Resident Evil Code: Veronica Complete Edition Preview

Few can dispute Resident Evil Code: Veronica's influence, not only on the series itself, but also on the survival-horror genre at large. From a technical standpoint, the game excelled on all fronts - the various CG movies that prodded the game's plot along were arguably among the most polished ever seen in a game, while the in-game characters and environments were rendered in exquisite detail, almost belying the fact that they were all rendered in real-time. The game remained Resident Evil to its core, though, strictly adhering to the series' well-defined play mechanics. Now that Capcom has announced Resident Evil Code: Veronica Complete Edition for the PlayStation 2, one can't help but wonder where else the company can take what has arguably been the exemplary title of its flagship series.

Code Veronica's narrative takes place roughly three months after the events of Resident Evil 2, and it picks up with Claire Redfield getting captured by the evil Umbrella Corporation - the force responsible for all the ill deeds occurring in the Resident Evil universe. Code Veronica finds Claire Redfield on a remote island that hosts an Umbrella base. Still on her quest to find her missing brother Chris (one of the original Resident Evil's co-stars), Claire must traverse Umbrella's creep-filled island base. Throughout, Claire will search for clues, make alliances, and blast modest numbers of undead creatures. With the support of the boyish and charming Steve Burnside, Claire will discover new facts about the Umbrella Corporation and its dealings during her quest, and the series' mythology will be duly expanded.

In terms of refining the series' established gameplay formula, Code Veronica does much to make the series' puzzles more logically sound. In lieu of the often out-of-context item hunts of the series' past, Code Veronica features puzzles that are more closely in tune with their surroundings. This results in obstacles with more sensible solutions. While some lazily wrought red gem/blue gem-style puzzles still remain, their tedium is offset by the change in focus.

Code Veronica also further cultivates the series' cramped cinematic tone while fleshing out some of its action elements. The game's fully 3D environments allow for the implementation of a dynamic camera system, which enables radical perspective changes between scenes and really helps bring the game's environments to life. Also, the fact that Claire and company can simultaneously wield two handguns, Hong Kong action film-style, renews the novelty of shooting the undead.

At this point, not much is known about how Resident Evil Code: Veronica Complete Edition will differ from the version of the game that's been out since February. Capcom has announced that the game will enjoy certain enhanced graphical and text features, though we're still unsure about what exactly that means. Also, it's been rumored that Wesker - one the Resident Evil series' mysterious villains and a definite fan favorite - will play a larger role in the game, though to what extent remains a mystery. When asked if Wesker would be playable in the Complete Edition, Capcom representatives stated that while such a development would certainly be interesting, no official announcements have been made.

Resident Evil Code: Veronica Complete Edition is scheduled for release on March 22, 2001 in Japan. Capcom has made no announcement regarding the game's US release, though it's a pretty safe bet that it will make it over here in some form.