Resident Evil - Code: Veronica So I finally got it

[Jonipoon]

Finally got my hands on Code Veronica X for my PS4, as part of my re-introduction to the Resident Evil series that started last year. The main reason I want to play it, however, is to try and find out why so many people view it as the "true" third installment.

I'm liking it so far, even though I find some of the lines incredibly cheesy. The backtracking doesn't bother me. However, I'm having some trouble with the bandersnatch tyrants. I've just reached the dark mansion on top of the hill, and there are bandersnatch tyrants everywhere. I've noticed that if I run fast enough, I can skip them, but the backtracking makes me wonder if I have to go back to face them off anyway sooner or later?

Otherwise, please share me your best tips on how to defeat them. I really hate them, almost as much as I hate the bats.

 

[Springhosen]

Once you get the lighter the bats are a non issue but you WILL have to pass the bandersnatch tyrants again. It is completely your choice if you want to deal with them now or later or even at all - I've seen people dodge them but I was never overly great at it. (Especially with their placement outside the mansion.)

 

[RedfieldFan]

The bats are a pain in the a**! So run the best you can...
As for the bandersnatchers I usually don't kill the ones guarding the mansion although you have to pass them a few times.
If you want to kill them explosive arrows are good.

Best of luck

 

[Mr.R]

Bandersnatchers are weak against fire. Two explosive arrows kills them (fire slowly though, because after they got hit, they have a brief invincibility period. If you fire two arrows on succession, the game won't accept the damage of the second one). The grenade launcher's flame rounds can take them in one shot too.

 

[Jonipoon]

Update: I've now reached the second fight against the Tyrant on the plane, which I presume is the end of the first half of the game. It's quite tricky though, I've died 2 times so far. His attacks are not that easy to avoid, especially not with the dated controls which I'm still not used to. In fact, I hate the controls.

I like the game actually, it's VERY different from the other RE games I've played. I also try to judge it for what it is - A game made 19 years ago. Many of my friends think I'm nuts for playing such an old game with dated graphics, dated resolution, dated controls, well dated everything. But it really doesn't bother me, I wanted to play it for the story and atmosphere and those are the parts that I'm enjoying the most about it.

My favorite aspect of the game is by far the music. I love it, the soundtrack is full of so many chilling songs that evoke a sense of melancholy, tragedy and solitude, but at the same time there's something warm and hopeful about them. The music box song is especially chilling. Story-wise, it's quite different but it works, it kind of feels like a game that bridges the gap between 1-3 and 4-6.

I'm definitely starting to understand why it's such a beloved classic for many fans. But I'm not done with it yet!

 

[UniqTeas]

You are in luck to be enjoying that game for the first time. You are definitely at the mid-point of the game, but I won't ruin what is coming up. Super iconic. The locations and set design in that game are among the best in the entire series.

Isn't it strange that Code Veronica wasn't a numbered title? It's still so strange to me.

 

[Jonipoon]

Yeah, looking forward to it.

Though I still can't seem to get past that damn Tyrant on the plane. Any piece of advice? For your info the ammo that I have at my disposal is 1 ordinary grenade round, 6 flame rounds, 6 acid rounds, and 17 handgun bullets. I've run out of gun powder arrows. I know the trick is obviously to keep running around until the parachute thing is ready for a second round. However I haven't managed to survive until a second round yet.

 

[UniqTeas]

I don't personally have any advice since it has been almost a decade since I last played the game, but it sounds like you have the basics down. It is literally all a matter of survival in that battle and outlasting the Tyrant. It is the hardest part of the game for sure.

 

[RedfieldFan]

The tyrant is one of those bosses that are extremely difficult the first time around but then becomes very easy when you know what to do and how to prepare for it.
Probably the most easy way to defeat the tyrant is by using all the gas grenades and soon as the fight starts, then shoot it about 6 times with exploding arrows and then press the button to blast it out of the plane.

 

[Murderer Enshrined]

If I recall correctly, you can press the parachute button all you want to, when it's ready to be pressed again, that is. Tyrant won't go out of the back of the plane unless you weaken him enough. I recall using most of my explosive arrowheads, flame and grenade rounds, just to get that you-know-what to finally yield and drop out of the back of the plane. He's a menace, for sure.

