Introduction
Hello, and welcome to my first ever review! I’ll be reviewing Resident Evil 5 for PS3/Xbox 360. Perhaps a little late, and I know most of you are Nintendo fanatics, but I’ve decided to do this review anyway, after lots of extensive gameplay. I think I’ve just about squeezed every last drop of awesome-ness from the game now.
Gameplay 8/10
The game, like all (well, most) Resident Evil games, is 3rd person. You either like it or you don’t. In RE5 (just like RE4) it’s over-the-shoulder, rather than a ‘security camera’ view.
There are many different modes of game play. The basic is the story mode, where you and your partner, Sheva, work through the mysteries and hordes of Zombies right through until the end. Unlike RE4, your partner actually does something! She attacks enemies with her weapons, heals you when you’re down, and assists you in many other ways. However, you need to supply her with weapons and ammo, heal her, and cover her. Her AI is pretty lame, and she can act very stupid on harder difficulties. You can play through the story mode single player, split screen with a local player, or over the Internet with a friend or someone random. Playing with someone else usually makes the game easier.
The gameplay is rather odd. It’s trying to combine Survival Horror with Action/Shooter styles. I think you only really get the Survival Horror feel when playing the game for the first time through, or on Professional difficulty. As for the Action/Shooter style, it’s good… But impaired by the stop ‘n shoot style. Meaning, you cannot move when aiming/shooting. The series continues to use red laser sights, just like RE4. However, Typewriter Saves have been scrapped. You can now save and quit at any time, and start off from your last checkpoint.
The equipment system is totally different. You can assign items to each directions of the D-Pad. In total, you can hold 9 items, but cannot hold 2 of the same weapon. Your partner can also hold 9 items, and you can give, share, and swap items. When playing online, however, you can only trade ammo and health. Not guns. To access other items, you have to press Triangle (PS3), and Y (360). This brings up the item screen, but even when this is up gameplay will NOT be paused, like in RE5. This can be frustrating, whilst trying to equip a green herb to heal yourself. Before starting a level, or if you die, you can access the main inventory page. This is where you can buy, sell, and upgrade items. You can store lots of things here, infact everything! This is because you will have collected a lot more than 9 items, and will need somewhere to store them. Whilst you’re in this menu, you can organise all your items and equipment. Think back to those chests in the first Resident Evil.
When a player runs out of health, they do not die. Instead, they go into a sort of ‘recovery’ mode, where the remainder of their health slowly decreases (this will vary depending on what difficulty you play). Whilst a player is in this state, they’re rendered pretty much useless. Useless as in, you can only slowly hobble around, and call out to your partner. If your partner gets to you in time, they can revive or heal you. They will only revive you if they have no health spays/herbs in their inventory, this will just take you out of recovery mode. If they do have a health spray or herb, they can heal you, which takes you out of recovery mode and replenishes your health.
Like in another popular Capcom game, you’re rated at the end of each level. Your rating is based on Accuracy, Kills, Deaths, and Time. The better your rating, the more points you will receive. Points can be used to unlock a variety of things, such as figurines, costumes, filters, infinite ammo, and unlockable characters for Versus mode.
Once you’ve completed the game once, the popular Mercenaries mode (from RE4) is unlocked! Like the story mode, this can be played single player, spilt-screen, and online. You can unlock more characters and stages to use here by doing well in each stage.
Versus mode, which you have to pay £3.99 for, if basically Mercenaries, but with 4 people. There are two types of games for this. One is where the objective is to kill zombies, and you can also kill other players for additional points. The tougher the zombie you kill, the more points. The other mode is mainly for killing other players. You get more points depending on what gun you’re using. Both of these modes can be played in free for all modes, and team modes (2v2). The player(s) with the most points at the end win. To unlock more characters, you have to buy them with points from the Bonus features menu, as mentioned earlier. All of these online modes are great fun, and are compatible with headsets.
Story Line 9/10
The story is interesting. Indeed it is better than RE4s story line, but the whole Las Plagas thing is incorporated into RE5. You play as Chris Redfield, just like in the first game. You’re working for the BSAA, and are accompanied by Sheva. As I mentioned earlier, she helps and hinders in gameplay, but doesn’t involve in the story line much. You’re mission is to track down Irving, a black market Bio-Weapon salesman. As well as this mission, you’re also trying to track down your long lost partner, Jill Valentine. You will meet a old friends, and old enemies, as well as make new ones! But I’ve probably already given you too much information; you’ll just have to complete the game for yourself.
