March 18th, 2009
I finished Resident Evil 5 this past weekend.
But before I go into that, I want to thank everyone again that left comments on my posts over at GEN...I owe you all cupcakes. Name your flavor.
Resident Evil 5 quick review:Though Resident Evil by name, this latest installment was anything but terrifying. Sure, the occasional hula skirt wearing infected or random spider horde might set your pulse racing a time or two, but overall, the atmosphere was rather...pretty. This could be due in large to the fact that about 3/4ths of the game was set outside, in brightly lit, sunny areas. The other parts were spent ransacking underground tombs and caves, abandoned laboratories (what's a resident evil without one?), and a large ship. The bosses of the game were nothing more than giant worm-infested creatures similar to those of previous games-nothing too scary. But the dogs-oh god, the dogs were ridiculously creepy! They were on you within seconds and then their disgusting heads fanned out into that alien-like little creature it held inside of them. SHIVER. Anyways...the infected themselves just seemed to be a particularly angry bunch. In fact, some of the villains (minus the chain-saw and giant axe wielders) were downright hilarious: the hula skirt sporting men gave me quite the chuckle. Wesker himself, though a mutated villain at the end, was never that scary either. In fact, I thought him to be the sexiest of the bunch, working Matrix-like moves and donning a suave black outfit to match.
Though not too scary, this game was definitely jam-packed with an intriguing story line and easy to solve puzzles. Paralleling Resident Evil 4, this incarnation focused on the action and destruction elements that were not abundantly present in the earlier Resident Evils. Though the music was ominous, the definition of horror never really sprung to mind. The action was fairly intense at times, and playing with a buddy made it all the more worth while.
Speaking of co-op, this was by far one of the most entertaining multiplayer games I've ever played. Most multiplayer games center around one or a few specific areas and each of their levels never seem to deviate away from that theme. Like I mentioned earlier, this game takes you on a ride through a plethora of different areas and regions to explore. Not only that, but you steer around mini motor boats and get to ride on the back of a truck shooting at rabid bikers (definitely one of the highlights). There are numerous puzzles to solve, treasures to be found, and regions to explore and loot. Both Chris and Sheva each play a vital role within the game, the focus spread out fairly evenly. The AI is pretty incredible too, with Sheva making perfect shots almost 100% of the time to cover your back. The heart of the game, though, is truly present when there are two brains behind the controller. Being able to strategize together and eliminate the latest Uroboros reject threat and hoisting Sheva onto certain areas to better cover Chris's back really comes in handy at defeating the enemies and enjoying the game to it's fullest extent. Warning: may also cause numerous fights with boyfriend/girlfriend/roommate.
As usual, the players are both scored at the end of each level, and the higher the score, the more points you are given. At the end of the game, you can use your points to buy locked outfits (tribal for sheva anyone?), action figures, infinite ammo for your guns, and more. You also unlock the Mercenaries mode, which basically allows for you or you and a partner to basically kill off as many enemies as possible in as little time as possible. It's pretty exciting. Also a really nifty treat when you beat the game, is the option to play the game in Classic-which sets the game's visuals in black and white. So very very cool.
The story line was pretty interesting and it was fairly obvious that Chris would be reunited with Jill at some point along the way. She also made for quite the interesting Matrix-like experience towards the end. (By the way, why the eff does Jill have blond hair?) Sheva's back story was briefly touched upon, but it was nothing worth noting. It's a shame, really, because she is such an interesting and beautiful character that truly held her own in battle. She's no Ashley, that's for sure. Also worth noting: the origins and explanations of Tricell was explored, yet there was no mention of Ada anywhere in sight. She was obviously working for this organization, but no evidence of her was present in any part of the game. This is very annoying, because it is also obvious that this Resident Evil chapter has closed with the death of Albert Wesker. Many loose ends are still abound and I can only hope that Capcom will turn around and get the creator back on board and churn out something in the future with Claire (as she is one of the youngest and a good character to run). Time will tell.
All in all, I truly enjoyed every part of this game and welcomed the multiplayer option. It didn't feel like Resident Evil, but it had Chris and Jill and a very intimidatingly sexy Wesker, so that made up for part of it. Don't go in expecting a survival horror game, this is no Dead Space. Take it in stride and enjoy the game for it's high-paced action and good storytelling. And watch out for those over sized lickers. Yeah, they're back.
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Of course Wesker is sexy. ;)
i cant wait to venture back to africa and take down some infected again with you!