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Resident Evil
- November 05, 2009 10:04 AM PST
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Huh? Another remake of the first Resident Evil game? What could possibly be new about that...?
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The Haunting Redux
Resident Evil spawned a host of sequels, spin-offs, side stories, and remakes...but fans have always returned for more. After clamoring to buy the first game, many sprung for essentially the same game again with The Director's Cut, and then bought the same game a third time when it was released as a Dual Shock Version. Talk about tried and true.
But this time, the developers went back to the game's core ingredients (monsters, puzzles, and scares), remodeled the various play areas, and filled those areas with new stuff. Rooms have been added, some have been bulldozed, and there's a host of new things that go bump in the night. Historic moments of fright -- the dogs that crashed through the windows of the long southeast hall, for instance -- have been tweaked, changed, moved, or completely revised, and the puzzles have also been cleverly altered. It's like playing Resident Evil for the first time.
Sexy Beast
The narrative follows two members of an elite police force and their fight to survive a long night of terror. Playing as Jill Valentine or Chris Redfield in two distinct scenarios, you accumulate weapons, keys, and other items while gradually traveling deeper into a heart of darkness where the only things that pile up faster than shocking revelations are dead bodies.
Fortunately, this Resident Evil play engine includes helpful features from other games in the series while implementing some new innovations, too. Characters can spin 180 degrees and auto-aim while holding any weapon. But the coolest new feature is the Defense Item system, which lets you stab or shock your way out of almost any monster's grasp. Coordinating all these actions is a manageable control scheme that gradually becomes second nature...once you get past the awkwardly placed directional pad on the GameCube controller.
"Itchy...Tasty..."
This Evil's biggest strength is its astounding visuals. The superlative "this is the best-looking game in the series" has been thrown around all too often before, but these graphics have to be seen to be believed. Eye-popping lighting effects illuminate every room, and there's detail to spare as smoke trails from candle flames, dust is kicked into the air by moving characters, and movable objects blend perfectly into the surroundings. (One of the visual pitfalls of earlier Evil titles was how low-res objects practically popped off the screen -- often instantly revealing puzzle solutions.)
Then there are the various monsters that crawl, stalk, ooze, and claw toward you---often times with their entrails on the verge of spilling onto the floor. Yes, it's scary, bloody, and gory...but nevertheless exciting and remarkably effective. It makes Luigi's Mansion look like, well, Luigi's Mansion.
A strong audio track provides valuable aesthetic support. Poignant voice-casting and snappy, tightly worded dialogue fuel the narrative (even when it descends into pseudo-scientific babble), and an eerie -- albeit sparse -- music score heightens the suspense. The highlight, though, is the sound effects, which provide puzzle-solving audio clues and monster-approaching cues.
Turn It On Again
Resident Evil's only shortcoming is its lack of replay value -- the extra costumes and game modes don't really merit repeat play-throughs or extra enjoyment. But that criticism comes from a seasoned Resident Evil veteran, so just imagine how much you'll enjoy the game. This Resident Evil is an excellent opportunity to get scared for the first time -- all over again.
