Resident Evil: Code Veronica
Dreamcast
Publisher: Capcom
Review By Chi Kong Lui
Review Date: 4/19/00
Article Discussion Forum
First
Impressions:
The
rise of chemical photography in the 1800s had a profound effect
on the fine arts. While some painters embraced its use as a tool
and aid, others also thought that it spelled the impending doom
of realistic or representational art. No one would deny the phenomenal
ability of contemporary masters like Courbet or Corot in being able
to capture an essence of reality on canvas. Still, nothing could
match the authenticity or objectivity of a photograph. Though academically
debatable, many felt that this crisis of creative identity forced
many artists to either embrace photography or redefine art from
the representational towards the more conceptual. The latter choice
brought froth a new non-objective way of thinking that lead to such
styles as cubism, surrealism and abstract expressionism just to
name a few.
The same effect that photography had on the fine arts in the 19th
century is also comparable to the way that the Sega Dreamcast is
currently effecting video games in the 21st century. While console
systems in the past, prior to Dreamcast, were technological wonders
in their own right, no one would mistaken the blocky 3D graphics
and diluted colors found in most games as being anything more then
a pale imitation of reality. The same cannot be said of the Dreamcast
whose rendering ability far exceed those of past systems and is
capable of producing an image and animation quality that is often
frighteningly realistic.
With Dreamcast opening up worlds of possibilities, game developers
are left in a similar quandary that artists in the 19th century
had to face. Do they try to meticulously recreate reality as thoroughly
as possible or do they move toward more conceptual and stylistic
representations? Could there be a balance between the two creatively
extreme directions? While I don't doubt that any game will perfectly
represent a polar opposite, I do think that future games will need
to lean more toward a distinction in order to be artistically successful.
Capcom's newest release Resident Evil Code: Veronica proves why
being somewhere in the middle of the road just doesn't work.
Graphics:
Not
surprisingly, it's the visuals and the way they are presented
that is the most innovative and noteworthy aspect of the game.
Being that the actual game is entirely in 3D, camera angles are
much more versatile and can swoop in or follow in at key locations
as if Hollywood style cranes and dolly tracks were being employed.
Backgrounds are very convincingly lively through amazing detail
and richly diverse textures. I particularly liked how some areas
gave a great sense of depth and distance without having any kind
of technical annoyances like draw-in or slow-down. Character models
and designs were also equally detailed as well as diverse in every
respect from facial expression to clothing patterns. Further more,
these characters animated and moved with silky smooth like precision.
Its rare that quality of character models in the prerendered full-motion
video sequences match the quality of the ones generated in real-time,
but in Code: Veronica, it was surprisingly close. The quality
of the models even went so far as to also reminded me of imagery
in Sega's up and coming preordained masterpiece Shenmue and felt
like preview of better things to come.
Sound/Music:
Music
and sounds remain mostly visceral and add to the ambience in a
good way. Outside of that, there isn't anything to really write
home about. Of course, in grand Resident Evil tradition, the voice
acting is atrocious.
Gameplay:
Most
dedicated fans of the series and survival horror genre already
know that Code: Veronica is one of the most hyped and highly anticipated
releases on the young Dreamcast system to date. Virtually all
the setups are the same as its three predecessors that appeared
on the Sony PlayStation. Players take control of an individual
character and try to escape a desolate location decimated by a
viral outbreak that causes people to change into zombies. In the
case of Code: Veronica, Claire Redfield is the character on the
run (control later switches to a couple of other characters including
her brother Chris) and Umbrella's island prison facility serves
as the initial backdrop.
Despite being peppered with some cutting edge prerendered CG (computer
generated) full-motion videos (almost worthy of Final Fantasy
Movie like recognition) that progress the story along, Code: Veronica
is still largely puzzle driven as oppose to plot driven. Character
relationships and scripting are still shallow and horribly underwritten.
The rotational pivot control scheme (complete with quick 180 degree
turn, but no quick dodge move from part three) and exterior views
from fixed camera positions remain unchanged from previous entries
as well. The only two things that have changed is that the setting
of the game shifts dramatically from one location to another about
midway through the game and that the visuals (environments and
all) are completely in 3D polygons unlike the usual prerendered
backgrounds that the series is famous for.
