Resident Evil 5

Well, Resident Evil 5 has been out for almost a week now. How much do I love it?

Quite a bit. The game feels like a very good step after playing Resident Evil 4. I had my brother-in-law over for some system-link Co-op, and it was a blast. I used the two day Xbox Live Gold trial subscription to play online with my friend Sam, and it was pretty cool as well. I am still on the fence about paying for online gaming.

I have read the tag-lines in some of the reviews, and I will probably get them backwards, but I saw “The mutation of fun,” and “The evolution of horror.” As I posted previously, I have played and enjoyed the first Resident Evil (in remake form on the Gamecube) and Resident Evil Zero. Resident Evil 4 and 5 are drastically different games. The story progression seems to make sense, I have read up on it using the Resident Evil Wiki and similar sources. I have to say this. I absolutely love the new games, I think that they are great action games and a ton of fun. But I do miss the play-style of the “originals.” I think perhaps there might be a market for the first Resident Evil style of game still, perhaps on mobile platforms. I know that Resident Evil: Deadly Silence is a DS remake of the first Resident Evil, but I haven't tried it because I have a sort of aversion to paying more than once for the same game. If they released RE: 2 or any of the others that I missed in DS format (or perish forbid a new experience), I would probably be on board in a heartbeat.

Anyway, I have not yet beat Resident Evil 5, but I do not mind. I feel I can speak on its merits without completing the main quest. The feature that has really grabbed my attention is the persistence of your item pool, including money and weapon upgrades that you have acquired throughout the game. I feel that this is incredible. I know this has been done in many other games before, but to have it in a story-based game like Resident Evil 5 is fabulous. I also like that I can go back and replay levels to earn more money and find things that I've missed without having to replay the entire game. This is why I have not beat the main story yet. Through Resident Evil 4, I learned how important it is to upgrade your weapons. I remember how hard the first stage is, when you fight the ganados in their village when all you have is your 9mm, and the shotgun you can find. It was extremely difficult. However, if you go back and replay with your endgame artillery, it is much easier. To me, this is very rewarding. Being able to do it without beating the main game is great.

Discussions with my friends have been on how best to utilize your NPC companion, if you are playing alone. For my play style, I like to have Sheva equipped with an upgraded 9mm pistol, while I carry heavy weapons and try to score melee attacks on our foes. Having a real person as your companion changes this substantially. Understandably, not everyone is comfortable carrying the basic pistol when the enemies start getting bigger and meaner.

As for multiplayer thus far, I think it has been well implemented. Whenever a treasure item is found, both players get a duplicate that they can use to sell for the money they need to upgrade their armaments. Healing items, weapons and ammunition are limited to the player that picked them up. The weapons part sort of irks me. From a gameplay standpoint, it makes great sense. However, it seems a little unfair. It is a whiny problem, I know, but I want the new weapon too. Perhaps not in the mission at that time, but I should be able to acquire it after the mission for free, in my opinion. I understand it from a design standpoint, it is a good reason for me to replay that mission on my own time and get that new weapon myself. Like I said, a nagging little issue that I am probably the only one to worry about.

So far, I have had a blast with this game. The enemies started out as essentially re-skins of Resident Evil 4's foes. Now that I am moving along in the story, I am meeting new fiends and challenges that add a lot more depth and strategy to the game. I definitely recommend that action game and horror fans pick this up. I need about two other things that this game brings to mind. One is “The evolution of horror” and my thoughts on this idea. The other is paying Microsoft for online gaming. Another issue that I have skirted is the upcoming multiplayer add-on for RE: 5 that may not affect me at all, as a non-Gold member.