Resident Evil – Code: Veronica is a 2000 survival horror video game created and released by Capcom for the Dreamcast. It was the first Resident Evil game to appear on a system other than PlayStation. The story happens three months after the events of Resident Evil 2 (1998) and during the same time as the destruction of Raccoon City shown in Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (1999). The game follows Claire Redfield and her brother, Chris Redfield, as they try to survive a virus outbreak at a remote prison island in the Southern Ocean and a research facility in Antarctica. The game keeps the same controls and gameplay style as other Resident Evil games, but instead of using pre-made backgrounds like earlier versions, it uses real-time 3D environments and moving camera angles.

When producer Shinji Mikami and his team learned they could not move Resident Evil 2 to the Sega Saturn, they started working on a new game, which became Code: Veronica. Claire was designed to look stronger than in Resident Evil 2 because of her experiences in Raccoon City, which made her more confident. Unlike earlier games in the series, which had American horror themes, Code: Veronica uses European gothic horror designs. This is shown through gothic buildings, art, and the way the story is written and presented.

Capcom announced Code: Veronica in August 1998 and released it in February 2000 after delays and lower sales goals because the Dreamcast was not selling well. Sales were lower than other Resident Evil games but higher than other Dreamcast games. The game received praise from critics and is considered one of the best Resident Evil and Dreamcast games. In 2001, Capcom released an updated version called Code: Veronica X for the Dreamcast and PlayStation 2. This version added new scenes that provided more story details and was later released on the GameCube and other platforms. In September 2011, Capcom released a high-definition version of Code: Veronica X for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Code: Veronica was also adapted into Resident Evil Survivor 2 – Code: Veronica (2002) for Capcom’s Gun Survivor series and later into Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles (2009).

Gameplay

Resident Evil – Code: Veronica includes survival horror gameplay, similar to earlier games in the series. Players use special controls, a specific interface, puzzles, and fight zombies and monsters. Unlike previous games, which used static backgrounds, Code: Veronica uses real-time 3D environments. This allows the camera to move more freely, following, panning, and zooming as the player moves through the game world, like in Capcom's Dino Crisis (1999). The story is shown through movie-like scenes created with computer graphics and real-time cutscenes.

One part of the game lets players control Claire Redfield, while the other part focuses on her brother, Chris. Basic actions include running, attacking, pushing, and climbing objects. Items collected can be viewed on the inventory screen. Here, players can examine items for puzzle clues and equip some for use. The inventory screen also shows a map and a file menu. Notes found in the game are saved in the files and may help solve puzzles. Players can only carry a limited number of items at once; extra items must be stored in boxes placed throughout the game.

The player character can take damage, which can be healed with restore items. Herbs, which heal health, can be mixed with other herbs to become more effective. If damage is too severe, the game ends, and players must restart from the last saved point. If a partner dies, the game also ends. Some weapons work better against specific enemies, as some enemies are weak to elements like fire or acid. After completing the main game once, a "Battle Mode" unlocks. This is a separate game mode where the player has unlimited ammo and fights enemies in locations from the main game. In addition to Claire and Chris, players can control characters Steve Burnside, Albert Wesker, and a version of Claire wearing new clothing.

Plot

In December 1998, three months after leaving Raccoon City (seen in Resident Evil 2), which was later destroyed in Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, Claire Redfield searches an Umbrella Corporation facility in Paris to find her brother, Chris Redfield. Umbrella's security forces discover her and capture her. Claire is locked up on Rockfort Island, a prison owned by Umbrella in the Southern Ocean. She is knocked unconscious when she arrives. Later, she wakes up and finds she has been released by the person who captured her. She learns about a T-virus outbreak on the island. During the chaos, she teams up with Steve Burnside, another prisoner trying to escape.

As they try to leave the island, Claire and Steve meet Alfred Ashford, the island's commander. They notice he is mentally unstable, as he switches between his own personality and that of his twin sister, Alexia. Eventually, the pair finds a seaplane and uses it to escape. However, Alfred takes control of the plane, directing it to an Umbrella facility in Antarctica. When they arrive, they find the facility has also been infected by the T-virus. They fight through zombies and monsters to find a way out, battling Alfred and seriously injuring him. Before dying, Alfred awakens his sister, Alexia, who had been frozen in cryogenic sleep after injecting herself with the T-Veronica virus, an experimental virus the Ashford family created 15 years earlier. Alexia captures Claire and Steve as they try to escape.

Meanwhile, Chris Redfield arrives on Rockfort Island after receiving a message from Claire through Leon S. Kennedy. Learning that Claire had left, Chris searches the island to find her. During his search, he meets Albert Wesker, an independent agent who previously worked with Umbrella and is now looking for a sample of the T-Veronica virus. After learning Claire's location, Chris and Wesker separately travel to Antarctica. There, Chris rescues Claire and helps her search for Steve, who had been experimented on and injected with the T-Veronica virus. After mutating, Steve tries to attack Claire but fails. He regains control and turns on Alexia, who kills him. Before dying, Steve tells Claire he loves her. Meanwhile, Chris and Wesker fight Alexia. In the battle, Wesker escapes and takes Steve's body for further study, while Chris defeats Alexia and escapes with Claire as the Antarctic facility collapses.

