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Every time a new game is announced I anticipate whether or not it will take the genre in an advanced direction or in some cases whether it will revolutionise a genre. Every once in a while I know that when a game is announced that it will storm the charts and receive blockbuster reviews that will warn gamers to miss at their peril. However one genre that usually stays untouched every time is the Survival horror genre, yet even though the same gameplay engine is used it doesn't touch on the series which made Survival horror what it is today! Konami have tried with the Silent Hill series which although is as close alternative it just doesn't match the quality of Capcom's highly entertaining Resident Evil series.
Being a fan of Survival horror myself I picked up a copy of Silent Hill 2 for my Xbox back in October. However after 3 hours of play I knew that the game wasn't what I expected and it certainly wasn't a touch of the first Silent Hill which appeared on the Playstation in the late 1990's. I glanced through the Xbox release calendar yet there was nothing there which would cater for my survival horror lust and I knew the only way to experience the greatest series I would need to purchase a Nintendo GameCube. Ever since the launch of the first Resident Evil Capcom have always managed to create a worthy sequel which in some cases has bettered its predecessor. A good example of this is how Resident Evil 2 managed to top its prequel in almost every way and this was no mean feet.
The first Resident Evil was a surprise for gamers as up until that point they hadn't seen or experienced anything like it. Every corner turned was a new adventure and every room entered was like stepping through the gates of hell before going deeper into its layer. For its time the graphics couldn't be beaten and the gameplay was a refreshing change from any other game on the market around its release. Gamers who were aware of the game rushed out to the shops on the morning of its release to get a taste of history in the making and unlike other games it actually lived up to almost everyone's expectations. The game didn't appeal to everyone though as it required an open mind, patience and the ability to solve tasking puzzles which would push the average gamers mind to the brink of desperation.
The game put Capcom on the map and it started a chain reaction which would see over 10 games using the Resident Evil engine over the following 6 years. After the first outing gamers new what to expect from Capcom and therefore they anticipated Resident Evil 2 like a hot shower on a cold day. Whilst Capcom were busily working away on a follow up to the first Resident Evil Konami had their own storm brewing and this would come in the form of Silent Hill. On first sight the game looked and played excellent, in fact I would even say that it equalled what the first Resident Evil managed and then some more. However it wasn't just about one Resident Evil and then a set of poor sequels, it was in fact totally the opposite. After completing Silent Hill I wondered where Konami would take the series from there and whether or not they could match what Capcom had set out to do.
Due to the nature of the games they spent a long time in development which as a fan myself the time in-between each one felt like an eternity. On the release of Resident Evil 2 it was evident that Capcom had spent more time marketing the game than they did with its predecessor. Posters were across gaming shops around the country, adverts on TV showed approved footage that would only promote the family viewing (if there is such a thing with Resident Evil) side of the game and gamers were aware of what to expect. As gamers rushed home to fix up their Playstations and load up the new instalment Capcom were already making the third in the series and a game which they promised would push the boundary of the human mind and the power of the Playstation console.
Resident Evil 2 was a huge success, possibly even bigger than Resident Evil and in my opinion better. Once again gamers received difficult puzzles, gore and something which children (including myself) had nightmares about around the world... Zombies! This time parents complained about what their children were viewing but there was nothing they could do about it. Capcom had patched every game with a 15+ certificate which covered their backs and aggravated parents around the world as their children pestered them for Resident Evil games, Capcom were idolised by the younger generation and most certainly hated by the older!
It seemed that the Japanese were the biggest fans of the game and Capcom new that with this being the biggest market that they had to keep up the standard to keep the Japanese public happy. For the first time in the series Capcom decided to create a side game known as Resident Evil: Gun Survivor (or to the Japanese Biohazard: Gun Survivor). Utilising the Playstation Light Gun the game would see the Resident Evil series from a whole new perspective and a much more frightening one. Going into First person mode gamers would have to utilise the Playstation Light Gun to navigate their way around a Zombie driven town taking out anything that came within 10 feet of viewing distance. The game was a huge success in Japan as well as storming the charts in America.
By this time Konami knew that Silent Hill 2 would have to be something special to grab gamers away from Resident Evil and towards their illusive sequel to the blockbuster Playstation 1 title. It wasn't long after the release of Resident Evil: Gun Survivor that the Playstation 2 console was released and this was the break that Konami had hoped for. Using the power of the Playstation 2 Konami released Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams. Shortly after it was released in America a parent took Konami to court after her son was mentally affected after constant playing of the game, in a sick and twisted way this raised my anticipation levels. Konami had clearly achieved what they were aiming for, but would this be enough for Resident Evil veterans?
To compete with Konami's Silent Hill 2 Capcom had already released a contender and had announced a remake of the original Resident Evil. Code Veronica for the Sega Dreamcast was hailed as the best Resident Evil in the series yet and Konami had a strong contender on their hands. However fortunately for Konami the Dreamcast wasn't going to stick around for too much longer and sales figures for the Dreamcast would see a premature end to what some argued as a next generation Sega Mega Drive. By this time sales of the Playstation 2 were already beginning to rocket way above of what was expected and sales of Silent Hill 2 were going very well. Konami could see light between Silent Hill 2 and the next Resident Evil which was due for release on the Nintendo GameCube. However this ray of light quickly faded away into a corridor of dark mist as Capcom announced Resident Evil Code Veronica for the Playstation 2.
