*Insert dumb as rocks Barry Burton quote here*
The original Resident Evil has certainly seen quite its share of re-releases over the years, some more drastic than others. The 2002 remake I'm sure is the one that most look fondly untowards, and for good reason. Yet despite it being released 4 years after and keeping things centred around the very original, Deadly Silence is still what I consider a standout for the number of improvements and alterations it has made all the same, thanks to an all manner of quirky little touchscreen and microphone-related tomfoolery.
Even if you've never played a Resident Evil game before you're likely already aware of what this game entails regardless via osmosis. Spooky mansion, Master of Unlocking, camera angles, tank controls, sandwich enthusiasts -- you know the drill... Or do you?! While Resident Evil: DS includes a ''Classic'' mode that is (mostly) untouched, what you're likely coming to this game for is its Rebirth mode. It follows the same story and all of its classic 'hallmarks', but also includes many new features that take advantage of the DS' functionalities, while at the same time remixing certain aspects like enemy placements to leave veterans guessing.
Many of the DS' unique features have put the touchscreen and microphone to clever use, introducing a whole host of new puzzles. Some of which are more gimmicky than others, such as one that simply requires you to turn a valve with the use of your stylus to stop a flow of poisonous water. Though such puzzles involving you attempting to give mouth-to-mouth to a dying teammate via the microphone I thought was especially silly, but still inventive. Another that has you picking up different gems and trying to even out the weight on a pair of scales was also a fun little noggin scratcher. There are a number of new puzzles that don't solely rely on touchscreen magic at that, and while Resident Evil still had a decent variety of brain tinkers to begin with, this new selection all manage to work themselves in surprisingly naturally.
The other most notable addition is of the first-person knife slashing things. They will occur sporadically (though are still ultimately scripted) throughout the game and force you to use the touchscreen to make swiping motions to control your knife. They're... OK. I certainly could have done without them as the touchscreen controls would sometimes feel like they weren't intuitive enough to handle the harder challenges, such as one that pits you against the infamous snake boss 'Yawn'. Though they could prove to be fun at times, but... eh, I just wish there was an option to turn them off quite frankly. Should you disagree, there is at least an unlockable mode for those that would like to engage in a little more stylus slashin'.
Even besides all the added touchscreen stuff, there are a number of new jump scare moments that may still catch series veterans off-guard. Enemy placement remixes are also a-plenty, which even includes instances of facing against different types of enemies within the same area. That may not sound like much to a Resident Evil layman, but trust me, that's kind of a big deal! Certain elements of the Director's Cut's Advanced Mode have also been included too for that matter. By and large, Deadly Silence's Rebirth mode is just different enough that it left me excited at every turn to discover what else had been tweaked.
While this may still be a PS1 game, I quite honestly think it still looks great. The backgrounds don't hold nearly as much detail as the remake of course, but the character and enemy models at least have been spruced up some to make them look and animate a little less robotically. Certain character designs like Albert Wesker have even been retconned to reflect his look from the remake at that, which is (if you'll pardon the pun) a nice touch... The soundtrack too still manages to evoke a moody and unsettling atmosphere to boot, especially when played while wearing headphones.
Certain mechanical upgrades have been implemented as well, to take into account the improvements made across the series throughout the years. The famed 180 degree turn has been added (OH BABY YES), you can now reload your weapon prematurely before you run out of ammo, and your knife is now a permanent fixture of your character. No longer willing to put up with you heading to the nearest item box to dump it away and forget it even exists, your knife can now be brought out at any time simply by holding the L button. It doesn't take up any space in your inventory either and basically functions exactly like the knife from Resident Evil 4. While it's still ultimately a last resort, having it available at all times as apart of the core controls is a handy way to go about at least letting you have the option. It's the sort of mechanic I sorely wish Resident Evil 2 and 3 could be treated to. Maybe one day...
Additional technical improvements like allowing you to skip through not only cutscenes but even the door animations of you travelling between areas can give the game a surprising haste if you want it to. And because of the DS' (or 3DS' in my case) handy dual-screen setup, this allows the game to permanently keep the map fixated up top, while it even tracks your movements. It can even note your health at that, and when your status drops it will then begin flashing the colour to give a clear visualisation of your character's current state. I suppose it was easier than having to create new animations to reflect your character's health instead? Regardless, it works well in keeping you clued in as to how fast your character is approaching death. It's worth noting that many of these such improvements persist throughout both its Rebirth and Classic modes at that.
If there is one downside to this version, it's that it's... a little easy. And I don't even mean because of my own experience, but rather how actual enemies and bosses die much quicker than they do in other versions. Jill Valentine's Rebirth playthrough in particular just outright hands you about 80 handgun bullets and 40 shotgun shells once you locate an item box. Once you know where to look the game by default has more than enough ammo for you to be able to hold your own throughout, so for the game to then also dump even more additional ammunition on your lap like that doesn't sit very well with me, no siree.
Also, there's Jill's new costume they designed strictly for this version of the game... It's easy to ignore, but at the same time this almost kinda sullies the way the very original treated its characters of both genders. Jill wasn't (at the time) portrayed as a piece of boobiful eye candy and I found it disappointing to see them sink to such a level with this 'un. Plus, I'm not the sort of person that can get off to PS1-grade cleavage anywhoo.
Despite some minor misgivings here and there, I have enjoyed my time reliving such memories all over again across four playthroughs -- one for each character per mode. The Rebirth mode helped add a little unexpected spice after all these years, and the improved technical and gameplay properties have made this version of the game the most accessible venue to witness the horror (and the hilarity) for anyone who's itching to have a taste of where it all began.
Note: The game also features this strange cooperative multiplayer mode in there too. However because it's Multi-Card only, I have thus far been unable to try it out for myself unfortunately. Which is all the more disappointing considering it allows you to play as close to all of the STARS members. Yes, yes including yours truly...
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