Resident Evil Updated Preview

Though it isn't the originator of the genre, Resident Evil for the PlayStation is widely regarded as the reason the so-called survival horror genre is so prominent in the console-game industry today. Its graphics, sound, and presentation were executed so well that some of those playing the game actually experienced a legitimate sense of dread, forcing them to walk slowly around corners or into the shadows for fear that a zombie or some other horrible creature would be lurking there. But as numerous sequels and new survival horror franchises arrived on the market, the original Resident Evil was slowly pushed out of the public consciousness.

The lighting in the game is extremely well done.

Seeing an opportunity to capitalize on this, Capcom went to work on a remake of Resident Evil for the GameCube. Instead of simply porting the game over with a few enhancements here and there, Capcom has made a very strong effort to make Resident Evil for the GameCube seem like an entirely new game--even for those who played the original on the PlayStation. Given the original's popularity, such an undertaking would seem to be a little daunting, but, to a certain extent, it seems like Capcom has succeeded. Both the graphics and sound have been significantly enhanced to take advantage of the extra power offered by the GameCube hardware. But more importantly, several entirely new sections and puzzles have been added to the infamous Resident Evil mansion--there will be numerous times where you'll try to remember if a particular room, puzzle, or scene was in the original game or not.

In fact, you'll notice something different about the GameCube version of Resident Evil almost immediately. At the beginning of the game, you can select from two different options that affect its difficulty level. Essentially, if you select the first option, then you'll be able to carry more items in your inventory, but the mansion will have more zombies. If you choose the second option, you can't hold as many items, but there are far fewer zombies walking around in certain rooms. Despite the fact that you can carry more items, the first option is incredibly difficult because the zombies in Resident Evil for the GameCube are much tougher than those in recent Resident Evil games and even those found in the original PlayStation version. Add to that the importance of conserving ammunition and you can imagine why you're better off choosing the second option to start with.

Splattering zombies just never gets old.

Of course, the differences between the GameCube version of Resident Evil and the PlayStation version don't end there. The original Resident Evil opened with a full-motion video sequence that used live actors, but the new version features a full CG introduction that has some rather gruesome images of various S.T.A.R.S. members who have fallen victim to the freakish creatures living outside of Racoon City. Once they realize they're not in a particularly good situation, the game's lead characters--Jill, Chris, Barry, and Wesker--make a run for the mansion nearby. At this point, you'll probably notice the voice acting in the game. The original Resident Evil was notorious for its incredibly poor B-movie dialogue, which had wonderfully crafted lines such as "the master of unlocking." Fans of that will be happy to know that the voice acting in the remake is about the same, but a few lines have been cleaned up for clarity's sake.