Code Veronica X on the Playstation 2 was my favourite game in the genre to date and I quickly over looked Silent Hill 2 and decided not to purchase it. Towards the end of Code Veronica X I Already had plans to sell my Playstation 2 and purchase an Xbox so I knew that my only option would be Silent Hill 2 but it was a risk that I was willing to take. It took a while after the release of the Xbox for Konami to port Silent Hill 2 to the console but I was prepared to wait. October 2002 came around and so did the release of Silent Hill 2: Inner Fears, would it live up to my hype or would the critically acclaimed Resident Evil remake steal my attention? Without thinking too much about the GameCube and the remake of arguably the best game ever released I decided that I wanted to purchase Silent Hill 2.
Disappointment, anger and a need for a new Resident Evil were only a few of the feelings that I was going through after the purchase of Silent Hill 2, to me the game was a huge disappointment and my faith in Konami was lost! My only route back into the survival horror genre was through the Nintendo door and I wanted to ring the door bell but due to a cash shortage and an excellent line-up of Xbox games I had to get my priorities into perspective. Months passed and Christmas of 2002 had arrived and the next set of Xbox games that I wanted were due out in the March and April of 2003 so I decided to go out and purchase a GameCube only 1 week after Christmas with raised funds from selling Silent Hill 2 and a few other games on the Xbox.
It seemed that the only way to survive was in the form of Resident Evil, the Silent Hill series was no longer about surviving the horror but surviving the disappointment of what could have been an amazing title!
Present Day:
Possibly one of the top 10 games of all time is in my collection. Boasting the best graphics I have yet to witness in a video game along with yet another classic from the Capcom development centre. The series which I have never doubted has delivered yet another game that I can't get enough of, worth the purchase of the GameCube to play? Yes, in fact I would say fans of the Resident Evil series must not miss out on this game as it really is breath taking. In my opinion there will always be one way to survive and it will be in the form of the Resident Evil games. There will always be games that will try to emulate the Resident Evil series but they won't succeed, the game that set the foundations for the genre is way ahead of the competition in every area of Survival horror and until the next Resident Evil is released nothing will come close to what I would call the greatest game series to date.
Thanks for Reading
~ÂLŠ†ÂÎR~
Being a fan of Survival horror myself I picked up a copy of Silent Hill 2 for my Xbox back in October. However after 3 hours of play I knew that the game wasn't what I expected and it certainly wasn't a touch of the first Silent Hill which appeared on the Playstation in the late 1990's. I glanced through the Xbox release calendar yet there was nothing there which would cater for my survival horror lust and I knew the only way to experience the greatest series I would need to purchase a Nintendo GameCube. Ever since the launch of the first Resident Evil Capcom have always managed to create a worthy sequel which in some cases has bettered its predecessor. A good example of this is how Resident Evil 2 managed to top its prequel in almost every way and this was no mean feet.
The first Resident Evil was a surprise for gamers as up until that point they hadn't seen or experienced anything like it. Every corner turned was a new adventure and every room entered was like stepping through the gates of hell before going deeper into its layer. For its time the graphics couldn't be beaten and the gameplay was a refreshing change from any other game on the market around its release. Gamers who were aware of the game rushed out to the shops on the morning of its release to get a taste of history in the making and unlike other games it actually lived up to almost everyone's expectations. The game didn't appeal to everyone though as it required an open mind, patience and the ability to solve tasking puzzles which would push the average gamers mind to the brink of desperation.
The game put Capcom on the map and it started a chain reaction which would see over 10 games using the Resident Evil engine over the following 6 years. After the first outing gamers new what to expect from Capcom and therefore they anticipated Resident Evil 2 like a hot shower on a cold day. Whilst Capcom were busily working away on a follow up to the first Resident Evil Konami had their own storm brewing and this would come in the form of Silent Hill. On first sight the game looked and played excellent, in fact I would even say that it equalled what the first Resident Evil managed and then some more. However it wasn't just about one Resident Evil and then a set of poor sequels, it was in fact totally the opposite. After completing Silent Hill I wondered where Konami would take the series from there and whether or not they could match what Capcom had set out to do.
Due to the nature of the games they spent a long time in development which as a fan myself the time in-between each one felt like an eternity. On the release of Resident Evil 2 it was evident that Capcom had spent more time marketing the game than they did with its predecessor. Posters were across gaming shops around the country, adverts on TV showed approved footage that would only promote the family viewing (if there is such a thing with Resident Evil) side of the game and gamers were aware of what to expect. As gamers rushed home to fix up their Playstations and load up the new instalment Capcom were already making the third in the series and a game which they promised would push the boundary of the human mind and the power of the Playstation console.
Resident Evil 2 was a huge success, possibly even bigger than Resident Evil and in my opinion better. Once again gamers received difficult puzzles, gore and something which children (including myself) had nightmares about around the world... Zombies! This time parents complained about what their children were viewing but there was nothing they could do about it. Capcom had patched every game with a 15+ certificate which covered their backs and aggravated parents around the world as their children pestered them for Resident Evil games, Capcom were idolised by the younger generation and most certainly hated by the older!
