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(More customer reviews)I just beat Resident Evil 5 for the Xbox 360, so I decided to post a review of the game. Here are ten important things you need to know:
1. Graphics - RE5's graphics are amazing, and they are some of the best you'll find on a console. They are sharp, the characters are highly detailed, and the lighting makes the environments really stand out and feel real. The cut scenes appear to ramp up the contrast and brightness more than necessary, but that's no big deal.
2. Controls - I embraced RE4's control scheme, but the same scheme today feels a bit outdated. You still cannot walk with your gun or knife ready. The developers say it is more realistic this way, but even in cut scenes Chris walks with his gun pointed forward. And now that I think about it, why can't I simply walk up and punch or kick someone? Why must I wait for them to be stunned?
3. Sound - A lot of the sounds including the music are very similar to RE4, which is a good thing. It helps make the game keep familiar. I noticed nothing about the sound to complain about, except that it often wasn't creepy enough.
4. Co-op - Some of the best fun I had with RE4 was getting together with friends and watching each other play through parts of the game. With RE5, we can now play together. Awesome! One problem with co-op is the fact you can't give weapons to your partner. That doesn't make any sense at all. Also, watch out when using an AI partner for Sheva. She sometimes wastes ammo, refuses to use her powerful weapons, heals you unnecessarily, and dashes off. Surprisingly though, she isn't bad enough to ruin the game.
5. Items - All items have been needlessly streamlined. The weapons are less complex, there are no more combinable treasures, and yellow herbs are nowhere to be found. Also, you can buy items anytime between chapters. I liked the merchant in RE4, but he's gone this time around. So who are you buying items from? Apparently, just a menu system. Also, RE5 redesigned the item management system in order to make it more realistic than RE4. I like how it no longer takes me out of the game, but sometimes it is hard to use. The fast equip feature via the D-pad is greatly appreciated, but it doesn't make up for the fact that the process of trading and stacking items can be cumbersome and illogical.
6. Horror - RE5's biggest issue is the fact it continues the series' trend of removing all aspects of "horror" from the survival horror genre. In fact, I would just call RE5 an action game with elements of adventure. There is rarely any suspense, the action is almost nonstop, and many of the potentially scary settings occur in daylight. The slogan for this game is "Fear you can't forget." It's more like "Fear you'll never notice."
7. Bosses - Simply put, the boss fights in this game are not as original or exciting as RE4's boss fights. Most are easy, unvaried, and unnoteworthy. Some of the boss fights don't even feel like fights, but mere struggles instead.
8. Puzzles - Unfortunately, RE5 offers virtually zero puzzles. There's not even the task of combining treasure. If you're ever confused about anything, Sheva will tell you what to do. The only thing remotely close to a puzzle is finding the blue BSAA emblems. Shooting them is a cool way to unlock bonus features. It makes you pay much more attention to your surroundings and get immersed in the environment.
9. Saving - I like being able to save my game at various points, and I like being able to start a brand new game, but these features are gone. RE5 keeps track of all items and money you have so that to play previous chapters, you always bring your latest gear. It almost makes it too easy. I miss the typewriters.
10. Charm - RE5 lacks a lot of the charm found in RE4. Chris is almost emotionless, whereas Leon was witty and classy. The quick time events in RE5 are overdone and predictable, whereas in RE4 they were fun and surprising. The only character with real "character" in RE5 is Irving. It seemed the whole cast of RE4 stood out.
Conclusion
Resident Evil 5 is a short, fun action game, but it lacks a lot of what made its predecessor so great. The only improvements are the graphics and the addition of multiplayer. The rest of the changes negatively impact the overall fun of the game. Still, it is a fun game, and I recommend it for any Resident Evil fan or those who are looking for a good action game.
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Experience the thrill and terror all over again with Resident Evil 5 for Xbox 360. Featuring Chris Redfield of the original Resident Evil and Sheva Alomar, a West African agent of the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA), this sci-fi survival game is staged in a remote desert colony packed with hordes of fast-moving, quick-thinking enemies that represent a whole new breed of evil.
Meet Two Fierce, Playable Main Characters Back from the original title and Resident Evil: Code Veronica, former S.T.A.R.S. special forces team member Redfield is a battle-tested, founding member of the BSAA. With a reputation for superior marksmanship and phenomenal hand-to-hand combat abilities, he's on the ground and up against a new strain of evil.
You'll call his shots from the same over-the-shoulder third person viewpoint that distinguished Resident Evil 4, except this time you'll also have the option of playing as his teammate, the fierce, local Alomar. Whoever you play as, updates to the earlier version's third-person control scheme offer more options and promise intuitive interactions.
Learn to Work Together The new cooperative game play element focuses on the realities of a dual-agent mission, highlighting the ways in which Redfield and Alomar must work together to survive the unexpected, while still allowing them to split up and work alone. To help you maximize the potential of this setup, two-player online and offline co-op modes ensure that you have options when picking a partner.
Steel yourself Against the Harsh Reality of Kijuju An advanced version of Capcom's proprietary MT Framework game engine brings groundbreaking graphics and effects to Kijuju, the highly-developed environment where this game's action takes place. New, lifelike lighting schemes highlight the differences between harsh sunlight and extreme darkness, and when you move from one to the other, you'll have to wait for your character's eyes to adjust before you can see clearly, adding to the suspense and challenge of navigating this game's environs.
Face the Next Generation of Evil You'll face new enemies with faster reflexes and improved AI, designed to be as dangerous alone as they are in groups and to keep even Resident Evil masters on their toes. Thankfully, they're not the only ones who have evolved. This game also offers access to powerful new weapons variations that extend your destructive capabilities.
And the updated, quick-select inventory system allows for real-time inventory management, as well as allowing characters to trade items and allowing you to place an item on the directional pad for instant access. Add all this to a detailed storyline the touches on what the past ten years have meant for Redfield and a Hollywood-caliber soundtrack, and it's clear that the latest installment in this series really does showcase all the elements at the heart of horror gaming.
