ported to the PlayStation 2 in 2001, but now in 2004 it jumps consoles yet again to appear on the Nintendo GameCube. This is part of the Capcom-Nintendo Resident Evil-exclusive deal which consists of the following games:
- Resident Evil Zero (New game)
- Resident Evil (Remake)
- Resident Evil 2 (Port)
- Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (Port)
- Resident Evil: Code Veronica X (Port)
- Resident Evil 4 (New game due late 2004 to early 2005)
The game does not look as polished up as the Resident Evil remake or Resident Evil Zero as those two games have pre-rendered backgrounds, unlike Code Veronica which has a more fluid background movement. Unfortunately, the lack of pre-rendered imagery does mean it looses a lot of the quality in backgrounds. Also, the character design is not as detailed as the remake or Zero, as this game was originally made for the Dreamcast which, evidently, was not as powerful as the GameCube, and full advantage of the newer system has not been taken by Capcom.
Does that make this a bad game? No, because it was a benchmark title back in 2000 and can still live up to the games of today.
Set three months after Resident Evil 3: Nemesis Claire Redfield (from Resident Evil 2) is in search for her brother, Chris Redfield (from the original Resident Evil). She has tracked him down to Europe, so she goes to investigate and discovers more clues as to his whereabouts. But, she is soon caught by Umbrella and transferred to the Rockfort Island prison complex. If you're not aware, Umbrella are the company behind the Zombies, Lickers, Hunters and all the other monsters which decimated Raccoon City. The T-Virus (which is based on the company's original T-Cell technology) was leaked which infected almost all living things in the City and killed them, but it did not stop there. The dead were rising from where they fell or were digging themselves out of their graves. Also, animals were affected by this Virus which can be spread by one scratch. Then other monsters that had been genetically altered and grown, again by the Umbrella Corporation, were set loose. Raccoon City was infested by this vermin and the City was bombed at the end of Resident Evil 3 to destroy the creatures that now lurked there.
So, now Claire is in a prison on Rockfort Island and, if that was not enough, the island is attacked at this time by an unknown force which, in turn, lets the T-virus out once again. Once Claire is out of her cell she will have to find a way off this island with monsters chasing after her, as well as plenty of puzzles to solve along the way, which is part of what Resident Evil is all about. Rockfort Island is run By Alfred Ashford who is trying to reclaim his family honour which his farther disgraced, so from time to time he will appear and try to hinder your progress by locking doors and releasing BOWs (Biological Weapons) to hunt you down. But, you do have people on your side who will help you along the way, including another character you get to play as; Steve, who was a prisoner on the island with his parents. You learn more about him as you progress through the game but he still is very secretive. Claire meets with Steve several times to make progress throughout the game in hope to escape the island. Claire will do most of the dirty work of having to find the things needed to solve many of the puzzles. Once you have made your escape from Rockfort Island you may think it is all over but you'd be wrong. You now start the second part of the game in Antarctica with even more puzzles to solve and zombies to kill. And even when you've finished with Claire the games still goes on as you take control of Chris back on Rockfort Island, who now has to try and find out where Claire has got to. But, unknown to him, she has already left the island and he has to find out where she has gone so he can rescue her.
Together Claire and Chris can find out the truth behind Umbrella, Rockfort and the Antarctica.
The game is the longest of the Resident Evil series but only really has little replay value. However, it does boast some extras, such as mini games which you can either play in first- or third-person mode, choosing from Chris, Claire, Steve and Wesker. Also, you can unlock new weapons to start the game with, such as the Rocket Launcher and Liner Launcher. It is only really a game for hardcore Resident Evil fans or for those who don’t own the PlayStation 2 or Dreamcast versions.
| Graphics | Nothing special for the GameCube in the graphics department as it is essentially a 4 year old game, so it is not up to the standards of the original Resident Evil GC-remake and RE: Zero, but it is a big improvement on the original RE trilogy. | 6/10 |
|---|---|---|
| Gameplay | Quite in-depth with a lot of puzzle solving and things you can do early in the game. which can affect events later on. At times you will need to have your thinking cap at hand as some of the puzzles can get quite difficult. But a great addition to the Survival Horror genre. | 8/10 |
| Value | At £19.99 it is cheaper than the re-releases of RE2 and RE3 on the GameCube, but still maybe a bit pricy for some as it is a 4 year old game. | 6/10 |
| Lifespan | The game is hard and will often leave you short of ammo, thus you are left scraping through to the next save point, leaving you gasping for more. To complete the game it will take 10+ hours, without the aid of cheats or a walkthrough, so it is the longest Resident Evil to date. | 8/10 |
| Audio | Does not have Dolby Surround Pro Logic II which would have helped get across the spooky feeling better, but nevertheless it gets the job done. | 6/10 |
| Overall | Despite the game showing it's age, it is a very good game to sit back and play. But many would find it boring as it is the same old Resident Evil games, just longer. But taking all that aside it is a worthy game to add to the collection of any fan of survival horror. | 7/10 |
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