We've all had that chat. You know, you're sitting around with your mates, and you all say that you'd be safe in a zombie apocalypse, because you're fast, strong, or good with a knife. Within a few seconds of watching Chris Redfield surrounded by a marauding pile of walking, hellish undead, he lived out what we all imagined we'd want to do - he rears up, grits his teeth, and pops a zombie in the face with a haymaker. Nice.
The fifth Resident Evil takes place in an as-yet unnamed African nation, with hordes of undead beating you up under a constant sheen of burning sunlight, giving the game an eerie, washed-out feel. Throughout RE5's dark tale you'll find the origins of the viruses that have plagued Redfield and the rest of the S.T.A.R.S. team for ten years. While this isn't the last Resident Evil game, the return of a big name lead and the promise of some answers to old questions certainly suggests that this could be the beginning of the end for this strand of the franchise.
The Evil That Men Do The cause of the virus is being left a guarded secret until the game releases next year (no spoilers here), but it's effects are obvious. The term 'zombie' is used loosely - while these are shambling, groaning drones that have a hunger for flesh, their rotten brains haven't quite lost their vigour, somewhere between 28 Days Later and Land Of The Dead's Big Daddy.
Zombies may teeter uneasily on their tattered legs, but they also run, jump and claw, pick up huge geat axes and other implements, and can be intelligent enough to even - unbelievably - ride motorcycles. At one point in the game, Chris fights a horde of zombie bikers (the most apt use of the term 'Hell's Angels' that you'll ever see) armed with a gigantic machine-gun, shooting at both the bikers and their pals standing on a lorry to the very right of Redfield's ride. It's an on-rails shootout, but one delivered with such an explosive thump you'll think MGS4's bike equivalent was a Sunday afternoon picnic.
Said biker-beating vehicle is being driven by Chris' new ally, the pretty-faced, yet no doubt sassy Sheva Alomar, a member of the African equivalent of S.T.A.R.S., the B.S.A.A. - the same organisation that leads Chris into the fray. Luckily for those of you with friends, she goes beyond a simple damsel in distress.
RE5 finally breaks the series out of one-player mode and lets you bring a friend along for the ride, making the previously lonely experience a much more rounded zombie-shooter, like the latter part of Night Of The Living Dead but with a happier ending. This isn't to say that those of you who want to play in single-player are left out to dry. Miss Alomar can be AI-controlled, and even then, if you meet someone who has RE5, they're able to drop in no matter how far you are in the game.
It's a good thing, too, because the Resident Evil 5 universe is far more hostile and frantic than anything the series has shown us yet. While the hordes in Resident Evil 4 were scary, they had a tendency to feel linear, while RE5 has made an effort to be more open-plan. You'll be holed up in a ruined building, shooting bullets through the windows and crossing your fingers that you've got enough ammo to silence the thrall, when you see the door thump open and four of the bastards trundle over the threshold, eagerly leading the rest of their mates in for an impromptu flesh-barbeque.
Them Bones While I hesitate to get techy, the physics engine that Capcom is employing adds a great deal to that 'oh crap' atmosphere. Just after the door splits open in the room I was trapped in, a gigantic hooded humanoid beats down the wall with an axe - somewhere, Boris Johnson sheds a tear.
This guy vaults with frightening speed at my onscreen Chris Redfield and Sheva, and his axe smashes anything it comes in contact with. This can be anywhere from the melons left on a table, to the weak shanty-town decor, to the malleable skulls of the walking dead, and while it may be a dangerous tactic, I was able to egg the vicious brute into chopping apart his own kind. Be careful, though - he's able to end either character's life in a single blow.
Running away from him and his party crowd of skin-eaters is a lot easier, thanks to the more open-plan feel of the levels. The African terrain is very different from the stony corridors, mansions, cityscapes and villages, full of makeshift housing, old caravans and concrete buildings to leap across, with the way sometimes up rather than through a predictably placed corridor.
This faux-open world - it's still somewhat linear - makes the experience far more horrifying than before, with the reassuringly noticeable path not quite so obvious amid the flock of angry cannibals chasing you. It only makes matters worse when Mr Axe decides to break down a potential hiding spot with one swing of his weapon, narrowly missing your head.
