Resident Evil – Code: Veronica

Resident Evil Code: Veronica
North American Dreamcast box art
Developer(s)	Nextech Flagship (scenario)
Publisher(s)	Capcom Eidos (EU) Nintendo Australia (Australian Gamecube release)
Designer(s)	Hiroki Katoh (director) Shinji Mikami (producer)
Composer(s)	Takeshi Miura Hijiri Anze Sanae Kasahara
Platform(s)	Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube
Release	February 3, 2000 Dreamcast Code: Veronica X PlayStation 2 GameCube
Genre(s)	Survival horror
Mode(s)	Single-player

Resident Evil Code: Veronica, released in Japan as Biohazard Code: Veronica (バイオハザード コードベロニカ), is the fourth game in Capcom's Resident Evil survival horror series, originally released for the Sega Dreamcast in 2000. It is notable for being the first Resident Evil title to debut on a non-Sony platform, in contrast to the first three installments, which were originally PlayStation games and then ported to other platforms.

An updated version of the game titled Code: Veronica X (コードベロニカ ~完全版~, Kōdo: Beronika ~Kanzenban~, Code: Veronica ~Complete Version~) was released for the Dreamcast (in Japan only) and PlayStation 2 in 2001. This revision was ported to the Nintendo GameCube in 2003. Code: Veronica X includes updated and new cut scenes spliced into the main game along with mild graphical changes.

It was the first game in the series made for a sixth generation console.

Gameplay

Code: Veronica is the first Resident Evil game in the main series to use 3D backgrounds instead of the traditional pre-rendered ones. Despite this, the camera does not follow the player around, but swings between semi-fixed angles. However, two weapons in the game can be fired from the character's point of view. First person view mode is also available in the game's unlockable Battle Game minigame.

Gameplay remained largely unchanged from Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (which was developed in tandem with Code: Veronica); features such as explosive oil drums and a 180-degree turn having been carried over to this game, though the dodge feature was removed. Items from Resident Evil 2, such as upgradeable handgun parts and "side packs" for larger item capacity are included, as well as new weapons such as crossbow arrows mixed with gun powder and anti-BOW rounds for the grenade launcher. A unique feature of Code: Veronica is the inclusion of various dual wielding pistols, allowing the player to target two enemies at the same time. Some of the more subtle improvements in Code: Veronica include the addition of continues, allowing the player to retry a scene after a game over, and the ability to pick and use a healing herb when the character's inventory is full.

Code: Veronica features two protagonists, Claire Redfield and her brother Chris. Code: Veronica forces players to take control of Claire for the first half of the game and then start the second half with Chris. All of Claire's weapons and items left in the item box are available for Chris to pick up in his half of the game. In addition, a third character, Steve Burnside, is briefly playable during the game's first half and Claire herself is playable during a short portion of Chris' scenario.

Like previous Resident Evil titles, there are hidden features that are unlocked after meeting certain requirements. After completing the main game, a Battle Game is unlocked in which the player can choose from one of five characters (Chris, Claire with her normal and one secret outfit, and two unlockable characters, Albert Wesker and Steve), travel through a series of rooms, clear each area of monsters and eventually defeat a character-specific boss in the quickest time possible. Both the main game and the Battle Game feature their respective unlockable weapons.

Plot

Setting

The plot moves onto Rockfort Island, a solitary private isle owned by the Umbrella Corporation, although much of the later portions of the game take place in an Umbrella-owned transport terminal in Antarctica. Rockfort Island houses several facilities including a prison, a military training base, the Ashford family's palace, a private residence and an airport. The Antarctic transport terminal at the end of the game includes several facilities and a residence, including a replica of the mansion's lobby from the original Resident Evil.

Story

Main article: Characters in Resident Evil Code: Veronica

The game is set three months after the destruction of Racoon city, it begins with heroine Claire Redfield raiding an Umbrella Corporation facility in Paris after having left Leon and Sherry in search of her lost brother Chris Redfield. During the infiltration she is captured and imprisoned on Rockfort Island. Soon after arriving, a man named Rodrigo Juan Raval releases her from her cell, since she is not much of a threat considering the recent release of the T-Virus on Rockfort. Trying to escape from the T-virus contaminated island, Claire teams up with inmate Steve Burnside, at the same time being confronted with the island's commander Alfred Ashford. Soon after meeting Steve, Claire is attacked by a zombie that is revealed to be Steve's father, whom he must kill to save Claire. Meanwhile, Albert Wesker is on a mission of his own to retrieve a sample of the T-Veronica virus developed by Alfred's presumed to be dead twin sister Alexia. His unit is also responsible for the outbreak of the T-virus on Rockfort Island.

