Recently I was working on a Resident Evil project completely unrelated to alcohol, but I really got to thinking about Code: Veronica during the process of going through its lore, files and whatnot. It had been nearly ten years since I'd last played RE:CV in any form. I have fond memories of playing it on my Dreamcast (and later on my PS2 as RE:CVX), but going through the game scenarios again in my mind made me wonder if I was remembering it through a nostalgia filter.
So (because I was too lazy to hook up my Dreamcast or PS2) I downloaded RE:CVX HD from PSN and started going through the game again. It's still a fun game. But MAN, there are some cringe-worthy moments, and although I remembered that Steve Burnside is a vile creature worthy of malice, I'd forgotten how annoying he truly was.
This game isn't helped by the fact that it is only edged out by RE:0 in the number of times you have to pick up an item on one side of the map and take it all the way to the other side, repeating ad nauseum. Granted, all of the older Resident Evil games have this issue in their design, but RE:0 and RE:CV abuse it.
So the idea for a drinking game to help ease the journey through Rockfort Island came about. The rules are written below, broken into four categories for quick reference so you have a good idea of when you should have your drink ready: Steve, Ashford, Character and Game Design. I'd highly recommend playing this game with friends on-hand both to help keep track of when to drink, and because this drinking game (in my experience) turns out to be a fantastic interactive spectator sport as well, as long as you're all RE fans.
STEVE RULES:
Take a drink whenever:
- Steve says something angst-ridden (like "You'll just end up disappointed if you rely on others!")
- Steve whines about something (when in doubt as to whether or not he's whining, drink anyway to be safe)
- Steve either tries to say something cool or says something really awkward (usually the same thing)
- Steve tries to help and only makes things worse
- Steve wastes a shit-ton of ammo (cutscenes only)
ASHFORD RULES:
Take a drink whenever:
- The "Ashford Theme Song" plays (when in an area where the song is playing as background music, drink each time it loops)
- Alfred fails to kill someone with his sniper rifle (each shot counts)
- Alfred laughs
- The player solves a puzzle involving ants
- The player is thrust into a fight with an Ashford
- Anyone says "Veronica"
- "Veronica" is mentioned in a file or item description
- The player must directly interact with the word "Veronica" (in this case, finish your drink and start a new one)
CHARACTER RULES:
Take a drink whenever:
- Anything is said in a Canadian accent (ie: "Soarry" or "oatbreak")
- Someone sustains/does something that SHOULD sustain an injury and either just ignores it or is magically healed later without any explanation (cutscenes only)
- The player examines a rotting/mauled/obviously deceased corpse and makes an idiotic observation (like "He has stopped breathing.")
- Any character says something and then later contradicts themselves
- An NPC shows up in an area that you just gained access to yourself without having to jump through the same hoops that you did
- Anyone says anything along the lines of "It's over"
GAME DESIGN RULES:
Take a drink whenever:
- Picking up an item or activating some device triggers enemies to spawn (drink TWICE if it is PAINFULLY obvious that this will happen)
- Something mundane and easily surmounted in real life becomes an impassible barrier (ie: "There is a barrel laying on its side in front of this door. Damn...looks like I've gotta find another way around.")
- The player picks up an item for a puzzle that he hasn't found yet
- The player finds a puzzle item which requires him to go to the opposite side of the map
- The solution to a puzzle could have easily been handled with something like a crowbar or some other "real world" solution
- A disembodied, computer-generated female voice announces something (announcements which repeat themselves as part of the background noise do not count)
- A self-destruct sequence is activated (this stacks with the disembodied voice rule)
Feedback and suggestions appreciated. Hope you enjoy.
Except for the fact that one probably shouldn't encourage people to consume large quantities of alcohol, especially on a forum that is open to all kinds of people (underage?), I still find the idea of an RE drinking game quite amusing. I'm a fan of the old-fashioned survival horror titles of the series, even if you had to go a dozen times across your map to get all the puzzles solved.
Your choice of game got me worried though: taking a drink whenever Steve is -well- basically Steve might eventually result in fatal alcohol poisoning!
