Game news Resident Evil: why fans are crying out for a remake of Code Veronica?
As you know, Capcom recently asked players which episode of Resident Evil they would like to see back from the dead. Indeed, after the remakes of Resident Evil 1, 2, 3 and 4, the Japanese publisher will continue its wizarding work by resurrecting old glories of the franchise. On social networks, a title is claimed by the crowd: Code Veronica. There are several reasons for this plebiscite.
Qualities rarely seen in a Resident Evil
Released exclusively on the Dreamcast in 2000 before landing on PlayStation 2 in 2001, Resident Evil Code: Veronica wowed its world with the use of real-time 3D allowing the camera to follow an invisible rail. Highlighted by numerous pans and tracking shots, this episode offered an even more striking cinematographic aspect than usual, further accentuating the hallmark of the series. Arriving in Japanese stores just 5 months after Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, “Code Vero” (for insiders) immediately passed off its predecessors as old-generation games… which it was. The software used the performance of the Dreamcast to display more detailed and better animated protagonists, while the sets benefited from beautiful special effects: players at the time never tired of admiring the pretty polygon distortions when the camera allowed underwater shots. Also, the gloomy places to roam in the first part of the epic, with its death camps reminiscent of dark times in our history, were enough to send shivers down your spine.
In addition to its technique worthy of the 128 bits of SEGA, Resident Evil: Code Veronica hit hard on an unexpected point: the personality of the Ashfords, the “bad guys” Of the history. Some themes tackled contrasted completely with what the series had accustomed us to, even going so far as to reach a few disturbing notes. Without revealing too much – you never know, you may discover the scenario via a remake – this episode draws on the genius of Psychosis (by Alfred Hitchcock) in order to deliver a psychological adventure unprecedented in the franchise., even if it has a more or less assumed series B side. Action fans were delighted to find sequences inspired by Terminator 2 or the Matrix. One thing is still certain today: Code Veronica has one of the most elaborate scenarios in the series. A remake would allow us to go further in certain barely mentioned tracks. As for the realization, it is possible that Capcom prefers to adopt the classic shoulder camera rather than the return of the cameras on rails.
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Flaws that would be easy to fix
Admittedly, Resident Evil: Code Veronica marked the players thanks to its many qualities, but it also cooled some of them because of its faults. As for the gameplay, unlike Resident Evil 3 released on PlayStation, Capcom’s software did not offer any choice, dodge movement or multiple endings. More annoying, the title asked to press a key to go up or down steps, as in the first parts of the saga! This throwback was strongly criticized when it was released, with some journalists believing that Resident Evil 3 was ultimately more modern in its gameplay than Code Veronica.. There was indeed the arrival of the uzis duo giving the possibility of targeting two different enemies, and the possibility of using an object on the spot when the inventory was full, but it was not enough to refresh mechanics that had become obsolete. A remake would obviously fix these problems very easily.
For the rest, Resident Evil: Code Veronica was a classic Resident Evil, that is, an old-school survival horror where the player spent most of his time finding keys, solving puzzles and beating overpowered bosses.. Some say that’s why he aged badly. However, it had a particularly varied bestiary and very stressful moments, such as those where the player is asked to lay down all his weapons to continue his progress because of detection portals. That being said, there are a lot of things that need to be updated to make this episode enjoyable for new Resident Evil players. It’s the principle of a remake, right?
The least known of all the canonical Resident Evils: long live the (re)discovery!
Like many other Resident Evils, Code Veronica had a complicated development. Thought according to Shinji Mikami to be a real sequel (Mikami considering RE3 as a mere “Resident Evil 1.9”), Capcom preferred to wait for the Dreamcast to establish itself more generously in homes before launching it on the SEGA console. Unfortunately, this software loved by connoisseurs is also the least sold of the whole saga (based on the main episodes). Indeed, Code Veronica sold 2.5 million copies, compared to 3.5 million for RE3, 4.9 million for RE2 and more than 5 million for RE1. It is surely for this reason that the Japanese giant has not yet offered a proper remake of the adventures of Claire Redfield and Steve Burnside. Despite an HD redesign that arrived in 2011, Code Veronica has generally remained in the shadows.
Profitability would dictate that a reinterpretation of Code: Veronica would turn out to be pure fantasy. Nevertheless, Capcom knows the interest of the public, especially since the previous remakes of the other episodes have done very well. As we write these lines, a revisit of Resident Evil 5 is more than likely if we rely on the clues left in the remake of Resident Evil 4. The first episode could also return once again, this time with a camera behind the shoulder, like the last remakes. After millions have been raised from re-imaginings of successful episodes, fans are hoping Capcom will give the lesser-known installment of its cult saga a chance. And U.S. too.
