Resident Evil Director's Cut

Pros • dual shock support is a great addition • improved version of a classic game • frightening and engaging game	Cons • not enough added features to be worth replaying Resident Evil • hot spots are difficult to locate in rendered backgrounds • character control can be awkward
Bottom Line If you missed Resident Evil,then it is time to pick it up and the Director's Cut is the best version to get. The Director's Cut really, was a bridge between Resident Evil and Resident Evil II (Nice creative name for the sequel.) Originally, it was reported that the Director's Cut would contain the cut scenes and extra gore that had been cut from the original Resident Evil. This does not seem to be the case. I could find no new footage and Gamespot reported that the cut scenes were not included, "supposedly because of a mistake during Sony's approval process." So, without the extra scenes, what is different about the Director's Cut? There are two new play modes, Easy, which was, evidently part of the Japanese release, but not the US, and Arrange. The Arrange mode has all of the game items in different places and some better camera work as well as a few small surprises in the game. The arrange mode would allow someone who had already played Resident Evil to replay it. The real addition, is Dual Shock Analog Control. My first impression of Resident Evil being all about gore and shock value was incorrect. Resident Evil is all about atmosphere and the vibrations from the controller are a tremendous addition.

This disc somehow slipped through the cracks. It's time we got to it. I must confess, when Resident Evil was released, I was not a fan. The first I saw of it was my little brother playing it. I was greeted by the image of Zombies chewing on the player character and realistic blood and sound effects that positively turned me off. At the time, I was concerned about U.S. congress attempts to regulate video games. The state of Florida even went so far as to table a law that would have prohibited display of video games in public areas. This gore and realistic violence which I saw in five seconds of Resident Evil seemed exactly what and why the issue was about. This, therefore, is the first time I have really sat down and spent time with Resident Evil and I did so reluctantly. My mistake!

Director's Cut?

The Director's Cut really, was a bridge between Resident Evil and Resident Evil II (Nice creative name for the sequel.) Originally, it was reported that the Director's Cut would contain the cut scenes and extra gore that had been cut from the original Resident Evil. This does not seem to be the case. I could find no new footage and Gamespot reported that the cut scenes were not included, "supposedly because of a mistake during Sony's approval process." So, without the extra scenes, what is different about the Director's Cut? There are two new play modes, Easy, which was, evidently part of the Japanese release, but not the US, and Arrange. The Arrange mode has all of the game items in different places and some better camera work as well as a few small surprises in the game. The arrange mode would allow someone who had already played Resident Evil to replay it. The real addition, is Dual Shock Analog Control. My first impression of Resident Evil being all about gore and shock value was incorrect. Resident Evil is all about atmosphere and the vibrations from the controller are a tremendous addition.

Atmosphere

Yes, there is substantial gore in this game, but rather than being primary and gratuitous as I had feared, the blood is part of the atmosphere. Resident Evil has no equal when it comes to setting a mood. A few hours of playing this game can work you up to a near panic. New Zombie appearances make your heart jump and charge with adrenaline. Damaging attacks that, with the vibration function, shake your body are terrifying. Playing this game is like watching a good tense movie that you have to finish to have some closure and resolution or you will be too worked up to be able to rest. The beautifully rendered mansion and sound track fit right in to the atmosphere and the terrible voice acting gives a sort of B-Movie escape that keeps the game from becoming too terrifying.

If You Don't Know By Now...

The story is that there have been some bizarre murders in the Raccoon City area. The police report that the mangled remains of a woman hiker indicate that something powerful, most likely a grizzly bear or wolf must have gotten a hold of her. The S.T.A.R.S. force have been contacted to investigate the area and bring things under control. Contact has been lost with the first S.T.A.R.S. team after they reported finding a mysterious mansion and then helicopter troubles. Bravo team has been dispatched. Two members of the team can be played and the two games play significantly different. Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine are the two characters that are available. The team is rapidly separated and the player character is left, mostly, on their own to explore the mansion and the truth behind all of the disappearances. Various weapons, including shotguns and flame throwers will be discovered along the way, but the heart of Resident Evil is more puzzle solving than it is combat. There is no separate combat mode, combat occurs real time, on screen and is as simple as point, shoot and watch the blood spatter and pool.

Everything about the graphics is beautiful and everything in the game contributes to the atmosphere. The slight irritants that I had were functions of the beautiful rendered backgrounds. It can be difficult to maneuver around objects blocking your path and difficult to discover the hot spots in the environment. This results in a lot of walking into walls, tables, desks etc pushing the interact (X) button until you find the necessary piece to solve the next puzzle.

Late as this review is, all I can really say is that If you missed Resident Evil, then you should probably get the Director's Cut, instead of the original but that is sort of redundant since the original is no longer available. If you have Resident Evil, you probably shouldn't bother with the Director's Cut unless you were a serious fan who just couldn't get enough. The Arrange version will let you play it again a little differently and the vibrations will creep you out all over again. If you are considering Resident Evil for the first time, remember that the game is rated Mature and means it. If it were a movie, the realistic blood effects would probably have it rated Restricted. If your concerns paralleled mine of gratuitous gore, then let me reiterate that the effects are realistic but secondary to the overpowering atmosphere of the game. It really is a remarkable achievement. The Director's Cut gets the same score as the original and as Resident Evil II.

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