One word: wow. If you notice anything about this game right off the bat, it's undisputably the graphics! Hi polygon counts bring the craft to a new breathtaking high. Pre-rendered enviroments that seemlessly blend into the game thanks to the streaming video laced throughout the mansion and it's surrounding areas. Water gushes around you as your feet go over a small stream. Water ripples frighteningly accurate to real life.

The lighting is absolute perfection; even the character's faces have detailed shadowing effects. Ditching the live actors used in the original was a smart move as the FMVs are beautifully rendered and suprisingly clean considering the GameCube's tendancy to be grainy in that area. There is absolutely nothing negative that I could find in the graphics department. I could even go so far as to call it the most attractive game I have ever seen!

Simply awesome. As expected the series keeps you on the edge of your seat with chilling music. Sometimes though the most terrifying music on the entire soundtrack is dead silence. You know that something is always waiting for you, maybe even around the next corner. Zombies eerily shuffle as they walk, and let out bone chilling moans. Foot steps change to the sound of the turf they are walking upon, a Resident Evil trademark. However, a lack of Dolby Surround Sound is sure to leave audio buffs a bit irritated.

The voice acting is hit and miss, although much improved over any of the Resident Evil games. Especially the original. Overall however, I would have to say that Capcom strikes gold again. Kudos.

Here is where the real fork in the road lies for players of the Resident Evil series. You either hate the control scheme or you cope with it for the good of playing the game. I however, am biased to the control scheme. I feel it ADDS to the no-escape atmosphere. However with three different schemes to choose from, I decided it was worth it to give each of them a go.

I was suprised to see that the other two were more manueverable AND kept with that no-escape sensation. Personally I found little wrong with the controls, but players new to the series will most likely feel some frustration until they get through the growing pains. Once they do, they won't even notice it.

Seeing as this is a remake, you'd probably expect a re-hash of tired puzzles and shoot-em up gameplay. Well fortunately, Capcom grabs your attention and plays for keeps. Just enough is new to warrant a purchase. There is also just enough of the original game to re-kindle nostalgia.

Probably the biggest addition would be the use of "defense items". Hidden around the mansion are items such as daggers, flash grenades, and battery packs. Each of these items, when picked up don't take up space in your character's inventory. When a zombie grabs hold of you, if you have a defense item handy you can use it to escape their clutches un-scathed. I remember several times where a defense item got me out of a tight spot.

The puzzles while many are new, quite a few are still very much the same. However, if it's been a while since you played Resident Evil, you won't recognize much. And you'll never know when a zombie is about ready to bust out that door, eliminating the once safe feeling of walking by one. The atmoshpere is still as terrifying as ever. Be prepared to sheepishly run for the light switch!

To keep you playing, there are two secret costumes for both Jill and Chris and two secret weapons. Extra modes that can be unlocked include a "real survivor" mode, hard mode, and invisible enemy mode. The secret weapons, the Samuri's Edge and the Rocket Launcher, both come with unlimited ammo and are great for when you are not looking for more than some brainless zombie-blasting.

Real survivor mode is quite challenging, because it takes some of the beauty of the item box away. If you put an item into a particular item box, it STAYS in that item box. It wont be in every item box you encounter in the game. Hard mode is unlocked after you beat the game the first time, and obviously isn't exactly a walk in the park. And as the name suggests, invisible enemy mode is the same game, except you obviously cannot see your enemy. It's tougher than keeping a hat on a monkey. With a handful of extras to unlock, Resident Evil Remake will keep the die-hards busy for months!