"Brains..." (Resident Evil: Code Veronica X (PS2))

Member Name: shaneo632

Product:	Resident Evil: Code Veronica X (PS2)
Date:	23/06/09 (13 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great graphics for its time

Disadvantages: A little too long

Resident Evil: Code Veronica X is essentially the awkward middle-child of the Resident Evil series - it knows no place, nor has any particular audience. Many who have played the other main canonical instalments of the series have not played or even heard of this game. Originally released on the sadly departed Dreamcast in 1999, it was re-released for the PS2 a few years later as "Code Veronica X", but sadly, it is still very much a cult title that not enough gamers have played.

After having played as Jill twice in the previous games, Code gives you a chance to play as Claire Redfield once again, this time held on a South American Island, where, of course, the T, or is it G, Virus soon enough runs rampant, turning all of its denizens into flesh-craving zombies.

It is important first to note the technical adjustments allowed by the change to a next generation platform. The camera now roams around your character, diverting away from the sometimers cumbersome fixed camera angles that the previous games in the series adhered to. It's generally a change for the better: it means enemies can't surprise you in a screen change, and it also means spatial confusion is minimised. More noticably, there is also a huge graphics upheaval - the game still looks pretty good, and Claire's modelling is a considerable improvement from her RE2 counterpart.

For my money, this feels a lot more like a "back to roots" outing, notably as it pertains to the sheer difficulty of the game. Aside from the first game, CVX is generally regarded as the hardest of the lot, with saves being few and far between, and whilst not quite as chlostrophobic as the RCPD of the previous games, enemies flying at you out of the mist which, whilst likely a ploy to reduce loading times, means you must keep your wits about you. Also, there are again some new beasties, such as the terriying Bandersnatchers, who have long, stretchy arms that can reach at you from a great distance and tear you asunder. Furthermore, there are also some new characters - notably the utterly insane couple, Albert and Alexa Ashford, and a friend Claire meets called Steve Burnside, with who she shares a fair degree of sexual tension.

Of course, in the vein of the series, there are also plenty of extra goodies for completionists - there is a Battle Mode which is essentially a time attack against all of the game's bosses. Also, you can unlock a First-Person Mode, which is a nice novelty, but ultimately it's pretty obtrusive if you're trying to play the game properly.

Code Veronica was a 2-disc game on the Dreamcast, and as such it's no surprise that, whilst 1-disc on the PS2, it is still one of the lengthier titles in the series. Still, it might be fair to say that you can have too much of a good thing, because parts of the game certainly do drag - the puzzle segments will likely bore even those who preferred the more mystery-orientated gameplay of the first RE. Ultimately, you may find yourself waiting for the next boss fight or action scene to activate. However, on that note, the set-pieces are exhilerating, notably as you fight the Tyrant in a plane (which is also one of the more notoriously difficult boss fights in the entire series).

Overall, this is an underrated, underplayed entry into the series that deserves more acclaim than it recieves. Even though it may be overstuffed and a little different, it is certainly worth your time.

Summary: A well-crafted entry into the series