Romier S
Senior HTF Member
- Joined
- Sep 2, 1999
- Messages
- 3,525
Well, I woke up bright and early this morning and stowed away in my car to go pick up RE. Quite a line at the store! Apparently everyone and their mother wants this game and obviously this should go a long way in getting people over some of that "kiddie" image everyone is so hung up on.
So away we go with my impressions (Having played for about 1 and 1/2 hours):
Story:
Come on. You know it. Something about Zombies and a mansion.
Graphics
Well here it is. The main beyoned belief reason to own Resident Evil on the Gamecube. Let me start out by saying that I've always been a fan of the RE series and Code Veronica was IMO the pinnacle of the series graphically so far. Times they are a changin!
RE on the GC is simply stunning to behold. The intro movie (CGI) will get your heart pumping and get you in the mood to play. The atmosphere is great right off the bat. Once you finally step foot inside the mansion your jaw will drop. I popped in the good old Playstation original (A classic!) just for the hell of it and well there is simply no comparison. The prerendered backgrounds are gorgeus. Candles flicker and give off shadows. Jill and Chris walk and give off full shadows on the walls and tables. Lightning will crackle and give off lighting in the rooms. Very freaky. Capcom outdid themselves in the level of detail present in the backgrounds. Mind you I only played for a short time so I'm sure it will only get better.
The characters themselves are just ridiculous. You can see the jackets and vests bend and move. Weapons actually hang on their bodies. Hair moves. Its just too detailed! Character animation when walking is good. Very lifelike. The only time I have seen issues is with the turning animations. They are very stiff and unrealistic. Its a small point of contention.
My other main gripe graphically is with the in-game cutscenes. Though they display the same level of quality as the rest of the game there seems to be slight pauses as the game is loading in the content. Its very noticeable and jolting at the same time. It happens quite often too. Again its a minor point but a noticeable one.
Graphically this is the pinnacle of the RE series and damn near one of the best looking games ever made.
Sound
One of the most important aspects of any horror game is the sound. So far in the short time I've played the moans and groans are fantastic. The lightning comes through beautifully. Every little thing in the background adds a level of atmosphere.
The voice acting is much improved by the way. Not particularly at the level of Code Veronica (which has the best voice acting in the series IMO) but damn good. You wont be snickering anywhere near as much. Still I kind of miss the "master of unlocking" line...
Controls and Gameplay:
Let me say this now. I personally have never had a problem with the control scheme in the RE series. There are many that cant stand it, Im not one of them. But....The GC controller was not made for this type of game. One word can describe the controls. STIFF! I personally detest playing any RE game with the analog stick as it is no where near as responsive as the the D-pad. The same holds true here. The problem is the GC D-pad is so horridly small its impractical. Its a matter of me having to get used to it. (That or buy an adapter to use the PS2 Dual Shock)
Now the good side of it is the rest of the button layout is fantastic. The c-stick is used to quick turn which is the so damn nice. Its accessible and works well. The b button is used to run and cancel out of menus. A is the all purpose action button. X is used to enter the menu. Z is used to open the map and of course the right shoulder button is used to draw the gun.
One of the newest features added to the game are the defensive items such as daggers and the tazer gun. These items are quite easy to use. All you do is equip them in the defensive menu and hit the right shoulder button. Your character will automatically "have at it" so to speak. These things are a life saver and they are a great addition.
Finally for those expecting to waltz into the game having played the original and get to solving puzzles and beating RE's ass...your in for a shock. Nothing is the same here ladies and gentleman. This isn't a remake. Its a reimagining. Sure the backgrounds (most of them) and story are the same but thats about it. Oh and good luck. Your gonna need it cause this puppy is tough!
Conclusion:
Well hell, its pretty easy. GO BUY THIS! I have issues with some of the controls in the game but once I get used to using the GC D-pad in the RE world that should be alleviated.
So is the game scary? I dont know. I need to play this in optimal conditions (ie night time, no lights....) to further comment on that. So far things have been quite creepy (Though so far RE has a ways to go to compete with Silent Hill 2 in the "freak me out" department. That may change as I get further into the game though.)
For those who have hated the RE control scheme this isn't going to change your mind. For those wanting the next BIG (*cough* excuse me HUGE!) title on the GC you cant go wrong with RE. As stated perfectly by Gamespot "Capcom has nearly perfected its craft and created the best Resident Evil ever"
(though I'll have to wait until I complete the game to call it the best RE ever).
