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Fans of the Resident Evil are usually aware of Resident Evil: Code Veronica X being the true sequel to Resident Evil 2. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis is the one time a numbered entry jumps around in the timeline; and is considered more of an “expansion” given how little it progressed the story and recycled a lot of content from Resident Evil 2‘s cutting room floor.
Resident Evil: Code Veronica X was where the franchise made a big leap forward, both technologically and how it moved the grander scope of the story. Had Capcom not made the huge mistake filling off the numbered sequel designation off Resident Evil: Code Veronica X, then Resident Evil Village would actually be considered the ninth entry, not the eighth.
The game sits in this weird no man’s land of being a weirdly ignored sequel, so it stands no chance of getting a remake. This is emphasized by how Capcom is remaking Resident Evil 4 immediately after Resident Evil 3.
It’s plot hinges on aspects that would undoubtedly cause a stir in a certain community and rile up feminists; thus guaranteeing Capcom to eternally ignore the true third entry in this beloved series. What has the forgotten step-child of Resident Evil: Code Veronica X done that would be considered bannable offenses?
Offender: Steve Burnside
Steve was best remembered in Code Veronica for being an obnoxious twerp. The boy got no respect, and everyone in the game took a shot at making fun of him; especially Claire. He was always eager, and had a nasally shrill voice of a 30-year-old guy trying to sound like he was 17.
Despite being incredibly young for a character in a Resident Evil game, Capcom had no issues with arming him to the teeth, and even giving him an extended scene of him gunning down his dad in an unintentionally hilarious and emotional scene.
Anti-gun globalists would never allow a game where a high-schooler carries submachine guns, context damned. Parent groups would picket at the USA offices of Capcom and survivors of school shootings would speak out, demanding Code Veronica be banned. This is nothing compared to Steve’s crimes of trying to steal first base.
Yes it’s true. Despite how annoying Steve acts; he is a hot-blooded, hormone addled teenage boy, who isn’t above of trying to make it with an unconscious Claire. The boy was stranded in a plane over the Antarctic, potentially going to die, and there he is with one of Resident Evil‘s most eligible bachelorettes. Of course he was going to kiss her while she slept.
On top of this crime, Steve dares to stare upon the promised land. He stares long and hard during a scene where Claire, deeply bends over to send email to on a PC early on in the game. In Code Veronica the viewers could only imagine what Steve saw; but the rail shooter Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles, meticulously re-imagines the scene with great detail.
It stands as one of the greatest moments on the Wii. Because men enjoy a simple tawdry display (and the former character building for Steve would be mistaken as titillating instead of pitiable), everyone could expect bloated feminists and woke journalists to compare both scenes to rape. If you can believe it, Steve trying to sneak a dying kiss and looking at Claire’s behind is merely the coming attractions.
Offender: Claire Redfield
Thought that being a regular, every day, horny teenager who thinks he’s about to die was bad? Claire Redfield is the feature presentation by committing the most heinous sin of “current year;” transphobia. Code Veronica is very unique from previous Resident Evil games, because of having a villain who is a bit more complex than anything the series had up to that point.
Alfred Ashford is an aristocratic sadist who runs the prison where the game is set. He also happens to love Alexia, his dead identical twin sister… Some may say he loved her too much. Alfred goes full Norman Bates and tries to become Alexia. Wears her dresses, wigs, make-up, and even can do a flawless female voice to pass convincingly.
This perceived character flaw with Claire is a characteristic that is dishonestly lumped in as a “phobia,” which means “irrational fear”. Claire is not transphobic, because she is not afraid of Alfred/Alexia. She flat out mocks him for his lifestyle, during their confrontation in the airplane scenes.
Code Veronica does a fair bit of subtle foreshadowing the identity of Alexa and Alfred. Through out the early parts of the game, Claire can find clues that should tip off anyone paying attention. Claire will even make snide and sarcastic comments towards some of the clues in Alfred’s own bedroom, judging him.
Why is any of this in Code Veronica? Cinema has always been a major influence on Resident Evil. Films like Silence of the Lambs are given a few nods with the insect motif being shared, since both follow similar themes of “transformation,” and both feature a degenerate bad guy who wants to be a woman.
The first two Psycho films are also a couple of movies that Resident Evil has borrowed from. The décor of the Spencer mansion does sometimes resemble Norman’s house, and in Psycho II Norman plays Moonlight Sonata on a piano; a song strongly associated with Resident Evil.
Psycho is a movie franchise that is about a character who sometimes thinks he is a woman. Both Norman and Alfred have a dissociative personality disorder, where they obsess over female family members. Norman had his mother, and for Alfred it’s his sister Alexia.
It is no coincidence that Silence of the Lambs, the Psycho movies, and Code Veronica would be considered too taboo today. The woke mob are violent bullies who threaten anyone creative who has any idea that challenges them.
It wouldn’t matter if Alfred is not actually transgendered, to the woke Claire’s statement would be considered hateful; despite the fact that Alfred actually is a deranged sociopath who tortures people and has experiments conducted on prisoners.
Anyone who would rush to defend someone like Alfred because of his mental state is probably as monstrous as he is. He isn’t even aware of the fact that he is assuming Alexia’s identity and persona, and the game does use some admittedly cheap ways to create the illusion.
“Alexia” uses a totally unique character model with a body type that is very different from Alfred’s. There are also two different voice actors for both of the Ashfords, and an actual female voice was used for scenes where Alexia is in control. The cheat was done for the sake of the surprise, and anyone who played Code Veronica when it came out was most likely caught off guard.
This was a very unconventional story for a game at the time. Even when Resident Evil: Village (the ninth entry) had released, there still has been no other Resident Evil that had a psychological element to the story. This isn’t to say that Code Veronica is a deep or complex narrative; it’s still is the fun and absurd schlock as always.
While the scene where Alfred’s “Alexia” outfit malfunctions may be distressing for social justice thugs, the scene is hilarious for regular people. His make-up is ridiculous, and his reaction in the mirror is hilariously over the top.
Claire is right to call Alfred a freak; he carelessly brandishes rifles, has the hots for his his twin (who might be a clone), and has no value for human life. Alfred is not a commentary on mental health issues or transgender people; he is a psychotic villain through and through.
Code Veronica‘s core is Alfred and his dilemma. It would be too controversial for the “current year,” and it is probably one of the reasons why Capcom is skipping it after Resident Evil 3 (2020) and is going straight to remaking Resident Evil 4.
Thankfully, Code Veronica has not been buried and completely forgotten. It can be downloaded on both PlayStation Network and Xbox Live. This was an old school style Resident Evil game, so tank-controls and puzzles might be enough to stop the culture-devouring swine from ever seeing these scenes.
Cutting this part out or changing it fundamentally change everything to a hypothetical Code Veronica remake.
