After the release and success of the Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 remakes, it was almost a given that Capcom would continue the trend of remaking classic games in the franchise. Now that it has released yet another remake in the form of Resident Evil 4, arguably the most iconic and important game in the franchise, fans are eager to learn what game Capcom will choose for the next installment in the Resident Evil franchise to receive the remake treatment. While logic would suggest that the publisher will move forward with a remake of Resident Evil 5, a different and more-overlooked game in the franchise should take precedence - Resident Evil: Code Veronica.
Originally released for the ill-fated Sega Dreamcast in 2000, Code Veronica was the first title in the franchise to not be released on PlayStation consoles until its first "remaster" in the form of Code Veronica X on the PlayStation 2 a year later. One of the key features of Code Veronica that has helped it endure in the minds of fans is the way that it deftly addresses questions surrounding the series' overarching narrative, and it is also the only title to feature both of the Redfields, Chris and Claire, working together to thwart the Umbrella Corporation and their devious schemes.
Resident Evil: Code Veronica Is an Overlooked Franchise Highlight
Code Veronica was the first entry in the franchise to make the transition from pre-rendered backgrounds to full-3D environments and was also the last entry in the franchise to use fixed-camera angles and the classic "tank controls" of the original trilogy. As the last of the Resident Evil titles to use the classic formula before the sea change of Resident Evil 4 shifted the direction of the franchise (and, arguably, every third-person action game that came after), Code Veronica is an odd-duck in the long-running survival-horror series. That said, the game warrants its place as an unsung fan-favorite.
The story of Code Veronica picks up shortly after the events of Resident Evil 2, with Claire Redfield making good on her promise to track down her brother Chris. After a failed attempt to infiltrate an Umbrella facility, Claire lands herself in a remote prison complex controlled by the nefarious corporation and becomes entangled in a web of mystery that serves as the connective tissue for the backstory of the Umbrella Corporation and its founders. With complex puzzles, dual protagonists, and a story that fills in important gaps of the series' canon, the prospect of a modern update should appeal to any fan of the franchise whether they've played the original or not.
How Code Veronica Could Be Improved by a REmake
With the importance that Code Veronica's story has to the lore of the Resident Evil franchise, the prospect of the game receiving the same remake treatment that Resident Evil 2, 3, and 4 have all gotten is an exciting one given how developers changed the tone of each game to lean more into its horror elements. Resident Evil is known for its frightful enemies and boss encounters, with Code Veronica having some of the more unique (and creepy) enemies and bosses in the entire franchise. Seeing these fights re-imagined in the RE Engine along with a greater emphasis on horror instead of camp would be a massive upgrade compared to the original's limited presentation.
When one considers that Resident Evil 5 isn't yet 15 years out from its initial release and that it has aged gracefully compared to Code Veronica, it's obvious which game would benefit more from a modern remake. Code Veronica was the series' first leap into full 3D, with some steps in the new direction landing more squarely than others. The lessons learned from Code Veronica's uneven final product went on to influence Resident Evil 4's development, and now that fans have a remake of that game, it's time for the same courtesy to be extended to the series' hidden gem.
Resident Evil 4 is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X.