Resident Evil for the Gamecube takes the Playstation calssic and completely rebuilds it from the ground up.
This game takes place in a mountain community known as Raccoon City. Lately, there have been a number of bizzare "cannibal" murders within the community. To deal with these problems, Special Tactics and Rescue Squad(STARS) have been sent into the mountains to investigate. Shortly after losing contact from Bravo Team, Alpha Team boards a chopper and go in to investigate. They find the chopper belonging to their comrades, but find themselves in the middle of a nightmare and are forced inside of a ghostly mansion.
Graphics in this game are nothing short of spectacular. The main characters look almost CGI quality. The detail in them is just that good. Facial expressions, movements, detail in the hair and cloths, and the sleek look to each character make them jump to life. Enemies share the same amount of detail. Zombies have never before looked so repulsive in any game. You can literally see that they are rotting, blood-crazed lunatics. There is also a decent variety of zombie models, so you won't be coming around the same guy every time. Aside from the zombies, there are also the additions of several other bizzare monsters to add their own scares to the game.
The environments are prerendered, but still look incredible. Candles and lights will flicker to create some cool lighting effects, and the feeling that you're in a rather bad place. Shiny surfaces will reflect your character's likeness and anything else that may be following you. Other surfaces will give you the impression that nobody's been there in a very long time, or the classic "that's just disgusting".
Gameplay can take some getting used to if you haven't played any of the previous Resident Evil games. Your characters act like tanks. You push left or right to turn, and up to make them advance. Shooting can be a bit difficult if you're caught in a bad camera angle, although there is an auto lock on system to help deal with this. Aiming can be tricky as well. Your character can only aim up, down, or mid level, which can leave some puzzled when aiming your weapon, espcially if an enemy is out in the distance.
Once you have moving and firing down, you'll wander through the mansion as one of two characters, Jill Valentine or Chris Redfield. As you wander through the mansion, you'll solve puzzles and slowly uncover what happened in the mansion. Prepare to be scared while doing this, as this game is more about atmosphere and scaring the hell out of you rather than action.
Sound is fantastic. The low and creepy backround music matches the setting perfectly and will keep you on your toes til the last minute. From your gun to walking on the floor, the sound effects are done flawlessly. Stone, wood, and rugs will make different noises depending on where they are and look like; simulating the condition of the material. Zombie moans, Hunter screeches, and more have never sounded so clear before. They make the enemies seem almost real.
For those of you that remember the original's voice acting, you won't find any of it in this recreation. Voice acting has been completely redone with better dialogue and emotion. The lines fit the situation and give each character a personality.
In terms of value, this game has a decent amount of it. With two separate stories go through and unlockables for each, chances are you'll be going through this game again after the first go-around. It's just fun to go through this game over again to get a good scare. Even if you've played through this before, the game will make you jump at some point.
Resident Evil for the Gamecube doesn't just redo a classic game, but rebuilds it into a better and more satisfying experience that is nothing short of breath taking. Any fan of horror games should definately consider picking this one up. Even those who don't like the Resident Evil franchise may find somthing to like. With the buget price of $20, there a lot to gain and very little to lose.