He's nigh-on invincible, shrugging off an exploding oil-drum, a forceful mouthful of buckshot, and even a grenade as he rampages towards Redfield and Company. Luckily, his gigantic axe means that you're able to escape to the rooftops, albeit followed by the remarkably intelligent zombies who climb after you.
The engine has also been adapted for these unfortunates, as anywhere you shoot reacts realistically. A shotgun shell will erupt through a zombie's skull (which opens up like a weird plant), and a bullet will send them tumbling backwards, possibly knocking a bottle out of the hand of one of their friends, or even into the path of the aforementioned axe-maniac.
Bad Moon Rising One worrying problem is that the game still feels a little awkward, not learning as much from Uncharted's excellent third-person action-adventuring as we'd hope. It lacks the smoothness of its peers, and while the cover-system is present, it better be slickened up a fair bit before release to compete with Vegas 2 and Uncharted. This also very much 'feels' like Resident Evil 4 - the same over-the-shoulder camera, the same slightly wonky animations, the same godawful voice-acting and over-drama.
One of the new lead villains screeches from his yacht: "Splendid timing, yous two are just in time for the firework show!" in a strange, half-Brooklynite accent, and we can't help but cringe.
Regardless, we've all forgiven Capcom their dramatic transgressions for nearly 12 years now, and while we wish they'd grow up, we're still excited about the chilling goriness that Resident Evil 5 is promising to deliver later this year.
Why would RE5 need to learn from Uncharted? Uncharted isn't half the game RE4 was, they don't need to change that much and it'll still keep the existing fanbase happy.
Only played Resident Evil 2 so hope that won't be too much of a problem,could always go to WIKIPEDIA to catch up the story.definatly WANT! this game when it's released in March '09,but will get the 360 version though.
I have never played Uncharted, but have heard it is awesome. Besides, it shouldn't learn from that. They're two completely different games. Uncharted I know is action adventure, whereas RE5 is survival horror/action. It should really learn from the mistakes of RE4, where there was not many at all. Except maybe that the enemy AI needs to be improved upon a bit and for the Ally AI to be improved greatly. Luis Sera in the hut with you in Chapter 2-3 (I think) didn't help me that much, and all he did was stand there and shoot at the Ganados. He was helpful, but not really helpful (like Ashley who hid in the cupboard). I know I strayed from the beaten path for a minute there, but Resident Evil 5 does not need to improve voice acting. That random on the boat sounded like one of those mad scientists (which he most probably is) that you see in old horror movies. and the voice acting sounds excellent at the moment. Who cares about what the characters say for now, as long as it makes sense and isn't as cheesy as some of the stuff Leon says in RE4.
I have never played Uncharted, but have heard it is awesome. Besides, it shouldn't learn from that. They're two completely different games. Uncharted I know is action adventure, whereas RE5 is survival horror/action. It should really learn from the mistakes of RE4, where there was not many at all. Except maybe that the enemy AI needs to be improved upon a bit and for the Ally AI to be improved greatly. Luis Sera in the hut with you in Chapter 2-3 (I think) didn't help me that much, and all he did was stand there and shoot at the Ganados. He was helpful, but not really helpful (like Ashley who hid in the cupboard). I know I strayed from the beaten path for a minute there, but Resident Evil 5 does not need to improve voice acting. That random on the boat sounded like one of those mad scientists (which he most probably is) that you see in old horror movies. and the voice acting sounds excellent at the moment. Who cares about what the characters say for now, as long as it makes sense and isn't as cheesy as some of the stuff Leon says in RE4.
INSECT'S LIFE DOESN'T COMPARE WITH HUMAN LIVES!
XD
This is looking stellar, and I agree, the voice acting is fine. I'm personally waiting for an online Mercenaries mode , but it might never happen. :/
I have never played Uncharted, but have heard it is awesome. Besides, it shouldn't learn from that. They're two completely different games. Uncharted I know is action adventure, whereas RE5 is survival horror/action. It should really learn from the mistakes of RE4, where there was not many at all. Except maybe that the enemy AI needs to be improved upon a bit and for the Ally AI to be improved greatly. Luis Sera in the hut with you in Chapter 2-3 (I think) didn't help me that much, and all he did was stand there and shoot at the Ganados. He was helpful, but not really helpful (like Ashley who hid in the cupboard). I know I strayed from the beaten path for a minute there, but Resident Evil 5 does not need to improve voice acting. That random on the boat sounded like one of those mad scientists (which he most probably is) that you see in old horror movies. and the voice acting sounds excellent at the moment. Who cares about what the characters say for now, as long as it makes sense and isn't as cheesy as some of the stuff Leon says in RE4.
