While this might be a little disappointing to fans expecting a forest of new environments to explore, this is not intended to be a remake like the version created for GameCube. Its intention is to give diehard fans like myself the opportunity to play the game wherever we go. The incredible execution couldn’t make me happier. 

Deadly Silence begins on that fateful day when evil souls sank their teeth into the S.T.A.R.S. police team. After a few events constructed to inflict horror, Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield wind up in what appears to be an abandoned mansion. It’s empty, creepy, and eerily quiet. Jill and Chris are the stars of the game; you have the option to play as either through this entire terror-ific adventure. Both have a meaty, exciting, and at first horrifying quest with dozens of never-saw-that-coming moments.

Some of these moments lose their flair on the small screen. I know I might not be saying that if I were playing this game for the first time. However, when you’re running down a dark hallway and a rabid, mutilated dog blasts through a window – the first time it happens on a normal size screen, with the speakers at a normal or higher sound level – it’s a very startling experience. It makes you tense and nervous in a way that games never had. It’s not the same on the DS. The six-foot spiders just don’t have the same effect on a 2-inch screen as they do on a 25-inch television. Nor is the sound as effective, no matter how loud you crank it (with headphones or through the speaker).

If Resident Evil’s fun came solely from its ability to inflict fear in the player the series would have died a long time ago. Resident Evil 4 was a scare-fest, but the other sequels didn’t have me on the edge of my seat. They were, however, very polished, entertaining games. That’s essentially what Deadly Silence is – a great port of the best survival/horror game of the PSone era, minus a few of the scares. 

Hmmm, I wonder how you’ll solve this puzzle? 

Throughout the journey you’ll encounter several unexpected twists and turns. The story doesn’t unfold in the most intelligent manner, but the twist ending is a good one, opening the door for as many convoluted sequels as the developers can muster. Those who have played the series before already know this, but if you haven’t experienced Capcom’s world of survival/horror, Deadly Silence will turn you into a fan. (It’s also likely to make you buy a GameCube so you can experience Resident Evil the way its creator, Shinji Mikami, intended.)

The gameplay, incase you didn’t know, is absolutely brilliant. Early rumblings hinted that playing the game with the DS D-pad wouldn’t be as effective as the PSone D-pad. I heard the same thing before Capcom released the remake on GameCube. Thankfully neither turned out to be true. Using the DS’s D-pad is the same as using any controller with Resident Evil: it’s a semi-sluggish, semi-cumbersome experience that doesn’t seem to be all that intuitive until you get the hang of it. Then that stagnant, frustrating control scheme that once drove you nuts comes out shining as the best thing since sliced bread.

Speaking of things that are sliced, zombies are now in more danger than ever with the knife permanently equipped (inspired by Resident Evil 4, no doubt). It can be drawn at any time just by holding down the left shoulder button.

In the DS-exclusive Rebirth mode, players get the chance to frantically scratch the screen in a first-person attack game. Zombies are more prevalent in this mode, and when you enter certain rooms the game switches to a first-person view. Scratching the screen (or drawing with the stylus, whichever you prefer) swipes the knife across the screen. When done properly zombies, crows, and anything else the game throws at you will perish. Slash too slowly and it’ll be Jill or Chris who perish.

There are other touch screen surprises in store, a few of which create unique puzzles that wouldn’t have been possible on any other platform (hint: the microphone is used). 

First-person attack! 

Resident Evil: Deadly Silence is a must-buy survival/horror game. It might not be as horrific as the console versions, but it’s just as addictive. You won’t be able to stop yourself from smirking at the brilliant puzzles, whether this is your first or 20th encounter with them.

The new content wouldn’t have been enough to pull this game through if the gameplay hadn’t lived up to the series’ standards, but as always it’s the core gameplay that makes the game a winner. I still get caught by stray zombies, and still die even when I think I’m impervious. It’s more than just another challenging and exciting game – this is Resident Evil. Anyone who’s played the series knows what that means. If you’re not one of them, now’s the time to unravel the secret.

Gameplay: 9
Resident Evil: Deadly Silence is a deadly addictive game. It’s a port, but is that really a reason to complain? I was thrilled to have a handheld version of Mario and Zelda for the first time, followed by a few other unforgettable classics. Now that Resident Evil has reached its 10-year mark we can be certain that is a true classic. The fact that I’m loving it and playing it so intently – the same game I’ve played through a dozen times – is solid proof. It’s not for kids, but I urge everyone else to play it. Diehard Resident Evil fans should drop what they’re doing and get this handheld version immediately. I’m completely enamored with it. I’ll be playing it for months to come.

Graphics: 8
Not the best ever seen on the DS, Resident Evil: Deadly Silence is the first time pre-rendered backgrounds have been done properly on a small screen. The zombies, spiders, and other large creatures are a bit blocky, but they didn’t look much different on the PSone. I would have appreciated more color (better lighting, perhaps) on some of the backgrounds – they look a little drab at times. But overall Deadly Silence’s visual style is great.

Sound: 8
Resident Evil has a great score and an award-winning collection of realistic sound effects. Unfortunately they’re not in their best form on the DS. The DS has a great sound system but a survival/horror game needs the extra boost that can only be heard from larger speakers.

Difficulty: Medium
Classic mode is just as challenging as ever. First-timers will die by the hands of many of the zombies they encounter, despite the abundance of health items provided (it doesn’t feel like an abundance the first time you play it!). Rebirth is a tad more challenging in that there are more battles, but the first-person knife fights are easy to win and sometimes reward the player with bonus health items.

Concept: 7
Resident Evil: Deadly Silence is a wonderfully executed handheld adaptation of a 10-year-old game. The new content is clever, not revolutionary. It does a fair job of incorporating both the touchable aspects of the bottom screen and the helpful aspects of the top screen (the map is now displayed at all times on the top screen. Very helpful).

Overall: 8.1
A part of me wants to give this game a 9. But I have to take into account the fact that it is another version of the same Resident Evil that debuted 10 years ago. That said, there isn’t a Resident Evil fan on the planet who won’t get into this version. Reviewing this Deadly Silence made me realize something: whether in a new, next-gen, remade form with new content (as on GameCube), in faux director’s cut (as on PSone) or in this new, handheld adaptation, Resident Evil is still Resident Evil. As the umpteenth port it can’t score as highly as original and exclusive DS titles, but as a handheld survival/horror game it is everything I wanted.