Yet it's the all the graphical wonder in Code: Veronica that becomes
its most lethal double-edge sword. While the presentation received
a shot in arm and everything looks fairly realistic, the same
can't be said of the gameplay mechanics that remain unbelievably
ridiculous. The same style of play has been carried over from
prior releases and remains largely unchanged. In other words,
players spend most of their time finding tools, keys, devices
or knick-knacks and use them to either enter new areas or solve
little brain teaser type of puzzles that usually lead to more
tools, keys, devices or knick-knacks. Repeat the process coupled
with consistent battles with zombies and similar type of creatures
and you get the general flow of the game through out. Typical
of the series, the puzzles and the items used in conjunction with
them seemed overly forced or obscure. They usually extend way
beyond the story arc and have no plausible functionality. The
multitude of puzzles often involving mystical tokens, trinkets
and even jewels (used mostly as keys) range from the barely conceivable
to the completely preposterous. I don't have a problem with these
kinds of quests if they were rationally disguised or motivated
properly in the confines of the fantasy-like plot. Though this
is not the case with Code: Veronica, which has a gritty and technological
modern art direction.
The confused nature between the realistic graphics and mystical
puzzles is further exasperated by the physical capabilities of
the controllable character. Actions and mobility are severely
limited to either run, walk, turn and shoot (the highly touted
first-person view is extremely limited to only two instances with
specific weapons only used against bosses). Think you can pull
off some of the fancy moves Claire employs in the introduction
movie? Forget about it. There's simply a huge discrepancy in the
way the game looks and what you can actually do in it.
This discrepancy is most apparent in one part of the game where
a path is obstructed by fire and can't be passed. Its visibly
obvious that there's a crawl space right beside the fire that
any normal person could squeeze though to get around the blaze,
but it isn't possible due to restrictions the developers have
imposed. There's another part, later in the game which involves
Claire needing to retrieve an ID card encased in a crystal ball
that was found in an old-style cannon (why the ID would be sealed
in a crystal ball and found it that sort of location is beyond
me). What I found totally unfathomable was why Claire needed to
put her life in danger by walking under a Loony Toons-type of
dropping trap to place the crystal ball in order to crack it.
Why she couldn't have just casually rolled the ball into the danger
zone rather then put herself in harms way, is again beyond me.
These two examples I've mentioned here are also far from isolated
instances. I was constantly befuddled at why simply glass or fragile
looking doors couldn't be busted down or why some obviously light
obstructions like barrels or boxes blocking off certain areas
couldn't be moved while others could.
Enjoyment:
Despite
the 'been there, done that' feel to the game, still I managed
to play through it in its entirety and have a fairly good time.
The captivatingly visuals played a large part in distracting me
from all overly familiar aspects of the game. Several of the puzzles
had me rather frustrated at times, but it was only on rare occasions.
Code: Veronica is true to Capcom's fine reputation and I predict
few will feel disappointed overall at the lack of innovation.
Multiplayer:
N/A
Overall
Impression:
Like
many artists in the 1800s, Capcom needs to decide what kind of
art they want to actually make. Do they want to make a fantasy-like
game where mysticism and magic can circumvent everyday logic or
are they trying to make a game that strives to mimic reality as
closely as possible? In order for Code: Veronica to work, the
developers need to take more of stand in one direction, then fuse
the visuals and the gameplay to match that direction. As for the
way it stands now, I think my girlfriend put it best as she sat
in on one of my gaming sessions with Code: Veronica. She quickly
observed "Why can't you just climb over that fence since the door
is locked?" That's a good question that I'll leave developers
to ponder.
Marketing
Efforts Towards Women:
In
the videogame world of testosterone bruisers and buxom femme fatales,
Code: Veronica manages to rise above the gender stereotypes through
two of its central characters, Claire Redfield and Alexia Ashford.
The player controlled protagonist, Claire Redfield comes off as
being a capable and no nonsense type of gal who gets things done
(most evident in the way she keeps saving her lame fellow escapee,
Steve Burnside [how's that for role-reversals]). All the typically
over exaggerated sexual features are not evident in Claire and
she her all-grown up 'Punky Brewster' look seems down right conservative
when compared to the Jennifer Lopez-style clubbing outfit that
her predecessor, Jill Valentine, sported in part 3. Even the main
villianess, Alexia Ashford is portrayed in a very empowering manner.
She is a woman of intelligence, ambition and vision who is trying
to reinstate her family's former glory. Again, she is presented
as an authoritative figure who rules over her overly loving twin
brother and dethroned her incompetent father. In fact, the only
male figure who comes off even remotely positive is Claire's brother,
Chris. With all the male bashing that takes place in this game,
we may have to start referring to Code: Veronica as the Joy Luck
Club or Waiting to Exhale of videogames!
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