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.

















There are worse things out tonight then vampires.........

Blade II was a great action film and very good sequel to probably one of the most memorable action films ever made. So we all knew it would happen like the original film before it the sequel would get a videogame of some sort. The main question of course would be would it be better then the first game (which from what we all know the original game turned out a mess) which of course would not be much of a challenge. Blade II is a better game from at least a graphical standpoint but that's not saying much considering the original was on PSone and that might be the best compliment you can give the game is it IS better then the first game problem is that's about the only game it is better then.  From the moment I popped Blade II in my system I wanted to like it I loved the films and I really wanted a game that was where you can be the hero that vampires fear more then anything.  I believe also this is what kept me going throughout the game was my love of the films and not the game itself. This helped me enjoy the game for a time but further in the flaws became more apparent and by the final level the game had shown it's true colors.

I'll refrain from explaining the entire history of Blade to you since if your reading this you most likely already know the Blade films backwards and forwards. But if for some chance you accidently ended up here by mistake a good summary is that Blade is a half human/half vampire that has all the powers of a vampire and none of their weaknesses except the need to drink blood which is curbed by a serum he injects into himself. His mission in life along with his partner Whistler is to rid the world of vampires so the misfortune of being a vampire that has befallen him happens to noone else.  The videogame starts out six months after the film Blade II this is after defeating the vampire Damaskinos's reaper vampires who are invulnerable to pretty much all forms of attack against vampires other then sunlight. The story begins with Blade infiltrating a office building after getting a lead that something terrible is about to be unleashed. The story is primarily throwaway as it is rather uninteresting and there's no real villain just some weird stuff about a super reaper and stranger still only one actual boss fight the entire game and it's not even at the end of the game!

GRAPHICS

While Blade II isn't the most beautiful game I've ever seen it's not awful it's just rather bland  it's also got the problem most games that get ported over from the PS2 to the XBOX get it takes no real advantage of the XBOX hardware and looks like a higher resolution PS2 game even some of the poorer color palette the PS2 has is brought over with it. The games only real effects are some shiny textures on Blades glasses  (no reflection techniques used) ,some rather poor lighting effects that don't add much at all beyond a shadow from time to time, and a blur effect used in his RAGE mode which I'll explain in the gameplay.  The levels range from Bland to pretty good. Bland being the parking garage Blade starts in and the best level being the Exploitika Night Club which seems to have the best usage of the lighting in the game. Many of the levels also have a huge problem in the fact that most of the areas look identical and in many cases they actually are. Finding your way around is not too hard due to little items that give you points called Glyphs that the developers used to help you find your way but it makes it seem even more as if they knew what was wrong with the level design and simply covered up the problem by using the glyphs as breadcrumbs to get where you need to go. One last thing on the graphical front is Blade's coat which is actually one of the cooler things in the game as it tend to crumple and move with Blade's movement and on the level with the subway cars if you let Blade stand still as it goes by it will actually blow his coat around. I have heard that the PS2 version does not have the coat I haven't tried that version yet but it is only on certain levels in the XBOX version so if anyone knows about it in the PS2 version e:mail me about it by clicking on the link on the left All I know is from time to time it's nice to see Blade with the coat as it's like his cape so to speak and  Superman and Batman look less heroic without theirs same goes for Blade. On a final note about the graphics the character models are a little blocky  but they look good enough to get the job done (although I did find a few vampires in the game I couldn't tell if they were reapers or plain vampires and I wasted a UV grenade on them) also Blade looks like a chubbier version of Wesley Snipes and Whistler looks a little  weird himself. The graphics in the game are okay nothing to write home about but they're not anyworse then a lot of PS2 games out there they are not XBOX standards though.