Claire and Steve eventually escape via plane, but Alfred sets it to autopilot and flies both of them to another Umbrella facility in the Antarctic, in hope of freeing his sister from her 15-years-long cryogenic sleep she took after the injection of the T-Veronica virus, to counter the flaws of that virus. After another fight with Claire and Steve which ends in the protagonists' escaping the facility via a digger, Alfred limps to Alexia, heavily injured. He witnesses her awakening moments before drawing his last breath. Alexia summons giant tentacles and crashes Claire's and Steve's digger, recapturing both.

Claire's brother Chris arrives on Rockfort after having been contacted by Leon. He learns from Rodrigo Juan Raval that Claire is long gone. Rodrigo is soon killed afterwards by a giant worm. Searching around Rockfort, Chris has an encounter with Wesker. Just as his old superior wants to finish him off, Alexia appears on a screen laughing. Stunned by Alexia's being still alive, Wesker changes his mind and returns to the Antarctic. Chris eventually finds his way there, too, and is reunited with Claire who sets out to find Steve. As she locates him, she discovers Alexia conducted an experiment with him, injecting Steve with the T-Veronica virus. Steve mutates into a reptilian monster and tries to kill Claire who escapes to a prison cell, where she is attacked by another of Alexia's tentacles. Still in his mutated form, Steve breaks through the bars using his immense strength and rescues Claire. The tentacle drives into his chest and retreats. Steve mutates back to his human form and dies. However, before he dies, he professes his love for Claire.

At the same time, Chris and Wesker confront Alexia. Overwhelmed by her strength, Wesker escapes and leaves Chris to fight her. His victory is only temporary, though, as Alexia resurrects after the battle. Meanwhile, Chris activates the facility's self-destruct system to release all locks, thus freeing Claire from the prison cell. Alexia confronts him a second time, this time leading to her ultimate destruction. Chris runs to the emergency elevator and catches a glimpse of Wesker, whose men also retrieved Steve's body to use him for further experiments, as he is the only subject injected with a sample of the T-Veronica virus. Chris convinces Wesker to release Claire who then runs to the plane, waiting for her brother. This brings forth the final showdown in which Chris is overwhelmed by Wesker. Both are separated by an explosion. Wesker vows he will satisfy his desire for revenge the next time they meet. Chris reunites with Claire and both set off just as the whole facility blows up. Chris swears to take down Umbrella once and for all.

Development

Code: Veronica was one of the first third-party games announced for the Sega Dreamcast by the end of 1998. The game was originally scheduled for a late 1999 release following the American Dreamcast launch, but was delayed and eventually released at the beginning of 2000.

Code: Veronica is notable for being the only Resident Evil sequel with the original gameplay not to bear a numbered title, despite being promoted as the true sequel to Resident Evil 2. Instead Nemesis, a PlayStation title that originally began development as a side-story rather than a true sequel was given the title Resident Evil 3.

While Production Studio 4 was in charge of the game's artistic direction, the actual development of the game was handled by Nextech Corporation (a subsidiary of Sega at the time), the same company that ported the original Resident Evil to the Sega Saturn. Although, the game was originally marketed as a Dreamcast exclusive during its initial release, the game was ported to the PlayStation 2 and GameCube later, in the form of the updated version Code: Veronica X.

Localization

The Japanese version of the game contained two difficulty settings ("Easy" and "Very Easy") in addition to the default "Normal" setting found in the American and PAL versions of the game. "Very Easy" starts the player off with the Rocket Launcher and an unlimited supply of ink ribbons.

There were two versions of the original Dreamcast release in Japan: a standard edition and a limited edition. The limited edition came packaged with a red slipcase and features a different title screen, with Wesker's face visible on the background. The same version of this title screen would be used for Code: Veronica X.

