All Versions of Resident Evil – Code: Veronica

As the first game in the series to make the switch to full-3D, Resident Evil – Code: Veronica would end up being the bridge between the franchise’s past and its eventual future. Not quite the drastic reinvention of the series that Resident Evil 4 represents while also definitively a step forward from the original PlayStation trilogy, Code: Veronica is a unique “middle child” of the series. And, to help hammer this point home, the game has some of the most over-the-top camp and a bizarre plot that sees the Redfield siblings finally unite to take down Umbrella, the first and only game in the series where the two partner up. All versions of Resident Evil – Code: Veronica has merit, but most now consider the Code: Veronica X re-release to be canon.

Interestingly, Code: Veronica is one of the only games in the series to exist across 5 separate hardware generations, beginning as a sixth-gen console exclusive for the Dreamcast and still available on current-gen consoles such as the PS5 or Xbox Series X/S. Roughly a year after its original release the title would receive an expansion and update via the Resident Evil – Code: Veronica X re-release, and it is this version that would serve as the basis for all future ports.

Resident Evil – Code: Veronica (Dreamcast)

Release Date: February 29, 2000

Metacritic Score: 94

Summary: After originally planning to port Resident Evil 2 to the Sega Saturn, Capcom would make the decision to divert resources toward a brand-new game in the series for the company’s upcoming 6th generation console, the Sega Dreamcast. Rather than handle development duties in-house, Capcom would hand the reins for Code: Veronica to Tose, who had handled development on the spin-off Resident Evil: Survivor and would also later work on Resident Evil Zero. For the first time in the series, the game transitions to both 3D character models and enviroments and introduces dual-wielding of weapons.

The original Dreamcast release of the title would prove to be a huge hit, but the eventual downfall of the hardware and Sega’s exiting of the industry as a console manufacturer would result in Capcom bringing the game over to Sony’s 6th gen console, the PlayStation 2, just a year after the title’s initial release. And, despite the original version of the game not including the bonus content that Code: Veronica X adds, the Dreamcast release holds the highest Metacritic review aggregate score and sales figures.

Resident Evil – Code: Veronica X (PS2)

Release Date: August 21, 2001

Metacritic Score: 84

Summary: Following the Dreamcast’s demise, Resident Evil – Code: Veronica would swiftly make its way to the PlayStation 2. This second version of the game, Code: Veronica X, introduces new content cut from the original release. Though this content only amounts to just under 10 minutes of new lore and cutscenes, the improvements that the PlayStation 2 is able to make over the original help to justify the game’s existence. Thanks to the power of the PS2, Code: Veronica X features noticeably improved visuals and audio. Outside of the enhancements to performance and some new cutscenes, though, Code: Veronica X is the same excellent Resident Evil game players got to experience on the Dreamcast.

Resident Evil – Code: Veronica X (GameCube)

Release Date: December 3, 2003

Metacritic Score: 62

Summary: Two years after the title’s porting to the PlayStation 2 and rebranding as Code: Veronica X, the game would land on the Nintendo GameCube. Though it bridges the gap between the release of the excellent Resident Evil remake and Resident Evil 0 in 2002 with the later release of Resident Evil 4 in 2005, the game would fail to make much of a splash critically or commercially. In fact, the GameCube port of Code: Veronica X has the lowest sales figures and weakest critical reception of any version of the title. Part of this is due to the fact that the GameCube version lacks some of the extra content that the PS2 version includes. Additionally, the visuals and audio are almost identical to the Dreamcast original, prompting many to assume that the game is actually just an unaltered port rather than the Code: Veronica X re-release.

Resident Evil – Code: Veronica X (PS3 & Xbox 360)

Release Date: September 27, 2011

Metacritic Score: 67

Summary: Thanks to the advent of digital storefronts, Resident Evil – Code: Veronica would make its way to 7th generation consoles more than 10 years after its original release. Rather than use the Dreamcast version as the basis for the port, the Xbox 360 and PS3 releases of Code: Veronica are based off of the PS2 version of Resident Evil – Code: Veronica X. The title includes no new content or updates to its visuals, which simultaneously preserves the game in its original state while making it feel somewhat obsolete in comparison to newer entries. Still, with the title not available on PC, this version of the game exists as the only option players have to experience the classic on modern consoles (more on that later).

Resident Evil – Code: Veronica X (PS4/PS5)

Release Date: January 28, 2014

Metacritic Score: 71

Summary: The most recent version of Code: Veronica is actually the exact same as the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions from 2011, albeit repackaged in a different form depending on your console of choice. For Xbox Series X/S players, the Xbox 360 version of the game is available via backwards compatibility and parity among the Xbox consoles. The title even shows up on the Xbox Marketplace featuring the classic Xbox 360 banner on its digital storefront artwork. The PlayStation version is available via PSN courtesy of the PS2 Classics collection, and it is the same version that originally released on that console and later on the PS3. Thanks to most PSN games being playable across all versions of the PlayStation, the PS4 and PS5 now have access to this classic Resident Evil game.

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