Resident Evil was one of the best titles the Playstation had. At the time of it's release it was beautiful,campy, and had plenty of scares and thrills. It's also the game that started the whole survival horror genre. Although, there have been many sequels released the original still holds a special spot in the memories of the fans. Apparently Capcom knows this as they have decided to remake the original game to kick off their new plan for having Resident Evil become a Gamecube exclusive property. Of course Capcom has gone the extra mile to redo the game by taking advantage of the new hardwares graphic capabilities and fixing some of the problems that the original had (like the horrible translation and voice acting) all of this add up to quite a game but some things that should have been fixed haven't been which I'll talk about further on in the review. For those new to the world of Resident Evil (and how was your stay inside a cave?) the game starts out in a small town called Raccoon City where a bizarre rash of murders has started occuring in the forest outside of the city. So the police send out their Special Tactics And Rescue Squad better known as S.T.A.R.S to investigate. They send in half the unit, the S.T.A.R.S. Bravo team to begin the investigation but on the way there their helicopter crashes in the middle of the forest and all contact with them is lost. The Alpha team consisting of Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, Albert Wesker, Joseph Frost ,Barry Burton, and Brad Vickers (Alpha Teams helicopter pilot) are sent in next to find out what is going on and to rescue their compatriots. As soon as they land they find the other teams helicopter a derelict with the Bravo team missing except for the the pilot of the chopper who's dead inside. Moments later, Joseph Frost is attacked and killed by strange dogs covered in maggots with their innards showing the dogs then set after the rest of the Alpha Team as they run towards a mysterious mansion in the forest which they think is a safe haven but is actually the beginning of a horrible nightmare. You will play the game as one of two of the Alpha team members Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine with Jill being the easier game of the two and try to uncover the mystery behind this mansion and to survive the horrible monsters lurking around every corner. The opening intro is set up much better then the originals as it is all pre-rendered instead of using live actors like the original which is something i'm extremely glad they changed as the originals was extremely cheesy to the brink of laughter which with the creepy tone the game tries to set is not the best thing to do. The next major thing you will notice of course is the graphics. Capcom pulled out quite a few tricks with the graphics this time from bump-mapping on the characters to lighting and even reflective surfaces like the original it does have pre-rendered backgrounds but they have added special effects to all of them and bumped up the resolution. The backgrounds are so much better it's unbelievable the original games mansion looks cheery and very well lit compared to the new one (trust me I've compared the two) each of the backgrounds has been given enhancements like lightning coming in through the windows, candles blowing in the wind,and seeing the reflection of your characters in water and on windows. Add in the beautiful new character models which look better then even the prerendered characters in cinemas of previous Resident Evils and you have a very beautiful game and the characters looks just as good in and out of cinematics in this one. The best part is that the new models and the background go together seamlessly and unlike the original games it doesn't look like a blocky little model out of place in a 2-1/2D world. All of the character models have gotten upgrades from the main characters to the horrible beings that fill the mansion. Which while the main characters will drop your draw to the floor the new zombies might make you drop your lunch no longer are they blocky albino bald men with brown dirty suits on the new zombies look eerily real with bite marks on their body that looked ripped out, tattered bump mapped clothing, and moving eyes and jaws these guys will creep you out to the max just wait till one jumps out a door at you. The graphics in this game are a showpiece for your Gamecube and I'm betting a lot of people will buy the game for the graphics alone Resident Evil Code Veronica has been dethroned as the best looking in the series. While the games graphics are the first thing you'll notice the second thing you'll notice is the gameplay and if your a veteran of the series then the controls are old hat for you everything here is just like the originals controls except for the addition of two things one of which is the 180 degree turn we've come to know since RE Nemesis hit the market. The other is quite new to the series and a very good idea special items known as defense items which when equipped if you are grabbed by a monster your character can then use the item to escape and not take damage the items are quite useful and each character has two types of weapons Chris has a Knife and a Grenade the more fun of the two is the grenade which when grabbed Chris will pull the pin shove it in the monsters mouth and then either wait for his head to explode or shoot the grenade and detonate it himself. Jill gets the Knife and a Stun Gun the stun gun is rather cool too as when a zombie grabs Jill she will electrocute them. (Note : These are held in a different manner then inventory and don't take up space like weapons but they do have to be selected in their own screen if you wanna use a defense weapon other then the knife). There are also a select few new creatures in the game along with the creatures of the original one is the new Crimson Head Zombie and you'll find them to be the bane of your existence while playing as they are zombies that you have already killed the bodies will remain and if you do not do 1 of 2 things to completely