I never knew they were called the bandersnatch. I always just called them the long arms of the lost. I always stood at the longest distance I could and used as many pistol rounds as it took to kill them. Yeah, they would strike me once or twice during that effort, but they eventually gave. And I simply used some health to get Claire back to normal. It saved me a lot of explosive arrowheads, flame and grenade rounds. As a rule of thumb, I always make an effort to save those types of rounds for the bosses that I know are coming up sooner or later.

Jonipoon, It sounds like you don't have enough of the type of rounds you need to defeat that Tyrant feller. This is going to sound a little bit sacrilegious, gaming-wise, but I think that if you start the game over and this time make sure you preserve as many explosive arrowheads (gunpowder + arrows), flame and grenade rounds as you can in an effort to prepare yourself for the battle on the plane, you'll be better prepared to take on that Tyrant guy when you finally get to him. They don't give you much gunpowder. But they give you a lot of non-explosive arrows. But they seem to be weaker than handgun rounds. So use the non-explosive arrows to take out zombies. It may save you other, more valuable ammo. The bow gun fires quickly, and you can pump a lot of arrows into a zombie very quickly, as a result.

You don't have to delete your current save. Just start a new game in a different slot and see how well you do now that you know the game a little bit better. There's really no harm in that. But, to be honest, I'm expected your next post to read, " I did it. I beat him! " .

Btw, you're playing one of the greatest games ever developed, as far as I'm concerned. Enjoy.

 

[Ikawaru]

One thing I actually really liked about CVX is that you actually have to be careful with your ammo or you certainly run risk of becoming dry at some point, unlike the prior installments where ammo was more than aplenty.

Another thing I like about CVX is it is that one that seems to age like a fine wine. I play at several year intervals and every time I play it, it feels like I'm playing it for the first time because I barely remember the layout of the gameworld (except for the annoying characters and voice acting, lol), unlike 1, 2 , or 3 which I have memorized like the back of my hand. I probably beat the game maybe 4 times in 2001, 2006, 2014, and 2019 so it's definitely that title that I don't like to play compulsively and that's a good thing because you gotta have at least one of those.

 

[RedfieldFanboi]

One thing I actually really liked about CVX is that you actually have to be careful with your ammo or you certainly run risk of becoming dry at some point, unlike the prior installments where ammo was more than aplenty.

Another thing I like about CVX is it is that one that seems to age like a fine wine. I play at several year intervals and every time I play it, it feels like I'm playing it for the first time because I barely remember the layout of the gameworld (except for the annoying characters and voice acting, lol), unlike 1, 2 , or 3 which I have memorized like the back of my hand. I probably beat the game maybe 4 times in 2001, 2006, 2014, and 2019 so it's definitely that title that I don't like to play compulsively and that's a good thing because you gotta have at least one of those.

CVX is probably the game in the franchise that I love the story and characters, but hate playing it.

Chris is my favourite character (Claire a close second) so I keep diving back in, every few years - but my impression is always the same. It's great to experience the linking story from RE1 to RE5 and Wesker is at his second best in the game. My experience suffers from the excessive backtracking (seriously if the different areas were closer together it wouldn't be such an issue); the various times you can soft lock the game; the somehow less refined controls; the borderline bland scenery of the early game (the camera is wonderful, but at the expense of background detail) - to especially Steve and Alfred's voice work. There's so much that bothers me that I can't see past, in spite of a great plot and some of the best music in the franchise.

 

[Ikawaru]

CVX is probably the game in the franchise that I love the story and characters, but hate playing it.

So your opinion is basically diametrically opposed to mine. Good, perhaps we can meet somewhere in the middle.
I love playing it and it gives me a sense of discovery every time because like I said, I barely play it so there's that 'wonder' factor when I green light a playthrough and go through the puzzles and segments.

However, I found the characters and the story (aside from Claire and Chris of course) to be quite weak. Steve meant well but he acts like your typical red headed step child and is quite annoying. Alfred is also annoying, for obvious reasons, so no need to go into specifics there. I don't even care for what they did with Wesker because at this particular point is when the series started getting weird and less 'Biohazard' by giving him superpowers and being lazy with what to do with virus strands and started going into the mythical fantasy realm which is now predominant in the series.

Alexia is extremely overrated imo and she always struck me as a cheap knock off of 'Eve' from Parasite Eve, which is an insult to Parasite Eve AND Resident Evil because that is my second favorite franchise and Capcom "Going there" seemed detrimental to what made RE great in the first place and was a bad idea.