So away we go with my impressions (Having played for about 1 and 1/2 hours):
Story:
Come on. You know it. Something about Zombies and a mansion.
Graphics
Well here it is. The main beyoned belief reason to own Resident Evil on the Gamecube. Let me start out by saying that I've always been a fan of the RE series and Code Veronica was IMO the pinnacle of the series graphically so far. Times they are a changin!
RE on the GC is simply stunning to behold. The intro movie (CGI) will get your heart pumping and get you in the mood to play. The atmosphere is great right off the bat. Once you finally step foot inside the mansion your jaw will drop. I popped in the good old Playstation original (A classic!) just for the hell of it and well there is simply no comparison. The prerendered backgrounds are gorgeus. Candles flicker and give off shadows. Jill and Chris walk and give off full shadows on the walls and tables. Lightning will crackle and give off lighting in the rooms. Very freaky. Capcom outdid themselves in the level of detail present in the backgrounds. Mind you I only played for a short time so I'm sure it will only get better.
The characters themselves are just ridiculous. You can see the jackets and vests bend and move. Weapons actually hang on their bodies. Hair moves. Its just too detailed! Character animation when walking is good. Very lifelike. The only time I have seen issues is with the turning animations. They are very stiff and unrealistic. Its a small point of contention.
My other main gripe graphically is with the in-game cutscenes. Though they display the same level of quality as the rest of the game there seems to be slight pauses as the game is loading in the content. Its very noticeable and jolting at the same time. It happens quite often too. Again its a minor point but a noticeable one.
Graphically this is the pinnacle of the RE series and damn near one of the best looking games ever made.
Sound
One of the most important aspects of any horror game is the sound. So far in the short time I've played the moans and groans are fantastic. The lightning comes through beautifully. Every little thing in the background adds a level of atmosphere.
The voice acting is much improved by the way. Not particularly at the level of Code Veronica (which has the best voice acting in the series IMO) but damn good. You wont be snickering anywhere near as much
. Still I kind of miss the "master of unlocking" line...Controls and Gameplay:
Let me say this now. I personally have never had a problem with the control scheme in the RE series. There are many that cant stand it, Im not one of them. But....The GC controller was not made for this type of game. One word can describe the controls. STIFF! I personally detest playing any RE game with the analog stick as it is no where near as responsive as the the D-pad. The same holds true here. The problem is the GC D-pad is so horridly small its impractical. Its a matter of me having to get used to it. (That or buy an adapter to use the PS2 Dual Shock)
Now the good side of it is the rest of the button layout is fantastic. The c-stick is used to quick turn which is the so damn nice. Its accessible and works well. The b button is used to run and cancel out of menus. A is the all purpose action button. X is used to enter the menu. Z is used to open the map and of course the right shoulder button is used to draw the gun.
One of the newest features added to the game are the defensive items such as daggers and the tazer gun. These items are quite easy to use. All you do is equip them in the defensive menu and hit the right shoulder button. Your character will automatically "have at it" so to speak. These things are a life saver and they are a great addition.
Finally for those expecting to waltz into the game having played the original and get to solving puzzles and beating RE's ass...your in for a shock. Nothing is the same here ladies and gentleman. This isn't a remake. Its a reimagining. Sure the backgrounds (most of them) and story are the same but thats about it. Oh and good luck. Your gonna need it cause this puppy is tough!
Conclusion:
Well hell, its pretty easy. GO BUY THIS! I have issues with some of the controls in the game but once I get used to using the GC D-pad in the RE world that should be alleviated.
So is the game scary? I dont know. I need to play this in optimal conditions (ie night time, no lights....) to further comment on that. So far things have been quite creepy (Though so far RE has a ways to go to compete with Silent Hill 2 in the "freak me out" department. That may change as I get further into the game though.)
For those who have hated the RE control scheme this isn't going to change your mind. For those wanting the next BIG (*cough* excuse me HUGE!) title on the GC you cant go wrong with RE. As stated perfectly by Gamespot "Capcom has nearly perfected its craft and created the best Resident Evil ever"
(though I'll have to wait until I complete the game to call it the best RE ever).
