I thought it would be fitting for my first review on this new blog to start with a game we are all familiar with and which has personally impacted me since way back when I was far too young to play it. Resident Evil for the GameCube, a re-release of the PlayStation classic that was already well known and loved by gamers and non-gamers worldwide. It boasted graphics that were jaw-dropping back during its release date of 2002, and sought to update the theme of the series, which by that time had begun to enter into a realm of campiness in the mindset of most gamers, typically due to the amazingly absurd voice acting from the original. Even though it's been out for nearly a decade, you can still find it on mainstream store shelves for the Wii, packaged as Resident Evil Archives.
I chose to review this game for a few reasons, the first being my own personal connection to this series as I mentioned earlier. While Resident Evil wasn't my first survival horror experience (nor was it even my first Resident Evil experience) it is still the original of a series which had a severe impact on my outlook on life in general. Before I go on, let me go ahead and warn you that the next few paragraphs are all just self-gratifying reminiscence, so feel free to skip.
When I was but a lad, I used to be afraid of damn near everything. I blame an early accidental viewing of that scene from Aliens in which the character Bishop gets ripped in half and begins to spew an interesting yellow fluid that took me half my life to realize doesn't actually come from people when they are eviscerated. That shit scarred me for many a year and prompted me to run screaming from any scenes of horror or violence in anything ever... That is until somewhere between the age of 10-12. I had gone to a new school, away from all my sheltered friends into a different environment where the gamers my age didn't trade games with Mario on the cover, but instead such foreign titles as Metal Gear Solid and Tomb Raider. It was at this time that such a friend let me borrow his copy of a game called Dino Crisis, which scared the shit out of me, but I found to be fun in some masochistic way. Dino Crisis came with a demo for a game that I had heard about, but never dared to even bother playing. That game was called Resident Evil 3... And somehow that demo had me hooked.
It wasn't too many months before I owned every game that existed in the Resident Evil series at that point. In fact, I even read the books and collected the action figures. Resident Evil pretty much became one of those series in which I would gladly have purchased a console if it were to feature an exclusive RE game. In fact I think I did that twice, to be exact. Though they weren't at all the exclusive reasons for my purchase, I bought a Dreamcast for a copy of Resident Evil Code: Veronica and a GameCube for the game this review is centered upon. Maybe I liked it so much because I was already a huge Capcom fanboy, but at the core I believe it had more to do with the same reason why I still love the horror genre to this day, which is really a topic that would be worth it's own entry and saved for another day.
The next reason why I chose this game is because of another personal reason which is the inverse of the first. Meaning, my current disillusionment with the series. Okay, don't get me wrong, Resident Evil 4 has to be one of the greatest games of all time. But in my opinion, this series (like many other strong 90's classics) just feels like it's starting to go stale. Resident Evil 5 was mediocre, and let me down in a myriad of ways and games like Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles just don't seem worth dropping the money for. I mean, Resident Evil hasn't scared me in a long time, and that's what it's all about. I feel if Capcom continues to pander towards a more generic mainstream action game audience, then they are really doing the series and it's fans a disservice.
On to the main point I want to make. You see, when it comes to big mainstream games such as this one, you have many ways to perceive it. A video game by nature is far more complex than a movie, in that not only do you have the story of the game being unfolded, but you also have the player's interaction (i.e. gameplay), and in between you see how those two elements are interlaced. For brevity let's call this the experience versus the challenge. The experience of Resident Evil encompasses all the immersive (there's my favorite word again) elements, those being: the story, the music, the atmosphere, all the scary monsters that merrily frolic through closed windows into narrow hallways. While the challenge defines all the gameplay mechanics such as: combat, ammo conservation, item management, and challenging oneself to get a high ranking at the mission complete screen. So to reiterate, when I say experience, I mean all the artistic things in the game that provoke an emotional reaction from me as a player and draws me into the world that the developers created; when I say challenge, I mean all the parts in the game where my desire to overcome obstacles, accumulate a high body count, and all the other parts that ultimately make me feel like I'm playing a game.
