The cycle begins anew for Resident Evil fans as a new title has been announced at Summer Game Fest once again. But even with the new, there’s a much-awaited return to the classic, namely the underrated Resident Evil – Code: Veronica.
Launching in 2027 – most likely by March 31st to fit the company’s fiscal year – Resident Evil Veronica kicked off its reveal in unexpected fashion. No break-in through Umbrella’s Paris facility, or slow-mo, Matrix-like action sequences that are impossible in the actual gameplay. Instead, it begins innocuously enough as Claire Redfield arrives at the building where her brother, Chris, has been staying.
Led upstairs by a kind old landlady, she discovers his flat in disarray with papers, a DSLR camera (with telephoto lens), a walkie-talkie, a personal recorder and an ashtray on the table. He also seems to have a sweet tooth if the box of Delices Du Marquis on the side table is any indication. What makes this entire scene interesting is the landlady revealing she had cleaned the place a week prior. Which means Chris popped in for however long and left again, seemingly in a hurry. “It’s like a boulder rolled through here,” she says, in the least obvious kind of foreshadowing yet.
After departing to make some coffee, Claire is left alone and hears a knock at the door. Opening it leads to her being held at knife point by, as the official website puts it, the “Umbrella special forces unit responsible for the incident.” Since it refers to the destruction of Raccoon City before this section, you can assume they’re the same incident. From here, she’s taken in and transported to Rockfort Island, and the rest should be as you know it. Another outbreak, turning the island’s residents into zombies. The Ashford family’s influence and the fate of Alexander, the 6th Earl, among other things.
Except it may not be so cut-and-dry. Besides the fact that the website touts this as a “reimagined storyline,” there’s the obvious gas-mask-wearing elephant in the room – Hunk, if that indeed is Hunk. He wasn’t in the original Code: Veronica. However, for those who played The Darkside Chronicles, which featured a condensed reimagining, Game of Oblivion, there was a report detailing that he did visit Rockfort Island.
Carrying a “large-scale B.O.W. capsule,” he noted that it was “stored at sub-zero temperatures” per Alfred’s request. However, he questions why his team, a “highly trained unit,” is assigned to what appears to be a “standard capsule,” and relayed his concerns regarding his team’s safety, especially if the contents are “potentially harmful.” No guesses for what – or who – is contained within.
While the development team may include this particular instance in the remake, perhaps it serves as inspiration for Hunk to have a bigger role. Given his re-emergence in Resident Evil Requiem for a short but fun fight, you have to wonder if maybe there are bigger plans to expand on his overarching lore. Then again, it could just be a case of throwing him in for a surprise rather than doing much more with him, especially if rumors about Albert Wesker and the HCF having larger roles and more story scenes turn out to be true.
Of course, this does raise other questions. How did Umbrella know that Claire would be there? Were they actually staking the location, waiting for Chris and just got lucky? Did grandma sell him out? The original made it clear that he was already under surveillance. And what’s the walkie-talkie for? Who’s he been communicating with?
At the very least, this scene makes sense because it explains why she went to Paris. How Claire even knew that Chris was staying at this particular location remains to be seen, but there’s also the part about sending an email to Leon to find her brother and ask for his assistance. Maybe in the remake, she left some clue at his apartment before being kidnapped? Umbrella may have even leaked the information to flush him out of hiding. Either way, this could have massive implications for how Chris’s part of the story unfolds.
Also, despite the original’s marketing featuring both Redfield siblings, this time, it’s just Claire. This could be in line with her allegedly being treated as the protagonist, but it may also be a case of the developer holding off on revealing what Chris looks like. It’s somewhat similar to how Leon wasn’t confirmed until months out from release and afterwards, figured prominently on the box art and marketing images.
Another interesting bit from the trailer – a figure in a red coat, white gloves and what seems to be a pocket watch making their way down the stairs. If that isn’t a redesign for Alfred Ashford, I don’t know what is. Honestly, it works, retaining the original look’s main color and formality while making it feel more modern and practical.
Other familiar locations appear but are overhauled with incredible detail alongside someone who covers his head with a hood. The light auburn hair gives away that this is Steve Burnside, a fellow prisoner who Claire meets and occasionally provides assistance. Another outfit change for a familiar character to go with a potentially less egregious personality? Most likely, but hey, at least the Gold Lugers – which play a part in the plot – look better than ever.
Perhaps the biggest red herring in this trailer is the first-person perspective when Claire enters the apartment building and looks around. You might think after Requiem that this may be the development team opting for another dual-perspective game, where you can swap between first and third person at any time. While that’s certainly possible, the fact that rumors about the remake’s development began two years ago, and the amount of effort that would go into implementing two perspectives – which the Requiem team described as essentially developing two games simultaneously – means it’s unlikely. Besides, all Resident Evil remakes have typically stuck to the over-the-shoulder perspective, and Veronica may simply follow suit, with the occasional first-person cutscene.
Of course, there’s the other big change – not the visuals or the opening, but the name. Why Veronica? Why not Code: Veronica, like the original? Besides the narrative significance of the name, it may be another clue that the remake is influenced by Darkside Chronicles, where Game of Oblivion refers to it as “the Veronica virus.” Whether it leans into other changes, like Claire helping Chris in an important battle, or even Chris meeting Steve, remains to be seen.
Either way, it’s unlikely that the development team will cut content – again, going by reports from leaker Dusk Golem. Which is all the more odd because the Umbrella Paris facility raid appears to be gone (unless Claire actually escaped and then went to find Chris). Perhaps they meant that no gameplay sequences from the original have been removed, opening the floor for something new. There’s also always the possibility that any story changes from previous remakes could tie in, even if some, like the fourth game, take place chronologically after.
Resident Evil Veronica is coming to Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2, and based on everything seen thus far, it could be another stunning remake, especially since it doesn’t have to consider any previous-gen consoles. Whether it cements a brand new legacy for the 2000 survival horror is anyone’s guess, but for now, we’re happy to see Claire in the spotlight once again.
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