Second Game Review - Resident Evil 5

The second game i have chosen to review is the latest installment of the Resident Evil franchise, Resident Evil 5. The latest installment features similar game play to Resident Evil 4 with sensitive controls and dynamic cut scenes. The main player (s) controls of Chris Redfield and/or Sheva Alomar are also similar to how the player controlled the character Leon S. Kennedy in Resident Evil 4 with the same over-the-shoulder perspective. The game's environment plays a significant role. It features a new type of enemies called "Majini", which means evil spirit in Swahili. These new enemies possess human-like intelligence and awareness. The enemies in this game are different from the previous ganados in Resident Evil 4.

The Story

Ten years after the destruction of Raccoon City, former S.T.A.R.S. Alpha team member Chris Redfield 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 Kijuju, 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 Sheva 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 Wesker.

Game play

The main combat actions havn't changed much since Resident Evil 4 with the action still unfolding with the over-the-shoulder perspective. Certain fights/cut scenes are accompanied by brief quick time events. Mobility is slightly gained with being able to walk sideways and the game's gun play and slow movement takes time getting used to but it isn't really an issue as the enemies attacks can dealt with via a cool head.

The addition of the second character gives it a different feel in my opinion and is necessary when your up against enemies who are more powerful than others. Changes have been made to the inventory management system. The immersion breaking briefcase is gone from the previous game also. Each character can also store up to nine items at once. The new system works well and it's almost vital to trade items with your partner and keeping a eye on who has what. Being prepared goes along way.

Sound

The sound in RE in my opinion especially the voice acting is very well done. And comparing it to other RE games it doesn't feel as stilted. The music also adds a bit of intensity to the action which is also good but as you get further into the game you will notice it by repeated over and over again.

Graphics

The character models in Resident Evil 5 are pretty good and well animated especially the main protagonists, the enemies and the bosses are also pretty frightening in their appearance. The surrounding environment is constantly bleached with sun which gives it a good feel but strays away from the "haunted mansion" setting of previous games. The new style of zombies who can use weapons and posses intelligence and ability at the same time. Some scenes in the game are phenomenally done, one in particular is shooting weapons from the back of a moving vehicle while speeding the outback of the area. Overall the graphics are pretty amazing especially its from Capcom as it does have a very high reputation regarding this area.

Interface

The controls won't be everyone's cup of tea. You have to stop, aim and then shoot. The controls arent going to let you do things like run backwards while shooting dead the oncoming enemies. While possibly swapping items in the inventory or just changing your weapon, the game is not paused which gives the game a bit of consistency.

Conclusion

Resident Evil 5 has definitely moved away from the survival horror style, like RE 4. This doesn't make the game bad as their is plenty of action, content, guns and zombies. Game play is solid, graphics are probably best of its generation. The game can be very addictive but in my perspective i tend to get frustrated a lot and take breaks from the game. One flaw however is in my opinion the game drops in energy half way through the game as some of the later missions are generic and aren't as fun to play as early missions. I chose to review this game because Resident Evil 4 was well received and their was alot hype surrounding this game and overall in my opinion the game was amazing.