Alfred Frost II

It is my opinion that Code: Veronica is the greatest entry in the series, retaining all of the strengths of former titles and cultivating a whole brood of new positives to pile on top. I shall make this as brief as possible. Brevity is the something of something and all that. Firstly, the gameplay is very similar to the instalments that came before, which is a colossal plus. The variety of settings is also refreshing, with scenes changing from gloomy prison complexes, to sterile laboratories, and ostentatious palatial chambers, to eerie gothic quarters. The soundtrack that accompanies these locales is capital, further imbuing such areas with their own palpable character. The dread of ‘Death Siege’ perfectly complements the tense anxiousness within the prison itself, ‘Pandora’s Box’ and its ghostly harpsichord do superbly well to match the strange private lodgings of Alfred, and the themes which thunder along during each boss are brilliantly composed and emphasise the dramatic qualities of the moment. The story is a marvellous blend of that typical RE motif: the relationship between the claustrophobic experiences of the protagonist characters and the wider world of conspiracy and international theatre. We see a narrative that takes our characters through innumerable trials, facing villains that share a great deal in common with the masks of Thalia and Melpomene, masking the very real threat to the world in more isolated ‘hallway horror’. I believe that the greatest aspect of Code: Veronica is the atmosphere. We move from a distinct American Gothic into the more traditional realms of European Gothic, with greater emphasis on nobility, heraldry, and a distorted concept of relationships, somewhat characteristic of such fiction. The quite distinct fairytale elements at play within the game also make it stand out from the litter, with the twin antagonists piloting the ship beyond more typical corporate corruption fare into something wholly novel, more akin to a strange grotesque drama of egotistical earls and mad queens playing their ghastly games in their solitary castles. As is natural with any one of my fondnesses, I find it a terribly difficult task to explain why I like it. There is a special feeling I reap from the game, and I feel a brief summary cannot do justice to covering all reasons which combine to form that feeling. I cannot recommend this game enough. It has moulded many of my tastes and opinions. A must-buy, if you ask me.