Resident Evil: Deadly Silence

The Resident Evil franchise is the granddaddy of survival horror videogames. The series was born on Sony’s PlayStation and it became an immediate hit upon release. In the 10 years since Resident Evil’s original release, countless sequels, remakes, and copycats have appeared on just about evey gaming platform. While surivivor horror titles haven’t translated well to handhelds, Capcom’s re-release of the original Resident Evil is aiming to change that trend. Read on for the full review on Resident Evil: Deadly Silence.

Facts and Features

• Re-release of the original Resident Evil with added modes
• Multiplayer modes for up to 4 players (no download play)
• Map and stats are kept on the top screen, action on the bottom
• New touch screen battle and puzzle elements
• Improved control scheme
• Microphone functionality
• Retains all of the original FMVs
• Available now

Important Note: Resident Evil: Deadly Silence is an interesting release. The game is meant to appeal to two major groups: those that have played and enjoyed the original, and to those that have been recently introduced to the RE franchise and are interested in experiencing the original. In an attempt to avoid mere comparison with the original PSX version, I’ll review the game as if it weren’t a port and recap the major differences at the end of each section. This should give newcomers to the game a fair look at the game’s individual merits and still provide answers to veterans that are curious about how it compares to the original.

Presentation
Resident Evil: DS is presented in classic B-movie horror fashion. The FMVs that introduce the game and various important moments are coupled with cheesy voice acting and hilariously bad acting. While the quality of the acting and voicework isn’t enough to bother you, it certainly won’t have you raving about it to your friends anytime soon. The voice acting during realtime cutscenes are equally bad, but at least the sound quality is clear. Even with the poor talent level of the actors, it’s still admirable that Capcom managed to squeeze these into a DS cartridge along with a pretty meaty game.

The storyline of the game is pretty intriguing and there are some nice twists to be found in the plot as you progress. While investigating the disappearance of some colleagues, you find yourself stranded in an old mansion full of zombies and deformed creatures in a fight for survival with your fellow S.T.A.R.S. members – a type special police force.

Saving in RE: DS is handled by the use of ink ribbons and typewriters that are found in various rooms of the mansion. Saves are limited to the amount of typewriter ink ribbons you find as you progress, so it’s best to be thrifty with saves. A save anywhere feature is something the game severely lacks when you consider that many handheld games are played in short bursts. While Resident Evil purists may find that this helps to maintain the suspense of the game, I find it to be prohibitive for when attempting to take the game on the road.

Writing to roll your eyes to…

The DS/PSX Difference
In terms of presentation, the versions are nearly identical. The DS version uses the same FMVs, voice acting, and cutscenes that were made famous on the PSX version. It might have been an attempt to preserve the original version as much as possible, but I would have preferred that Capcom had used the GameCube remake cutscenes instead. The FMV quality is very high, but there might be a tiny bit of quality loss due to compression, but it’s hardly noticeable. The storyline is unaltered and all of the twists in the plot occur at the same moments as they did in the original.

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Gameplay
There are two modes in the single player game that are available right from the start. There is a Classic Mode which is pretty much a direct port of the PSX original, and there is also a Rebirth Mode which introduces a few gameplay tweaks and upgrades exclusive to the DS. While navigating the masion in Rebirth Mode, you will control either Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine. Chris is able to take more damage than Jill, but Jill is able to carry more items than Chris. Playing as Jill is recommended for beginners as she is also able to pick certain locks that gain her early access to some areas of the mansion.

The controls are going to take newcomers to the series (or those only familiar with Resident Evil 4) a little bit of time to adjust to the setup. No matter what direction your character is facing you always press up on the directional pad to move your character forward. Pressing down causes the character to walk backwards while the left and right directions are used for rotation. There is a a quick 180 degree turn that eliminates having to make slow rotations when you need to turn around; this is something that you’ll appreciate when you are dealing with multiple enemies. Aiming your weapon is handled by holding down the R button to pull it out and then firing by tapping the B button (this can vary based on your control setup). The setup works well, but it can be difficult to line up long shots, especially after a camera angle change. Each character also carries a combat knife that is used in the same manner as the equipped weapon except that you press the L button instead of the R.

The touch screen controls are introduced in either short combat moments or in occasional puzzles (Rebirth Mode only). Once in a while, when entering a room, the perspective will shift from 3rd person to 1st person and zombies will be advancing. When this occurs the player needs to fight off the zombies using their combat knife by swiping their finger or stylus across the bottom screen. Once all of the zombies have been killed, the perspective shifts back to the 3rd person view and the game resumes in the same fashion as it did before. While this is an interesting way of using the touch screen, it is a little bit of a jarring transition. It might have seemed a bit more smooth if the 1st person view was optional or if other weapons were available to the user.

