Resident Evil: Deadly Silence

The Resident Evil franchise was born 10 years ago on Sony’s wildly popular PlayStation console. The game was received as a huge hit and it brought the survival horror genre from obscurity into the spotlight; paving the way for numerous sequels and new franchises in the genre from other companies; such as Silent Hill, Clock Tower, Eternal Darkness, and many more. Resident Evil was one of many games that helped the PlayStation push gaming into the mainstream and expand the market significantly. Now, as the DS is in the second year of its life, many people are finding that the handheld is expanding gaming into new markets once again; especially in Japan. As a celebration of Resident Evil’s ten years of success, and in recognition of the unique features of the Nintendo DS, Capcom is about to release Resident Evil: Deadly Silence for the dual-screened handheld.

Resident Evil: Deadly Silence, set to release this February, is a remake of the PlayStation original that gave birth to the Resident Evil franchise. The original game is fully intact, right down to the cheese-filled FMVs that have grown to be loved by fans worldwide. However, Deadly Silence is more than just a simple port; it is packed with new modes, enemies, combat scenarios, and more. For those that have experienced the original multiple times, there should still be plenty of new content to warrant another look. Many of the puzzles have been completely reworked to take advantage of the DS features and hardware; so you can expect plenty of stylus and touch screen interaction while progressing through the game’s many puzzles.

An example of one of Deadly Silence’s touch screen puzzles.

The core gameplay of the game will be nearly identical to the original version of the game, but a few tweaks will be noticeable as well as a handful of major changes. For starters, the movement will be the same as in the original, but with the added 180° turn of the newer RE games. At certain moments in the game the view will switch from the normal fixed-camera third person view to the first-person where players will engage enemies with the combat knife while using the stylus to control their attacks. While in the first-person mode, the goal is to kill the attacking zombies while maintaining your calm; something that may prove difficult when zombies are filling the screen and creating that claustrophobic feeling that RE fans know so well.

Deadly Silence during one of its FPS segments (first person slasher).

Capcom is keeping specific details on the wireless multiplayer modes under wraps for now, but they promise to deliver a solid and addictive product. We do know that there will be co-op and competitive play modes and up to four players at a time, but there is no word on whether or not multiple cartridges will be required for multiplay.

It’s nice to see that Capcom is putting a lot of effort into this port. Handhelds are often a sort of dumping ground for developers looking to make some fast cash on a cheap port, but Resident Evil: Deadly Silence is not one of those instances. As Resident Evil: DS is entering its final stages of development, the end product is beginning to look so good it’s scary. Check back with DSA as Resident Evil: Deadly Silence’s release date draws nearer for the full review.
very thanks to u baby