Now, I've been a gamer all my life, and at one time I alongside many of you bemoaned the idea of games becoming more mainstream. So, lest you should ever think otherwise, know that I love me some challenge... I mean I own a copy of Ikaruga. So 'nuff said.
But this blog isn't about that. By now you should know that I'm here to discuss my opinions about the narrative and artsy shartsy parts of games. That said, know that I'm not here to ignore the gameplay and whine about how the hunter keeps decapitating Jill Valentine, thus delaying my beloved sense of immersion. While all that stuff won't typically receive my focus, it is still an obviously important part of the game...
Thus the reason I've developed my own method for reviewing these types of video games, i.e. mainstream games which were intended to be a product that would sell, as opposed to being "lasting pieces of art". Basically it works something like this: First, I identify the basic theme of the game, ponder the developer's intent and measure them with the experiential elements. Second, I focus on how the challenge and other various gameplay elements either support the theme and experience, or hinder it. So you see, it's really not too different from the way countless other video game critics have done their reviews. But rather than dissecting into categories like graphics, sound, control, etc.; I instead chop it up into two very general areas, and see how they cooperate and mesh to form a lasting emotional experience. There's probably been dozens of other reviewers who've done it in a similar way, but that would be news to me, and anyway as Melville said "there is nothing new under the sun" (replace sun with internet, and we're set). Anyway, shall we carry on?
And look, you made it to the actual review! I'm very proud, here let me show my appreciation by giving you 1000 experience points, redeemable with any character in any tabletop RPG. If your DM calls foul, just tell 'em that Rook said it was A-Okay, ya turkey.
 |
| Imogene says: "Here's where the review starts, you impetuous scoundrels" |
So, as I was most likely saying before, the Resident Evil remake for GameCube is the perfect game to start with. I mean... it's fucking gorgeous and the level of detail still holds up today nine years after it's release. This game, like the original, still manages to capture archaic tropes about Gothic mansions and present them in a way that doesn't feel like it's been done a thousand times over. Down to every be-gossamer'd corner and tipped over candelabra, this game is a feast for the eyes that should still make any jaded horrornaut squee with beloved familiarity. Sure, the character models are getting on in their years, but despite that, the lighting tends to keep Chris, Jill and all their undead buddies draped in a ghostly dismality that keeps the dated visuals appealing. Unfortunately, those gorgeous backgrounds are all pre-rendered, so don't expect too much in the way of interactivity with them, aside from a few windows shattered by enemies and the like. However, Capcom uses this to their advantage in several situations. As the experienced Resident Evil-er should feel safe on the other side of doorways from attacking undead, the developers use this sense of security to totally mess with the heads of the players, as there are frequent, yet seemingly random situations where the zombies kick in doors and continue to chase the player.
This is where I think Capcom was incredibly brilliant. This is a must-play for newbies to the series, but it was also made with so many playful, yet spiteful winks at the veteran S.T.A.R.S. members. The Spencer Mansion looks a lot like it did back in 1996, but there are just enough changes to confound old school players. There are so many little things too, like the infamous dog hallway, which is just tweaked enough to contort my expression into the troll face and say "oh Capcom, I see what ya did thar." This remake really makes me feel like Capcom loves this series and their players, and face it, that doesn't always happen when it comes to overhauled classics. Aside from the minor changes, there are a few original things added into the game, many are to retcon details of the series with later titles, and others are just put there to increase the soil-yo-britches factor for a new generation. And you know, when it comes to spooky things, one of my favorite tactics is the subversion of familiarity, that's where something you recognize is altered just enough to cause a deep subconscious anxiety, and while it's most effective for things that you don't actually find scary (take Majora's Mask for example, 'effin nightmare fuel, itellyawat), it does works here to some additional fright factor.