INSECT'S LIFE DOESN'T COMPARE WITH HUMAN LIVES!
XD
This is looking stellar, and I agree, the voice acting is fine. I'm personally waiting for an online Mercenaries mode , but it might never happen. :/
yeah the could do 'a fable' and make it and XBL game, in which you can unlock the weapons for the main game. that would be cool.
When Uncharted was released reviewers commented on it's controlls being similar to RE4's. So, if anything it's the other way round. RE4 was video gaming perfection, and wouldn't have been the same without it's errors. It's that arkward feeling of constricted motion which creates that unforgetabble feeling of captivity that defined the greatest video game of the last generation.
When Uncharted was released reviewers commented on it's controlls being similar to RE4's. So, if anything it's the other way round. RE4 was video gaming perfection, and wouldn't have been the same without it's errors. It's that arkward feeling of constricted motion which creates that unforgetabble feeling of captivity that defined the greatest video game of the last generation.
Personally, Resi 4 had some major things that disconnected it from the Resi world. Such as buying weapons...Having way to much ammo and the controls were far from perfect (But what resi had good controls in retrospec?)
If they take away the weapon vendor and make ammo tighter depending on difficulty I'll jump in at release.
Uncharted didn't really feel like Resi4 for me and the controls were so much more fluid. Calling Resi4 video gaming perfection would be a huge mistake...Calling any game video gaming perfection would be a flaw in anyones writings.
Resi5 will be good...If just a new Resi4...But resi4 just misses the "Survival" factor from the genre "Survival Horror" for me...As there was no "Survival" in it...You will survive because you have more ammo than the USMC and Royal Marines combined.
When I played Uncharted I thought the graphics was excellent but the story was horrible.The action was OK but after a while very repetetive. No great bosses, pump the shotgun, run around... Sold it after 2 weeks. Game is OK. Now, RE4 has great graphics on Gamecube. Finished it taking my time and enjoying every bit of it. The soundtrack is stellar (love the music from all RE5 trailes and gameplay).RE4 bosses are excellent. The inventory system. Merchant (hopefully they put him or someone similar in RE5 Great stuff, lots of ways to die. After finishing it I thought it is perfect game..Still keep it on my shelf, not like Uncharted...
Resident Evil 4 was great and all, but cant capcom just go back to making surival horrors again?
Im playing through res:code veronica x at the moment and its brilliant, its scary as hell, with these "action horrors" all you do is shoot things, hopefully res 6 will go back to the series roots.
very sceptical about this game.... i got res4 on gamecube on day 1 cuz the spanish village theme looked ace and the "not zombie" zombies looked intense... how wrong was I!
after a crappy 2-3 hours i was taken from this new resident evil and faceplanted into the old "seen it" resi that i am SO BOURED of, ooooooh loooooook a big scary castle!!! with preist zombies and a midget!!
resi5 is looking sweet, but i wonder how long the slums will last before we endup in a bloody mansion or castle and taking on zombie african elephants and lions...
i want it to be good, but im not holding my breath.
and the dialouge sounds crap, its always been crap, and iv always hated it for it. co-op could be a lifesaver tho....
i stick to SH and Project zero for my scares, resi5 for gun-ho action an humorus "horror"
very sceptical about this game.... i got res4 on gamecube on day 1 cuz the spanish village theme looked ace and the "not zombie" zombies looked intense... how wrong was I!
after a crappy 2-3 hours i was taken from this new resident evil and faceplanted into the old "seen it" resi that i am SO BOURED of, ooooooh loooooook a big scary castle!!! with preist zombies and a midget!!
resi5 is looking sweet, but i wonder how long the slums will last before we endup in a bloody mansion or castle and taking on zombie african elephants and lions...
i want it to be good, but im not holding my breath.
and the dialouge sounds crap, its always been crap, and iv always hated it for it. co-op could be a lifesaver tho....
i stick to SH and Project zero for my scares, resi5 for gun-ho action an humorus "horror"
While I disagree that RE4 sucked, I do agree with you that the game took a bit of a weird turn after it went to the castle. In my opinion, when they throw games out there in a setting you're familiar with (a town, a house, etc), you get more of a personal feel for the situation which enhances a gameplay. I don't like a game so much when they randomly throw you in some giant castle or laboratory because I can't really connect to the surroundings.
