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RESIDENT EVIL 5 REVIEW Posted by PlayDevil.com Staff on Apr 10, 2009 19:38 (Apr 10, 2009 19:38) |
Written by: Ian
 Still evil?
It’s been four long years since RE4 revolutionised the third person game. Going from an occasionally used genre, with few classics other than the early 3D platformers to one of the most successful, RE4 enthroned the 3rd person actioner as one of the most polished types of game on the market, known for immersive stories, intense action and gorgeous graphics, "Resident Evil 5' clearly has a lot to live up to, especially since more genre defining games like Gears of War have further refined the third person genre closer and closer to perfection.
Furthermore, quick-time events, which were fresh and revolutionary in RE4, now feel cheap and overused. Can the new game overcome all of these hurdles and still become another modern classic?
Story:
RE4 did a lot to dispense with a lot of the RE backstory, with the exception of having Leon S. Kennedy as the main protagonist.
RE5 plays great fan service, by successfully linking the fourth game to most of the other games in the series. RE5 even brings back series favourites like Wesker and Jill Valentine back into play. It’s a tightly woven plot, with plenty of twists and turns, but is excellently written and scripted throughout. In fact, it’s probably one of the best story driven games out there, perhaps only bested by MGS4 on the PS3.
The cutscenes are also absolutely gorgeous, and whilst plentiful, never overly long, and the use of quicktime events is restrained and, whilst not as innovative as in RE4 (I don’t think they ever could have been), are still used far better than in most other titles out there.
 My only gripes would be the fact that unless you’ve played at least one of the first 4 games (including 0) and RE4, you may find the story to be somewhat convoluted and confusing due to the fairly large cast of characters that get thrown about with little to no introduction. Also, Chris has spent the last 10 years down the gym, and now looks ridiculously buff- it was much better before when he was actually a realistic character than some muscled superhero.
Gameplay:
The most controversial aspect of RE5 was always going to be gameplay related. Other shooters have moved on since RE4, and indeed, the ability to move and shoot in a 3rd person game had been in many games for years and years before.
However, for the most part, RE5 hasn’t changed the control scheme at all. You can’t move and shoot. All weapons have a sight.
The only main differences are the inventory system, which is a more streamlined version of that in RE4, and more similar in fact to the older games in the series. However, like RE4, it’s all in real-time, which can make those weapon swaps and health items you’re reaching for really tense, frantic moments as hordes of zombies slowly move in for the kill.
Some people will dislike the controls, but I personally think that they just add to the overall atmosphere of the game, keeping tension levels high as you only have a choice. However, you never feel lumbered or let down by the controls as they are still responsive and accurate, so deaths are all your own fault.
The game is pretty long compared to most single player games- clocking in at about 10-12 hours on a first playthrough on normal difficulty.
You then unlock mercenaries mode, a brilliant little carry-over from RE4 that changes the pace of the game, giving you a time limit to cause as much destruction as possible.
 However, there’s also loads of incentives to go back for repeat playthoughs, due to the amount of weaponry available to upgrade, new weapons for finishing the game under a certain time or on certain difficulties, and various achievements linked to finding the little secrets spread throughout the game’s 6 lengthy chapters.
The achievements are a nice mix, that will reward a single playthrough, but completists will find plenty more points available for the persistent.
Again, the whole system smacks of the precision, effort and thought Capcom have put into the entire package, and is just another reason why the gamplay, and the game in general, rocks so hard.
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