Last House on the Left (Resident Evil (PC))

Member Name: 3rd Rock Satan

Product:	Resident Evil (PC)
Date:	28/06/04 (130 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Superb graphics, Chilling as ever, Some great new stuff

Disadvantages: Same controls

It was Alone In The Dark that first sparked the off the survival horror genre. The hit PC series caused a stir when it was first released back in 1991 mixing the right dosage of action and slow burning tension to the game screen. However it arguably was not until 1998 when Capcom released Biohazard (Resident Evil to Western parts of the World) that the genre really went into the mainstream. Since the debut 1996 release on the PlayStation it has spawned two main sequels and a number of spin offs such as Code: Veronica X and Gun Survivor. It showed no signs of letting up, as well as games the comic books and novels were doing the rounds as well as the big screen movie, it seemed Sony were onto a winner with the series.

Nintendo then threw a spanner into the works announcing that they had signed a deal with Capcom to ensure the Resident Evil series would continue but be exclusive to their platform. PS2 owners were left up in arms but the series doesn?t exactly die because another Gun Surivior is in the works as well as Resident Evil Online. However all new and old Resident Evil games would be coming to the GameCube. The first game to be released would be a remake of the original Resident Evil.

For those unfamiliar with the back-story to Resident Evil then allow me to give a basic run-through. It is July 1998 and things are looking weird. For the past few years a secluded mansion in Raccoon City has been conducting a number of hush-hush experiments funded by the respected but shady Umbrella corporation. However, recently, there has been no contact from inside the laboratories and there have been news reports of monsters wondering around the town hunting down their victims and supposedly eating them in the process. Two forms of the 
3;.T.A.R.S (Special Tactics and Rescue Squad) are sent out. However just as quickly as the Bravo team lands there is no sign of them. The Alpha team are then immediately dispatched and find the Bravo teams helicopter a ruin and it doesn?t take them long to be forced to seek refuge in the mansion. Not that its that safe in there either. From the start of the game that is all you know but fans of the series will already know that the B-Movie plot is far more complex and sinister than you first may think. However that is all learnt during the game and in its other sequels for now lets focus on the game.

Starting with the most obvious factor of the remake is the graphics. Capcom wanted to really mould the remake how producer Shinji Mikami wanted the original to be. Graphics for the PlayStation were limited but years have passed and the new generation of consoles have arrived allowing much more power than before. The GameCube does not disappoint and this game is testimony to the fact that, although small, the GameCube is immensely powerful. The difference is truly astounding. Stepping into the main hall for the first time proves that things have changed. The marble flow shows reflection of the characters and lights, every part of the room is modelled with intricate detail and the lighting effects themselves lend themselves superbly to the eerie atmosphere. The rest of the mansion doesn?t disappoint either. Locations are basked in semi-darkness, which means that Capcom can freely create all the spooky looking shadows they want and really create a sense of tension when you?re creeping down a darkened hall. Each location is pre-rendered, while this may not suit people who want a free form roaming 3D environment, it does mean that the graphics in this game are about as close to reality as you can get. It also me
ans that the fixed camera can be set up to manipulate the tension of a long corridor or a corner not yet explored. The character models themselves are also just as detailed. All move in a realistic way and they look much better all round. Zombies and the other beasties of the mansion look fantastic too (well as fantastic as a dead person can look like) zombies now come in various different varieties (hurrah!) and some of the larger scale beasts are frightingly real, the first time you come across one of the mutated spiders prepare to shudder. They also, thanks to the graphical overhaul, blend in far better than what they used to look like in other Resident Evil games when they stuck out against the pre-rendered backdrops. Not anymore.