And it's that said fright that is the core of this game. Yeah, the series has a flimsy theme about the horrors of biological weaponry and how big conglomerates make people eat other people and whatnot, but Resident Evil has always been about scaring your face 'til you fart frosting. Everything else is really a vehicle for that, so does the remake deliver? Yeah... a good majority of the time. You see, fear like everything that ever was, is entirely subjective. And while it's relatively easy to appreciate a piece of art that may not be your taste, it's entirely another matter when it comes to fear and frights. I mean just because something scares the giblets out of one person, doesn't mean it won't also make their little sister laugh at them for decades to come. So, I can tell you about all the things that really scared me, but then for everything else I can just shrug and say that I'm sure it would scare someone. While zombies and window-hating dobermans (dobermen?) will probably be a newcomer's nemesis, I, along with other RE hawdcores will most likely expect them and will only greet such series staples with a smug Ash-like grin and the binitz-end of a shotgun. But Capcom packed quite a surprise for even the most intrepid horrornauts... Ohmzigog! Fast zombies!
Yes, with this update, those fancy random headshots no longer become a trivial thing of masturbatory glee, but instead become a tactical element of combat. As it turns out, if you no kill brain, then you no kill ghoul. Yes, un-faceshooted zombies eventually rise for a second time as the further mutated Crimson Heads, which for me, never become not scary ('cuz they run like weirdos). So therefore, all floored zombie corpses must then be burnt using very limited and ever dwindling sources of kerosene, providing yet another thing that must be planned out carefully. Added to those guys is a new un-killable stalker enemy, similar to the Tyrant/Mr. X of RE2, Nemesis of RE3, and James Marcus of RE0 (or as I like to call him, Jiggly-Boon). This character is named Lisa Trevor, and the only difference between her and the aforementioned stalkers, is that she is actually quite disturbing and has an emotional backstory. I won't spoil any of the special moments the player gets to share with Lisa, but I will say that she is the driving force of scary in this game, and managed to keep me OF ALL PEOPLE sufficiently creeped out.
So, as scientists have figured out, most scary comes in through our ears, so how does the game sound? Well, it's not spectacular, but it does what it needs to do. Enemy sounds effects are creepy enough, and are really what you would expect. Often times, you must rely on sound to help you figure out what you're immediate next move should be, which works great when there's a blind turn in a narrow hallway, but is entirely pointless during the times the camera just doesn't want to show you the rest of the room (but I'll get to that later). The music is about what you'd expect. There are some great ambient tracks that layer on the creepy, but Akira Yamaoka this isn't. Though I must confess, that safe room music is wonderful and undoubtedly my favorite track, maybe because it does have that kind of striking melancholy vibe that I've come to cherish from more psychological-based horror.
Speaking of psychological, I gotta vent one of my biggest gripes about this game and series as a whole, being that all the characters are so unfortunately one-dimensional. It's very seldom that any emoting is done correctly by anyone, and in a game all about fear, that's rather important. In my pre-pubescent years I did have the quintessential fascination over Jill "Sandwhich" Valentine, but other than that, I never really cared about any of the characters. I think it's definitely the empty feeling characters that keep me from getting emotionally attached to them. I dunno about everyone else, but that really keeps me from feeling like I'm enjoying a story, and instead simply navigating a paperdoll avatar, with matching facial expressions, through a haunted house. Saddest part of all, this is a pattern that Capcom seems to adhere to throughout the entire franchise, and considering the rampant action hero cliches of RE5, it's really just getting worse.
When it comes to personality in Resident Evil, it's impossible not to think about the so-called voices of so-called acting. As I mentioned earlier, this game was really trying to update from the mega cheese-factor dialogue that the original was known and actually loved for. And was that goal accomplished? Well, as much as I can recall from my first playthrough back in '02, it was well presented for a video game. Unfortunately in this age of blockbuster games, the voice acting hasn't aged well. Though it's not terrible, it does contribute to the aforementioned blandness of the characters. I mean, such unique idiosyncrasies as Barry Burton's affectionate pet name for Jill, the Master of Unlocking Things, aren't present. Thus for better or worse, we are left with dialogue that is really... well, just kinda unmemorable.
