I want to believe… that there is a good X-files game out there. Believing is one thing, getting it is another. I’m not saying The X-Files: Resist or Serve is terrible, because it’s not. It’s not exactly great, either. Enjoyable yes, somewhat faithful to the lore for the X-Files buffs, with “janky” as its middle name. So, for everyone climbing on board, be warned! You will be in for a rough ride! Before anything else, some technical things.
Tech & other things
The X-Files: Resist or Serve is a PlayStation 2 exclusive title. This means I played it with the usual, namely: PCSX2. It worked flawlessly right out of the box, but two things to consider. It has native widescreen support, so be sure to activate that in the in-game options. If you try to run it in 60 FPS with a hack, the game will break in certain areas. There is a sofa at one point which can’t be pushed if you run one of these patches, which will stop your progress completely. And some telephone calls between Mulder and Scully will cut away early, leaving you hanging on the plot and how to continue it. Other than that, it runs perfectly fine, locked at 30 FPS. Now, let’s talk about the story.
Zombie town
Any good survival horror needs a good zombie foe for the player to blast. And what is better than to throw a few liters of black goo from the TV-show’s mythos plotline over a small town, in combination with an alien artifact that can resurrect the dead. That way, you get both spooky slimy aliens, and nasty zombies biting for the jugular in your neck!
To be fair, The X-Files: Resist or Serve starts more in line with a typical mysterious X-files episode, than just outright zombie killing. Yet, it becomes clear quickly where the game is going, after head-shotting a few undead townies to progress. By that, I mean, since it’s based on the X-files mythos, and the alien oil virus, it will involve the usual things, without much added fun in the story department. Just like the X-Files Game (check out the review!) for PC and PlayStation 1. If you watched the show, you will figure out how it will play out, which to me was once again a let-down.
The main problem, as I understand it, is that the game can’t contradict anything already established by the show, and it can’t kill or change important characters. Especially when the game proudly presents its three chapters as “lost episodes” for the show’s season 7. I did enjoy the plot in parts, so it wasn’t all bad, as the writing is pretty good, and very funny at times. But it would have been so much better if it was as a stand-alone episode. They probably could have gotten away with way more stuff, but as all these games go— fan service is mandatory (or death, apparently).
Survival horror massacre
The gameplay and controls for The X-Files: Resist or Serve are pretty standard when it comes to survival horror. Semi locked camera angles, with some sort of tank-controls, but mapped to the analog sticks instead of the d-pad. It works, but it feels very awkward when the camera shifts suddenly. Holding down the d-pad to keep momentum feels natural in those games. But holding the stick to keep momentum is way off here, as it will constantly trick your brain to move the stick to a more natural direction in response to the camera. This will make Mulder spin in place at times, making entering rooms a painful progress. It does take some getting used to.
Otherwise, the gameplay is a regular affair. This is a good thing, because it sure feels like a survival horror. However, with a bit more action. You see, Mulder (or Scully, depending on who you pick) has plenty of weapons and close combat martial art skills to their disposal. That means, you will be as likely to shoot an alien zombie, as literally kicking its ass with your foot. When an enemy falls over, the game essentially gives you a free pass to beat up the undead weirdo crawling around on the ground, without any health risks. It’s both funny and mechanically sound, watching Mulder kicking the crap out of a zombie. While silly looking, I have a strong feeling it was supposed to be like this—to save ammo for future encounters, because you’ll surely need it when it comes to the bosses.
The game loves to throw you random curveballs. These situations mostly involve the bosses, but there are also a few odd encounters where the game expects you to run instead of standing and fighting. And well, if you fail to pick up on that (knowledge from the show might help), it’s game over. I hope you saved your game, sucker!
Most bosses aren’t that difficult, but it entirely depends on whether you kept your good weapons or used them on lesser foes. If you save your AK47 for the boss, you can take him out in under 15 seconds. But if you are stuck with the pistol, while he stunlocks you and sends all his minions to make alien shish kebab of your ass—well, good luck! So save your best guns, and use the pistols on lesser beings, in combination with kicking them to death to save on precious ammunition.
Puzzles
There aren’t too many puzzles that require thinking in The X-Files: Resist or Serve. The enigmas to be solved mostly stem from finding the next area, and you do that by carefully listening to dialogue or reading the diary. While the game doesn’t offer much in traditional puzzles, it’s more of a mind-puzzle, keeping notice of oddities that undoubtedly will be referenced later on. Not exactly a cognitive challenge for the ages— at least not with Mulder, but I read that Scully’s path is less of violence and one more of intellect.
Yes, it actually has two paths throughout the adventure, as Mulder and Scully split up at random intervals, doing their own thing. If you want to experience the complete package, two playthroughs might be required. I was okay with one, which might be considered a sin for a review, but in the end, I had enough alien conspiracies for a while! Nonetheless, it’s a nice touch that reminds me of Resident Evil 2, with the two paths of Leon and Claire. It adds replayability, if nothing else, if you can stomach the gameplay.
The look and sound
The visuals are very PlayStation 2-tier, but with a somewhat lower fidelity in detail, since some areas look pretty bland (almost PS1 style in emptiness), together with the quirky looking characters and monsters. It’s not exactly a stunner, not even for the era, but all in all, the graphics are suitable for what kind of game it is. You can easily tell who’s who from the show, yet even here, there is some serious jank to consider. That in combination with voice acting, it does sadly come off a bit weak.
While the actors return to voice their respective roles. I found that there was very little enthusiasm coming from their mouths, as they more or less just read the lines straight up from the manuscript without any emotions matching the scenes. Still, it’s a plus that they are actually here, since even if the passion was low, it outweighs having none, or random voice actors trying their best to sound like the legendary cast.
Sound and music are fairly standard, but be prepared to hear the X-Files theme song plenty of times. It plays fairly often, both in-game and in the menus. Luckily, it’s a good tune. The other tracks work out okay, fitting the horror mood at times. But some songs have a horrific metal screeching sound effect to accompany the music that is pure suffering. It usually plays in combat, so I guess it works toward the tension. I’m still a tad perplexed over its inclusion, though, because it’s horrible, and might be considered a war crime in certain countries.
Conclusion
The X-Files: Resist or Serve is far from a forgotten gem, but thanks to being a pretty competent and eccentric survival horror set in a cool franchise, it’s definitely worth a playthrough. The biggest drawback, as mentioned, is its focus on fan service. I think it could have been so much more intriguing if it was a stand-alone story disconnected from the mythology. Now, I love the alien oil virus and the Cancer Man stuff in the show, but now we had two games with the same issue, thanks to both games focusing its narration into the same narrow path.
Regardless, it was a fun experience, especially in combination with the absurd game mechanics connected to whom you play as. Kicking zombies to death is not something you get to see Mulder do in the show. Not too often, at least!
Thanks for reading.
– Thomas
| System: | PC with PCSX2 (PS2 emulator) |
| Played with: | PS4 controller |
| Mods/fixes: | Vimm’s Lair |
| Enjoyment rating: |  I want to believe |
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