Resident Evil. It was a groundbreaking moment for video games, so...so what if the controls

were awkward and clunky and pushing up meant walking sideways?

It was the first of its kind, you know? There are always kinks to work out.

That is, unless you like kinks. See, the strangest thing happened in the wake of the original

Resident Evil. Developers and even fans alike took the flaws of that game as traits that

were somehow vital to the genre.

Resident Evil Code: Veronica X released in 2001, which was 18 months after the release

of the original Code: Veronica for the Dreamcast. Given that that system was rapidly...taking

on water, so to speak, it made sense to bring Code: Veronica to more seaworthy vessels.

The game takes place in the immediate aftermath of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. Claire Redfield

is off searching for her brother Chris, and as you’d expect, this gets her in an unfortunate

situation. She’s captured by someone and taken to this strange island...a place that,

while foreign and remote, also seems very familiar.

The

gameplay wasn’t changed from Code: Veronica...which wasn’t changed from the games prior, either.

In fact, if anything, it takes Resident Evil controls backward. So the minor improvements

that were made in Resident Evil 3? The strafing and fast-access map? Gone in Code: Veronica

X.

Fortunately, though, there are things to like about Code: Veronica X. This is a massive

game. Its environments are bigger and more diverse, its cut scenes are beautifully done

and its graphics were top-notch for their time. There’s so much attention to detail

in Code: Veronica X.

Which makes its bad choices all the more puzzling in retrospect.

Nonetheless, this is still an interesting game to play, especially in the context of

the turning point that was Resident Evil 4. It’s a retrospective reminder of why this

series had to change, not only to stay relevant...but to save itself. Even the great ones can show

their age. And despite flashes of brilliance, Resident Evil was overdue for a makeover in

Code: Veronica X.