Code Veronica X is the perfect continuation of Claire's story after Resident Evil 2. Needs to be played by true fans!
The gameplay is typical of Resident Evil 1-3's style, but this one truly feels more like Resident Evil 1 if it had auto-aim. (Thank you for that, Capcom!) Auto-aim helps out a lot in weird camera angles, and thankfully the camera angles aren't so jarring due to this game's use of memorable 3D environments. They work well and look good, but unfortunately due to technological downsides, not as much detail could have been put into them as the original Resident Evil's 2D backgrounds. We control Claire for a majority of the game, as she continues her quest to search for her brother Chris without the assistance of Leon. If you're new to the Resident Evil series, I would not advise that you start with this game. It IS indeed an important installment in the series, but you will be left being confused as some things rely on previous events to understand. Especially the antagonist Wesker's motives. Play this series from its origins for the best experience.
There are some minor annoyances in this game. Some zombies seem to move faster than zombies in previous Resident Evil games, and you'll really need to make some space between you and the zombie before you start unleashing handgun rounds at them. The bow gun's power has significantly decreased since Resident Evil 2, which is unfortunate, but more realistic. I found there's a shocking lack of healing items in this game. I only found a handful of First Aid Sprays during the entire game. This may be difficult for those who aren't used to the controls and have trouble avoiding a zombie bite. Missing out or lacking healing items is crippling in this game, and will cause you problems towards the end if you don't have enough. It makes things feel tense and truly brings a great sense of survival horror, which is good. But for those wanting a relaxed but intuitive experience, this game won't have it.
We have ourselves probably the best Resident Evil story in the series up to this game. Many more cutscenes that give us character depth and show some really action-packed scenes. Claire gets into some really intense situations that are expressed in a great way through emotional and cinematic cutscenes. The voice acting is, well, better, but not something to sell the game by. You can still manage to take these characters seriously. There are twists and turns to be unexpectedly found throughout the game, and better story motivation to drive you through it.
This is truly an impressive Resident Evil game and is more important to the series than one would think. It's also a very memorable and tense experience that a true fan shouldn't miss.
The good:
-An enhanced, truly intense story that unveils the secrets of the T-Virus and Umbrella Inc.
-3D environments work really well, and some locations are incredibly detailed for an early PS2 game. You can appreciate the detail fully by playing the HD remaster on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
-The great Resident Evil classic feel that true fans will love.
-Epic and unique musical score, when there is actually music playing.
-Many more cinematic and intense moments that will keep you playing.
-A better sense of survival with a fairly welcome challenging difficulty.
The bad:
-Some weapons feel really weak against zombies.
-If you don't use healing items wisely, or don't protect yourself effectively enough, you may find difficulty continuing the game if you lack healing items towards the end.
-A handful of dull-looking environments. The dullness is sometimes downgraded further by the lack of any soundtrack or significant ambient sounds playing in the area.
-The dialogue can be painfully cheesy, enhanced by the trying-too-hard voice acting on occasion.
8.4/10