Overview
source : gamespot
Resident Evil 5 is a fun and frantic evolution of RE4's breakthrough game play and the series' horror themes.
Resident Evil 5 will be over 18 months old by the time PlayStation Move arrives, but the game is bound to get a new lease on life in November when Sony's motion controller launches. Owners of Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition will receive the Move update for free over the PlayStation Network as soon as it hits stores, but we got to put it through its paces early at this year's E3.
The E3 demo featured the same section of game play as the demo released for the original game and takes place roughly at the beginning of the story. This section is combat-heavy, making it a perfect place to test out the Move controls, but it's worth noting that the entire game will be playable with the Move. You'll also still be able to play the game in co-op with another person using the standard Dual Shock 3 controller.
The controls are fairly simple and will be familiar to players of the game. You can opt to aim using the trigger on the main Move controller or the navigation controller, at which point you wave the motion controller around to aim. While aiming, you then use the Move button to fire and shake the controller to reload. When you're not aiming, a shake of the remote will result in a swipe of your knife, and it can also fend off a close-up zombie attack.
The Move support worked well, and while it took some getting used to, we were enjoying the new system by the end of the demo. Move support will be available only for owners of Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition on the PlayStation 3. Cap com states that the game was rebuilt for this edition to allow for the update, so Move support is impossible for the original game. The update will arrive when the Move launches, which is currently scheduled for September 15 in Europe and September 19 in North America.
Review
Positive
- Beautifully detailed graphics and character animation
- Real-time menu system keeps you immersed
- Plenty to do once you've beaten it.
- Having a partner enhances the fun and excitement while adding tension
Negative
- Slow, deliberate movement and gunplay may not appeal to everyone
- Can't swap weapons with a human teammate online.
- Frustrating hurdles to leap when joining an online game
About
Ten years after the destruction of Raccoon City, former S.T.A.R.S. Alpha team member Chris Red field is an agent of the B.S.A.A. This paramilitary anti-bio-organic weapon organization travels the globe to seek out and destroy Umbrella's creations, which have fallen into the hands of terrorists following the collapse of the multinational pharmaceutical company. When Chris gets a tip that a known weapons dealer will be making a big deal in the remote African nation of Kikuyu, he heads there to put a stop to it and learn what he can about the mysterious doomsday project known only as Uroboros. Chris is joined by Sheeva Alomar, a local B.S.A.A. agent, and together they battle wave after wave of infected villagers, horribly mutated monsters, and even series arch nemesis Albert Weaker.
The core combat mechanics haven't fundamentally changed since Resident Evil 4--the action still unfolds from an over-the-shoulder perspective, certain battles or cut scenes are accompanied by brief quick time events, and you still have to stop moving to fire your weapon (though you gain a bit more mobility thanks to your new found ability to walk sideways). Resident Evil 5's slow movement and gun play take some time to get used to, and folks expecting a run-and-gun game may find the action too sluggish for their tastes. Fortunately, this slowness isn't really an issue within the game, because enemies are deliberate with their attacks and are better handled with a cool head and steady aim.
Regardless of how similar the combat in Resident Evil 5 is to its predecessor, the addition of a second character makes encounters feel quite different. Teamwork is necessary to take down more-powerful enemies and bosses, and having someone there to watch your back goes a long way toward keeping you alive. Furthermore, there have been radical changes to the inventory management system. The immersion-breaking briefcase from the previous game is gone, and enemies no longer politely wait for you to rummage through your things because bringing up your armory doesn't pause the action. At any given time, you can store up to nine items per character, four of which are bound to the directions of the D pad for easy access. This new system works extremely well and successfully conveys a sense of urgency whenever you go through your gear. It's often necessary to trade items with your partner, and keeping track of who has what at all times is crucial, because rummaging through your things while a boss beats on you is painful.
On the whole.
Resident Evil 5 isn't a survival horror game, but that doesn't mean it hasn't learned a great deal from the genre. Tension is the central element of survival horror games, and in the past it has been conveyed by the gloomy settings, the sense of isolation, and the frustratingly clunky camera angles and controls--all RE5 does differently is convey this feeling through other outlets. Having a partner introduces new types of tension, because you're forced to rely on each other's support, find ways to manage both of your inventories during battles, and cover larger areas since enemies can appear from almost anywhere. Waves of enemies wax and wane with just the right frequency, and while the brightly lit environments make them less scary, they can be tough to deal with because they attack in large numbers and are smarter, faster, and stronger than their counterparts in previous games. Major encounters and boss fights are doled out with excellent pacing, and since you're never sure what to expect around the corner, you have to remain vigilant. The active inventory management system helps keep that anxiety up as well.
Resident Evil 5 successfully builds on the foundation of its predecessor while taking it in a drastically different direction. Having a partner introduces new degrees of game play depth and dramatic tension that make the game that much more exciting to play. Though the slow, deliberate movement and shooting may not appeal to everyone, this new sequel’s frequent large-scale battles and co-op play still offer a fun and exciting adventure.
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