TGS: New details on Resident Evil: Code Veronica

[09.14.99] » Gameplay, graphics information on the latest shock-fest emerge.

   New information on the Dreamcast survival horror title Resident Evil: Code Veronica has surfaced at the Tokyo Game Show. The main selling points of the title so far seem to be its increased length and improved graphical style, as well as its tried-and-true gameplay.

   The game will be one of the first to ship on two GD-ROMs, increasing its length to ten major areas and an estimated one and a half times the gameplay hours of the first two in the series. A longer quest has been a frequent wish of Resident Evil fans, and it looks as if Capcom is listening to them.

   Deviating from the standard polygonal characters on prerendered backgrounds, the graphics this time are fully polygonal, in the style of Dino Crisis or Konami's Silent Hill. With the power of the Dreamcast, though, the character models and backgrounds should look sharper than ever, with the advantage of being fully interactive. Exploiting this are new features such as positional lighting and dynamic camera angles.

   The plot is also something new from the series, escaping the familiar setting of Raccoon City for the expanses of Europe, though still no word on just what the title has to do with the story. Claire and Chris Redfield will be featured, presumably in two separate quests as in the first two Resident Evil games. The likelihood of quests for each character is supported by the news that a modified version of the zapping system from RE2 will be in place. Other gameplay features to be incorporated are the 180-degree turn from Dino Crisis and RE3, as well as an ability to handle two guns at once. Everything seems to point to Code Veronica having slight improvements on a proven formula--in other words, being a Capcom sequel.