Before I go on to delve into the more concrete aspects of the gameplay, allow me to indulge myself with some fanboy-esque wishes. Okay, so it's clear that Capcom isn't going to make the RE series any slower paced or methodical, instead the developers have chosen to trade the creepiness of suspense for fast paced action. So you know what I would like to see? What if the next Resident Evil game went in a deliberate B-movie horror theme. That way all the over the top action, cheesy dialogue, and gore-based horror could then be awesome in a self-aware throwback retro cliche... rather than just a normal cliche. Beating RE5 unlocks a mode that lets you put a grainy black and white filter over the game (a la classic horror cinema), so clearly Capcom has toyed with the idea. So what do you guys think, wouldn't you like to see the original Resident Evil remade yet again with a heavily stylized old school horror theme, or am I the only one? I suppose Resident Evil has become too much of it's own sort of classic to retcon itself, but I would still like to see it done.
Well, enough with that, it's time to get down to the gameplay, or as I like to call it: the challenge factor. First and foremost, I gotta say, this is a hard game. It's not too hard to enjoy, but it's definitely the hardest survival horror game I can recall playing in recent memory. I think that might be because unlike many other survival horror titles, the difficulty of this version doesn't merely rely on the player's fear as the main obstacle. So, if your into that sort of thing, then therein lies accomplishment, but unfortunately that's not why I play games (or this type of game I should say). The difficulty itself doesn't detract from the enjoyment of the experience, not at all, as it actually does an adequate job of establishing an emotional connection to the game. To sum it up, there aren't many games I can think of that have made me really want to savor the calm and serenity of the save points while I grimly count the few remaining rounds in my firearm.
But that's where it ends for me, 'cause there's one thing I just couldn't cope with, and that was the item management. And no, I don't mean having to conserve my ammo and weeds for the most crucial moments in the game, I'm cool with that part. What I can't stand is the absurd lack of realism when it comes to how the characters handle items. "Slots" are not accurate measurements of space, and the fact that I'm limited to just 6 or 8 "slots" (depending on chosen character) is incredibly annoying. I know this is where some of the challenge is supposed to come from, but it's just stupid and to seems me like a pointless programming limitation leftover from the PlayStation days that could have been altered for the remake. Even if I can get over the fact that a small key takes up the same space as say, 100+ shotgun shells, I can't... nay, I refuse to accept the fact that my character can't just leave some shit on the ground when I've run out of space in my inventory. This is what I call an arbitrary limitation, one that is such a distorted and unnatural representation of reality that I can't get past it. This one gameplay mechanic time and time again removed me from the sense of immersion that the other areas of the game provided for me. Thankfully, they began to fix it in RE0 which was released that same year. Though the removal of the magic toybox and the ability to leave items was a bit awkward in that particular game, they did manage to perfect it for RE4, which is something I'm sure we are all grateful for.
Now the other big control elements that get brought up when people review classic Resident Evil's are the tank-like movement and the dramatic camera angles, both of which I have mixed feelings about. The tank controls are definitely outdated, but I like to think of them as sort of a video game representation of that feeling of paralyzing fear. Maybe it's corny or a cop out, but let me put it this way: even if I was trained in special tactics and rescue services, if I found myself trapped in a mansion with zombies and shit, I would probably lose my ability to sidestep too. The camera angles are a different story... In most rooms and hallways, I love them. It really says to me that Capcom attempted some definite cinematic elements even in basic gameplay, I can respect that. But (and this is a huge but), half the difficulty of the combat is based on the fact that these examples of cinematography prevent me from seeing what the fuck I'm supposed to be shooting at. Yes, I love the angles when I'm just wandering around examining the decor, but when I'm fighting something, I would typically like to see it.
All in all, this is a great game, and even after 9 years it's still a must play. In fact, it's a good example of how to remake a classic game right. But, ultimately that's exactly what this is... just a game. A barely there story, empty characters, and frustrating mechanics never allowed me to transcend into the sense of flow that I really love to find in games. This is a gorgeous game to look at, and it's frequently frightening as it should be, overall it's a great challenge and worth it for the history if you can't get a handle on the original. But it just doesn't deliver in terms of the theme of this blog, in that it lacks that engrossing cinematic quality and emotional investment that I seek out in the medium of video games.
To wrap it up, Resident Evil for GameCube is required gaming... but this is one digital rabbit hole that I couldn't get lost in.
Wow, long read but interesting post.
ReplyDelete