Oh what the hell, I'll try it some time - and let you know what happened ...
May I suggest the Operation Raccoon City drinking game?
The rules are simple: drink every time you encounter a glitch. You'll be smashed in no time.
"I refuse to abandon my work! I've finished my research on the T-virus, but I need a little more time to complete the more powerful G-virus!" - William Birkin
I didn't run into that many glitches.
"The last century showed us the evil face of physics. This century will show us the evil face of biology. This will be humanity's last century, Constance."
- A.X.L. Pendergast
yea only 1 for me!
"You're gunna need a bigger boat"
Neo Umbrella - that's a great name! ~~ BatMan
Heh, okay, how about the RE4 drinking game. Take a drink everytime Ashley screams LEON!!! HELP!!! ...
Hm, that could make those agonizing scenes with Ms. Graham and her horrible voice rather enjoyable I think.
What about a Revelations drinking game. You take a drink whenever you here a nautical term you don't understand (eg bilge) and another whenever you feel confused by the story!
L.Veltro
P.S Don't go hating on Ashley. I like her as a character, but her voice can get pretty annoying
"If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything!"
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Vis4Valentine
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I didn't, either, but I have it on 360. Apparently there's a lot more on PS3.
"I refuse to abandon my work! I've finished my research on the T-virus, but I need a little more time to complete the more powerful G-virus!" - William Birkin
I have it on PS3.
"The last century showed us the evil face of physics. This century will show us the evil face of biology. This will be humanity's last century, Constance."
- A.X.L. Pendergast
Steve was awesome and nobody can convince me otherwise. I'd down a spirytus bottle in his honor.
Also, backtracking = awesome.
*drip drop*
Ah, fair point; hadn't considered the underage aspect. Well, uh, I guess the underaged can easily replace "alcohol" with a caffeinated beverage of some variety. See how awake you can get! YEAH!!!!
Oh, I suppose I also should have mentioned that I made these rules with "beer" in mind, as opposed to "take a shot each time X happens". That way, you can easily control the amount you drink as well as the potency. I tested these rules using Orval, a Belgian beer (and my personal favorite, despite its high price here in the States), and had a friend on-hand to help me remember when to drink. I got through the entire game, but was pretty blitzed by the end of it. It took me a few tries to get past the modified T-103 in the cargo plane (I've always hated that battle anyways), but the majority of it was smooth sailing and a lot of fun.
Fair warning, some cutscenes are drink-heavy, but that was intentional in my initial design: minimal drinking while gameplay actually occurs, ramped up a bit when it's time to relax and watch a cutscene. Please, let me know if you do try it, and what you think of the results. Any feedback would be appreciated for the purposes of fine-tuning the rules. Thanks; hope you have fun!
EDIT: Also, I actually had considered an RE4 drinking game, but couldn't really come up with anything solid for it. The Ashley rule is fine and all, but can be easily circumvented if you have her properly hide in each area you have to lead her through.
Still, I think you're onto something. Let's do some brainstorming, shall we? What other rules would you put into an RE4 drinking game? Make it mandatory that Ashley must follow the player at all times? Drink everytime you meet a *new* Merchant? Drink after every QTE? Drink every time you increase your maximum health? Drink whenever you are forced to use a First Aid Spray?
I don't have much to say, but I do enjoy this place.
Hm, let's say a drink for everytime Ashley speaks and two for "Leon, help!" then ...and yes, Ashley MUST stay with you all the time! (The horror ...)
Also a drink for everytime you get hit by a crossbow bolt. Happens to me a lot, never see them coming. The "new" Merchant rule is good, how about two drinks whenever he says "Come back anytime" because he doesn't always say that. A drink for every egg you find (killing chickens is NOT allowed). A drink whenever Del Lago throws you off your boat. A drink for everytime you have to "ring the bell" for the Garrador in order to defeat him/them.
I tried playing RE4 yesterday just observing the Ashley rule and drinking Baileys (small shots, mind you). It was fun, but I didn't get past the last boss fight. I think I'll try CVX next weekend with my friend using the Steve and Ashford rules. I'll let you know what happened.