Resident Evil Survivor 2: Code Veronica Review
The hordes of undead shamble forwards, groaning, coughing and reaching for you in Capcom's PS2 Gun Survivor game set in the Resident Evil Universe. But unlike Resident Evil it's not nearly as much fun or as exciting and it's hard to play if you don't own a light gun. The usual weapons are available and it's pretty much the same as Gun Survivor 1 on the PS1. Shoot the Zombies/Monsters in an endless repetition of 'find the key' before Nemesis gets loose and kills you or your partner character. Yes you can take a partner in to the level with you, but it's an AI controlled dumb ass that's got as much intelligence as a plank of wood and the same Charisma.
Perhaps it's me, perhaps I'm just jaded, or perhaps I just hate light gun games? I mean I don't have a light gun so I can't fully appreciate the complexities of shooting horde after horde of undead with little or no story. Claire or Steve must run from one location to the next in Arcade Mode collecting powerups and guns, finding a key or a few keys to open the door to the end of the level where they have a mediocre shoot-out with a boss character.
I'm struggling here to actually find anything to give you a decent impression of the game. There's no voice acting or rendered cut-scenes, it all uses the in game graphics engine and runs at a fair framerate (one would expect this on the PS2) but that doesn't save it from being a mediocre effort to shift the game due to the name of the series it comes from.
Resident Evil Survivor 2 Code: Veronica has a long title and the RE games do have a good standing, but these kinds of simple FPS variants are very much a waste of development time and budget. It lacks soul and it lacks any element of gameplay, apart from the shoot the monster collect the key which went the way of the dodo for me - years ago. As gamers now we want a challenge and we want something that leaves us thinking yes, I did that, I solved this and I had fun.
It doesn't even have a two-player mode - that might have made it a little better and lifted it higher in my estimations. But it falls short even in this area. Arcade mode is just a romp where you can drag Steve or Claire along (Who can be accompanied by their chosen partner - Claire gets Steve and vice versa) But in the end it's the PS2 who plays your amigo. Weapons appear in the form of spinning pickups and it's all very uninspired, a friend of mine commented that it was insipid and lacking in the creativity areas and I totally agree with her.
This Gun Survivor game falls short of the mark and delivers a very cold experience for the gamer. I was appalled really at the lack of any kind of ingenuity to the title or any kind of respect for the gamer's intelligence. We're not all drooling morons who are pleased by punching a fire button to see a Zombie's body drop down only to find out that it carries on crawling. Capcom should stick to making the proper Resident Evil games and Devil May Cry style games - those really hit the mark and delivered a proper gameplay experience.
I can understand that this game is one of those simple shooters, which really are only about getting the key and blowing everything away, so it might appeal to someone out there who'll think that unlike me, this game doesn't stink several piles of rancid socks. But a lot of my friends in the industry as well as in the magazines are pretty much of the same opinion - it falls short. I would rather they got a decent graphics and game engine, a story and a few new characters for a proper FPS set in the RE Universe. Actually make a proper shooter where you can unload round after round of ammo at the undead, climb ladders, solve problems with your brains and not rely on a dodgy aiming system or a stupid jittery controller.
In both modes time plays an important part but you often find yourself wishing that Nemesis would come and find you, only to end the torment that is this poorly conceived offspring of a damn good gaming genre. It's another coaster game I'm afraid. The graphics and sounds are ok, nothing to write home about and compared to other games - even Half Life on the PS2 this just looks drab and boring.
I said both modes of play so I'd better talk a bit about Dungeon mode, this is a single person charge through a maze of corridors and rooms where you amass more score and try and find the boss of the level to take out. If you can be bothered that is, zombies, lickers, bandersnatches and bats make up most of the enemies with the dogs thrown in for good measure and that's about it. I have to admit I gave this game a fair chance and played it quite a lot to see if anything was worth saving. Sadly though it just really doesn't inspire (Terror or a sense of completion) so I'd have to give it two thumbs down and wait for the gladiator 'Maximus' to come and finish it off in the arena.
Give this a miss unless you're desperate to burn forty quid, it really is a lack lustre, no atmosphere game that's a waste of time and effort.