While the game does not necessarily share these viewpoints, it reinforces these stereotypes with an abhorrent line from Claire where she calls Alfred a “cross-dressing freak”. Inspired by Norman Bates in Alfred Hitcock’s Psycho (the name’s seemingly a homage to the director), Alfred’s a mentally unhinged man who is obsessed with his sister and, at times, impersonates her and assumes her identity he cross-dresses and talks to himself in different voices.Īlfred is not a trans character but he amplifies harmful tropes: that people who dress in nonconforming gender clothing are threatening and that mental illness and cross-dressing are linked, which they are not (another example is Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs – and you can read about why that portrayal is so damaging here). Ignoring that these two are some of Resident Evil’s most exuberant characters, Alfred would need significant changing. The bigger issue comes with the Ashford Twins. For many, the game’s slower pacing may be an issue, though like the other recent remakes, Capcom would inevitably cut some content to speed things up a bit, and would hopefully make the deeply annoying side-character Steve somewhat more human. Now, Code Veronica’s not without problems. With Resident Evil 4, it was tricky to argue that a remake would do the gameplay significant improvements, but with Code Veronica, there’s a very clear case that any remake could do things better, and seeing its beautiful, European-inspired gothic scenery on current-gen consoles would be a treat. A remake would give people greater accessibility to the game and make for an extreme jump in graphical quality. There are lighting and emulation issues throughout, and you’re better off playing the PS3 remake, but that adds further barriers to entry. On modern consoles, you can play a slightly janky emulated port of Code Veronica X, the PlayStation 2 remake of the Dreamcast original. There’s also the complication of getting a hold of Code Veronica today. Code Veronica is essentially Claire’s Resident Evil 4, and she deserves a follow-up after Resident Evil 2 just as much as Leon. The primary, non-Wesker villains – the Ashford Twins – have a theatricality about them that makes them a terrifying nemesis, and Claire Redfield’s quest to save her brother and take down Umbrella establishes her as a badass who’s haunted by the events of Racoon City. As a standalone game, it holds up remarkably well, its brilliant music, ensemble of enemies, and engrossing story helping create a surprisingly tense and well-paced game. Of course, Code Veronica’s more than just a stepping stone towards Resident Evil 5. In the grand scheme of Resident Evil sequels, Resident Evil 5 needs Code Veronica so much more than it needs Resident Evil 4, even with some of the teases laid down in the remake. Resident Evil 5 only truly hits home with an understanding of the events of Code Veronica, otherwise you lose the weight of many of Resident Evil 5’s biggest moments, such as Jill Valentine’s role and Wesker’s return. Many players in 2009, when the game was originally released, didn’t have an awareness of protagonist Chris Redfield’s storied background. You could also argue that you don’t need any former knowledge of the series to appreciate Resident Evil 5. There’s an argument to be made that a Resident Evil 5 remake could fill in the blanks after the events of Resident Evil 2 with an expository starting cutscene. Those players are missing out not only on a superb survival experience, but one of the most important parts of Resident Evil’s overarching story, and if any of the series’ early installments deserves a comeback, it’s Code Veronica. For others, however, CV’s simply too dated and the gameplay rankles with our modern expectations of gaming. It’s part of why Code Veronica is often cited as the most difficult classic Resident Evil game.įor some of the series’ undead disciples, these elements are part of what makes 2000's Code Veronica so special. If you’re a serial save-over-the-previous-save-er then prepare to start the whole game all over again. And while the tank controls are present, Code Veronica has quirks that leave a lasting impression for instance, around the midway mark, there’s a point of no return, and if you carelessly save before the next boss – the Tyrant-078 – without any ammo, there’s almost no way to defeat the monster and no way to go back to get more bullets. Unlike the previous three Resident Evil games, the environments are not pre-rendered but fully 3D. As Claire wakes up in a dingy prison on Rockfort Island, the game’s creepy atmosphere envelops you. It’s an opening cutscene as instantly iconic as they come a brazen, action-filled beginning inspired by Face/Off director John Woo’s movies.
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