Resident Evil (Game Cube, 2002)

This is actually nothing more than a remake of the original game, but don't let that fool you. This game is really something new and fierce, completely different from the first release. I never played Resident Evil until I purchased a GameCube and found out that this title was just a remake. I purchased it, thinking that it might not be uodated with new graphics are anything different from the original. When I played it, I instantly realized that these graphics were toyed with...they were superb. The graphics in this game really shows the power the GameCube has, the power which many people seem to think is non-existant. The graphics were great, the movie scenes were smooth and the lighting involved was so well done that it almost seemed real. As for the game, I really can't compare it to the original Resident Evil release, because I've never played it (as I said). The story was great and something quite new to me. The entire time I thought I was in a haunted house and as you progress and explore, you're finding new locations and documents which reveal that actually this is a hidden lab where an expiremental virus went totally awry. So the story is well developed and really takes you on one heck of a ride. I enjoy the Resident Evil game because it's a mix of adventure and puzzle solving. You'll get your fair share of zombie killing and monster battles...there's some great monsters, by the way...but there's also tons of puzzles. It can be annoying, at times, to pick up an item and have to walk around with it forever until you find the particular place where it can be used. There's a variety of different puzzles that will challenge your skills. The combat is a bit tricky, mainly because you cannot directly aim your gun. You can just sort of shoot straight up, up or down...so sometimes your character misses and you're wondering why your ammo is so low. Also, you have your choice of characters to be; depending on which of the two you choose, the story will be slightly altered in some ways. Also, one great thing about this and Resident Evil Zero are it's scare tactics. In many instances, in a quiet room, something will just pop through the window or through the door and just scary you half to death. It's great how the game tries to mess with your nerves. It's a well rounded game - lengthy, too (it's two discs). The only other thing that some people might have a problem with is the save feature. The save feature here is limited because you can only save where you locate a typewriter and you can only save at the typewriter if you have an ink ribbon with you. At times, you might not have your ink ribbon with you (or have any at all) and you just want to save before you die and lose a lot of covered ground. The save feature is annoying, but makes the game more challenging. Not to mention, if you save less and complete the game in a fairly quick time, you can earn yourself some bonuses. The replay value of this game is pretty good - there's only the one story mode and nothing else, but if you hold on to this game, you'll be playing it in a month or two, trust me. It's a great title that really shows off why having a GameCube is a good investment.