AlucardsFate
10-17-2009, 10:28 AM
Episode #55: The Theme Is Still Zombies!
*WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/G-Prime/Reviews%20Redux/Boxshots/ResidentEvil5.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/G-Prime/Reviews%20Redux/Scores/75.jpg
Resident Evil 5 (Xbox 360)
Okay...things have gone a little too far...
What's Good: Still solid RE4 gameplay model, made even more fun if you have somebody to play with. Fantastic visuals.
What's Bad: Busted inventory system. Ridiculous story with some lame twists. It's lost sight of what "Survival Horror" means...it just doesn't feel like a Resident Evil game anymore. Chris Redfield. He was boring then...he's still boring now.
Badges:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/G-Prime/Reviews%20Redux/Badges/Luxo.jpg"Luxo Jr - Great Visuals" If there is one thing RE5 does exceptionally well, it looks pretty. Everything from Chris and Sheva to the world around them is rendered in fantastic detail. It all feels as it should according to it's look. Very well done.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/G-Prime/Reviews%20Redux/Badges/Xaveir.jpg"Xavier - Expert Control" This game controls perfectly. You'll never be lost, fumbling over your controller. Which is good...cause that means your not letting your teammate down.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/G-Prime/Reviews%20Redux/Badges/Facepalm.jpg"Homer Facepalm - Dissapointing"After the stellar game that was RE4...everyone's expectations were high. While RE5 isn't bad, it isn't where it could have been....scratch that...SHOULD have been.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/G-Prime/Reviews%20Redux/Badges/Arcade.jpg"Arcade - Bad Villain" Wesker is just so beyond ridiculous in this game...he's crossed into the territory of flat out stupid. I was so sick of him yesterday...now I just don't care.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/G-Prime/Reviews%20Redux/Badges/Monkeytype.jpg"Typewriter Monkey - Bad Writing" The Dialogue isn't great...that's fine, it never is in a Resident Evil game. But the story in this game...well...is there one? You tell me. I sure don't know what it's about.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/G-Prime/Reviews%20Redux/Badges/WhataTwistred.jpg"What a Twist!? (Negative) - Nonsensical plot twists" (Yeah I stopped using the man's name for the badge. I got sick of looking him up to spell it correctly.) Anyway, this game is loaded with useless...sometimes bizarre plot twists. (injection of the parasite into Jill..turned her hair blond...they even bother to go outta their way to explain it this way...WHY!?) It only adds to the games not so much confusing...but just downright stupid plot.
Resident Evil?
Resident Evil 4 was a great game. Everyone agreed to this, it was flawed in a few places, but nothing major. Therefore when inevitably Resident Evil 5 was announced, the hype train began. Then later on, multiplayer co-op was announced and the hype snowballed, everyone expected Capcom to deliver the perfect two player survival horror experience. Did they deliver? Well, yes...and no. What they gave us is a good action game that is a blast to play with a friend. But it's not without it's flaws, but the most important of which is that it doesn't really feel like a survival horror game at all...least of all a Resident Evil game. Resident Evil is about survival, being scared of going into that next area because your not sure your coming out. This game is about just blasting through everything and you never feel that worry...that scare. It just feels like an action game, which isn't bad were I playing one, but I'm playing RE...I want to be scared for my survival.
But that doesn't necessarily mean that what's here is bad. The game itself is a lot of fun, very similar to what was here previously in Resident Evil 4, only larger. Bigger more expansive areas with a lot of space to move, while seemingly a good thing...actually work against this game. The fact that RE games of the past were so claustrophobic was part of why they worked. You had nowhere to go, and very little ammo to get you out of your present situation. Not so here, there are many roofs to climb, things to run around and plenty of ammo abound to blow away the (not even undead) hordes of people and monsters that come your way. This ultimately makes the game easier...and a lot less fun. You are never worried that your ammo supply will run out in the middle of a horde, you simply blast away and move on. This comes together to make this feel more like an action game then a Resident Evil game, that's only one part of what drags this game below where it should have been.
Not so storied presentation...
The primary thing about this game that disappoints, is the plot. From minute one the game apparently has no idea where it wants to go outside of..."Welcome to Africa you can be Chris Redfield!" Very shortly the game will move on from one place to the next as you chase some guy, who the game doesn't particularly explain to well....then another woman who it also doesn't bother to explain too well. The point? To bring Wesker back into the fold, and give you an excuse to watch him not die and generally do as many ridiculous things as possible. It almost feels like the writers were kinda just making this up as they went...without having any real plan. I mean, I know this is Resident Evil and we aren't here for the plot, but for the most part the series has been at least serviceable in that department. This? Not so much.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/G-Prime/Reviews%20Redux/screens/resident-evil-5-1.jpg
See? It was this guy. He was just making up the plot and shouting it out at people as he came up with it...