Code: Veronica X

Resident Evil Code: Veronica X (Biohazard Code: Veronica ~Complete Edition~in Japan) is an updated version of the original Resident Evil Code: Veronica released for the PlayStation 2 and Sega Dreamcast in 2001. A third version of the game was released for the Nintendo GameCube in 2003.

Code: Veronica X is identical to the original in terms of gameplay, but features nine minutes of additional cut scenes spliced into the main game, as well as mild graphical changes.

Wesker's Report

To promote the release of Code: Veronica X, as well as to commemorate the series' fifth anniversary, Capcom produced a fictional documentary titled Wesker's Report. The documentary was available as a DVD-Video that came bundled with the PlayStation 2 and Dreamcast versions of the game in Japan, given as a pre-order bonus in North America and bundled with the game in PAL regions. The DVD was also sold in North America via Capcom's online store at one time.

As the title indicates, the documentary serves as a retelling of the events of the first three games, as narrated by Albert Wesker. The documentary serves to explain Wesker's return in Code: Veronica and how he came to be hired by the new organization. In addition, it also reveals that the character was a former lab partner of William Birkin and that he was in league with Ada Wong (an agent of the same organization) during the events of Resident Evil 2.

A written sequel to this documentary, titled Wesker's Report II, was released via Capcom's official site (in Japanese and English) to promote the GameCube remake of the original Resident Evil.

Gun Survivor 2

Code: Veronica was adapted into Gun Survivor 2 Biohazard Code: Veronica, a light gun game released in 2001 as a co-production between Namco and Capcom. The arcade version runs on the Dreamcast-based NAOMI 2 arcade hardware. Gun Survivor 2 has no bearing on the plot of Code: Veronica and the events of the game are actually depicted as a dream in Claire's mind at the end of the game. A PlayStation 2 version of Gun Survivor 2 was released in Japan and the PAL region (the latter renamed Resident Evil Survivor 2 Code: Veronica).

The Arcade version of the game uses a fixed machine gun that serves as a joystick to move the player and rotate the view, as well as to fire the player's weapons. The game runs on a timer that counts down when an area is entered, and if time runs out, the Nemesis from Resident Evil 3: Nemesis will start pursuing the player and attack them. Only certain arcade machines had 2 player support.

Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles

Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles is based on Resident Evil 2 and Code: Veronica.

Reception

The Dreamcast version of the game garnered many extremely positive reviews, IGN giving it a 9.2/10, GameSpot giving it a 9.5/10, and GamePro giving it a 4.5/5. The updated release, Code: Veronica X fared well, garnering a 9.0/10 from GameSpot, and a 4.5/5 from GamePro. The GameCube version garnered largely mediocre reviews, due to its unaltered, ported status. X-Play gave the GameCube version a 1/5.

Resident Evil Code: Veronica has sold nearly 3 million copies worldwide.

Other media

Code: Veronica

First edition cover First edition cover
Author	S. D. Perry
Language	English
Series	Resident Evil
Genre	Horror
Publisher	Pocket Books
Publication date	December 1, 2001
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print (Paperback)
Pages	230
ISBN	8-448-03961-0
OCLC	433622107
Preceded by	Nemesis
Followed by	Umbrella Chronicles SIDE A & SIDE B

As with previous Resident Evil games, a Code: Veronica novelization was written by author S. D. Perry. Although the novel was first published on December 1, 2001, it is based on the original game and does not take into account the added events introduced in the later version of the game. As with the previous novelizations by Perry, the original character Mr. Trent appears as a mysterious stringpuller behind the plot.

Code: Veronica was also adapted into a manhua by Lee Chung Hing (who also did a similar adaptation of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis), published in Hong Kong during the original game's release. An English version of the comic was published as four collected graphic novels by Wildstorm in North America.

External links

• Official Japanese site
• Official Japanese Complete Version site
• Official American Code: Veronica X site
• Official European Code: Veronica X site
• Official Japanese GameCube site
• Resident Evil – Code: Veronica at MobyGames
• Resident Evil at Wikia
• Creature designs at Satoshi Nakai's personal homepage with commentary Template:Ja