The recent announcement that Resident Evil 4 is getting Capcom's coveted remake treatment has certainly divided fans. Mostly because Resident Evil 4 holds up remarkably well in the modern era. Sure, some elements of it feel a little dated, but it's safe to assume that modern gamers would have little-to-no issue diving into its world and having a jolly good time.
It's easy to understand Capcom's logic here: Resident Evil 4 is legendary for all the right reasons, and it's guaranteed to sell units. However, Resident Evil aficionados have been making their voices heard and asking why Capcom aren't remaking the Resident Evil game that's more deserving of their love and affection - namely Resident Evil: Code Veronica.
Where Resident Evil 4 completely shook-up the series core gameplay, Code Veronica was a refinement of the classic explorative, puzzle-solving, survivalist gameplay that fans had fallen in love with over the years. While that style of gameplay certainly has its defenders, there's no denying that Code Veronica has some glaring issues in the gameplay department, so much so that it's a little bit baffling as to why Capcom has chosen to remake Resident Evil 4 instead.
The Resident Evil purists amongst us certainly won't have any issues going back to Code Veronica, but newcomers will undoubtedly find it's myriad of issues something of a turn-off. The most egregious issue being the game's sudden roadblocks that can either spell game-over for players or become so frustrating that many will throw in the towel. The most notorious of them all, the Tyrant battle aboard the aircraft, is an excruciatingly hard fight if you're not prepared for it. And it's fair to say that most players weren't prepared for it their first time around.
Not only is the fight genuinely grueling, but if you save the game before entering the boss room and don't have enough ammo, you're screwed and have to start the whole game over. It wouldn't be so bad but said fight happens at around the five-hour mark, and a lot of people won't be willing to replay that much of a game due to a glaring oversight on the developer's part. Making matters worse, this isn't the only extremely unfair boss fight in the game.
As if the poorly implemented boss battles weren't bad enough, there's also the infamous Crystal Ball Puzzle, which sees players having to crack open a crystal ball with a key-card inside. It sounds simple in theory, but this puzzle is surprisingly complex. You must utilize a concrete 'crusher,' which has a wind-up time and requires players to quickly run underneath it, place the item, back out, let the ball be crushed, and then retrieve it. This requires laser-precision timing; otherwise, your character is crushed instantly, sending you back to the Save Room and having to repeat the arduous task over and over again.
These two are the most well-known examples of Code Veronica's baffling design, but there are plenty more moments and level-design aspects that cause more frustration than genuine fear. And that's perhaps Code Veronica's biggest sin - outside of the aforementioned problems, or even Steve Burnside for that matter - is that it simply isn't scary. The game's campy tone, inconsistent aesthetic, and less-than-inspired roster of monsters and creepy-crawlies don't bring the scares. As a result, Code Veronica has always been more of a cult favorite within a blockbuster franchise.
Given the proper remake treatment, Code Veronica could truly flourish and bridge the gap between Resident Evil 3 and 4 with style and grace. A heightened emphasis on scares over silliness would be the exact shot in the arm that Code Veronica needs to bring it more in-line with the rest of the series and raise its stature amongst those who aren't as savvy with the Resident Evil series.
All of the above may sound like Code Veronica isn't worth your time, but rest assured, it is still a good game. Some rather strange problems simply mar it, and genuinely infuriating design choices really hold it back from greatness. The story is absolutely bonkers, and the Ashford Twins are easily two of the best villains the series has ever seen. The fact that they've only ever reappeared in the largely forgettable spin-off games is an actual crime.
Who knows? Maybe once the Resident Evil 4 Remake is done and dusted, Capcom will turn its attention to this oft-forgotten entry in the series, finally giving fans the chance to explore a fully realized Rockfort Island and duke it out with the Ashfords all over again in glorious Ultra-HD. It seems like a long way off, but Resident Evil fans are a patient bunch; just look at how long it took for Resident Evil 2 Remake to come out.