But What's Good!?
I've hammered this game enough, because there is still plenty to like here. First and foremost, the gameplay from Resident Evil 4 that was so awesome then, is back now and just as fun as you remember. You'll run around with your partner and blast away at monsters of all kinds while dealing with the slight overuse of the "button prompts" for different things. But the game is best enjoyed with a friend either online or in person. (Though in person it splits the screen funny) On the fly you can formulate strategies and call for help without fussing with the game's "I NEED AMMO" button. The whole thing is better with a friend as the computer tends to fire indiscriminately and really use up your ammo reserves. While the inventory system has been changed, for the worse, it's designed to function quickly so you can pass items around to each other. Early on...this is awful. You'll be fumbling over it for a long time until you get used to it, but even then your gonna fumble over it. And it seems fickle as to what items it will even allow you to give to your partner, I'm not sure why.
The environments you'll battle through, look fantastic. Everything is appropriately gritty (read: not overdone like most games) and you'll notice all kinds of little details as you traverse the impressive but not particularly varied environments. (Get used to tan and brown...cause your gonna see a ton of it, though you finally get a change up late in the game with the obligatory RE lab area)
Almost as equally impressive are the boss encounters. The bosses are nicely spaced out and impressively huge and imposing. The problem is, they aren't particularly hard. They are bosses aren't they? It usually amounts to finding out where it is gonna give you a button prompt and using it, or waiting till it exposes a odd looking area and shooting the crap out of it. This is made even easier, by the frequency of ammo. But on the whole the bosses are a lot of fun to fight at the very least. (Wesker excluded...he's just annoying by this point) My favorite is probably on the ship, the big kraken beast. You are working your way through the ship hallways and tentacles smash through the hull trying to get you. That was cool.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/G-Prime/Reviews%20Redux/screens/resident-evil-5-character-albert-we.png
Have we seen the last of Wesker? God I hope so...
Where Do We Go From Here?
Well, it seems like they finally ended the Wesker/Umbrella plot. (At least I think so?) So a new game with some new inspiration I would assume is on the way. I would like to see a return to a more horror oriented game like the original was, but seeing how popular these newer ones are, that probably isn't going to happen. But with Resident Evil 5 they still have a worthy series entry that if nothing else has provided them with the clean slate they could use to do something new and fresh, because since Resident Evil 4 came out, a lot of games have taken a lot of ideas from it...it's not quite as fresh as it used to be...but it's still plenty fun!
Next time: Ninja Nonsense!
*WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/G-Prime/Reviews%20Redux/Boxshots/ResidentEvil5.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/G-Prime/Reviews%20Redux/Scores/75.jpg
Resident Evil 5 (Xbox 360)
Okay...things have gone a little too far...
What's Good: Still solid RE4 gameplay model, made even more fun if you have somebody to play with. Fantastic visuals.
What's Bad: Busted inventory system. Ridiculous story with some lame twists. It's lost sight of what "Survival Horror" means...it just doesn't feel like a Resident Evil game anymore. Chris Redfield. He was boring then...he's still boring now.
Badges:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/G-Prime/Reviews%20Redux/Badges/Luxo.jpg"Luxo Jr - Great Visuals" If there is one thing RE5 does exceptionally well, it looks pretty. Everything from Chris and Sheva to the world around them is rendered in fantastic detail. It all feels as it should according to it's look. Very well done.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/G-Prime/Reviews%20Redux/Badges/Xaveir.jpg"Xavier - Expert Control" This game controls perfectly. You'll never be lost, fumbling over your controller. Which is good...cause that means your not letting your teammate down.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/G-Prime/Reviews%20Redux/Badges/Facepalm.jpg"Homer Facepalm - Dissapointing"After the stellar game that was RE4...everyone's expectations were high. While RE5 isn't bad, it isn't where it could have been....scratch that...SHOULD have been.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/G-Prime/Reviews%20Redux/Badges/Arcade.jpg"Arcade - Bad Villain" Wesker is just so beyond ridiculous in this game...he's crossed into the territory of flat out stupid. I was so sick of him yesterday...now I just don't care.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/G-Prime/Reviews%20Redux/Badges/Monkeytype.jpg"Typewriter Monkey - Bad Writing" The Dialogue isn't great...that's fine, it never is in a Resident Evil game. But the story in this game...well...is there one? You tell me. I sure don't know what it's about.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/G-Prime/Reviews%20Redux/Badges/WhataTwistred.jpg"What a Twist!? (Negative) - Nonsensical plot twists" (Yeah I stopped using the man's name for the badge. I got sick of looking him up to spell it correctly.) Anyway, this game is loaded with useless...sometimes bizarre plot twists. (injection of the parasite into Jill..turned her hair blond...they even bother to go outta their way to explain it this way...WHY!?) It only adds to the games not so much confusing...but just downright stupid plot.
