Resident Evil Review

Player(s): 1
Extra Features: Leaderboards

The original Resident Evil remake (REmake) was my main reason for buying a GameCube and I still feel it was totally worth it because the game turned out to be everything that I was hoping for. REmake didn't just redo the original survival horror game with better graphics - it was nearly a complete overhaul of the original with tons of new content and only the basic story from the original game still left in place. Resident Evil HD Remaster is the first time that the game has been released outside of a Nintendo console and it's available for basically every other console and PC now. I've always said that Resident Evil for Gamecube is the way that you do a remake of a game and now I can say that REmake HD Remaster is the way you do a remaster!

Instead of going into detail with the story and all the extra gameplay modes that the original game introduced, I'll start out with how this remastered edition looks and plays compared to the original for the sake of the hardcore fans that read this review. The prerendered backgrounds of the original game have all been remastered in stunning high quality and the entire game looks so clear now. I was worried that the remaster might take away some of the atmosphere from the original backgrounds, but all the lighting and creepiness is still there! Since the original game was made for 4:3 screens, the screen is now chopped off at the top and bottom so the image can be stretched across and HDTV. To show off the missing portions of the screen, the game now scrolls up and down while your character moves toward the corresponding portion of the camera angle. It looks very similar to a few of the angles in RE Zero where the camera would move from side to side in some angles except this camera moves up and down. For purists of the GameCube version, the game still includes the old 4:3 view that shows off the full camera angle with black bars on the right and left side of the screen.

The original "tank" control setup where you press forward to move your character in whatever direction that the character faces is still there and there is also a new control style that allows players to move their character in whatever direction that they press on the left analog. The new style is very similar to a Devil May Cry type of control scheme. Press the left analog lightly to walk in a direction and press it firmly to run - there is no need to hold a run button with the new control setup. The new control setup has the same problems that you'll find in a DMC game such as your character continuing to run forward even when the camera angle changes and your character is facing the opposite direction from the way that you're holding the thumbstick. The new control style really shows that this game was meant to be played with the old control style since the camera angle changes are so frequent thanks to many of the narrow corridors in the environments. Both control types have many different button setups to choose from - strangely, the default GameCube setup is not the default tank control setup, but that setup is included in the options.

The camera angle switching seems to have enhanced thanks to this new HD edition. The camera angles no longer have that slight pause when they change as your character runs to a different angle. The camera angle changes instantly to show the new view. On the original GameCube version of the REmake, the camera had a very slight pause (not even really a full second) when it changed camera angles, which was not even much of a problem but still noticeable. The slight pause was especially noticeable in cutscenes where the camera angle quickly switches to show the action - such as the infamous "impale" cutscene toward the end of the game (which I won't spoil for those that haven't seen it). That particular cutscene camera switch is now much more seamless.

Along with the backgrounds, the cutscenes have also been redone and most of them look great. Some of the more minor cutscenes have some slight pixelation problems (such as draining the moat, draining the fountain, etc), but it's barely noticeable. The beginning intro to the game is crystal clear and looks just as good as it did on the GameCube version of the game. One minor flaw that I found with some of the remastering is that the beginning "Dawn of the Dead tribute" cutscene and the ending credits seem blurry. Everything else looks basically perfect however. My only real complaint with this HD remaster is that Capcom didn't include many brand new extras for hardcore fans that have played the original GameCube version to death. Aside from the remastering of the game, the only new extras that older fans might like are the new BSAA outfits for both Chris and Jill and possibly the leaderboards. It's nice that Capcom included a few new extras for the HD remaster, especially since most remasters don't include anything new besides the new look, but they really should have went the extra mile and added even more to make the experience more worthwhile for old-school fans. The game sounds and overall soundtrack still sound great. REmake has one of the best soundtracks in a horror game and the zombie moans and Hunter shrieks are quite disturbing when heard among the atmospheric music.

As for the main game itself, the Resident Evil remake brings in several new ideas and allows players to relive many classic moments from the original PlayStation version of the game. The remake includes many added scenes such as the George Trevor subplot that was cut from the original game and there are also new puzzles, gameplay enhancements and added scenes that weren't in the original. Zombies can now become a much more violent version of a zombie (Crimson Heads) if they are left on the ground after killing one. In order to keep them from becoming Crimson Heads, players must burn the bodies or blow off the zombie's head, which will make the body disappear upon reentry to that room. The remake includes a new forest area and new boss enemy as well as many other surprises. The game has defensive items that players can use to fight back against zombie grabs by stabbing the zombie, sticking a grenade in its mouth or frying it with a tazer. I won't carry on much with the information about the gameplay and story since it's all pretty well known by now.

On the GameCube, the Resident Evil remake was easily the best redo of a game that I have ever played and it was easily one of the highlights of all my gaming. This HD remaster version had a lot of work put into enhancing it and the game plays just as good as it did on the original GameCube version. It's amazing how a 10+ year old game can look so good once it has been polished up. The only new extras that weren't in the original game are a new easy mode (Very Easy), BSAA outfits for both Chris and Jill and there is also a new Gallery option on the main menu that allows players to rewatch the intro and all endings to the game. There is also a leaderboard that records completion times for the main game, Real Survivor and Invisible Enemy modes. Even though the game doesn't include much in the way of brand new extra content, there is a whole load of extras that players can find that were included in the original game (Real Survivor mode, multiple endings, extra costumes, Invisible Enemy mode and "One Dangerous Zombie" mode). The remaster of the game should not be missed by fans of the original and it's a definite try for fans of the newer RE games with its new control style.

The Good:
+ Overall fantastic high definition remaster for a classic game
+ New control setups and many options for mapping the controls
+ Sound effects and overall soundtrack are still just as atmospheric
+ A few new extras such as two new outfits, a new easy mode and leaderboards

The Bad:
- Even though the original game is packed with replay value, it would have been nice to see more new extras that weren't in the original game besides just two new costumes

Final Rating: 95%. Resident Evil HD Remaster is the ultimate version of the Resident Evil remake and it still looks just as amazing as it did back when the original game first released.