Alfred Ashford's backstory and his role in Umbrella was actually not bad though and contributed quite good to the lore of the series, same with James Marcus' backstory in RE0.

So my rating would be thus:

Gameplay: Good

In game plot dynamics and side characters: Bad

Backstory and world: Good

 

[RedfieldFanboi]

So your opinion is basically diametrically opposed to mine. Good, perhaps we can meet somewhere in the middle.
I love playing it and it gives me a sense of discovery every time because like I said, I barely play it so there's that 'wonder' factor when I green light a playthrough and go through the puzzles and segments.

However, I found the characters and the story (aside from Claire and Chris of course) to be quite weak. Steve meant well but he acts like your typical red headed step child and is quite annoying. Alfred is also annoying, for obvious reasons, so no need to go into specifics there. I don't even care for what they did with Wesker because at this particular point is when the series started getting weird and less 'Biohazard' by giving him superpowers and being lazy with what to do with virus strands and started going into the mythical fantasy realm which is now predominant in the series.

Alexia is extremely overrated imo and she always struck me as a cheap knock off of 'Eve' from Parasite Eve, which is an insult to Parasite Eve AND Resident Evil because that is my second favorite franchise and Capcom "Going there" seemed detrimental to what made RE great in the first place and was a bad idea.

Alfred Ashford's backstory and his role in Umbrella was actually not bad though and contributed quite good to the lore of the series, same with James Marcus' backstory in RE0.

So my rating would be thus:

Gameplay: Good

In game plot dynamics and side characters: Bad

Backstory and world: Good

I definitely appreciate your point of view! The game is for sure one that I have a strong love/hate relationship with, chiefly because it provides a lot of development for Chris and Claire, but it loses me for how much I dislike Steve and Alfred.

I also very much agree with you about Alexia. I just don't see the appeal of her. Now, I've never been a big Wesker fan and as much as I do agree about how this game jumped the shark by making him superpowered, I do really like how that affects Chris.

 

[Murderer Enshrined]

I never thought I would own a Dreamcast, but when I heard a new Resident Evil game was out, but it was only available on the Dreamcast, I found myself at the Walmart electronics department, buying a Dreamcast and Code Veronica. It's so funny how the code to solve the last puzzle of the game is actually the title of the game itself. Sucks I sold that system, and all the games I eventually bought with it. I should've kept it. It's vintage now. So are a lot of the games that were made for it. I basically bet that one day all of the Dreamcast games would be ported for my Playstation, sooner or later. Eventually, some were, including Code Veronica, but not all were. Shenmue and D2 were not. Back then, Sega was almost like Apple; ultra exclusive. How can I put this? Code: Veronica was such an enchanting gaming experience for me. That's putting it lightly. It sucks that there will never be games like that anymore. Director's Cut, RE2, RE3, and Code: Veronica are the only four times in gaming history that you will ever have that type of gaming experience. The gaming industry is simply not going that way anymore..... sad....

 

[Ikawaru]

I never thought I would own a Dreamcast, but when I heard a new Resident Evil game was out, but it was only available on the Dreamcast, I found myself at the Walmart electronics department, buying a Dreamcast and Code Veronica.

Yeah same with Gamecube in my case. Shinji Makami was adamant about making RE a 'Nintendo' series at that time so naturally I went straight there after PS1 and never looked back. REmake, RE0, and RE4 and even CV:X was ported to Gamecube and that was good enough for me. That whole decade was a bit lackluster for games in general (in my book) so I did not mind confining myself to RE considering Parasite Eve virtually died after the sequel on PS1. Never even owned a PS2 but I had a friend who did so I went there to play the very few PS2 titles I liked (Never cared for 'Outbreak' but I did like 'Dead Aim) and that was a good setup.

 

[Murderer Enshrined]

I owned a Gamecube as well. Bought it because I just had to play the Resident Evil remake of Director's Cut. And, of course, I heard about this one game called Resident Evil Zero. It had the Resident Evil name on it, after all. I had to play it. I eventually sold it, along with all the games I bought for it, as usual. Regretted that as well. Why do I keep doing that? I bought this one game for it called Eternal Darkness. Man, how I wish they would port that game for the PS4. It was developed by Crystal Dynamics and Silicon Knights, the ones who created my favorite game all-time, Soul Reaver Legacy of Kain, the ones who created Tomb Raider. It was a fun, tiny little system.