It seemed that the Japanese were the biggest fans of the game and Capcom new that with this being the biggest market that they had to keep up the standard to keep the Japanese public happy. For the first time in the series Capcom decided to create a side game known as Resident Evil: Gun Survivor (or to the Japanese Biohazard: Gun Survivor). Utilising the Playstation Light Gun the game would see the Resident Evil series from a whole new perspective and a much more frightening one. Going into First person mode gamers would have to utilise the Playstation Light Gun to navigate their way around a Zombie driven town taking out anything that came within 10 feet of viewing distance. The game was a huge success in Japan as well as storming the charts in America.
By this time Konami knew that Silent Hill 2 would have to be something special to grab gamers away from Resident Evil and towards their illusive sequel to the blockbuster Playstation 1 title. It wasn't long after the release of Resident Evil: Gun Survivor that the Playstation 2 console was released and this was the break that Konami had hoped for. Using the power of the Playstation 2 Konami released Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams. Shortly after it was released in America a parent took Konami to court after her son was mentally affected after constant playing of the game, in a sick and twisted way this raised my anticipation levels. Konami had clearly achieved what they were aiming for, but would this be enough for Resident Evil veterans?
To compete with Konami's Silent Hill 2 Capcom had already released a contender and had announced a remake of the original Resident Evil. Code Veronica for the Sega Dreamcast was hailed as the best Resident Evil in the series yet and Konami had a strong contender on their hands. However fortunately for Konami the Dreamcast wasn't going to stick around for too much longer and sales figures for the Dreamcast would see a premature end to what some argued as a next generation Sega Mega Drive. By this time sales of the Playstation 2 were already beginning to rocket way above of what was expected and sales of Silent Hill 2 were going very well. Konami could see light between Silent Hill 2 and the next Resident Evil which was due for release on the Nintendo GameCube. However this ray of light quickly faded away into a corridor of dark mist as Capcom announced Resident Evil Code Veronica for the Playstation 2.
Code Veronica X on the Playstation 2 was my favourite game in the genre to date and I quickly over looked Silent Hill 2 and decided not to purchase it. Towards the end of Code Veronica X I Already had plans to sell my Playstation 2 and purchase an Xbox so I knew that my only option would be Silent Hill 2 but it was a risk that I was willing to take. It took a while after the release of the Xbox for Konami to port Silent Hill 2 to the console but I was prepared to wait. October 2002 came around and so did the release of Silent Hill 2: Inner Fears, would it live up to my hype or would the critically acclaimed Resident Evil remake steal my attention? Without thinking too much about the GameCube and the remake of arguably the best game ever released I decided that I wanted to purchase Silent Hill 2.
Disappointment, anger and a need for a new Resident Evil were only a few of the feelings that I was going through after the purchase of Silent Hill 2, to me the game was a huge disappointment and my faith in Konami was lost! My only route back into the survival horror genre was through the Nintendo door and I wanted to ring the door bell but due to a cash shortage and an excellent line-up of Xbox games I had to get my priorities into perspective. Months passed and Christmas of 2002 had arrived and the next set of Xbox games that I wanted were due out in the March and April of 2003 so I decided to go out and purchase a GameCube only 1 week after Christmas with raised funds from selling Silent Hill 2 and a few other games on the Xbox.
It seemed that the only way to survive was in the form of Resident Evil, the Silent Hill series was no longer about surviving the horror but surviving the disappointment of what could have been an amazing title!
Present Day:
Possibly one of the top 10 games of all time is in my collection. Boasting the best graphics I have yet to witness in a video game along with yet another classic from the Capcom development centre. The series which I have never doubted has delivered yet another game that I can't get enough of, worth the purchase of the GameCube to play? Yes, in fact I would say fans of the Resident Evil series must not miss out on this game as it really is breath taking. In my opinion there will always be one way to survive and it will be in the form of the Resident Evil games. There will always be games that will try to emulate the Resident Evil series but they won't succeed, the game that set the foundations for the genre is way ahead of the competition in every area of Survival horror and until the next Resident Evil is released nothing will come close to what I would call the greatest game series to date.
Thanks for Reading
~ÂLŠ†ÂÎR~
Some good point Vast Luckystar but I don't agree with the last paragraph. I think that the new additions from Capcom are enough to make it yet another classic game. The new addition of defensive weapons, the ability to turn 180 degress by moving the direction of the C pad along with the new ability to climb up or down a set of stairs without it going to a cut scene. This time around Capcom have added surround sound due to the capabilities of the GameCube (not Pro Logic but they are effective) and believe me it is a LOT more terrifying playing in Surround Sound than through ordinary TV speakers.
Although I have completed every Resident Evil to date there is enough in this one to make me enjoy it as much as I did with Code Veronica X on the Playstation 2. The fact that Capcom have decided to bring every Resident Evil to the GameCube is a brave yet very wise move, I have even bought a GameCube so that I can get everyone in the series. The line that some people use about this being yet ANOTHER Resident Evil game doesn't have the affect, if it wasn't another Resident Evil game then it would be another sub par Horror flick trying to emulate Resident Evil and from my experience they hardly ever work.
Capcom wouldn't be stupid enough to release Resident Evil 2 + 3 + Code Veronica on the GameCube if they knew that people wouldn't buy it, in fact a poll in Japan showed that this would be the reason that they went out and purchased a GameCube if they already hadn't. I like some of your ideas about playing the role of the monster but to be honest that just wouldn't be scary. The anticipation level of what mutation is going to come around the corner next is all part of what makes Resident Evil such a blockbuster title. The moans of the Zombies and the growls of the mutated dogs just makes the game that much more scary, taking this away and replacing it with humans just wouldn't be the same.
