By Dan - 21st July 2002

>>> Comparison

Resident Evil, and Eternal Darkness are the two big titles out for the Nintendo Gamecube right now, and many people are not sure which one is better. Both of these stellar titles fit nicely into almost the same category. They are both survival horror game where you go around killing the undead, and saving mankind from a breed of gruesome monsters. However, both games have many variations that make then quite different from each other. You must look at all the aspects of gaming to see how these games do differ, and to try to find (if possible) which is better.

Graphics

This category is pretty obvious. Resident Evil easily wins, but that is not to say Eternal Darkness is a bad looking game. It is just because RE set the bar so high with its beautiful pre-rendered backdrops and high polygon characters. Almost everything looks great, and it creates a very spooky mood. Eternal Darkness also has good graphics, but compared to RE they are a step down. They are not pre-rendered and are in real time so they take up less space on a disk. They still create nice environments, but some seem to be thrown together quickly. Most characters look very nice, but some are not up to my expectations. Over all Resident Evil easily wins this department with its gorgeously done pre-rendered environments.

Sound

The sound in both games is very good, but Eternal Darkness sets itself beyond Resident Evil by providing phenomenal voice acting. Eternal Darkness might quite possibly have the best voice acting in a video game ever. However, Resident Evil does sport some voice acting, but it is easily worse, it sounds very fake, and the emotions are not portrayed very well. Beyond the voice acting, and more importantly is the music and sounds effects. Both sport very effective music that makes the games much scarier. In the department of sound effects, Eternal Darkness wins again. Eternal Darkness features very spooky sounds when you begin to go insane (footsteps, and knocking on doors). Voices whispering in the shadows, and phones ringing create a very spooky environment. Resident evil does have the loud bursts of thunder and moaning of zombies, but Eternal Darkness has more to offer in the sound effects department. The music is something both games do well. Resident Evil, however, sports scarier music that sets the stage well for the events that happen. Eternal Darkness also has a plethora of music choices, but some of them do not create the spooky environment that the game is trying to portray. With everything taken into consideration, Eternal Darkness is the overall winner of the sound department, but Resident Evil is certainly not lacking, and still makes a very valiant effort.

Gameplay

Those familiar with the original Resident Evil will find this part quite the same. You choose between two characters and run through a mansion killing zombies and whatever else stands in your way. You must solve puzzles to get further on in the game, and find to weapons to dispose of your enemies. However, this is not to say that the old tried and true method is bad. On the contrary, it creates a very fun gameplay experience. To make this game stand out from the original game, our friends at Capcom have added new places to explore and things to find. So, even veterans of the original should be happy to play this game through just to see what is new.

Eternal Darkness creates totally new gameplay experience with a new fighting, and deep magick systems. However, they do borrow things from other survival horror games, like the puzzles that are scattered throughout the game. The fighting system is much different, and you will find that killing zombies is really very fun. You target the zombies body part and attack. You can lop off their arms and head, and cut them in half. One must be strategic when fighting, and cannot go running around tapping the A button. Some monsters have weak points, and you must take advantage of that. The magick system is very deep and adds a whole new level of gameplay. There are 12 spells in total and you must use them to your advantage to defeat the armies of darkness that are threatening the world.

Resident Evil revolves around a story of mystery that unfolds before you. You play a member of the S.T.A.R.S. team that are sent to investigate the happening in a mansion in Raccoon Forest. Soon, you find the first S.T.A.R.S. team is dead, and a group of crazy dogs chases you to the mansion. Inside you meet new monsters and plenty of zombies. However, the story is almost bland in points, and is conveyed not so well. Most of the time you don't even care about the story as it is truly very simple. There are multiple endings, but they are almost the same and don't really make you want to complete the game multiple times. But, you can unlock different modes, secret weapons, and alternate costumes, and that might keep you playing for a long time.

Eternal Darkness, on the other hand has a very complexed story that will keep you guessing and scratching your head for a good long while. The guys over at Silicon Knights have truly used their time to come up with a deep and compelling story line that is not usually found in video games. You take the role of Alex Rovias, and she decides to find out for herself how her grandfather died. This leads to more than she expected, and she finds a book that tell the tale that encompasses many centuries and a dozen people. The ancients have come to take back earth, and only a select few can stop them. As the player, you take control of these people and try to stop the darkness. There are 4 different endings, and one of them is the "uber" ending (as it is being called). Other than that, there is not much to unlock, so playing it through 3 times to see the big ending is hard to get yourself to do.

Both of these games create a fun gameplay experience, and they are both very different games. If you want the scarier of the two, go with Resident Evil, but Eternal Darkness offers more for games with the new attack system and the very innovative magick system. Overall, Eternal Darkness offers a deeper gameplay experience.

Playability

This is very easy to sum, and can be done so in few words. Eternal Darkness easily has a better control scheme, and also a better camera. The controls in Resident Evil make it cumbersome to walk around, and you will find yourself running into many walls before you get the hang of it. Also, the cameras in Resident Evil are fixed, so you will find yourself not knowing where that moaning zombie is exactly. Eternal Darkness has a camera that will zoom in and out so you can see all the zombies and other monsters you will encounter. Eternal Darkness has better controls and better camera angels than Resident Evil, and it makes the game much easier to get around and stay alive.

Lifespan

Both of these games aren't the game of the year for replay value. In fact I found myself very board with both after two play troughs. In Resident Evil, you can unlock costumes and other play options. You will probably be playing RE for 10+ hours the first time through unless you know exactly where you are going, and that time will be cut in half the second time. In Eternal Darkness you only get different endings, and that's about it. Eternal Darkness is a bit longer, probably 15+ hours on your first time, and significantly less the next time. So, in this category I think I am going to go with Resident Evil because it offers new costumes and options to make the game a bit different.

Final Say

With all things taken into consideration, Eternal Darkness is the victor between these two games. Resident Evil does put up a good fight with its great graphics and slightly better replay value, but Eternal Darkness pulls ahead with its amazing gameplay and story. This just goes to show that graphics aren't everything. What I also suggest is if you have the money, get both. But, like most of us, that is not possible, so when you are going out to the gaming store and you can't figure it out, I really recommend getting Eternal Darkness over Resident Evil. Eternal Darkness is overall a better game, and is the first needed buy for GameCube.