kill a zombie before it arises as a Crimson you'll be sorry as they are like zombies on steroids they can kill you in just a few hits and are extremely fast. The first thing is to decapitate them (shotgun works best for this) or burn them the second of which is the harder to do as you have to have a lighter & a can of gasoline (which takes up an item slot, holds only enough for two zombie burnings, and has to be refueled at a gas can) or to use Jill's Flame grenade which has the effect to kill and burn on contact. The next creature is a hulking beast that has a backstory to it and is completely new to the series and is one of the only new additions to the original RE story. All the former weapons are here sadly with nothing new but the old standbys still work rather well. The makers of the game claim that most of the puzzles have been changed or completely redone while some have been I made it through the game quite easily as a lot of the puzzles are exactly the same (like using the fertilizer on the plant in the courtyard or the piano room puzzle) but all the new puzzles fit in rather well with the old ones and there are some wonderful new areas to explore that weren't in the original like a cabin in the forest and the incredibly cool redone shark room that contains one of the new puzzles. The biggest problem in the game lies in the gameplay part though and it is what they still need to fix in these games and haven't one is the control which although I have played the RE games long enough I'm use to it, I started playing the series with Resident Evil 2 and the controls were such a pill when I first started I nearly blew off the game completely due to the fact it was so hard to get accustom to(thank goodness I didn't) and that is where the problem lies with me I think a lot of people will continue to be put off by the series controls having a incredibly steep learning curve I'm still not quite sure how they could change it (Devil May Cry worked well but you have unlimited ammo and shooting blindly didn't cost you anything) but there has to be a way to make it more newbie friendly maybe a merger between the RE and Devil May Cry's styles. The other problem I have I've heard is supposed to be remedied in RE 0 but until then we're still stuck with it the problem I speak of any fan of the originals already knows is the inventory system of having to use boxes that are scattered about to simply unload useless items you have with you there are points in this game it's glaringly obvious the change is needed as there will be a specific item that you'll need but you have all your spots filled with something a little less needed like an herb problem is the deposit box is about 5 rooms back and you just dodged 6 hunters on the way here to conserve ammo (with the hard to maneuver controls I might add) so your forced to run all the way back and either waste ammo or take your chances getting attacked again to simply get back drop off an herb then get the item you needed which then gets placed on a stand or something and is no longer needed then after all that you need the herb again because the hunters have ripped you a new one. This could all be remedied by simply letting us drop the herb right next to the character, grabbing the item needed place it wherever it needs to go and picking your herb back up and it's a nuisance in this one that should have not been the remake but it doesn't ruin the game hopefully, RE 0's inventory system will be as promised. Last but not least the sound plays a important role in all the RE's and this one is no different every thing is done to perfection to set just the right mood. The music is somber at one point then goes into a frantic sounding music when a monster is on the attack, zombies moans of hunger and confusion are creepy(and annoying enough you'll wanna help them end the pain), and even the hunters have a little almost chirping growl that you'll hear before you even see them making you leery to turn that next corner without your biggest gun handy. It all sets the tone for the game and will keep you on the edge of you seat coupled with the fact the game has been made to have things jump out at you the combination of loud bursting door, a growl of a hunter, and then the creature itself running towards your character will literally make you want to have heart medicine handy. The voice acting is also a heck of a lot better then the originals which is not surprising considering it's steadily gotten better with each game and fixing this alone could've constituted making a remake all the characters sound like you'd expect them to and the translation is quite a bit better then original versions laughable lines there are still a few left but that's to keep with the campy B-style movie theme that the game was intended to have. Resident Evil has a pretty good length to it although veterans of the original version will defeat the game a little quicker but due to a higher difficulty level your first time through (if you play as Chris, albeit Jill's game is still rough as I spent most of it in caution due to her being more easily injured then Chris) will take you between 10-16 hours or slighlty longer to beat as long as you don't use a guide whichever character you play second will take less time though as the puzzles aren't much different from one another. The game also has pretty good replay value as well unlimited ammo weapons, different endings depending on your actions, new costumes, and even a mode where a zombie will stalk you through the entire game but if you shoot it it's instant game over. The Resident Evil series has been around awhile and while it's not the evolution we're hoping for just yet it's still a great game and a wonderful remake for RE veterans or those new to the series. If your a fan of Resident Evil and have a Gamecube even if you have the Playstation original or simply curious about the world of Resident Evil I definitely recommend it as a purchase for your little purple box as it's definitely one of the best games the system has to offer.


