At one part in Resident Evil on the GameCube you go to empty a bath tub full of murky water and although you know what is going to come next I still jumped about 2 feet backwards and skipped a few beats on my heart. By replacing a human in that situation just wouldn't be feesable, how would a human manage to stay under water whilst having the same affect? The monster wouldn't have any weapons so it would have to be a stealth-horror game which would take away what Capcom have worked so hard to do.
I qoute "the sun is setting on Resident Evil and games of that ilk - they have had their day." Have they? That is why I went out and purchased a GameCube so that I could collect every single one and enjoy the BEST survival horror series ever created and possibly one that will never be beaten but always remembered. I think that the Resident Evil games will just grown stronger and stronger and with the release of Resident Evil 4 next year Capcom are going to revolutionise the survival horror genre once again. In my opinion Resident Evil will be around for a long time to come and if this means more of the same then so be it, without the same zombies, dark corners, bath tubs, min bosses, difficult puzzles etc the game wouldn't be the blockbuster hit that it is today!
Although I have completed every Resident Evil to date there is enough in this one to make me enjoy it as much as I did with Code Veronica X on the Playstation 2. The fact that Capcom have decided to bring every Resident Evil to the GameCube is a brave yet very wise move, I have even bought a GameCube so that I can get everyone in the series. The line that some people use about this being yet ANOTHER Resident Evil game doesn't have the affect, if it wasn't another Resident Evil game then it would be another sub par Horror flick trying to emulate Resident Evil and from my experience they hardly ever work.
Capcom wouldn't be stupid enough to release Resident Evil 2 + 3 + Code Veronica on the GameCube if they knew that people wouldn't buy it, in fact a poll in Japan showed that this would be the reason that they went out and purchased a GameCube if they already hadn't. I like some of your ideas about playing the role of the monster but to be honest that just wouldn't be scary. The anticipation level of what mutation is going to come around the corner next is all part of what makes Resident Evil such a blockbuster title. The moans of the Zombies and the growls of the mutated dogs just makes the game that much more scary, taking this away and replacing it with humans just wouldn't be the same.
At one part in Resident Evil on the GameCube you go to empty a bath tub full of murky water and although you know what is going to come next I still jumped about 2 feet backwards and skipped a few beats on my heart. By replacing a human in that situation just wouldn't be feesable, how would a human manage to stay under water whilst having the same affect? The monster wouldn't have any weapons so it would have to be a stealth-horror game which would take away what Capcom have worked so hard to do.
I qoute "the sun is setting on Resident Evil and games of that ilk - they have had their day." Have they? That is why I went out and purchased a GameCube so that I could collect every single one and enjoy the BEST survival horror series ever created and possibly one that will never be beaten but always remembered. I think that the Resident Evil games will just grown stronger and stronger and with the release of Resident Evil 4 next year Capcom are going to revolutionise the survival horror genre once again. In my opinion Resident Evil will be around for a long time to come and if this means more of the same then so be it, without the same zombies, dark corners, bath tubs, min bosses, difficult puzzles etc the game wouldn't be the blockbuster hit that it is today!
This is the direction the Survival Horror genre should go in next (I won GAD with this a while back):
****
Every Survival Horror game puts you (the player) into the boots of a vulnerable(ish) man or woman who finds him or herself (for whatever reason) battling against hoards of monstrosities hellbent of murder.
....And even though the Survival Horror genre has recently been over-flooded with samey and mediocre titles, when done well, this style of game is very popular, and there's nothing wrong with that.
But Survival Horror has reached a crossroads: "more of the same" is now not really acceptable or desired.
The genre has reached stagnation point - it's time for a rethink.
So how do you give the Survival Horror genre a much needed facelift?
How should the now all-too-familiar structure of Survival Horror games evolve?
The answer is simple: YOU PLACE THE PLAYER IN THE ROLE OF A MONSTER.
....Or a ghost, or whatever the festering and lurking evil happens to be.
The main object of the game would STILL be to "survive", it's just that this way your enemies would be intelligent humans armed with powerful weapons instead of bumbling zombies armed only with an irrational bloodlust.
Personally I would like to see the player take the form of a shape-shifting creature.
Perhaps soliders have sealed off a large area, and you (being the monster) would have to escape from this heavily guarded zone alive.
Being a shape-shifting monster, many guises and attack methods would be available to you.
Perhaps you could possess different lifeforms and attain their abilities and characteristics for a limited time.
I think it would be really refreshing if YOU were the one who was responsible for causing all the gruesome slaughter and random bloodshed.
I have tried to think of a game which puts the player in this role, and I can't.
So it's original, and it's so so obvious.
Many people are getting excited about the new Resident Evil game coming to the GameCube, but let's face it, the sun is setting on Resident Evil and games of that ilk - they have had their day.
It's time for the Survival Horror genre to evolve, and placing the player in the role of a monster whose sole purpose would be to stay alive and escape at any cost is the obvious next step.
****
Every Survival Horror game puts you (the player) into the boots of a vulnerable(ish) man or woman who finds him or herself (for whatever reason) battling against hoards of monstrosities hellbent of murder.
....And even though the Survival Horror genre has recently been over-flooded with samey and mediocre titles, when done well, this style of game is very popular, and there's nothing wrong with that.
But Survival Horror has reached a crossroads: "more of the same" is now not really acceptable or desired.
The genre has reached stagnation point - it's time for a rethink.
