Resident Evil Review

Many were shocked when Capcom announced last year that future installments in its horror-themed Resident Evil series would be appearing exclusively on Nintendo's GameCube, but even more surprising was the company's announcement that the first game under the deal would be a remake of the 1996 original. Resident Evil 2 is often considered the pinnacle of the franchise, but even though it made a number of improvements to the series' gameplay, it never managed to be as scary as its predecessor. So this time around, Capcom has fused the best of both worlds together into one amazing game that clearly stands as the best the series has to offer.

The story has several branching paths.

The first thing you'll probably notice about the new Resident Evil is that the gameplay hasn't changed all that much since it debuted more than five years ago. Granted, all the improvements to the control scheme that Capcom has instituted over the years have been included, such as the quick turnaround and the ability to shoot while backing up. But many of the issues associated with the tanklike character movement have remained. It's still hard to be precise while maneuvering in close quarters when the camera is panned out, and, due to the prerendered backgrounds, lining up with doors can be a frustrating proposition at times--especially when the undead are breathing down your neck. But anyone who's played the previous games in the series will be right at home after a half hour or so, and, as most by now could probably attest to, you'll either be able to tolerate the control scheme or you'll hate it.

The gameplay isn't just the same old thing. A number of new twists have been added to Resident Evil for the GameCube, such as the defense items, which add quite a bit of strategy to the game. At the game's outset, you choose from one of two characters to play as, each of whom has his or her own set of weaponry. Jill can use a taser that will send electricity coursing through the zombies' bodies, while Chris can lodge a hand grenade into a zombie's mouth, shoot it, and watch the fireworks. While both the taser and the grenade will stop zombies dead in their tracks, both characters can also use defense knives that can be lodged into zombies' skulls to give you some breathing room if you find yourself uncomfortably close to the enemy. Knowing when to use a defense item can often mean the difference between life and death, and it adds a welcome layer of complexity to the game's combat.

Not everyone makes it out of the mansion alive.

Another addition to the gameplay is the super zombie. You may have been able to kill zombies and leave them to rot in past Resident Evil games, but if you just let them be this time around, you're going to pay for it later. After a set amount of time, the zombies will reanimate into acid-breathing super zombies that are faster than either character and will take you down with just a couple of swipes from their claws. You can prevent super zombies from spawning by beheading or burning the normal zombies you defeat. And if you forget, you'll find that trying to get through a door with a super zombie bearing down on you is enough to make you have to check your trousers for accidents.

When Capcom stated that 70 percent of the original game would be changed for this remake, it wasn't kidding. Right out of the gate you're confronted with a brand-new puzzle. Additionally, the enemies, items, and rooms have been switched around so that the game will seem completely changed to all but those who beat the original a number of times or have recently played it. Many of the high-stress areas from the original game have been completely reworked, which can create a real sense of suspense or relief, such as when the ghoul you're expecting to burst onto the scene doesn't actually show up.