GAMEPLAY

While the graphics are okay the gameplay is Blade II's  main selling point (or at the least it says so on the box ) and also it's biggest failure.Trying for a revolution in control schemes the game has a 360 degree combat system which means that you use the right stick to aim  your attacks at the vampire in the direction the enemy is located on screen the biggest problem is there is a steep learning curve here and most people will give up before they get very far.  The closest thing done for a game like this on the XBOX was OBI WAN which you used one stick to move and the other to control his lightsaber but also you got remember OBI WAN was an awful game that barely even Star Wars fans would touch and with good reason. Unfortunately Blade's combat goes one step worse then OBI WAN's. Blade has almost unresponsive control when turning left or right while running making it extremely hard to get around but to top it off when Blade is attacked he can not, I repeat can not keep running so if you get in a situation where your surrounded (which happens a lot) you can't just run at a guy and knock him down then leap backwards and kick the other guy in the head and keep moving you have to literally stop in place and use the right stick to hit everything that comes at you until you get a free moment to move away from them (which they catch up surround you quick) or stand there until you kill them all.  The attacks at enemies are also slightly random but normally pressing these thing on the right stick do the following UP is punch , RIGHT and LEFT are side kicks, and BACK is a donkey kick there no jump attacks at all in the game (and other then in the training I found no real use for jumping in the entire game). Pressing the buttons in a certain rythm will cause special move like Blade using a stake, sword, or gun (depending on what you have equipped) to blow a vampire away in a short cinematic and have him say a line from the film but they seem more random then anything .The game would've been much simpler with just plain attacks using the face buttons. The other thing that is sorely missed in the regular combat scenarios is Blade can only use his sword when he builds up enough of his RAGE Meter which fills up some more after every slaying when it reaches certain point Blade gets different powers first he gets to use the sword, then he gets invincibility while using the sword , and finally the other two  along with super strength. This too has a problem since once the meter runs out you have to refill the whole thing to use the sword again and you can't turn the rage meter on and off to ration it for emergencies after you've slaughtered all the vampires around you and trust me running around with your sword meter dwindling and having nothing to fight then make it around a corner and losing the sword sucks. The game would've been much better in the 360 degree fighting with the sword yet it's not used at any time you like the excuse is the sword is silver and is too powerful. The thing is I found that most of the time it took a few slashes to kill a vampire (usually it took off a hand before it killed them) and saying the game would be too easy having the sword at all times to be honest the game is easy either way you go the only challenge is wrestling with the control system.  I will also say the combat system can be learned and you will get use to it but it takes way too much time and by the time you have it down you'll beaten the game or quit playing altogether.

Blade also has his usual complement of weapons and items not a huge assortment but enough to get by. He has his Machine Gun Pistol (my favorite weapon of the bunch) , Shotgun, UV Grenades, Silver Knuckles, the Glaive, better armor, and his serum. "How do you think we fund this operation we're not exactly the march of dimes." as Blade put it in the film while robbing vampire familiar referring to how he affords things albeit in the game you don't use stolen items off of enemies and pawn them instead you use for some reason a point based system that you get by picking up the glyphs I mentioned earlier and slaying enemies in hand to hand combat. It doesn't take long to open all weapons and your limited to how many things you can carry on a mission which is not a bad idea since it gives some strategy as what to bring on each level (I'd suggest a UV grenade in the list after the sewer levels for Reapers) . The weapons turned out to be one of the most enjoyable things in the game for me the machine gun pistol especially  although the targeting system isn't the best I've seen it works pretty well and the guns are very much like the ones in the film (like the shotgun will take out more then one vamp in a shot)the other upside is while using his machine gun pistol Blade can run and gun at the same time no stopping required watching as the vampires catch a bullet and burst into flames was cool and had they made the game with unlimited ammo (like Devil May Cry) this could've made the game much better. Unfortunately, they didn't and I found unless you simply carry one gun (and no items) and fill up every slot with ammo you won't have enough ammo for the whole level (and even then it has to be used sparingly) and there are times when  enemies will have machines guns of their own and trying to attack up close is nearly impossible and on the few levels they take away all weapons you feel almost helpless as these give you your best advantage in the whole game. Blade can also strafe while shooting by holding down the L or A button but he walks slowly while strafing so it's only useful when enemies are a distance away.  Beyond the weapons and the poorly implemented combat the games goals are nothing but get from point A to point B hacking and slashing till you get to the next switch, button, or door. Coupled with extremely dumb AI that only attacks when your really close to them or have shot at them directly there is nothing new or revolutionary to the genre heck this gameplay wasn't new back when the PSone was released.

SOUND

Finally we get to the sound which as much words as I put into the rest of this review I'll  make rather short the sound in the game fits with the rest of the presentation nothing great yet not quite awful some poorly done techno music was done for the game which is bearable but I would've loved to have The Crystal Method song Name of the game from the film pumping through my speakers during combat no luck though and there is not feature for adding Mp3's like some other games. The voice acting in the game is pretty good Blade sounds a little too much like a stereotypical african american though and the Doctor that assists Blade in the game......lets just say her death scene is on par with Barry's Master of Unlocking line in the original Resident Evil.


My final thoughts on this game after playing the game all the way through are if your a huge fan of Blade or Blade II and I mean you bought the DVD you listen to The Making of documentaries, the director's commentary, you can recite the films lines from beginning to end and you must own everything that is Blade. You will like this game even with all the problems I had with the game simply for the fact it was Blade I managed to get some enjoyment out of it but even a Blade fan will most likely not play this one a whole lot after beating it as there's nothing  special after beating it even the ending is boring and the only thing unlocked is a mode for the game to be HARDER..So if your a Big Blade fan add an extra point to my score. For those that only have a passing interest in Blade or no idea about the character or films I have to say avoid this one as it's for the Blade Audience ONLY go buy Devil May Cry on PS2 for what half human/half monster game should be like. If not for Blade being in the game no one would've even given this game a second look.


                                                                6.0 OUT OF 10
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                         BLADE II
                               (XBOX)
                                               Review by Preston Kilday
                                                             9/19/2002
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