He's a Soul Man......in a demonic sort of way.


The Legacy Of Kain series has been around awhile now and the plot keeps getting deeper and deeper. In Soul Reaver 1 the story moved away from Kain himself  and moved into a future where Kain had ruined the world of Nosgoth (this world was the result of the alternate bad ending in Blood Omen 1). After conquering Nosgoth Kain set forth to create himself an undead army of soldiers with his first created "son" being Raziel. A millennia passed and while every other vampire gained new abilities after Kain, Raziel gained wings before his master and in Kain's rage he tore the wings from Raziels back and along with Raziel's "brothers"  threw him into a lake of fire burning Raziel to almost nothing.  Eventually, Raziel awoke in front of the Elder God a being who claimed to have saved him from his dark fate and wanting Raziel to be his Soul Reaver and suck the souls (Raziel lost his jaw in the lake and can now only eat souls) of his former brethren and destroy Kain once and for all. Unfortunately, the original Soul Reaver ended rather abruptly with no real conclusion only an ominous To Be Continued.  The first ended with Raziel facing off with Kain as he turned on a time streaming device that would hurtle him through time with Raziel in hot pursuit jumping in right after him and meeting up with the time streamer himself Moebius (a character from the original game that betrayed Kain and then was killed by him) . This of course is where Soul Reaver 2 picks up an adventure that spans different eras Nosgoths past before Kain ruled all. The plot is one of the best parts of the Legacy of Kain series despite the fact at times it can get a little heavy handed it's a deep story with lots of twists and turns that actually do keep you wanting to play through to see the ending. 

Graphics

Soul Reaver 2 on the surface looks quite a bit like the original Soul Reaver's engine (from what i've heard this was intentional)  but there are lots of subtle differences. The character models look a little less blocky (not much mind you but a little) and Raziel and the bunch now display more emotion when speaking with one another with lip synching and facial expressions this time  instead of just bobbing there heads like in the original.The opening cinema is just as beautiful as the original games (which you can see the originals in the extras menu after you beat the game) showing the ending of the previous game in a cinematic is a nice touch and it's  nice eye candy also.  The world also has changed quite bit since the previous game while we get to see a dreary Nosgoth in the game  we get to spend sometime looking at Nosgoth while it was still a sight to behold. Waterfalls and large castles, changing weather with rain and snow,along with some well done water effects (which you'll spend a lot of time in and I'll get further in-depth about  in the gameplay section) and tons of particle effects. While this wouldn't be a game that would be a showpiece for your PS2 it does get the job done coupled with the fact there are no load times except for the short one when you start the game. The entire experience has no in game load times going from in doors to outdoors you won't have single load screen due to the streaming technology used in the game (ironic that it's called that considering the games time streaming)and considering this any graphical problems such as occasional slowdown the lack of load times at least compensates for it.


