Resident Evil HD Remaster - Review

When I first learned that Capcom were going to give the original Resident Evil the remastering treatment, I was excited, because I have fond memories of playing both versions of the game and now that it is finally here, I am let down.

For anyone who remembers playing the original on PlayStation One, most of the game will feel the same as you remember it, but for those who played on the GameCube, it will look and feel almost identical. The games visuals have gotten a polish in certain areas but not across the board, character models now look crisper and the game supports a widescreen mode as well. The game has done a nice job of improving on the original static camera shots, by adding a little pan in some of the larger spaces, but it can be easily forgotten with how small the pans can be.

Perhaps the strange part of the visuals is that not all areas received a boost and when you see the parts that did not, they will stand out like a sore thumb. The save screen, when you are using a type writer is still the standard image from the GameCube version, it is not even in Widescreen, so seeing the game go from a nice presentation to a lacklustre one is really jarring. Other areas not to get a visual improvement include the caverns, which you will run through quite often and some of the enemy models. Zombies themselves only really need to have one or two looks, but Resident Evil has always had a vast array of enemy types, so seeing things like the Lickers or the dogs, but not as pretty as the character or rooms, is a letdown.

But don’t worry for those that loved the old school tank controls, they are still here. In fact as horrible as they are in the world of modern games, they are still a lot better than the alternate control scheme on offer. While most of the functions in the alternate setup works well, it is its lack of weight that hurts, your character can do spins without any resistance and moves like they are coated in oil. You are however able to swap control schemes at any time, so if you desire to start off with the old and then swap to the new, you can do that. The old style of controls work for the game that is on offer, but anyone who has never played a Resident Evil game before number 4 is going to be really surprised at how clunky they are.

Thankfully, one area that has gotten improved across the board is the sound, the characters still deliver that same campy style of voice acting that the early games were known for, but now with a 5.1 mix the voice work can be drowned out by the sounds of the mansion. The sounds are almost all taken from the 2002 GameCube remake, but with this new mix, they feel more alive and impactful than before. Just walking through the outside portion towards that little shack and hearing those chains clank is as terrifying now as it was over a decade ago.

Sadly though, for all that Capcom have done to the game, it just does not work all that well in the modern game scene. Playing with the new control scheme makes the game feel cheap and the original just does not work well anymore. The visuals are improved in areas, with the sound being the best part, but overall unless you are a die-hard fan, there is very little to summon you to the mansion.

The Score

6.0

Review code provided by Capcom

The Pros

+The granddaddy of survival horror

+Improvements to the visuals and sound are welcome

The Cons

-Outdated and awkward controls

-Overall improvements are lacking