So how do you give the Survival Horror genre a much needed facelift?
How should the now all-too-familiar structure of Survival Horror games evolve?
The answer is simple: YOU PLACE THE PLAYER IN THE ROLE OF A MONSTER.
....Or a ghost, or whatever the festering and lurking evil happens to be.
The main object of the game would STILL be to "survive", it's just that this way your enemies would be intelligent humans armed with powerful weapons instead of bumbling zombies armed only with an irrational bloodlust.
Personally I would like to see the player take the form of a shape-shifting creature.
Perhaps soliders have sealed off a large area, and you (being the monster) would have to escape from this heavily guarded zone alive.
Being a shape-shifting monster, many guises and attack methods would be available to you.
Perhaps you could possess different lifeforms and attain their abilities and characteristics for a limited time.
I think it would be really refreshing if YOU were the one who was responsible for causing all the gruesome slaughter and random bloodshed.
I have tried to think of a game which puts the player in this role, and I can't.
So it's original, and it's so so obvious.
Many people are getting excited about the new Resident Evil game coming to the GameCube, but let's face it, the sun is setting on Resident Evil and games of that ilk - they have had their day.
It's time for the Survival Horror genre to evolve, and placing the player in the role of a monster whose sole purpose would be to stay alive and escape at any cost is the obvious next step.
I agree WS, Control scheme A is too complicated and annoying for those quick fire situations. I use control scheme C but it would be nice to customise you own...
What I meant by putting Capcom on the map is that it brought them into the public eye and into adverts on TV. I purchased a Mega Drive and Steet Fighter as soon as it was released, I remember that day when I got home and hooked it up to my 14" TV and sat on my dining room table playing it :)
Thanks for the recommendations on Eternal Darkness Strafex, I am intending to make this my next GameCube purchase along with Mario Sunshine. Depending on when Panzer Dragoon Orta and Dead Or Alive Beach Volleyball are released I may get both at the same time. I have very high expectations for Eternal Darkness and by what I have read and heard it sounds excellent.
What I meant by putting Capcom on the map is that it brought them into the public eye and into adverts on TV. I purchased a Mega Drive and Steet Fighter as soon as it was released, I remember that day when I got home and hooked it up to my 14" TV and sat on my dining room table playing it :)
Thanks for the recommendations on Eternal Darkness Strafex, I am intending to make this my next GameCube purchase along with Mario Sunshine. Depending on when Panzer Dragoon Orta and Dead Or Alive Beach Volleyball are released I may get both at the same time. I have very high expectations for Eternal Darkness and by what I have read and heard it sounds excellent.
No no no!
Analouge is BAD!!
Very very bad for Resi games, I wouldn't have the control system any other way, Type C is perfect.
Of course Resi 4 being fully 3D it will be analouge, but it will be okay then.
Analouge is BAD!!
Very very bad for Resi games, I wouldn't have the control system any other way, Type C is perfect.
Of course Resi 4 being fully 3D it will be analouge, but it will be okay then.
I hear that Resident Evil is great, only they kept the original's controls system (one that was designed BEFORE analogue sticks).
Anyway, with a couple of nit-pick corrections (Streetfighter put Capcom on the map ACTUALLY! :-P - and I'll bet some one tops that with an even earlier game like Gouls and Ghosts! :-D) I'll make a recommendation:
Eternal Darkness
Takes its cue from the survival horror genre but makes a whole new style of game out of it.
It's a cross between horror and a hack and slash adventure (so you don't have to worry about saving amunition). As well as that, as your character goes insane, the game will start playing tricks on you.
The atmosphere is pretty daunting, especially with your sound set.
Best of all, it's fun and entertaining.
You thought blowing a zombies head off with a shotgun was funny?
Try cutting both it's arms of with a sword, leaving it following you around, unable to harm you (for some reason they can't bite you without grabbing you first).
Anyway, with a couple of nit-pick corrections (Streetfighter put Capcom on the map ACTUALLY! :-P - and I'll bet some one tops that with an even earlier game like Gouls and Ghosts! :-D) I'll make a recommendation:
Eternal Darkness
Takes its cue from the survival horror genre but makes a whole new style of game out of it.
It's a cross between horror and a hack and slash adventure (so you don't have to worry about saving amunition). As well as that, as your character goes insane, the game will start playing tricks on you.
The atmosphere is pretty daunting, especially with your sound set.
Best of all, it's fun and entertaining.
You thought blowing a zombies head off with a shotgun was funny?
Try cutting both it's arms of with a sword, leaving it following you around, unable to harm you (for some reason they can't bite you without grabbing you first).
Oh I agree and I think that the sales figures will show when Resident Evil Zero along with 2+3 which will be hopefully bundled on one disc are all released. Code Veronica is an excellent game and it was my favourite on the PS2 by a long way. Even if they don't update Code Veronica I think that the graphics are already of a very high quality (not up to Resident Evil GC quality), but with the release date being summer of this year I would expect that they are going to do something with it. Before Zero is released I want to try and get as many endings as I can along with completing the game on all difficulties with both characters.
Even with the Mario series and the Zelda series I would still say that the Resident Evil series means much more to me than any other. Depending on how many Shenmue's and Halo's there are they could become my favourite series but for now and for a long time to come I can see the Resident Evil series staying at my number 1 spot and deservedly so. Capcom have got the survival horror series down to a T (not a T-Virus) and in my opinion the Silent Hill series doesn't even come close.