Rebirth Mode also features a few instances where the microphone input on the DS can be used. In an attempt to remain as spoiler free as possible, I’ll be as general as possible. One instance of the microphone usage occures when CPR must be given to a character while another has you blowing harmful substances from your character. It’s a neat addition to the gameplay, but it isn’t revolutionary by any means.

The overall pacing of the game is determined by the player. If the player is able to figure out the puzzles quickly and able to find the hidden items without excessive searching, the game moves along at a pretty nice pace for a survival horror game. However, most players will be required to visit rooms several times while studying objects and their descriptions closely in order to find out where to go next. Once you have cleared a room of zombies (or other monsters), typically you will not have to face anymore enemies in that room. While this does slow the action down in the game, it allows the player to move from room to room a lot easier. Since exploration is the key to progression (and finding much needed ammunition), it’s actually a good thing zombies don’t continually regenerate.

A look at the first-person slashing action in RE: DS.

Resident Evil: DS features two multiplayer modes. Both modes require that each user (2-4) has the game and a DS, but that is to be expected given the size of the game. In the cooperative mode each player will be trying to work together in order to fight off enemy attackers and to make their way out of the mansion. In the competitive mode, the players will be racing to be the first out of the mansion, but they won’t encounter each other as they progress. Each player is basically in their own version of the mansion.

The DS/PSX Difference
If you play in the Classic Mode, the DS and PSX versions of the game are identical in regards to gameplay. This is a nice move on Capcom’s part to offer long-time fans the opportunity to replay the game exactly as they remember it. In Rebirth Mode, a few tweaks are thrown into the mix. Obviously the touch screen elements are not to be found in any form in the PSX version, and neither are any of the microphone elements. The 180 degree quick turn feature is something that wasn’t present in the PSX version, but it is considered to be one of the most siginificant gameplay improvements found in the RE franchise over the years. Most will find that the DS version is superior to the PSX version in terms of gameplay, but Capcom has still given preference to the gamer by offering the Classic Mode.

There were no multiplayer modes in the PSX version of the game.

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Graphics and Sound
Resident Evil: Deadly Silence is a solid audio and visual package. The pre-rendered backgrounds are nicely detailed and the character models are nice and sharp. At times there tends to be some muddled areas, but the overall graphical presentation is commendable. Resident Evil: DS is easily one of the prettiest games available on the DS.

Spiders are freakishly big in Resident Evil: Deadly Silence.

The sound effects and music are clean and crisp. From the eerie cello to the nasty sounds of a zombie eating flesh, Resident Evil: Deadly Silence delivers. Capcom has managed to include a great audio package without having to compress samples to the point where they begin to lose clarity. I suggest playing the game with a nice pair of headphones (noise cancelling ones if possible), and playing in a room that is free of ambient noise. The music and sound effects are so superb that you will be drawn into the experience just as if you were playing on a console. Don’t let something like a TV or radio ruin that sort of experience for you. The stereo separation capabilities of the DS are much appreciated in a title such as Resident Evil: DS.

The DS/PSX Difference
It’s really amazing what Capcom has done with the DS hardware in regards to the audio and graphical elements. While some of the backgrounds have lost a little bit of detail, the character models have actually been cleaned up and improved in the DS version. The sound effects are also very close to what the original version offered, despite the fact that Capcom was dealing with a more limited storage medium.

Closing Comments
Capcom has tried to bring the Resident Evil franchise to the handheld arena before, but never have they had as much success as with Deadly Silence. Despite the small screen and the lack of complete surround sound, RE: DS still manages to provide genuine intensity and fear. Never before has a survival horror game been executed so well on a handheld platform. While the control scheme is still a little clunky, it’s worth dealing with to experience a true classic just the way it appeared ten years ago, or with the added DS features. It really comes down to the fact that the core elements of the game are ten years old, even if they have aged fairly well. Fans of the RE franchise that loved the original will be very happy with Capcom’s efforts. Newcomers to the RE franchise will find a great introduction to the series in Deadly Silence. Since this is a handheld version, it would have greatly helped things to have included a save anywhere system and remove the limit on saves, but it doesn’t ruin the experience. I would have preferred to see an original Resident Evil for the DS, but this will most likely be enough to hold me over for a while.

— Jeff Rivera