Resident Evil 5

"Funked up Review: "Leon! Help!" is no more."

GOOD
Graphics
Setting the game in Africa was a very smart move graphically. Not only does it give a unique landscape, but it also opens up some small but interesting effects. For example, if you stare into the distance earlier into the game, you'll notice a haze effect from the heat in the distance. There is also the cool transition from outdoor to indoor lighting, although it is very minimal.

The character models are also very well done and the animations smooth. My only complaint is the lack of variety in character models for enemies. Yes, there is some variety, but after the first big battle you will notice the same enemies repeating. There were times that I saw three of the same enemy a once! It's nothing new in games, but it is a disappointment nonetheless. Even a simple change of clothing would have sufficed.

Gameplay
I hear a lot of complaints about the gameplay, but not about it being broken or anything. Most of the complaints however are about how it's “just not 'Resident Evil'”. That is true in a sense, but not because of the actual game mechanics. It is more-so the lack of zombies and creepy atmosphere that take away the classic Resident Evil feel. This is for another time however.

The gameplay is top notch and if you have played Resident Evil 4, which you should if you haven't, you will be right at home with Resident Evil 5. The camera still uses the over-the-shoulder view; you still stop to aim and shoot; and you still move the same way, albeit smoother this time around.

The biggest difference is that you have a partner throughout the whole game... and she can shoot. But comparing Ashley to Sheva is like comparing apples to steak. You still have to babysit your partner (assuming you are playing offline), but at least Sheva can hold her own for the most part. Sheva will shoot enemies and melee them, and even heal you if you need it.

The problem comes from her and the guns you give her. If you give her a submachine gun, but let her keep her pistol, guess what she uses. Yep, her pistol. The simple solution is to take away the pistol, but she is wasteful with ammo. Throughout the game, my strategy was to shoot, melee, and knife enemies. Her strategy was stuck on shoot, shoot, shoot. Sheva did do her fair share of work though, and I would have died plenty of times if not for her.

The other big difference is the inventory. Instead of pausing the game to switch weapons you now have to do it as the game plays on. This can be annoying in tight situations, but fortunately CapCom implemented a “quick inventory” mechanic. This allows you to set weapons to specific D-Pad directions.

All items and weapons also take up the same amount of space in your inventory, which consists of nine slots. So yes, an herb is just as big as a Machine Gun. The pro to this is that you can basically carry three guns with sufficient ammo. The con is that, well, an egg takes up the same amount of space as a rocket launcher. You also have to equip healing items to use them. So if you are low on health, you have to equip an herb and then use it. This also means that if your inventory is full, you have to trade Sheva to get an herb or health spray, all in real-time.

BAD
Forgettable Characters
Remember that high-pitched midget you had to chase around the booby-trapped castle in Resident Evil 4? Of course you do! Who doesn't remember that pint-sized bastard?! Unfortunately I cannot say the same for any of the characters here. Save for the three or so Resident Evil veterans, there aren't any characters here that you will care about. Sheva is just there as a partner and serves minimal purpose to the story.

Walking Sections
If there is one thing that irks me about games is length-padding, which Resident Evil 5 is more than guilty of. If the game isn't as long as expected, oh well; don't make us play through pointless sections that are nothing but walking from point A to point B without anything in between. Like quick-time events, pointless sections like described are frequent in Resident Evil 5. I'll never understand why I had to waste thirty seconds doing what a cut-scene could have done in five.

A.I.
The Artificial Intelligence for this game is horrible. Sheva isn't the only one who suffers from extreme stupidity either; all of the enemies are about as smart as mold growing under my bed. For example, there is this boss (well, bosses) who comes equipped with a chainsaw a la Dr. Salvador. One of your encounters with him starts off on this small platform with a door he bursts through. Me and A.I. Sheva were able to defeat him without leaving that small area. Granted, he would probably have been more of a challenge on Veteran, I was still disappointed at how dumb he was.

The normal enemies are also brain dead. They will almost always stop in front of you, vulnerable, before attacking so you have a good second to get a shot off. Either that or you can simply run right past them. If it wasn't for the ranking system, I would have skipped so many enemies.

Puzzles
Or lack thereof I should say. The Resident Evil series is known for its puzzles. Even Resident Evil 4 had its fair share of puzzles. The puzzles here are just... well they're not here. There are literally three, maybe four puzzles throughout the whole game; all of them are pathetically easy and I don't even feel right calling them puzzles.

Longevity
It might have been the lack of a human partner, but after completing Resident Evil 5 (roughly ten hours), I had no incentive to go through it again. Even the achievements couldn't draw me back. This wouldn't be as disappointing if it weren't for the fact that I bought, and completed, Resident Evil 4 a total of three times for the GameCube, Playstation 2, and PC. And when I get a Wii I will definitely buy it again! I sound pathetic, but it is true.

MIXED
Bosses
Going back to the castle-midget, the bosses aren't as lame as the characters, but they still don't stack up to the standards that Resident Evil 4 set. The worst thing is that some of the bosses are even recycled from Resident Evil 4! I won't ruin anything for you, the game does that good enough.

The newer bosses are fun, although easy. Some of them are also extremely cheap. There is this one battle during the game where you have to us a weapon the you need to aim at the boss's weak spot for a short time before firing. While aiming you are vulnerable to attack and the boss moves so aiming is hard to do. On top of that you have to deal with menacing enemies in the arena along with the boss's attacks. Needless to say that was a frustrating battle.

Story
The story is alright. There are some colorful characters, but like I said you will likely forget about them. It does its job to keep you playing and has some ties into the original series, but I honestly lost interest halfway through. The original Resident Evils' stories weren't too much to brag about either, but at least I was interested all the way through.

Difficulty
Resident Evil 5 does a decent job of staying challenging, but at times it seems like a roller coaster. One moment I would be breezing through a section and the next I'm ready to snap off the analogue sticks on my controller. The game also does a good job of telling you basically nothing about some of the bosses when you face them; but at the same time, it couldn't be more obvious about others.

Forced Co-Op
Depending on how tolerable you are of idiotic partners or other people, the forced cooperation can be seen as good or bad. I played it alone and was able to complete the game within a reasonable amount of time and without too much struggle. But if you are aiming to beat it on Veteran or Professional, I highly recommend having a human to play with.

VERDICT
Resident Evil four set the bar for action games, and it set it high. So high, in fact, that expecting any game to meet the standard would be pointless. But being the sequel, it is only natural to expect Resident Evil 5 to at least be on the same level. Unfortunately, a handful of flaws hold it back. Overall though, it is a fun experience. Resident Evil 5 is Aight

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 05/05/09

Game Release: Resident Evil 5 (US, 03/13/09)