Even with the Mario series and the Zelda series I would still say that the Resident Evil series means much more to me than any other. Depending on how many Shenmue's and Halo's there are they could become my favourite series but for now and for a long time to come I can see the Resident Evil series staying at my number 1 spot and deservedly so. Capcom have got the survival horror series down to a T (not a T-Virus) and in my opinion the Silent Hill series doesn't even come close.
No survival horror on the XBox?
There is too, Shenmue! The horror is certainly there, and it's a real test to survive playing it all the way through.
:D
Anyway, back in the pre-N64 and N64 days, I used to shrug Resi off, it seemed like another rubbish over hyped Playstation game. Even when Resi 2 was released on the N64 I decided to avoid it. But then we got Code Veronica on the DC and it was like the best game ever!
So yeah, I'm really glad all 4 games are coming to the GC, as well as two new ones :D
I think I'll import Zero as soon as my Q-Cube arrives, depending on how far away the PAL release is.
There is too, Shenmue! The horror is certainly there, and it's a real test to survive playing it all the way through.
:D
Anyway, back in the pre-N64 and N64 days, I used to shrug Resi off, it seemed like another rubbish over hyped Playstation game. Even when Resi 2 was released on the N64 I decided to avoid it. But then we got Code Veronica on the DC and it was like the best game ever!
So yeah, I'm really glad all 4 games are coming to the GC, as well as two new ones :D
I think I'll import Zero as soon as my Q-Cube arrives, depending on how far away the PAL release is.
Every time a new game is announced I anticipate whether or not it will take the genre in an advanced direction or in some cases whether it will revolutionise a genre. Every once in a while I know that when a game is announced that it will storm the charts and receive blockbuster reviews that will warn gamers to miss at their peril. However one genre that usually stays untouched every time is the Survival horror genre, yet even though the same gameplay engine is used it doesn't touch on the series which made Survival horror what it is today! Konami have tried with the Silent Hill series which although is as close alternative it just doesn't match the quality of Capcom's highly entertaining Resident Evil series.
Being a fan of Survival horror myself I picked up a copy of Silent Hill 2 for my Xbox back in October. However after 3 hours of play I knew that the game wasn't what I expected and it certainly wasn't a touch of the first Silent Hill which appeared on the Playstation in the late 1990's. I glanced through the Xbox release calendar yet there was nothing there which would cater for my survival horror lust and I knew the only way to experience the greatest series I would need to purchase a Nintendo GameCube. Ever since the launch of the first Resident Evil Capcom have always managed to create a worthy sequel which in some cases has bettered its predecessor. A good example of this is how Resident Evil 2 managed to top its prequel in almost every way and this was no mean feet.
The first Resident Evil was a surprise for gamers as up until that point they hadn't seen or experienced anything like it. Every corner turned was a new adventure and every room entered was like stepping through the gates of hell before going deeper into its layer. For its time the graphics couldn't be beaten and the gameplay was a refreshing change from any other game on the market around its release. Gamers who were aware of the game rushed out to the shops on the morning of its release to get a taste of history in the making and unlike other games it actually lived up to almost everyone's expectations. The game didn't appeal to everyone though as it required an open mind, patience and the ability to solve tasking puzzles which would push the average gamers mind to the brink of desperation.
The game put Capcom on the map and it started a chain reaction which would see over 10 games using the Resident Evil engine over the following 6 years. After the first outing gamers new what to expect from Capcom and therefore they anticipated Resident Evil 2 like a hot shower on a cold day. Whilst Capcom were busily working away on a follow up to the first Resident Evil Konami had their own storm brewing and this would come in the form of Silent Hill. On first sight the game looked and played excellent, in fact I would even say that it equalled what the first Resident Evil managed and then some more. However it wasn't just about one Resident Evil and then a set of poor sequels, it was in fact totally the opposite. After completing Silent Hill I wondered where Konami would take the series from there and whether or not they could match what Capcom had set out to do.
Due to the nature of the games they spent a long time in development which as a fan myself the time in-between each one felt like an eternity. On the release of Resident Evil 2 it was evident that Capcom had spent more time marketing the game than they did with its predecessor. Posters were across gaming shops around the country, adverts on TV showed approved footage that would only promote the family viewing (if there is such a thing with Resident Evil) side of the game and gamers were aware of what to expect. As gamers rushed home to fix up their Playstations and load up the new instalment Capcom were already making the third in the series and a game which they promised would push the boundary of the human mind and the power of the Playstation console.
Resident Evil 2 was a huge success, possibly even bigger than Resident Evil and in my opinion better. Once again gamers received difficult puzzles, gore and something which children (including myself) had nightmares about around the world... Zombies! This time parents complained about what their children were viewing but there was nothing they could do about it. Capcom had patched every game with a 15+ certificate which covered their backs and aggravated parents around the world as their children pestered them for Resident Evil games, Capcom were idolised by the younger generation and most certainly hated by the older!
It seemed that the Japanese were the biggest fans of the game and Capcom new that with this being the biggest market that they had to keep up the standard to keep the Japanese public happy. For the first time in the series Capcom decided to create a side game known as Resident Evil: Gun Survivor (or to the Japanese Biohazard: Gun Survivor). Utilising the Playstation Light Gun the game would see the Resident Evil series from a whole new perspective and a much more frightening one. Going into First person mode gamers would have to utilise the Playstation Light Gun to navigate their way around a Zombie driven town taking out anything that came within 10 feet of viewing distance. The game was a huge success in Japan as well as storming the charts in America.
