Resident Evil – Code: Veronica, Rediscovering the Forgotten Chapter of the Saga

After the blunders of the seventh console generation (Wii, PS3, and 360 in case you were wondering), Capcom rolled up its sleeves to bring Resident Evil back to prominence. Starting with Biohazard in 2017, every chapter of the saga has proven to be a success, between new episodes and remakes, and Requiem, due out in a few months, seems to be no different. Given that for the protagonist of the latter, the Japanese company even pulled Outbreak out of the closet (Grace is indeed the daughter of one of the game's characters, Alyssa Ashcroft), it's natural to ask: what happened to Code: Veronica?

Presented by Capcom in 1998 to "make amends" for failing to bring Resident Evil 2 to Saturn (unlike the N64, which was already an optimization miracle at the time), Code: Veronica would leverage the power of the nascent Dreamcast to usher the series into the then-next-gen. It was developed in parallel with Resident Evil 3: Nemesis and was supposed to be released together, but various difficulties forced a delay of several months, also missing the Western launch window for Sega's last console. 

This did not prevent it from becoming one of the most acclaimed and popular titles for the platform, whose sad fate, however, seemed already sealed. Capcom quickly remedied this by orchestrating an "extended" port first to PS2 and a few years later to GameCube, with the subtitle Code: Veronica X (also released on Dreamcast, but only in Japan as Code: Veronica Kanzenban). An HD conversion for PS3 and 360 followed, which took some liberties with the lighting, and a more faithful adaptation for PS4, both still available on digital stores. In short, there's no shortage of options to try it today; is it still worth it after more than a quarter of a century since its debut?

From a narrative perspective, Code: Veronica can be considered the "true" Resident Evil 3, as it continues the story of 2, while Nemesis re-proposes the events of Raccoon City, only from Jill Valentine's perspective. At the time, however, only the chapters released on Sony could boast a number on the cover, while the others were considered spin-offs. Would its fate have been different with a more high-sounding title? Who can say. 

Anyway, three months after escaping the epidemic and nuclear disaster with Leon, Claire Redfield becomes an action hero and single-handedly assaults an Umbrella Corporation facility in search of her brother Chris. However, she is captured and taken to a remote island in the ocean. From there, you can imagine the rest: the T-Virus is unleashed, hordes of zombies and assorted beasts decimate the survivors, nothing else to do but flee for your life.

Focusing on individual events, Code: Veronica's plot doesn't make much sense; it's a continuous pretext for going in circles, facing increasingly disgusting creatures and progressively more improbable puzzles. Resident Evil has never taken itself too seriously, but here Capcom didn't hold back, bordering on trash and inflating a storyline that was already starting to feel its age by the late '90s. Many choices are products of their time and should be respected for what they are, but it's impossible not to raise an eyebrow multiple times in the face of certain characterizations and design solutions. 

With controller in hand, the formula is classic: tank controls, a map that unfolds like "Chinese boxes" as key items are found and placed, and an emphasis on the survival component, with limited ammunition and healing items as you navigate claustrophobic areas full of monsters. What distinguishes Code: Veronica from the rest of the series is the use of fully 3D environments, rather than pre-rendered ones as in the past, following in the footsteps of the two Dino Crisis games. This allows for dynamic camera movements to alternate with the usual fixed shots, useful for highlighting larger locations, a result of the increased power available.

An approach that doesn't seem to have convinced Capcom, given the return to static backgrounds with the subsequent Remake and Zero, before the change of course with 4, and which hasn't allowed Code: Veronica to age too well. The CG cutscenes were impressive at the time and still aren't bad today, as are the protagonists' faces during cutscenes, but numerous other aspects don't shine as brightly. Its release at the dawn of the Dreamcast also gives it that "next-gen but not quite" look, with models that wouldn't look out of place on N64; it still has its charm, though. 

Veterans of the saga shouldn't have trouble navigating the military complex, the mansion, the arctic base, and their bizarre trials. Jumpscares, annoying respawns, blind spots, and gratuitous damage (including poison) are annoying and commonplace, but manageable, most of the time. If, however, you're rusty or for some reason Code: Veronica is your first encounter with old-school Resident Evil, prepare to take notes and quickly learn the tricks of the trade.

A larger surface implies many more wasted trips if you've forgotten to thoroughly investigate a room or where to park the next puzzle piece, and thus many door-opening animations. Cures and bullets are not scarce at all, but it's an ephemeral abundance, given that both the pistol (without upgrades, missable by the way) and the crossbow (explosive bolts allowing) have the stopping power of a party popper. The (perhaps) glitched knife, capable of slicing the target multiple times with a single swing, will be your best friend, even if a few bites are inevitable. 

And if you need power, for whatever reason, don't empty the item box, or you'll find yourself empty-handed when switching active characters. Once you know its "traps," Code: Veronica isn't so caustic, but a blind first run can become a nightmare, with the risk of softlocking yourself and being forced to load a previous save or worse, start over. As is tradition, the game lends itself well to multiple sessions (in fact, they're almost mandatory if you want to fully appreciate it) and there are many ways to optimize your times. You'll need them if you're aiming for the best rating. And then Battle Mode with infinite ammo unlocks, to vent some repressed anger.

That said, if you're looking for a "relaxing" old-school survival horror, Code: Veronica hasn't lost its luster, and it's still a shining example of the charisma that allowed Resident Evil to take root in the collective imagination. A plot that gets lost along the way just to stay on track, B-movie voice acting, excellent atmospheres seasoned with cheap scares, and highly entertaining gameplay. Here Capcom pushed the envelope a bit too much in an attempt to amaze without reshuffling the cards, but decades later we can forgive them. It's a difficult and sometimes obtuse game, but it can provide a lot of satisfaction.

Insiders take for granted the announcement of a remake in 2026 with a release as early as 2027, but before official confirmations, these are just rumors. What is certain is that an updated formula, in the vein of the Resident Evil 2 remake, could work wonders to fully realize the title's potential and smooth out its rough edges, but one wonders how some key figures would be "modernized." Abrasive personalities like Steve would certainly come under the scrutiny of contemporary audiences, and good old Alfred would have to be treated with the same care as an unexploded bomb.

In the meantime, you have several "legal" solutions to try the original. The only difference between Code: Veronica and Code: Veronica X is about ten minutes of extra cutscenes that delve deeper into Wesker's role and set the stage for his appearance in what would later become Resident Evil 5, but the experience is the same (except for Steve's hair, a curious addition). The disc version for PS2 is the most widespread and cheapest, both the Platinum edition and the first print including the Devil May Cry demo. The image is dirtier compared to the GameCube and Dreamcast counterparts, but nothing serious. Otherwise, you have the HD port on the Microsoft Store, which they often throw at you (for example, you can find it for 3 euros now), or the more recent remaster on the PSN. Who knows if a native PC version will ever be released...