Title: Resident Evil 5
Genre: survival horror
Developer : Capcom
Platform: Xbox 360
Rating: M (Mature)
Product Link: http://www.amazon.com/Resident-Evil-5-Xbox-360/dp/B000ZK6950/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1237937510&sr=1-1
Website: http://www.residentevil.com/5/
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When Resident Evil 4 was released on the Gamecube in 2005, fans were treated to a complete overhaul of the series’ core game play structure. The slower aspects of what helped define the survival horror genre were reconstituted with a greater focus on action with puzzle solving and rationing of supplies becoming less emphasized and diluted. The game reestablished the Resident Evil franchise as a respectable series and fans waited impatiently for the next installment. The result is Resident Evil 5 which may have inadvertently tampered with the game’s formula too much.
You play as Chris Redfield, one of the two original protagonists from the first game. You have been sent to Africa to track down a black market bio-weapons dealer who is supplying local terrorists. From the moment you step into the game, the rendering of a mysterious and violently hostile marketplace makes you feel like an outcast. The first ten minutes are by far the most unsettling moments of the game with townspeople staring menacingly at you long after you have walked past them. Sadly, this intense and effective atmosphere is cut short in favor of the traditional monster horde running at you only to abruptly stop and lurch towards you at a snail’s pace. It feels like a missed opportunity by Capcom to expand on exciting new elements and try something different.
Graphically, the series has never looked better. The facial animations alone are impressive by today’s standards, however, the game does recycle many of the animations from the last installment with the infected townsfolk grabbing their heads when shot and stumbling backwards the same way over and over again. The African setting is refreshing for the series with lush and colorful locales that make the older games seem pale and drab by comparison.
The sound design also feels recycled with some effects lifted directly from the fourth game. This isn’t necessarily a drawback considering the robust library of sound featured in that particular title. The voice acting is serviceable but is ultimately pulled down by poorly written dialogue; nothing as horrible as the infamous “master of unlocking” fiasco from the first game but still just a tad overdone.
The game is divided into chapters that are re-playable after completion allowing you to enjoy some of the more satisfying sections without having to play through the entire game. Buying new weapons and upgrades is handled in between chapters along with organizing both characters’ inventories. The action-oriented level layout makes for an addicting experience with the prospect of completing just one more chapter only to find yourself wanting to uncover the entire mystery in one sitting.
The controls have never been a strong characteristic of the franchise, but Resident Evil 5 is archaic at best. You cannot move and shoot at the same time—a confusing decision considering the game’s emphasis on action. Most encounters consist of running away, turning around, taking aim, firing and hoping you hit the target. Now that there are two main characters on screen at all times, managing resources efficiently between both people is close to impossible. In many cases, you will unsuccessfully try to pick up or take ammo for the weapon you are carrying only to realize that you do not have a spot in your inventory allocated for that weapon’s ammunition. Having a friend take control of the second character helps alleviate some of the frustration, but the interface is innately clunky and will a problem no matter what.
The fact of the matter is that Resident Evil 5 has sacrificed too much of what made the original games modern classics. The game has virtually no terrifying moments. It is, after all, a survival horror game. Rationing supplies is no longer a factor given the hearty amount of ammo and health left out in the open combined with the overall ease of game play. Boss fights used to be something amazing but now are left feeling formulaic and predictable. “Survival” has simply been erased from the equation. What is left is a game that is still fun to play. It just isn’t Resident Evil.
Overall Rating: * * * / 5
M. Michael Chwedyk "The Gamekok"- MuzikReviews.com Video Game Review Staff
March 25, 2009
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