That's why I enjoy Silent Hill so much (part 2 anyway, never played the others); everything's got a familiar feel to it, making the game scarier. How scarey do you think SH would be if it took place in caves and castles? haha
I bought my first Resident Evil game, which was Resident Evil 2 back on PlayStation in July, 1998. Now, I must say that:
a) I'm not interested in fifth part at all b) I personally not enjoyed Resident Evil 4 and it's one of the most overrated game ever for me c) Resident Evil 4 not only lacked substance, soul, and magic for me, but as a completely different game - it wasn't even a good action game to begin with. And mind you, that I am actually person who seeks innovation.
i have to say i am ASTOUNDED by some of these comments regarding Resi 4,5 and the series in general.
stop moaning and go and play crap games like motorstorm, Silent Hill (no contest to Resi) and leave this forum to real Resi lovers - trust me anyone who can play Resi 4 and say it is s**t needs their head examining, i just cant see how anyone can come to that conclusion personally. i have the whole saga all on the Cube and will have them to the day i die i would imagine - they are BRILLIANT!!!
i have to say i am ASTOUNDED by some of these comments regarding Resi 4,5 and the series in general.
stop moaning and go and play crap games like motorstorm, Silent Hill (no contest to Resi) and leave this forum to real Resi lovers - trust me anyone who can play Resi 4 and say it is s**t needs their head examining, i just cant see how anyone can come to that conclusion personally. i have the whole saga all on the Cube and will have them to the day i die i would imagine - they are BRILLIANT!!!
A few mags i've read have criticised the game for being similar to the last but i think most people just wanted a newer Resi 4 and that's what we've got i.e new levels, next gen visuals. I won't be complaining, Resi 4 is and always will be one of the greatest games ever made.
one thing to add, i played Resi 4 both on Gamecube and PS2 but have to say i didn't really enjoy the PS2 version that's prob cos i played the Cube version first which was meant to be superior anyway but yeah i thought there was quite a difference between the two, the controller prob played a big part in the change two. Which leaves me now debating weather to get it on 360 or PS3?
I have never played Uncharted, but have heard it is awesome. Besides, it shouldn't learn from that. They're two completely different games. Uncharted I know is action adventure, whereas RE5 is survival horror/action. It should really learn from the mistakes of RE4, where there was not many at all.
Uncharted- Drake's Fortune (for there will be other Uncharteds with other subtitles) turns into a survival horror for part of the end chapters. I found it quite scary at that point and also annoyingly hard. Apart from that, and some Dreamcast-era fire effects torwards the start of the game, the game looks and plays superbly, with a great variety of locations (certainly not just the jungle). But even if it hadn't thrown weird creatures at you at the end, it would have still shared certain things with Resident Evil 4 in the appearance of some of its locations eg. around the castle. Uncharted often has an omninous feel when you are about to commence another gunfight in the next area, surrounded by dozens of enemies, so it really does feel like parts of Resident Evil 4 in a way in that respect. Still, for me, Drake's Fortune was much the better game- first of all it looks much better (RE4 looked like a bad Stella Artois advert in places and the character models were worse than the remake's) and Drake's Fortune knows how to go from action to exploration and back again over and over again whereas RE4 would leave you disappointed if you tried to explore for very long so relies on gore and terror like some 1980s video nasty, albeit interspersed with some great scenes like the sewers and the maze.
Lots of RE4 was simply bad, eerie, kitsch- being chased by a giant stone statue? The trader popping up in the most unlikely situations with his comedy accent- was he meant to be a joke because it's frightening if he wasn't? There must surely be some more people who were a bit disappointed by RE4's almost complete eradication of interesting puzzles as well?
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