Resident Evil 5 Review

     I have never played any of the other Resident Evil titles except Code Veronica, which I did not like much. I saw the trailers for Resident Evil 5 when they were first released and was intrigued by them. When the game was close to release, I saw some gameplay videos that made me want to reintroduce myself to the series and hopefully enjoy the experience this time around.

Graphics and sound:

The game is rendered in beautiful HD and levels are subdivided into zones that usually load through the use of doors or cinematic sequences. The characters in game look very close to their cinematic counterparts. The environments are very detailed, but limited in interactivity. Water looks great at a distance, but alas, no splashes or realistic interaction between water and the shore. The sound effects give a sense of realism to the environment and characters in game. The music is not a distraction and adds to the sense of danger in certain areas.

Gameplay and controls:

The game has a singular and multiplayer mode. The single player is assisted by a computer controlled AI that plays as Sheva (Sheva is unlockable for the single player). The computer AI is competent when it comes to the three major difficulties of amateur, normal, and veteran. On veteran mode, the AI begins to slip up a bit when it comes to path nodes and cover, but by then, most players will have unlocked the unlimited ammo for the rocket launcher. On professional mode, the AI becomes more problematic. Sheva rarely uses cover effectively and path node following is basically non-existent. The player will need to constantly call Sheva back and numerous deaths will ensue at the battle with Wesker and his partner (I won’t say who). Online play is necessary for completion of the game on professional mode difficulty.

After the game has been completed once, a mercenaries mode is unlocked which is similar to the horde mode in Gears of War 2, with waves of infected coming after you and the objective being killing as many as possible. A second online mode called versus allows for some deathmatch fun with up to 4 players, but is only unlocked by purchase through the Playstation Store or the XBOX Live Marketplace.

Controls are similar to Resident Evil 4 and very easy to use. My only complaint is not being able to shoot while moving, but I can see how it would make the game extremely easy to just run and gun. The game uses an inventory system similar to previous iterations, which is helpful and hurtful at the same time. The on person inventory limits the player to 9 slots, 4 of which are directly accessible in game through use of the control pad. The other 5 are only accessible through the inventory screen, which is a bit cumbersome when engaged in active battle. The other inventory screen is sort of like a storage bin in between missions and has enough slots to hold an arsenal for a small army.

Overall:

The game is very fun to play and has influenced me enough to warrant going back and playing older iterations that I had avoided for a long time. Playing online is fun, but takes away from the feeling of danger one gets from a single player experience. I felt the game was very easy even on professional with exception to a few boss battles, but then again, I had unlimited ammo for most of my weapons. There is great replay value in unlocking new weapons, character models, infinite ammo for individual weapons, and other gameplay modes, by collecting emblems and other requirements. I played the game from beginning to end 5 times and still have not unlocked everything. The game can be finished in less than 5 hours if you rush through it. I recommend taking your time the first time through.