GamesSurvival HorrorResident EvilResident Evil: Code VeronicaI can’t wait to see more of Wesker in the Resident Evil: Code Veronica remake, and his very first cutscene in the original PS2 game spells out whyWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesSurvival HorrorResident EvilResident Evil: Code VeronicaI can’t wait to see more of Wesker in the Resident Evil: Code Veronica remake, and his very first cutscene in the original PS2 game spells out whyWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Capcom)
Not only is this introductory scene incredibly campy and fun, it marks a pivotal moment in the series as a whole – even for a non-mainline entry in theResident Evil timeline. As we anticipateCapcom’sCode Veronica remake, I’m digging through this scene in the 2000 original – and examining how the publisher has treated iconic scenes in past remakes – to make some predictions. Just how much of Code Veronica’s inherent silliness might be scrubbed away in the name of modernity?
“Oh little fishy, come see my hook”
(Image credit: Capcom)
The root of evil(Image credit: Capcom)The director of the scariest Resident Evil is leading Resident Evil 9, which is just about the best thing Capcom could’ve said
The root of evil
(Image credit: Capcom)The director of the scariest Resident Evil is leading Resident Evil 9, which is just about the best thing Capcom could’ve said
(Image credit: Capcom)
The director of the scariest Resident Evil is leading Resident Evil 9, which is just about the best thing Capcom could’ve said
Okay, that might sound a bit dramatic. We’ve already seen the likes of remade Wesker inResident Evil 4 remake, and truth be told, I don’t hate him.
The decision to trade his swaggering transatlantic accent for a more conventional American one is a sign of the times, showing how representations of good versus evil in pop culture, movies, and games have shifted in the last two decades. The trend of an archetypal British baddie working opposite an all-American hero is out, and with that, the “othering” of Wesker as a bit of a theatrical drama queen.
But OG Code Veronica’s Wesker needs that dramatic flair like oxygen. It’s inherent to his character, I note during my most recent PS2 playthrough. From the slow clatter of his footsteps as he saunters up to Claire, to his requisite slicked back blonde hair, shades, and long black trench coat, Albert Wesker easily surpassesmy love of the most underrated Resident Evil villainof the early 2000s, and that’s down to his combination of aesthetics and attitude. The guy knows how to make an entrance, and Capcom does well to deliver it with panache through dramatic panning shots as he monologues at Claire. Who is he, she asks? “Let’s just say I’m a ghost, coming back to haunt your dear brother.”
This might be the best line of the whole brilliant scene, spoken moments before Wesker flies at Claire to rough her up, kick her to the ground like a mean playground bully, and leap away as effortlessly as Spider-Man. Capcom clearly knows how much fans love elements of the original games' scripts, corny as they are. Rewrites are always going to happen in a remake, but if the retention of Leon’s witty one-liners in RE4R is anything to go on (“Where’s everybody going? Bingo?) I’m hoping that Wesker the unfriendly ghost doesn’t get left on the cutting room floor.
But the thing is, I just cannot imagine a gruff American Wesker having the same penchant for dramatics. Original Wesker is a classic vengeful baddie, but remake Wesker feels more like a secret agent gone darkside after his showing in Ada’s DLC.
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(Image credit: Capcom)
OG Code Veronica’s Wesker needs that dramatic flair like oxygen.
OG Code Veronica’s Wesker needs that dramatic flair like oxygen.
Part of the charm of classic Resi is how unabashedly silly it can be. The amount of times I let out a snort of well-intentioned laughter while watchingthis YouTube compilationof Wesker’s Code Veronica moments is proof enough of the timeless hilarity of a horror game that knows it’s a bit off-the-rails. At the same time, though, with regards to Wesker, it’s not all about scheming and plotting as he rubs his hands with devilish delight. His narrative and lore importance substantiates claims that Code Veronica should be considered canon, after all. Maybe his more serious implications to the plot are what Capcom will focus on when characterizing him in the Code Veronica remake, introducing us to a more modern iteration of Wesker to reflect the changing times. And I certainly don’t expecthimto Spider-Man-jump out of there.
As long as Capcom is able to bring that same respect for a character’s DNA to its depiction of Wesker in the Code Veronica remake, I’ll be happy enough. Just excuse me for a while as I prepare to mourn the loss of his sassy 2000s side.
There are plenty ofupcoming horror gamesto get psyched for this year, from Silent Hill 2 to Slitterhead.
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
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Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
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2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
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1
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2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2
Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3
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4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”