Resident Evil: Director's Cut

What really caused a stir in 1997 was the second disk, which includes an playable demo of Resident Evil 2. It gives you a nice taste of the sequel by letting you fend off hordes of zombies on ravaged city streets, if only for a few minutes. This Director's Cut is not a critical upgrade for owners of the original version, but if you've never played Resident Evil, this is an ideal package.

It would have been nice to see a few new puzzles in the original game as even with the extra enemies and new hiding places for objects I still completed the advanced mode within five hours. If I had my way I would have offered the player unlimited ammo and made the Zombies indestructible. Three or four shots could put them down but they will always return to haunt their domain. Overall a tidy package that proves great VFM.

Many people will no doubt buy the game just for this, so kudos for Capcom for making it more than just a cleverly packaged demo. If you've never played Resident Evil, you owe it to yourself to try out this classic game. And if you already own it, well, there is the added incentive of the Arrange mode and demo.

If you don't already have the original game, this is your chance. For people who don't have the original Resident Evil, I can't recommend Director's Cut any higher . For those of us who have been playing the original for over a year, this game is just not different enough to warrant a purchase. I think you will feel like you basically paid $40 for a game you already had and a playable demo of Resident Evil 2. I think Capcom should have just released the playable demo of Part 2 and sold it for $5-$10. I think they would sell a hell of a lot more and the fans of this game will not feel cheated.

Those who don't already have Resident Evil should pick this baby up, and those who do should consider trading in their old copy for this year's model.