 Home
News, and the latest updates.
Archives
Stories from the past...
Submit News
Got a item of interest? Here's the place to go.
Feedback
Your opinion always counts on how we can make GameSurge
even better.
Mailbag
Comments on our features, by you, the viewers. | 
Hardware
Tweaks, reviews and a handy driver index highlight our newest section
Reviews
Looking to buy one of the hottest games? We have it covered.
Previews
Get a advanced look at the games of tomorrow.
Interviews
Find out more about the people behind your favorite game.
Strategy
Need Help? We have a very large selection of walkthroughs now up.
Gallery
A special section featuring the best in artwork and
images. |
Editorials
The written word, by staff and viewers.
Game Guy
A bi-monthly column contributed by Mark H Walker, an independant writer in the Gaming community.
Gallery
Pictures from around the web.
Hosting
Our current hosting plans and features.
Site Information
Who we are, what we do, our policies and job positions.
|
PlayStation
The Sony PlayStation, and beyond...
Nintendo 64
Currently Down.
Dreamcast
The Dreamcast resource, and more. Home of the DC Technical pages. |
|
Resident Evil
Now, with full control of the hero(ine) in your hands, the first wave of disappointment may form when, after being psyched up by the introduction movie and suckered in by the promises on the box, you realize this is most certainly not the action gorefest you might first have thought. Without a doubt, the focus of gameplay prominently remains on exploration and experimentation more than anything else, which will no doubt deter a lot of the eager action fans looking for a 3rd-person Quake meets Night of the Living Dead.
 No, this title is about experiencing the suspenseful atmosphere, relishing the tension every time you enter new and unfamiliar territory, and being prepared to jump and feel your pulse rate quicken even when you think you're ready for anything. The game is played entirely from a 3rd-person perspective, using static 'fly-on-the-wall' cameras at cinematic angles, which change when your character moves close to the edge of the screen or into the background; a technique made standard by the still fantastic game released back in the early nineties Alone in the Dark developed by French company, Infogrames. Of course, back then, the visuals were in blocky ol' VGA (320x200x256) and the character's sprites were made up of ugly, jagged polygons completely lacking in any form of shading or detail. Regardless, the original AITD was revolutionary, atmospheric, and downright frightening!
 And in fact, Resident Evil owes a lot more to AITD than just the similarities in viewpoints - both were set in a deserted mansion rampant with creatures of the undead, both have certain 'high scare points' where you walk along and suddenly a trap goes off or a monster jumps out on you, with the accompanying loud, Friday the 13th-style music blaring in the background (RE even has a scene identical to AITD where huge dogs suddenly jump through a nearby window to attack you).
After sacrificing a ridiculously large portion of the hard drive to the game's recommended install (how it managed on the Playstation, where there's a minuscule amount of storage capacity, I daren't wonder) - some 274mb - you are brought up with a typically console-looking startup screen. Big title covering top portion of the screen, two brief and simple options at the bottom: New Game, Load Game. Before beginning, you must choose which character you wish to play, which admirably offers the player a chance to assume a male or female role - both with the hard names of Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine.
 Essentially though, this is actually more of a 'difficulty' setting, as the female character presents a much easier challenge (more inventory space, fewer and easier-to-kill monsters, starts with a gun as opposed to just a knife, less doors to unlock…), but it's commendable that there are gameplay differences and the choice of gender isn't purely cosmetic. I always get a kick out of the games that place female leads in that are obviously nothing more than an afterthought, as the rest of the characters throughout always refer to you using male pronouns and make sexist jokes right to your face. |
 |
|
|
Zalman: ZM-DS4F Headphones
|
An affordable, ultra-portable headphone set.
 more
|
|