Sound plays a crucial part in any game and, arguably like in horror films, sound in horror games can either ruin or enhance the experience. The sound in the remake is just as impressive as the graphics. Most of the time the background music is silence, the scariest sound of all. You will need to keep your ears peeled for the moans of a zombie or the patter of claws from a Hunter. Then there are those ?jump out of your seat? moments when you?re walking down a corridor and a monster lurches out at you. Sound effects really are great in this game, not just the moans and shuffling footsteps, but the clashes of thunder, the rain rapping on the windows and the creaks of the floorboards. The atmosphere really does intensify thanks to this. Making a vast improvement over the original is the voice-overs of the characters. The first Resident Evil had that notoriously over the top opening sequence featuring real life actors that hammed it up royally (but were nonetheless funny). Now characters are voiced well, certainly not to perfection as there are still times when they utter the odd B-movie line ?thank God its over? (it really isn?t) or ?that was
a close one? (understatement of the year), but for the most part the job is done well.

Although the game is a remake of the original Capcom have seen fit to include a few new additions to make the game still feel fresh. While the focus is still very much on the mansion and discovering the secrets within subtle changes have been added as to how you get about them. Puzzles that may have been in the original now could have a new way to solve them to keep past players on their toes. There are also a few brand-new locations added to the game thanks to the GameCubes extra power, which is a welcome addition. There is also a new character which will play a fairly substantial role in the game over several encounters, I don?t want to give too much away, but this new monster is very chilling to see first time and, if you manage to read the notes from various people of the mansion, how it came to be formed is pretty horrific. Speaking of the monsters the bog-standard zombies are now far harder to gun down than before. They will take a lot more bullets than in previous games but luckily you are aided by a newly implemented ?defence? system, by picking up items such as a dagger, you can quickly press the corresponding control to get a quick release from a zombie if you get grabbed. Not only are zombies harder to kill but they still don?t stay dead the second time. Another new monster in the game is the Crimson Head zombie. This super-zombie form after a regular-zombie has been killed and it has the ability to run very, very fast, lash out with its claws and also follow you through doors. Sometimes the most terrifying moments of the game is going down a narrow corridor with a zombie you have killed, as you?ll always have your eyes on it in-case it suddenly springs back to life. Luckily Crimson Heads can be avoided by headshots or burning of zombie bodies but you?ll encounter more than a few a
long the way.

Something that hasn?t really undergone a makeover is the control system. Basically you either get along with it or you don?t ? simple as that. Some people seem to be able to have no problems with it while others will do nothing but pick fault with it saying it ruins their experience. The control system isn?t perfect by a long shot and it is a shame Capcom didn?t take a closer look at it but practice does make perfect. Movement is controlled by the control stick but, as ever, you cant immediately turn around but only move forward, backward and rotate left or right. Rotation is done with the C stick a little twiddle and you can rotate 180 degrees which can come in very useful. You can also perform this with the control stick by pushing down and B together. Shooting and using objects are performed by the A button and the B button used for running. The L button changes targets and can use a defence weapon while the R can ready a weapon. In most modes of play Chris and Jill can target an enemy automatically which makes this a lot simpler but the chance to aim up or down is also possible. This control set up isn?t perfect and it can be annoying when you constant find yourself running into walls. There are, however, three different control set ups and using type C can really make this better. Movement is now controlled by the control stick and the R button, pressing it lightly makes you walk and pushing it right down makes you run and the L button is used for aiming which makes it a lot easier.

The remake is certainly impressive and defiantly not a lazy cash-in. It offers many hours of entertainment and, with such modes as invisible enemies and a kamikaze zombie there is plenty replay value. There has been a lot of time and dedication spent on this and it shows. Thanks to improved graphics and sounds the mansion has never loo
ked or felt scarier but it still wont stop you from exploring each and every room for vital clues as to what Umbrella have been up to. As ever the only true way to play it is late at night, in a completely dark room and the sound turned up. For fans of the series then this really is a must-have title. You will have seen and played it before but there are enough differences to keep you satisfied and playing in the newly renovated mansion is good enough. If you are a newcomer to the series then this is a great place to start as the Resident Evil series is gathering momentum. With the prequel, Resident Evil 0, released and the gorgeous fully 3D Resident Evil 4 to look forward to in 2005 it seems that this series has a lot of life left in it.

[8 out of 10]


RESIDENT EVIL (REMAKE) IS

Beautiful
Terrifying
True Resident Evil

RESIDENT EVIL (REMAKE) IS NOT

A lazy remake
Blessed with the best controls
For people who fear lots of zombies

Summary: