Nostalgia. Apart from it being one of my favourite words because of how it rolls off the tongue, it is a very powerful jumble of letters. A mere mention of this word alone evokes such strong feelings - in myself, at least – of times long ago. A word that only conjures the positive from the past, or, at least the stuff I can laugh about now, whilst cringing to the max and thinking “What the fuck was wrong with me?”
I read somewhere that when you think of a memory, you aren’t actually thinking about that specific memory first-hand, instead you are remembering the last time you remembered that memory. What the fuck, right? That’s some heavy shit right there. I know what you’re thinking, though; “I only came here to read about games, you fucking fiend.” Well, slow down a second. I’m getting there, I promise.
When sitting and reminiscing of times gone by, a large portion of these memories are just certain scenes played out. I may not remember what colour t-shirt I was wearing when I was flung into the local docks, but I remember the look on my mate’s face as I went slowly over the edge; my hands clawing at the ground to find something to grasp onto, and stop the inevitable soaking which was almost upon me. At the time, it wasn’t so funny. Now though, it does bring a smirk to my face.
So, now I come to the point of this ramble. I just can’t get my head around how after all these years I can recall something totally insignificant as where I was when I first played Silent Hill. I remember where and how I was sat. I remember the colour of my bedsheets. I remember what time of day it was. I can hardly remember my cash card pin number at times, but I can tell you what day of the week it was as well; Thursday. Why the fuck do I remember that? How is that useless information going to help me when the waters rise and the earth crumbles? I need survival tips lodged in my brain, not days of the week I played video games.
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| "Got a light?" - Zombie Jamie (Jambie?) |
I think it is a perfect reminder of just how much an impact gaming has had on me my whole life. It is a part of me. It’s who I am. Gaming is in my blood. I have always played games for as long as I can physically remember. It all started with my first console, which was a Sega Mega Drive, and my first favourite game being Sonic the Hedgehog. That blue, spikey ball of a bastard made me who I am now. He made me crave playing computer games more and more. So, with each year that passed, my experiences with games became more extensive and profound. My taste in games has certainly changed since those days, but definitely not my love for the medium.
Along the way, there are some absolute belters that I will never forget; I don’t think it’s necessary to name them for you, but I will anyway because you don’t control me! Final Fantasy 7, Abe’s Odyssey, Tekken 3, Driver and Resident Evil to name a few. Yet, with the constant iterations, sequels, reboots and remakes, it’s like these games never fell down the back of the sofa of time. Some might say we’re spoilt. I would say that’s a bit fucking far to go.
Don’t get me wrong, I loved these games. I love the fact they are preserved in the filing cabinet marked “Awesome shit” somewhere in my thoughts. However, I’m sure a lot of games I consider gold from years ago would probably fold under the pressure of even the mediocre games of present; like a hugely obese person’s deckchair. I know I can be into some God awful shit sometimes, but then I know I am also a lover of the classics. Going back to my list now, let’s talk about Resident Evil. That game – along with the many sequels – is one of the best games I have ever played (apart from RE6, of course). I am a huge fan of the zombie killing series. Now, going back on my point a bit, I really, really enjoyed the remake of Resident Evil on the Game Cube. Going back on my point even more, I really loved the remake of Resident Evil on the Xbox one. Resident Evil Remake HD. Wow. What a game.
I know I turned my nose up a few sentences ago, but I feel the first remake was a necessity. It is proof that games have always been great. For me and my generation - and those before who got into computer games at an early age – the original game was a big deal. It is the gaming equivalent of watching Star Wars for the first time in a cinema. I can imagine. I’m not that old. This game was a milestone, and the remake was just as good. They managed to turn it up to eleven and produce a game that stood up to modern originals. The graphics were beautiful. Each segment of the game dripped with atmosphere. The eerily perfect musical score kept me on the edge of my seat as I turned each corner, embracing a grisly end. Imagine if you will, to my horror, I found myself thinking Resident Evil 0 HD should never have risen from the dead.
I’m afraid, as good as this was back on the old Cube of Game, there is not a lot here that makes this a logical choice for remaking. Obviously, the graphics won’t make as big a leap as REmake compared to its original counterpart, but I found it hard to see much of a difference here. The cut scenes are quite laughable; Rebecca Chambers’ face resembling that of a jacket potato stuffed with dog turds and cigarette ends. Her dead, droopy-eyed stare as she speaks to fellow protagonist – and anti-hero – Billy Coen is really a sight to behold. It just happens to be the wrong kind of sight. It’s scary for other reasons.
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| I though HD stood for High Definition... |
The gameplay is exactly the same. However, if you want to play without the old school tanked controls, you can now just use the joystick to run around freely. This isn’t a saving grace though. Many a time I got caught in a horrific back and forth of camera angles, where I would be running in one direction but as soon as I left one angle, I would be running the opposite fucking way and end up back in the previous camera angle. Not good when you are in a combat situation. Not really good for the game, full stop. I heartily endorse the original control set up. Don’t change it. You will regret it.
Apart from the new included Wesker mode which you unlock on completing the game, there is nothing much else to tell you. Even that mode is just the campaign, but you play as everyone’s favourite bastard, Albert Wesker. He even has a cool super ability where you can Force push(?!) enemies back. I think they may also explode(?!) I don’t really know. I haven’t unlocked that mode yet. To be honest, I don’t think I will, either.
It is a real shame, because I remember that game being really good. I mean, it is a really good game, it’s just not a good enough game to bring out on modern consoles and expect people to pay for it. This really is a prime example of how an old game should have been left behind. If you want to play it, I’m sure you could grab a second hand copy for the Game Cube – along with the console – for peanuts in comparison. At least that way you would have gone the whole hog and be classed as proper old school. Hell, that would be awesome. I kinda want to do that now. More than likely, I won’t. I’ll just think about when I had it. That can be just as good. Right? Right?!
