RESIDENT EVIL : DIRECTOR'S CUT
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Release: October 1997
Players: 1
Difficulty: Easy to Frustrating

	After claiming the best-selling Playstation title, Capcom felt 
quite good about themselves. The game was Resident Evil, and it sold 
millions of copies worldwide. Immediately, the developers set to work 
on the sequel. Fans patiently waited for a chance to once again dive 
into a horrific world of zombies and other terrifying beasts. Capcom 
worked feverishly, but it was in vain. Resident Evil 2 was pushed 
months back, and fans were already beating at their doors.
 
	The company ceased manufacturing the original game, thus driving 
up demand from the many new Playstation owners.  A few months later 
they unleashed Resident Evil : Director's Cut. It's a compilation of 
the Original game, the much easier Japanese version, and a new advanced 
version, all on one disc.
	
	In essence, REDC is a collection of the classic game, which 
Capcom hopes will keep fans busy while they wait for the inevitable 
sequel. Thoughtfully, Capcom has set the MSRP to a reasonable $34.99, 
which makes it a bargain to those first time buyers, and a reasonable 
deal to fanatics of the original ( if you want to trade in the original 
game for REDC, the price goes down to $19.99 ).

	You are either Jill or Chris, members of the S.T.A.R.S. team, a 
type of special SWAT  that is the equivalent to the Navy Seals in terms 
of personale. The team was sent to investigate the happenings of 
Raccoon City, where monsters have been reported to tear people apart. 
You land your chopper somewhere in the foothills of Raccoon Forest, the 
source of these evils, where you quickly learn the problem. You and the 
team are chased into a strange mansion by undead dogs, and the chopper 
takes off in fright. That is where the game leaves you, and from then 
on it is up to you to uncover the rest of the story.
	
	It's been a year and a half since the first game let loose, and 
playing the original mode again proved that it is still a heck of a 
game, both in quality and fright-factor. Because of the enormous size 
of the mansion, you won't remember much from previous plays ( which 
were probably a year and a half ago :)! ), and the undead will still 
bring chills as you tip-toe through dark halls.
	
	Of course, much of surprises are over on the second time 
(assuming it is a second time player, which may not be the case ). The 
crashing dogs, while they do pump the adrenaline as you dash for the 
door, don't make you leap out of you seat in terror like they 
originally did 
	
	The zombies don't have the same magnitude of building horror as 
you listen to their footsteps get closer and closer. That's the way it 
is with most things, kind of like how a slasher flick won't make you 
jump when you know where "It" is going to pop out. Still, this could be 
a person's first play, and we have to assume that for a fair review.
	
	The graphics are a tad less impressive. We now notice the low 
color ( 256 color ) pre-rendered backgrounds,  which tend to look a 
little dithered and washed out at certain points. We also notice the 
low resolution used ( 320 x 240 ),  in order to preserve RAM capacity. 
The polygonal models are also a little raw. The polygons are a bit 
boxy, the textures not too clear, and the joints unsure of themselves. 
Luckily, the frame rate is still good ( 30 fps ),  but certain 
animations ( aim up or aim down ) lack frames.
	
	The sound is the old Resident Evil self. Wonderful clasps of 
ammo, eerie moaning of zombies and wolves, ominous crickets, superbly 
atmospheric PCM music, and horrible voice-acting. Yup... The voice 
acting has  stayed the same, in all versions. We have out of place 
pauses, stupid pronunciations, brainless comments ( Jill and Barry walk 
over to a pool of blood, "What is this?", Barry stoops down, 
"Bllllood.." ), dumb common-sense  However, it gives the game a B-Movie 
feel, and if you were smart and stuck together, the mood of the game 
would be ruined.
	
	The title is filled with close encounters with scary monsters, 
mind-bending puzzles, heart-pounding exploration, and an incredible 
adventure...
	
	Now.... The other versions included on the disc. First, the 
Japanese version ( entitled Training ). This mode is for the beginner 
player, or just for an easier time on a subsequent visit. All weapons 
have twice as much ammo, and ink ribbons are twice as plentiful. This, 
and the monsters inflict half as much damage, effectively doulbling 
your healing items. In other words, you get plenty of leftover ammo to 
clear the enemies with ease, unlike the original mode where you have to 
manage supplies carefully, and sometimes resort to using your Combat 
Knife for protection. This is a fun mode to play when you don't want to 
have to bother with that aspect of the game.
	