Development

In 1998, the success of Resident Evil 2 led Capcom to create more Resident Evil games for different consoles. Code: Veronica began as an attempt to adapt Resident Evil 2 for the Sega Saturn, but this effort failed because it would have required sacrificing too much quality. Producer Shinji Mikami and his team were then asked to create an original game for Sega fans. Development of Code: Veronica started as a result. When Mikami requested more time to work on the game, he was told that it needed to improve its technical quality to make Sega’s new Dreamcast console more appealing.

At the same time, work began on a Resident Evil game for the Dreamcast. A separate Resident Evil game for the PlayStation, focusing on Jill Valentine’s story before Resident Evil 2, was also being developed. This PlayStation game was intended to be a spin-off, with the Dreamcast game as the main sequel. However, the PlayStation game was released as Resident Evil 3, while the Dreamcast game was named Code: Veronica. It is unclear how seriously Capcom considered numbering Code: Veronica. At the time, Mikami and Yoshiki Okamoto, president of Flagship, stated they wanted to keep numbered releases for PlayStation games and use subtitles for other systems. A 2009 article by IGN reported that Sony negotiated limited exclusivity for the Resident Evil 3 title. In a 2020 interview, Mikami said Code: Veronica deserved a numbered release but was not given one due to "political reasons" between Capcom and the console manufacturer.

Code: Veronica differed from earlier games in the series. Previous games were set in the United States and had an American style, but Code: Veronica takes place in the Southern Ocean and Antarctica. It features a European gothic horror design, including gothic architecture, central European carvings, and German-style weapons. The story, which follows a man’s troubled family and includes a lullaby, adds a European operatic feel. This contrasts with earlier games, which focused more on horror elements like monsters and zombies. Mikami divided his art team based on interests: some worked on weapons, while others studied photos of houses and castles to design environments.

During cutscenes, the game used up to 2,500 polygons for character faces, a detail never seen before in the series. Zombies were also more detailed, with moving jaws and twitching eyes. Claire Redfield, a character in the game, appears tougher than in Resident Evil 2, reflecting her growth from earlier events. This is shown through her ability to use two sub-machine guns and an action scene inspired by John Woo’s films. Mikami described Code: Veronica as 50 to 60% of his ideal vision for Resident Evil in 2001, suggesting future games might complete the vision.

By the time Resident Evil 3 was released, development of Code: Veronica was nearly finished. Many of the 70-person team were outsourced because Capcom was focused on Resident Evil 3. Flagship, led by Mikami and Okamoto, managed the game’s story and direction. XAX Entertainment helped with environments, and Nextech handled technical development. Capcom Production Studio 4 oversaw art and character design. By September 1999, Sega sent its own developers to assist with final details, helping ensure the game ran smoothly.

Release

In August 1998, developers began working on Code: Veronica, which was promoted as the true sequel to Resident Evil 2. On October 6, 1998, Capcom R&D chief Yoshiki Okamoto officially announced the game. Capcom of Japan aimed to sell the game to about one-third of all Dreamcast users, which they estimated would be around one million copies. In July 1999, Capcom of Japan stated they expected to ship 400,000 copies of the Japanese Dreamcast version. Some reporters questioned whether this number reflected only the first shipment or if Capcom had overestimated Dreamcast sales, as their initial goal was one million copies. Originally, Capcom planned to release Code: Veronica around the same time as Resident Evil 3 and the Dreamcast’s launch in North America on September 9, 1999. However, delays pushed the release to early 2000. To compensate for the delay, Capcom released a port of Resident Evil 2 for the Dreamcast in December 1999, titled Biohazard 2: Value Plus, which included a demo for Code: Veronica.

Code: Veronica was released in February 2000. Pre-ordered copies included a unique numbered tag, special red packaging, and a unique title screen. Limited Dreamcast system bundles were also released to celebrate the game’s launch. The "Claire Version," limited to 1,800 copies, included the game, a transparent red system, transparent red controller, and a VMU. The "S.T.A.R.S. Version," limited to 200 copies, had the same items except the system was dark transparent blue and featured a "S.T.A.R.S." logo. To manage high demand, Capcom held a contest for fans to win a chance to purchase the bundles. A soundtrack was also released in February 2000.

