If there’s one game in the Resident Evil franchise that fans have been begging for a remake of, it’s Code: Veronica. Well, their wishes have come true, as Resident Evil Veronica, sans Code, was announced at Summer Game Fest for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2. Based on the bits we’ve seen thus far, we’re very excited, especially with how differently the story could play out, but make no mistake – there are plenty of things from the original that could use improvements or outright changes. Here are ten things that must happen in the remake, starting with…
A Bigger (and More Connected) Rockfort Island
The claustrophobia of Rockfort Island, even in more spacious areas, really added to the atmosphere of the original. And while Veronica doesn’t need to increase the size (though it’s confirmed that you’ll discover more backstories for the island’s residents before the outbreak), we wouldn’t mind if it added more, whether it’s terrifying sights to discover, areas with additional resources, or ways to return to previously explored locations. There’s a fine balance to all this, but given how well the development team handled it in Resident Evil 2 Remake, they’ve likely already thought ten steps ahead.
Amplify the Survival Horror
Contrary to the opening cutscene of Claire smashing through Umbrella’s Paris facility, this isn’t a run-and-gun action game. It’s not one where amazing acrobatics and limitless ammo will save the day, because Code: Veronica is a survival horror through and through. So instead, the team should focus on enhancing everything that made the original so memorable, whether it’s the tension and atmosphere, or the attention to detail in the environments (which blew our minds back in the day). With the stated goal being to focus more on horror first and foremost while delving deeper into the characters, we’d say they’re on the right track.
Adjust the Inventory and Character-Switching Challenges
Maybe it’s the lack of a number and the company wanting to separate Code: Veronica from the mainline series, but it’s much more challenging than the other Resident Evil games at the time. I still remember all the times when failing to avoid an enemy at an opportune moment, or unloading too much ammo on a specific boss, would leave me with less than enough for later on, raising the difficulty exponentially. And then there’s that one puzzle that requires storing an empty fire extinguisher as Claire in an item box – NOT the security box – so that Chris can take it, refill it, and use it to access a powerful weapon. While the development team has confirmed that inventory management will be important, here’s hoping for less frustration.
Revamp the Puzzles
On that note – puzzle design. Yes, it’s important to respect the original’s ideas, but you can also acknowledge that some of them were just a little too opaque. Instead of relying on thoroughly studying documents for some hints, implementing them better into the actual environments would go a long way. Again, it doesn’t need to become a cakewalk, but sanding off some of the friction – or even adding easier puzzles that could teach certain concepts before ramping up – would go a long way.
Make Steve Less Annoying
Listen, Steve – it’s not us. It’s never been us. It’s you, and no amount of time can ever make that whiny nasally voice or creepy attitude any more palatable. So aside from changing his entire personality and how he approaches Claire, make Steve actually come across as naive but still reliable. He can survive on the zombie-ridden Rockfort Island after all, and shows plenty of skill with dual-wielding weapons. Just make him less annoying. It’s the easiest of fixes.
Funnily enough, the development team hasn’t even confirmed that he’s in the game, saying that if he’s “hypothetically” present, then “Like we do in every remake title, we’re always looking for ways to dig deeper into characters to give them more dimension. That goes for Claire, and might include Steve. We’ll have to wait and see.”
Address The Ashford Twins
Maybe it’s because of Alfred’s general demeanor or Alexia not really saying anything during the final battle, but the Ashford twins could use a bit of fine-tuning. Remember that scene from when they were children, plucking a dragonfly’s wings and leaving ants to consume it as they gazed at each other? Take the essence of that, and distill it through the game. Both of their more dramatic mannerisms can be made more genuinely disturbing, and Alexia could desperately use some more dialogue (and opportunities to showcase her power). For now, though, exploring the “darkness” in Alfred’s heart is a good start.
Claire Going From Strength to Strength
Claire has always been more emotional, and not in a weak way. Reaching out to Sherry, always showing concern for her (especially since Resident Evil 2 Remake effectively undid any connection the former would have with Leon), and fighting to her last breath to keep her alive. That’s not changing in Veronica, especially since she’s now chasing after her brother, who’s been missing for months. But after Raccoon City, Claire is confirmed to be more “mentally resilient” even if she isn’t “physically stronger,” per the developer.
Develop the Rivalry of Chris and Wesker
If the rumors and actual marketing weren’t indication enough, this is Claire’s campaign. Which isn’t to say that Chris, Wesker and the HCF won’t have bigger roles, but even if their time on screen is only slightly longer, it needs to matter more. Why? Because Veronica is also the next chapter in their story – their latest encounter after the Arklay Laboratory outbreak. There needs to be more bad blood, but not so much that it overpowers Claire’s story, especially since it would serve as a strong escalation heading into Resident Evil 5 (if it still exists within this new canon).
Scarier Enemies and Bosses
Resident Evil – Code: Veronica sports some pretty nasty foes, from the Bandersnatch to Nosferatu, but they can be made even scarier with today’s technology. And judging by the trailer, the developer understands the assignment when it comes to making its baseline zombies actually terrifying, going from individual entities that would slowly pursue Claire and Chris to more aggressively seeking their flesh. Do I think it could throw some hordes at players? Probably not, but it would be a nice surprise.
Expand on the Ashfords and Umbrella Europe
Something that’s been kind of lacking with the franchise – and we would know, after that lengthy retrospective from before Requiem’s launch – is information on Umbrella Europe. We know that it created the Nemesis Project and the Gamma and Beta versions of the Hunter, and that Chris was investigating the same. But that’s more or less it, and there’s so much more that the development team could do with it, not to mention expanding on the history of the Ashford family. Fortunately, it seems the team is going even further by adding a new “throughline” that ties into Resident Evil Requiem. Again, we’ll need to wait and see what that means, but maybe it could shed more light on a certain mysterious character in a dapper suit.
Aside from all that, perhaps one of the most important things that Veronica needs to do: Not cut any content. It’s one thing to remove familiar plot elements from Resident Evil 2 Remake – the core is still intact, just reimagined and at times, rearranged. It’s another to take out some of the most memorable sequences, like the fight in the clock tower from Resident Evil 3 Remake.
And while the lack of Claire blasting through Umbrella’s facility has some concerned about cut content, the developer has confirmed that you should prepare for many things to have been shifted, reimagined, and so on – much more so than previous titles. With Resident Evil 2 Remake developers at the helm, Veronica could be more than just a revival of a cult classic when it launches in 2027.