Gameplay


This is where the games biggest problems lie, and while they aren't huge they are enough to hamper the expierence. The biggest flaw lies in the combat system which this time around they decided to put more of a focus on combat in the original battle could be skipped if one should choose to just run by the enemies. In Soul Reaver 2 though you are forced to fight enemies by the game locking you in an area til you kill all of enemies in the immediate area. Now, while in games like Devil May Cry it's no big deal since half the fun is combat, but in Soul Reaver 2  the combat system just flat out sucks like the original while it's cool to use and axe or whatever to kill enemies it's not fun to hit a guy 30 times and him stand there holding his hands in front of him blocking without being able to actually hit him til he's hit you. With some of the earlier villains it won't be much of  a problem but as you get further in the game with huge fire demons and such that take off half your health in one hit it becomes infuriating. Then having them follow you into the other realm and send you back to a checkpoint only to fight the whole bunch over again is utter madness. While it's not the worst combat system i've ever used it's definitely in need of some fine tuning before the next Soul Reaver. The reaver itself has changed this time around making it where you can use it whenever you want even if your not at full health like the original required. To limit the reaver (as it's still pretty much the strongest weapon you get) the reaver now will start feeding on your health if you use it too much which it can get overheated pretty quick so it's best to only be used on the toughest of villains (namely the demons). Speaking of the villains we have this time around villains ranging from regular vampire hunters,the Sarafan  Priests(Raziels buddies from when he was human), to monstrous demons that range from Electric wielding  ones to huge horned fire throwing  ones. Of course of all of them the demons are the hardest as they have the most health and the most brutal attacks fighting a group of them is darn near suicide with the combat system and I found myself dreading each and every moment they locked me in an area with them which later in the game happened way more then I'd have liked. Sadly, this game has no real boss battles there are tougher enemies you have to fight that you only fight once but at that point your pretty much unstoppable so what's the point? It's unfortunate too as the original Soul Reaver had some wonderful well thought out boss fights.  On the plus side the game has moved away from the block puzzles that plagued the original now while there are a few blocks here and there most of the puzzles now are centrered around the reaver itself which can now be imbued with different elements such as Fire, Light, wind,  and Darkness each of these will come into play over the course of the game. Knowing when and where to use the reavers elements  will get you through most of the puzzles in the game. Also, there are quite a few puzzles in the game revolving around using big mirrors to get light into certain areas and while not the most original they're still more entertaining then the blocks. 


Sound

The sound is the other upside  to the game with  some of the best voice acting this side of Metal Gear Solid. They have managed to get onboard the cast members from the previous Legacy of Kain games for all the returning characters in the game as well as Rene Auberjones (most people know him as ODO from Star Trek Deep Space 9) for a character that's best left as a surprise While, the lines are usually over dramatized they're surprisingly well done and without a good voice cast they just wouldn't have been able to pull this type of story off.. Also, the sound effects most reused from the original are still great to hear like the disgusting yet oddly satisfying sound of Raziel skewering an enemy or the low toned crowl of a demon lying in wait. The music while nothing bad is not too memorable but it fits the mood of the game and didn't seem out of place.

The most likely thing to say about the game is if your  a fan of the series and like the story you'll enjoy the game as the story is most likely what will keep you playing. For those that know nothing of the series this game will either get you interested in the original games or make you ignore the series altogether. The game unfortunately is rather short I managed to beat it in about 8-9 hours give or take (and this one had another ending that leaves a lot a of questions unanswered) and while there are some extras there's no new modes or multiplayer and other then to hear the story again you'll most likely not play it again as the gameplay is just not gonna hold your interest that much once you've done it before. I highly suggest a rental and a purchase only if your a big fan of the series.

                              


                 

                                                                      7.8 out of 10
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                Soul Reaver 2
                           (Playstation 2)
                                    Review by Preston Kilday  on 12/4/2002
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