Dracula Resurrection

[SpiRec 0]

For those who still have a problem with the reissue of "Dracula Resurrection", the game version allegedly compatible with newer PCs, because the cutscenes are running much too fast, I have a solution here. I'm referring to the version from the German "Dracula Trilogie", this is the one I've tested, but hopefully this also works with other language versions.

 

I've found this solution after a long period of trial and error, which already drove me to desperation. Neither a software that slows down the PC nor restricting the game to a single processor core (the hyperthreading issue) nor installing an older graphics card driver worked for me. Only the following procedure, that looks a little elaborate, but is done quickly. As I checked, it equally works under Windows Vista 32-bit and Windows 7 64-bit.

 

Download the software DXWnd from the Sourceforge website (just google for it). It's besides worthwhile to look out for the newest version from time to time.

 

After starting the program - CAUTION: preferably don't run any other programs at the same time, especially not the Internet Explorer, as these are likely to crash due to DXWnd - create a new profile for Dracula Resurrection: Edit -> Add -> navigate to Dracula.exe under "Path". Choose under "Name" a name for this entry, e.g. "Dracula Resurrection". On the various tabs, that always can be accessed by: highlighting an entry in the profiles list, right click -> Modify or Edit -> Modify, there are then certain parameters to adjust - the most important first: on the tab "Timing" click "Limit" and enter a value of 50 milliseconds for instance under "delay (msec)". That helped for me, video and audio of the cutscenes are running without any flaws now. If there persists a lack in quality, just experiment a little with this value. This action, by the way, has no negative impact on the rest of the game.

 

Actually DXWnd is primarily conceived to run software in a window that otherwise runs fullscreen. If you use other settings than the ones mentioned here that also works for Dracula Resurrection, at least with the restriction only however that once being in the main menu the mouse cursor can't get out of the game window any more. To play the game as originally intended in fullscreen, to further set the following preferences is advisable: on the tab "Main" click "Desktop" (for the method used here it doesn't matter what you fill in next to it under "Window initial position & size"), also under "Window" "Keep aspect ratio" (to avoid that during gameplay the picture gets distorted, when suddenly the display changes to widescreen, due to an occurring Windows error message, stating that as described another program has crashed) and under "Mouse" "Hide cursor".

 

What moreover is at least to be activated is under "Main" "Hook enabled", set under "DirectX" "DirectX Version Hook" to "Automatic" or "DirectX 1~6". If you don't want the DXWnd logo to show up (what it only occasionally does) when the hooked program starts, under "Main" click "No banner". Preferably deactivate all the other adjustments or leave it on the default option or value.

 

When closing DXWnd and changes are made like the indicated entry, you'll be asked whether to save them, confirm this.

 

In order that playing in fullscreen works, this is what you have to do finally: right-click the file Dracula.exe or a shortcut to it, go to "Properties" and under "Compatibility" check "Run in 640 x 480 screen resolution". (The game also runs normally under no other than that resolution.)

 

What is important too: No "Windows 95" or "Windows 98 / Windows Me" must be set under compatibility mode, as well under Windows 7 no "Windows XP (Service Pack 2)" or "Windows XP (Service Pack 3)"!

 

If now the game is started in DXWnd by right-clicking the entry -> Run or Edit -> Run, then all cutscenes should at last run in normal speed.

 

 

If you don't want to start the game via DXWnd all the time, you can also build the following batch file:

 

 

@ECHO OFF

START "" /D "C:\DXWnd" "C:\DXWnd\dxwnd.exe" /T

TIMEOUT /T 5 /NOBREAK >NUL

"C:\Dracula 1\Dracula.exe"

TASKKILL /IM dxwnd.exe >NUL

 

 

Adapt the file paths in line 2 and 4 to your own ones. Should the changes that DXWnd does take no effect, you may have to define a higher waiting time than 5 seconds in line 3.

 

Certainly I can't guarantee that this works for all PC configurations. I hope however that it helps one or the other.