	Here is where we get to the mainpoint of the review; the Advanced 
mode or Director's Cut game. This is for those fans who could beat the 
original blindfolded, and who craved RE2 night and day. The difficulty 
has been upped considerably. 
	
	First off, the outfits for the characters have been changed to 
more comfortable fitting attire. Next, the camera angles have been 
tweaked. Forty percent of the previous one's have been changed to 
even spookier degrees. Sometimes the camera is at a very dramatic spot, 
sometimes one that gives you less vision, and others are just weird. 
Still, it gives the game a fresh outlook. 
	
	Third, some of the important items of the game have been switched 
around and placed in different parts of the mansion. I learned this too 
soon as I rushed to get the emblem atop the fireplace, only to find it 
gone! 
	
	Fourth, there is a new monster. I won't tell what it is, but it 
will shock.
	
	Fifth, the ammo is less plentiful then in the original mode ( 
Yikes! ), and it doesn't help as the enemy count ( mostly zombies ), 
have been doubled in most areas. Some rooms which used to be save 
havens for a breather now are danger zones as a zombie will pop out to 
scare the $%!^ out of you.
	
	However, there are slight gameplay changes. Fans of the original 
game complained about the aiming system. If you needed to turn around 
quickly to fend off an attacker, you had to slowly pivot around, 
manually. Now,  if you click the "Ready" button, you will automatically 
( and QUICKLY ) turn around and point your weapon at the monster. You 
can manually aim, but because of this feature, you won't have to waste 
so much ammo to the fact of careless positioning mistakes. Another cool 
feature is the "Sweet Spot" of the zombies. Sometimes, and I'm not 
quite sure how or why, you  will fire one shot of your Beretta ( 9mm ), 
and the head will be blown cleanly off, allowing for an easy kill. This 
doesn't happen all the time, but it happens sometimes, and really saves 
you ammo for the other onslaught of enemies.
	
	The polygonal models of the characters are slightly cleaner and 
more detailed, but that is about it.
	
	So there it is.... You have the classic Original US version, the 
fun, easy Japanese version, and the  advanced Director's Cut version. A 
perfect compilation, with a mode for everyone. Very fun!  It's scary, 
entertaining, and just plain enjoyable and addicting. Get it!
	
	Wait! That's NOT all! Included with each and every REDC game is a 
playable demo of Resident Evil 2 !!! Coming on a seperate disc, the 45 
minute demo shows you what Capcom has been slaving on for over a year 
and a half. While Resident Evil had the feel of Night of the Living 
Dead ( trapped in a house ), Resident Evil 2 has the  feel of Day of 
the Dead, or most of the other sequels. You start out completely 
surrounded by the undead in the middle of Raccoon City. The prerendered 
backgrounds are detailed to the finest extremity. "Post It" notes can 
be seen on  computer screens, for crying out loud! The undead are all 
unique, and behave in different ways. Each one looks different ( like 
previous civilians ), and the game is extremely frightening, as you are 
pretty much all by yourself  ( whereas the first had you as part of a 
group ). Just the thought of the premise scares you,  thinking that 
there are virtually limitless zombies roaming about the city. 
	
	One of the coolest parts of the demo is of you walking by an 
inner-city basketball court, which is fenced in.  All the dead players 
get up and start rattling on the chain fence, wanting your flesh, but 
you are safe. You can antagonize them, kill them, or just walk by. 
COOL!
	
	Another great fact of the improved engine is that there are more 
camera angles per load. You might get 10 angles or more before you have 
to stop and load a new set of them. This leads to an eerie concept. 
You can see much further ahead, and a distant wavering figure brings 
chills to your bones. Another cool concept is that the zombies can 
follow you to a better extent. They rattle on gates, some doors, and 
generally won't get caught between you and a wall ( as they did in the 
original ). 
	
	The graphics are much more detailed, can support many more 
polygons and screens, and are a nice step forward. The sound is even 
better. Remember how scary the moans of the original zombies were? The 
ones you get now make the others sound fake. Eerie stuff.....
	
	Believe me, giving away too much isn't fair to you. You must 
check it out! Capcom certainly has an incredible high-caliber game 
coming along.....

- Kristian Mroczko

Final Ratings:
Graphics (x2): 9.5
Sound    (x1): 10.0
Control  (x1): 9.5
Pres.    (x1): 10.0
Fun      (x5): 9.5
Total Score :  96.5  %