I played on: DS
I paid: £22.99 (eBay)
Available on: DS
Notes: N/A
Deadly Silence put quite simply is an enhanced port of the original 1996 classic; Resident Evil. This week I’ve played both the original PS1 version of this game, the Gamecube remake, the PS4 HD port of that remake and now I’ve just finished Deadly Silence. You’d think I’d be sick of this mansion by now but I’m not. Something about the Spencer Mansion just feels so nice to me, the entire game is just comfortable. I honestly feel at home in the zombie-infested hallways or the cold sterile labs beneath it. Very few locations in gaming have this effect on me and because of that, this game will always be ageless in my opinion.
Instantly being able to play this game on the go is amazing and it looks great even on the small screen. Deadly Silence has some features unique to this version including the new Rebirth mode which moves items and monster placement around as well as adding a first-person mini-game. When you enter certain rooms you will be greeted with a static first-person view as monsters advance on you. It’s then up to you to use the DS Stylus to swap at the enemies. If you manage to take them all down while taking no damage you will receive a small reward. This is very simple but does add a little something to the game and I like that it rewards you if you do well. You can also play an endless version of this mode from the main menu which is good for when you only have a few minutes to kill while out and about. During normal play, the game is played on the bottom screen with the top screen being used to show your health and the map. This is very useful when exploring the mansion and its grounds. At a glance, you can see how much ammo you have in your gun, your health and what rooms you have explored. Although a small edition it’s one that’s very welcome as it saves a lot of time you would normally spend on menus during the original.
The corny, B-movie style is still just as fun now as it was in 1996. If you have ever watched a SyFy channel B-movie then you will know what you’re in for here. Think in terms of Sharknado or Lake Placid. It’s terrible but in a way that feels fun and enjoyable. Ya sure it can’t be taken seriously but that’s okay because it doesn’t feel like it wants to be taken seriously. If you do want the more scary and genuine take on both this game and the story it tells then check out the remake but for the camp and silly version the original is there. While certainly not for everyone I love it and I can’t be alone with how popular both this game and the SyFy films are. Personally, I don’t have a preference on which incarnation I like more. Both are amazing and I consider each of them to be timeless for very different reasons. At the end of the day, I’m just glad we have both.
Although this is a great port of a classic game it’s not flawless. When playing Rebirth mode I found that some of the new zombie placement was a bit cheap. More than once I would move through a door only to be instantly grabbed by a zombie I had no time to react to. This is just bad game design. This issue did seem to sort itself out after I moved out of the mansion into the courtyard for the first time but regardless it shouldn’t be an issue at all. During some of the later first-person sections when there was more than 1 monster attacking the input felt a little less responsive than earlier in the game. None of these issues are game breakers and both can be solved by just playing the classic mode instead.
Overall this game is just as great as the original. It’s not flawless with problems on the PS1 version being replaced by all new ones here. However, if you love this game and the mansion as much as I do then you will be glad you can now take it with you on the go. This is the same classic survival horror masterpiece just now it fits in your pocket and what’s not to love about that?
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