Because the Dreamcast had a small user base, Capcom knew the series needed to continue on other platforms. This led to an expanded version titled Code: Veronica X in the West and Code: Veronica Kanzenban in Japan, released for the PlayStation 2 in 2001. It was also released on the Dreamcast in Japan. The expanded version was announced in November 2000 and included about 10 minutes of new cinematic scenes that revealed more about Wesker’s connection to Umbrella. While the main game remained unchanged, some graphical updates were made, such as a different hairstyle for Steve Burnside. Capcom included a video DVD titled Wesker’s Report, which was a pre-order bonus. In North America, the DVD was also sold on Capcom’s website and given to customers who purchased the game at specialty stores like Electronics Boutique and GameStop. Code: Veronica X was later released on the GameCube and included in the Biohazard Collector Box for the GameCube in Japan, which also featured a copy of Wesker’s Report.

A high-definition remastered version of Code: Veronica X was released in September 2011 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. An emulated version for the PlayStation 3 was released as a PS2 Classic in July 2012 in Japan and May 2014 in Europe. Another emulated PS2 version was released for the PlayStation 4 in May 2017. The Xbox 360 version was added to the Xbox One’s backwards-compatible library in February 2019.

Reception

Code: Veronica received a lot of praise from critics. Many believed it was the best Resident Evil game at the time and a "must-own" for the Dreamcast. Derek Williams of AllGame said it was the best game for the system along with Soulcalibur (1999). A critic from GameRevolution called it the best horror game on the Dreamcast, outperforming titles like The House of the Dead 2 (1999), Zombie Revenge (1999), and Carrier (2000). Next Generation described it as "the best game yet for Dreamcast—in fact, one of the best games we've seen in the past couple of years."

The game's atmosphere and presentation were highly praised. Edge magazine said the game was the closest the series had come to being like a Hollywood action movie. Most reviewers noted that the graphics were among the best on the Dreamcast, showing the power of its hardware. Critics also highlighted the use of real-time backgrounds and a dynamic camera, which improved upon the pre-rendered backgrounds used in earlier games. The CGI sequences, especially the opening cinematic, were praised. The music and sound were described as "top-notch" and "perfect." The story received positive reviews, with Maura Sutton of Computer and Video Games noting the adult twist in the narrative. Some critics pointed out that while the game had improvements, it still shared the strengths and weaknesses of previous Resident Evil games. The controls were a point of criticism in some reviews.

Reviews for the PlayStation 2 version of Code: Veronica X were mostly positive. Critics had similar opinions to the Dreamcast reviews, but some noted that the game was mostly unchanged from an 18-month-old Dreamcast version. GameSpot's Joe Fielder mentioned that during the gap, games like Sony's Extermination (2001) and Capcom's Onimusha: Warlords (2001) had better controls. The GameCube version received average reviews because it was an unaltered port. The high definition remaster, released over a decade after the original, received mediocre reviews. Critics often said the game's outdated design and controls made it less appealing compared to newer games. However, Game Informer's Tim Turi praised the remaster, calling it a "challenging classic survival horror game" and "a harrowing but memorable trek through the series' heyday."

Code: Veronica won GameSpot's annual "Best Adventure Game" award among console games and was a runner-up for the publication's "Best Dreamcast Game," "Best Sound," "Best Graphics, Technical," and overall "Game of the Year" prizes. The editors said Code: Veronica was the culmination of everything the developers of the Resident Evil series aimed to achieve. The following year, Veronica X was nominated for GameSpot's annual "Best Action/Adventure Game" prize, which went to Grand Theft Auto III.

Code: Veronica outsold Shenmue (1999) within its first week on shelves in February 2000. The Dreamcast version sold almost 450,000 units in the United States and 1.14 million copies worldwide. Sales were weaker compared to earlier games in the series but stronger than many other Dreamcast games. The PlayStation 2 version of Code: Veronica X sold 900,000 copies and earned $27 million in the United States by July 2006, outselling Resident Evil 4. The PS2 version sold 1.4 million copies worldwide. Combined, both the Dreamcast and PS2 versions sold 2.54 million units worldwide.

Next Generation ranked Code: Veronica as the 63rd-highest-selling game launched for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, or GameCube between January 2000 and July 2006 in the United States. By July 2006, combined console sales of Resident Evil franchise games released in the 2000s reached 3 million units in the United States.

Legacy

Aaron Boehm of Bloody Disgusting called the game one of the most notable survival horror games from its time. In 2001, Game Informer ranked Code: Veronica as number 69 on their list of "Top 100 Games of All Time." GamesRadar+ later listed it as the 14th-best Dreamcast game of all time.

The story of Code: Veronica has been adapted into other formats. A game titled Resident Evil Survivor 2 – Code: Veronica (2001) was released for Naomi-based arcades and PlayStation 2. It follows the story of Code: Veronica from a first-person perspective and uses light gun shooter gameplay. Another light gun game, Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles (2009), was released for the Wii. It includes scenes from Code: Veronica as well as Resident Evil 2. The story was also adapted into a novel written by S. D. Perry. A miniseries comic based on the game was published by DC Comics. A demo version of a fan-made remake of the game was released in 2021. However, Capcom shut down the project in 2022. Fans and IGN have suggested that Code: Veronica could be a good candidate for a future remake.