Resident Evil Code: Veronica Remake Wish List

Resident Evil Code: Veronica It may finally get its due, as a remake is reportedly slated for an announcement this year. As an incredible game and a great example of the early 2000's particular brand of survival horror ambition, it's a great choice for a second time around. But if the stars are finally aligned, it's worth thinking critically about how modern it is Resident Evil Code: Veronica as it should look.

That means looking back before looking forward, as Capcom's modern remake run has become iterative and increasingly self-aware. Each remake has made it clear what the studio is willing to change and what it refuses to leave out. Any realistic wish list for potential Code: Veronica That's where the remake should start, because this game might need a clearer understanding of what modernizing means resident evil, More so than any other title in the franchise.

The Resident Evil 2 The remake from 2019 started the run by proving that Capcom has the confidence to swing big. Sure, some areas of the latter dragged, and purists mourned some of the lost complexity, but the remake succeeded because it largely understood what it could change without emptying the experience. The Resident Evil 3 The remake tested the limits of that philosophy in 2020 and floundered as a result.

RE3Who's remake leaned heavily on the linear action it felt primed for, but it aggressively cut material, crossing the line of reinterpretation to erasure. To Capcom's credit, however, Resident Evil 4 The remake did everything right to restore faith in these remakes as big projects. The source material felt painstakingly re-examined; It was less campy but not humorless, not bleak, and characters like Ashley, Krauser and Louis benefited from a much needed second pass.

What the remakes mean for Code: Veronica

Split images of the main characters from the Resident Evil games

These previous remakes make it clear that Capcom:

Modernize the feature
Cut or redo levels
Cut or replace dated mechanics
Re-emphasize fear

The thing is, a Code: Veronica A remake may require a little more contact than that, to that degree RE3 A perfect example of what to do actually. Code: Veronica It shouldn't be cut with as much zeal as a remake, but it could learn from a commitment to a singular vision, genre, and purpose.

Mechanically, Code: Veronica is a gifted student who has become a problem child

Time and distance made a lot of difference Code: VeronicaToday's pain point is clear. For one, it's mechanically challenging for (arguably) the wrong reasons, with pseudo-soft-lock scenarios like ignoring a fire extinguisher to hide or a tyrannical plane boss fight with ammo sync. There are glimpses of resourceful tension and good difficulty in deliberate pacing, but something is clearly missing, a fact that modern leads. Resident Evil Clearly far from anything Code: VeronicaGeneral thoughts around boss fighting style and difficulty.

The stash and hero swapping system is admirable and conceptually bold, but the mechanical frustration of passing items back and forth and sudden inventory resets are a problem. This breaks up the pacing and creates two parts of the game that feel stitched together instead of on purpose, the two parts in conversation with each other. That landing needs to be softened somewhat, because the interesting idea of system pitches is suddenly overshadowed by a sense of punishment.

Code: Veronica has a giant, human-sized story problem

At the end of the spectrum story, it goes without saying that melodrama has always been in place Resident Evilbut Code: Veronica Whiplashes between gothic horror and unfortunate fanfiction-tier melodrama more violently and gratuitously than any entry of the period. The problem is that gothic horror Code: Veronica Those gorgeous operatics are already baked into Pools From , and the play's themes of isolation and decaying aristocracy would resonate even more if they could stand alone. A remake should allow the genre to be heavy-handed rather than overcomplicated like the original.

The problem is that Resident Evil Code: Veronica will always have tone and story problems as long as Steve Burnside is the way he is.

Steve Burnside is Code: Veronica's most terrifying monster

Steve is the code: Veronica's worst character

Steve Burnside is one of the most unpredictable characters Resident Evil For a series, and a series like this one, that's a remarkable achievement. Hostile, grating, and alternating between antagonizing Claire and offering devotion to her, any empathy he might generate is undermined when his trauma is delivered through blunt exposition and his generally clumsy and bad behavior. Worse, his wildly terrifying crush on Claire, though fortunately framed in the text, has aged like milk. While sexist dialogue can be changed like what happened with Ashley RE4It might actually be best for Capcom to cut the character entirely and replace it, with the same kind of conviction. RE3 Remake shown.

The Code: Veronica remake should nail the tone and characters

The latter with some remakes and Code: VeronicaProblems in rearview, the question of which ideal Resident Evil Code: Veronica Looks like a remake is due. Hopefully, it starts with a modern tone and less evil camp, not less camp in general. Narrative grandeur and angst should often be reserved for elements like the Ashford twins, who embody Umbrella at its most terrifying fun.

It means a reimagined pairing of Steve Burnside and Claire Redfield, in which he is completely different and she is consistent with him. RE2 Remake illustration. That's absolutely necessary, and although it hasn't been mentioned yet, Wesker's character could also use some solid rethinking. Code: Veronica Where he's completely suggestive of supervillainy, and Capcom can't possibly pull it off completely, a touch of restraint could make him a better horror and refocus the franchise on the horror roots it's clearly invested in.

More than wishful thinking

resident-evil-4-remake-cut-content-ashley-prologue

The good news is that it all seems possible, and likely, as such RE4 Perfect camp can coexist with moderation. Also, Steve, as challenging as someone like Modern might seem Resident Evil It's proven that it can do this kind of character right — the new Luis is charming before he's tragic, Carlos earns trust through competence, and Ashley actually sticks to landing a leap from partner burden. Wesker is probably the only real item in this part of the wish list that can remain wishful thinking.

The difficulty in Code: Veronica remake should be correct

The only mechanical item on this list is admittedly broad: reasonable difficulty that remains difficult. This ranges from better boss telegraphing to less punishing inventory management, and relies heavily on the character swap system to get a second pass. Code: Veronica Forethought should still be demanded, but punishing players for failing to predict the future should remain a thing of the past. This stuff seems likely to change, too, though it's impossible to say how yet.

Honor Code: Veronica Worthy

It all looks very grand, but Resident Evil Code: Veronica A remake doesn't need to sand down every rough edge. Much of that nastiness is the point, and modernization doesn't mean erasure (at least for everything Steve, maybe). but Resident Evil Code: Veronica It is unique because it had no numbers, and it never stood up confidently to the series it helped shape. Acquiring the remake rights could finally change that collectively.