Resident Evil?
Resident Evil 4 was a great game. Everyone agreed to this, it was flawed in a few places, but nothing major. Therefore when inevitably Resident Evil 5 was announced, the hype train began. Then later on, multiplayer co-op was announced and the hype snowballed, everyone expected Capcom to deliver the perfect two player survival horror experience. Did they deliver? Well, yes...and no. What they gave us is a good action game that is a blast to play with a friend. But it's not without it's flaws, but the most important of which is that it doesn't really feel like a survival horror game at all...least of all a Resident Evil game. Resident Evil is about survival, being scared of going into that next area because your not sure your coming out. This game is about just blasting through everything and you never feel that worry...that scare. It just feels like an action game, which isn't bad were I playing one, but I'm playing RE...I want to be scared for my survival.
But that doesn't necessarily mean that what's here is bad. The game itself is a lot of fun, very similar to what was here previously in Resident Evil 4, only larger. Bigger more expansive areas with a lot of space to move, while seemingly a good thing...actually work against this game. The fact that RE games of the past were so claustrophobic was part of why they worked. You had nowhere to go, and very little ammo to get you out of your present situation. Not so here, there are many roofs to climb, things to run around and plenty of ammo abound to blow away the (not even undead) hordes of people and monsters that come your way. This ultimately makes the game easier...and a lot less fun. You are never worried that your ammo supply will run out in the middle of a horde, you simply blast away and move on. This comes together to make this feel more like an action game then a Resident Evil game, that's only one part of what drags this game below where it should have been.
Not so storied presentation...
The primary thing about this game that disappoints, is the plot. From minute one the game apparently has no idea where it wants to go outside of..."Welcome to Africa you can be Chris Redfield!" Very shortly the game will move on from one place to the next as you chase some guy, who the game doesn't particularly explain to well....then another woman who it also doesn't bother to explain too well. The point? To bring Wesker back into the fold, and give you an excuse to watch him not die and generally do as many ridiculous things as possible. It almost feels like the writers were kinda just making this up as they went...without having any real plan. I mean, I know this is Resident Evil and we aren't here for the plot, but for the most part the series has been at least serviceable in that department. This? Not so much.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/G-Prime/Reviews%20Redux/screens/resident-evil-5-1.jpg
See? It was this guy. He was just making up the plot and shouting it out at people as he came up with it...
But What's Good!?
I've hammered this game enough, because there is still plenty to like here. First and foremost, the gameplay from Resident Evil 4 that was so awesome then, is back now and just as fun as you remember. You'll run around with your partner and blast away at monsters of all kinds while dealing with the slight overuse of the "button prompts" for different things. But the game is best enjoyed with a friend either online or in person. (Though in person it splits the screen funny) On the fly you can formulate strategies and call for help without fussing with the game's "I NEED AMMO" button. The whole thing is better with a friend as the computer tends to fire indiscriminately and really use up your ammo reserves. While the inventory system has been changed, for the worse, it's designed to function quickly so you can pass items around to each other. Early on...this is awful. You'll be fumbling over it for a long time until you get used to it, but even then your gonna fumble over it. And it seems fickle as to what items it will even allow you to give to your partner, I'm not sure why.
The environments you'll battle through, look fantastic. Everything is appropriately gritty (read: not overdone like most games) and you'll notice all kinds of little details as you traverse the impressive but not particularly varied environments. (Get used to tan and brown...cause your gonna see a ton of it, though you finally get a change up late in the game with the obligatory RE lab area)
Almost as equally impressive are the boss encounters. The bosses are nicely spaced out and impressively huge and imposing. The problem is, they aren't particularly hard. They are bosses aren't they? It usually amounts to finding out where it is gonna give you a button prompt and using it, or waiting till it exposes a odd looking area and shooting the crap out of it. This is made even easier, by the frequency of ammo. But on the whole the bosses are a lot of fun to fight at the very least. (Wesker excluded...he's just annoying by this point) My favorite is probably on the ship, the big kraken beast. You are working your way through the ship hallways and tentacles smash through the hull trying to get you. That was cool.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/G-Prime/Reviews%20Redux/screens/resident-evil-5-character-albert-we.png
Have we seen the last of Wesker? God I hope so...
Where Do We Go From Here?
Well, it seems like they finally ended the Wesker/Umbrella plot. (At least I think so?) So a new game with some new inspiration I would assume is on the way. I would like to see a return to a more horror oriented game like the original was, but seeing how popular these newer ones are, that probably isn't going to happen. But with Resident Evil 5 they still have a worthy series entry that if nothing else has provided them with the clean slate they could use to do something new and fresh, because since Resident Evil 4 came out, a lot of games have taken a lot of ideas from it...it's not quite as fresh as it used to be...but it's still plenty fun!
Next time: Ninja Nonsense!