By this time Konami knew that Silent Hill 2 would have to be something special to grab gamers away from Resident Evil and towards their illusive sequel to the blockbuster Playstation 1 title. It wasn't long after the release of Resident Evil: Gun Survivor that the Playstation 2 console was released and this was the break that Konami had hoped for. Using the power of the Playstation 2 Konami released Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams. Shortly after it was released in America a parent took Konami to court after her son was mentally affected after constant playing of the game, in a sick and twisted way this raised my anticipation levels. Konami had clearly achieved what they were aiming for, but would this be enough for Resident Evil veterans?
To compete with Konami's Silent Hill 2 Capcom had already released a contender and had announced a remake of the original Resident Evil. Code Veronica for the Sega Dreamcast was hailed as the best Resident Evil in the series yet and Konami had a strong contender on their hands. However fortunately for Konami the Dreamcast wasn't going to stick around for too much longer and sales figures for the Dreamcast would see a premature end to what some argued as a next generation Sega Mega Drive. By this time sales of the Playstation 2 were already beginning to rocket way above of what was expected and sales of Silent Hill 2 were going very well. Konami could see light between Silent Hill 2 and the next Resident Evil which was due for release on the Nintendo GameCube. However this ray of light quickly faded away into a corridor of dark mist as Capcom announced Resident Evil Code Veronica for the Playstation 2.
Code Veronica X on the Playstation 2 was my favourite game in the genre to date and I quickly over looked Silent Hill 2 and decided not to purchase it. Towards the end of Code Veronica X I Already had plans to sell my Playstation 2 and purchase an Xbox so I knew that my only option would be Silent Hill 2 but it was a risk that I was willing to take. It took a while after the release of the Xbox for Konami to port Silent Hill 2 to the console but I was prepared to wait. October 2002 came around and so did the release of Silent Hill 2: Inner Fears, would it live up to my hype or would the critically acclaimed Resident Evil remake steal my attention? Without thinking too much about the GameCube and the remake of arguably the best game ever released I decided that I wanted to purchase Silent Hill 2.
Disappointment, anger and a need for a new Resident Evil were only a few of the feelings that I was going through after the purchase of Silent Hill 2, to me the game was a huge disappointment and my faith in Konami was lost! My only route back into the survival horror genre was through the Nintendo door and I wanted to ring the door bell but due to a cash shortage and an excellent line-up of Xbox games I had to get my priorities into perspective. Months passed and Christmas of 2002 had arrived and the next set of Xbox games that I wanted were due out in the March and April of 2003 so I decided to go out and purchase a GameCube only 1 week after Christmas with raised funds from selling Silent Hill 2 and a few other games on the Xbox.
It seemed that the only way to survive was in the form of Resident Evil, the Silent Hill series was no longer about surviving the horror but surviving the disappointment of what could have been an amazing title!
Present Day:
Possibly one of the top 10 games of all time is in my collection. Boasting the best graphics I have yet to witness in a video game along with yet another classic from the Capcom development centre. The series which I have never doubted has delivered yet another game that I can't get enough of, worth the purchase of the GameCube to play? Yes, in fact I would say fans of the Resident Evil series must not miss out on this game as it really is breath taking. In my opinion there will always be one way to survive and it will be in the form of the Resident Evil games. There will always be games that will try to emulate the Resident Evil series but they won't succeed, the game that set the foundations for the genre is way ahead of the competition in every area of Survival horror and until the next Resident Evil is released nothing will come close to what I would call the greatest game series to date.
Thanks for Reading
~ÂLŠ†ÂÎR~
Being a fan of Survival horror myself I picked up a copy of Silent Hill 2 for my Xbox back in October. However after 3 hours of play I knew that the game wasn't what I expected and it certainly wasn't a touch of the first Silent Hill which appeared on the Playstation in the late 1990's. I glanced through the Xbox release calendar yet there was nothing there which would cater for my survival horror lust and I knew the only way to experience the greatest series I would need to purchase a Nintendo GameCube. Ever since the launch of the first Resident Evil Capcom have always managed to create a worthy sequel which in some cases has bettered its predecessor. A good example of this is how Resident Evil 2 managed to top its prequel in almost every way and this was no mean feet.
The first Resident Evil was a surprise for gamers as up until that point they hadn't seen or experienced anything like it. Every corner turned was a new adventure and every room entered was like stepping through the gates of hell before going deeper into its layer. For its time the graphics couldn't be beaten and the gameplay was a refreshing change from any other game on the market around its release. Gamers who were aware of the game rushed out to the shops on the morning of its release to get a taste of history in the making and unlike other games it actually lived up to almost everyone's expectations. The game didn't appeal to everyone though as it required an open mind, patience and the ability to solve tasking puzzles which would push the average gamers mind to the brink of desperation.
The game put Capcom on the map and it started a chain reaction which would see over 10 games using the Resident Evil engine over the following 6 years. After the first outing gamers new what to expect from Capcom and therefore they anticipated Resident Evil 2 like a hot shower on a cold day. Whilst Capcom were busily working away on a follow up to the first Resident Evil Konami had their own storm brewing and this would come in the form of Silent Hill. On first sight the game looked and played excellent, in fact I would even say that it equalled what the first Resident Evil managed and then some more. However it wasn't just about one Resident Evil and then a set of poor sequels, it was in fact totally the opposite. After completing Silent Hill I wondered where Konami would take the series from there and whether or not they could match what Capcom had set out to do.
Due to the nature of the games they spent a long time in development which as a fan myself the time in-between each one felt like an eternity. On the release of Resident Evil 2 it was evident that Capcom had spent more time marketing the game than they did with its predecessor. Posters were across gaming shops around the country, adverts on TV showed approved footage that would only promote the family viewing (if there is such a thing with Resident Evil) side of the game and gamers were aware of what to expect. As gamers rushed home to fix up their Playstations and load up the new instalment Capcom were already making the third in the series and a game which they promised would push the boundary of the human mind and the power of the Playstation console.
Resident Evil 2 was a huge success, possibly even bigger than Resident Evil and in my opinion better. Once again gamers received difficult puzzles, gore and something which children (including myself) had nightmares about around the world... Zombies! This time parents complained about what their children were viewing but there was nothing they could do about it. Capcom had patched every game with a 15+ certificate which covered their backs and aggravated parents around the world as their children pestered them for Resident Evil games, Capcom were idolised by the younger generation and most certainly hated by the older!
It seemed that the Japanese were the biggest fans of the game and Capcom new that with this being the biggest market that they had to keep up the standard to keep the Japanese public happy. For the first time in the series Capcom decided to create a side game known as Resident Evil: Gun Survivor (or to the Japanese Biohazard: Gun Survivor). Utilising the Playstation Light Gun the game would see the Resident Evil series from a whole new perspective and a much more frightening one. Going into First person mode gamers would have to utilise the Playstation Light Gun to navigate their way around a Zombie driven town taking out anything that came within 10 feet of viewing distance. The game was a huge success in Japan as well as storming the charts in America.
By this time Konami knew that Silent Hill 2 would have to be something special to grab gamers away from Resident Evil and towards their illusive sequel to the blockbuster Playstation 1 title. It wasn't long after the release of Resident Evil: Gun Survivor that the Playstation 2 console was released and this was the break that Konami had hoped for. Using the power of the Playstation 2 Konami released Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams. Shortly after it was released in America a parent took Konami to court after her son was mentally affected after constant playing of the game, in a sick and twisted way this raised my anticipation levels. Konami had clearly achieved what they were aiming for, but would this be enough for Resident Evil veterans?
To compete with Konami's Silent Hill 2 Capcom had already released a contender and had announced a remake of the original Resident Evil. Code Veronica for the Sega Dreamcast was hailed as the best Resident Evil in the series yet and Konami had a strong contender on their hands. However fortunately for Konami the Dreamcast wasn't going to stick around for too much longer and sales figures for the Dreamcast would see a premature end to what some argued as a next generation Sega Mega Drive. By this time sales of the Playstation 2 were already beginning to rocket way above of what was expected and sales of Silent Hill 2 were going very well. Konami could see light between Silent Hill 2 and the next Resident Evil which was due for release on the Nintendo GameCube. However this ray of light quickly faded away into a corridor of dark mist as Capcom announced Resident Evil Code Veronica for the Playstation 2.
Code Veronica X on the Playstation 2 was my favourite game in the genre to date and I quickly over looked Silent Hill 2 and decided not to purchase it. Towards the end of Code Veronica X I Already had plans to sell my Playstation 2 and purchase an Xbox so I knew that my only option would be Silent Hill 2 but it was a risk that I was willing to take. It took a while after the release of the Xbox for Konami to port Silent Hill 2 to the console but I was prepared to wait. October 2002 came around and so did the release of Silent Hill 2: Inner Fears, would it live up to my hype or would the critically acclaimed Resident Evil remake steal my attention? Without thinking too much about the GameCube and the remake of arguably the best game ever released I decided that I wanted to purchase Silent Hill 2.
Disappointment, anger and a need for a new Resident Evil were only a few of the feelings that I was going through after the purchase of Silent Hill 2, to me the game was a huge disappointment and my faith in Konami was lost! My only route back into the survival horror genre was through the Nintendo door and I wanted to ring the door bell but due to a cash shortage and an excellent line-up of Xbox games I had to get my priorities into perspective. Months passed and Christmas of 2002 had arrived and the next set of Xbox games that I wanted were due out in the March and April of 2003 so I decided to go out and purchase a GameCube only 1 week after Christmas with raised funds from selling Silent Hill 2 and a few other games on the Xbox.
It seemed that the only way to survive was in the form of Resident Evil, the Silent Hill series was no longer about surviving the horror but surviving the disappointment of what could have been an amazing title!
Present Day:
Possibly one of the top 10 games of all time is in my collection. Boasting the best graphics I have yet to witness in a video game along with yet another classic from the Capcom development centre. The series which I have never doubted has delivered yet another game that I can't get enough of, worth the purchase of the GameCube to play? Yes, in fact I would say fans of the Resident Evil series must not miss out on this game as it really is breath taking. In my opinion there will always be one way to survive and it will be in the form of the Resident Evil games. There will always be games that will try to emulate the Resident Evil series but they won't succeed, the game that set the foundations for the genre is way ahead of the competition in every area of Survival horror and until the next Resident Evil is released nothing will come close to what I would call the greatest game series to date.
Thanks for Reading
~ÂLŠ†ÂÎR~