Also, there’s a nice added feature to the game called The History of Resident Evil. Just incase you’ve missed out on any of the old games!
Graphics 9.5/10
Graphics are totally stunning. And I’m not just saying that! People look very life-like, the gore is very nice, and it’s just overall very, very good graphics. Play the demo for yourself and see!
Sound 8.5/10
Sound is good; I didn’t pay too much attention to it. I was too busy drooling over the pretty graphics.
Lasting Replay 9.5/10
This game has immense replayability! If you thought you got your monies worth out of RE4, you’re in for a surprise with this game! There’s just so much to do, so much to collect, and so much to unlock! And it doesn’t get boring! You can play on harder difficulties, or with a friend. I’ve already spent 70 hours on the game, and still I want more! This game will keep you going for AGES!
Overall
If you’re a fan of the series, I think you will enjoy it. If you liked the style of the original RE games, you may not like it, and I recommend you play RE4 if you already haven’t. If you like RE4, you will most probably love RE5. If you’re a runner gunner type of guy (Gears of War, Killzone 2, Call of Duty) you may not like it so much. I recommend you download the free demo, offering you 2 of the earlier levels in the game to play.
I rate this game 8.5/10. I’d really like to give it a 9 or even a 10, but I know some people aren’t going to like the controls, and how ‘slow’ the game can feel at times.
I'd like to know how I can improve my review, or possibly add more detail to it. I'm always open for constructive criticism!
Hello, and welcome to my first ever review! I’ll be reviewing Resident Evil 5 for PS3/Xbox 360. Perhaps a little late, and I know most of you are Nintendo fanatics, but I’ve decided to do this review anyway, after lots of extensive gameplay. I think I’ve just about squeezed every last drop of awesome-ness from the game now.
Gameplay 8/10
The game, like all (well, most) Resident Evil games, is 3rd person. You either like it or you don’t. In RE5 (just like RE4) it’s over-the-shoulder, rather than a ‘security camera’ view.
There are many different modes of game play. The basic is the story mode, where you and your partner, Sheva, work through the mysteries and hordes of Zombies right through until the end. Unlike RE4, your partner actually does something! She attacks enemies with her weapons, heals you when you’re down, and assists you in many other ways. However, you need to supply her with weapons and ammo, heal her, and cover her. Her AI is pretty lame, and she can act very stupid on harder difficulties. You can play through the story mode single player, split screen with a local player, or over the Internet with a friend or someone random. Playing with someone else usually makes the game easier.
The gameplay is rather odd. It’s trying to combine Survival Horror with Action/Shooter styles. I think you only really get the Survival Horror feel when playing the game for the first time through, or on Professional difficulty. As for the Action/Shooter style, it’s good… But impaired by the stop ‘n shoot style. Meaning, you cannot move when aiming/shooting. The series continues to use red laser sights, just like RE4. However, Typewriter Saves have been scrapped. You can now save and quit at any time, and start off from your last checkpoint.
The equipment system is totally different. You can assign items to each directions of the D-Pad. In total, you can hold 9 items, but cannot hold 2 of the same weapon. Your partner can also hold 9 items, and you can give, share, and swap items. When playing online, however, you can only trade ammo and health. Not guns. To access other items, you have to press Triangle (PS3), and Y (360). This brings up the item screen, but even when this is up gameplay will NOT be paused, like in RE5. This can be frustrating, whilst trying to equip a green herb to heal yourself. Before starting a level, or if you die, you can access the main inventory page. This is where you can buy, sell, and upgrade items. You can store lots of things here, infact everything! This is because you will have collected a lot more than 9 items, and will need somewhere to store them. Whilst you’re in this menu, you can organise all your items and equipment. Think back to those chests in the first Resident Evil.
When a player runs out of health, they do not die. Instead, they go into a sort of ‘recovery’ mode, where the remainder of their health slowly decreases (this will vary depending on what difficulty you play). Whilst a player is in this state, they’re rendered pretty much useless. Useless as in, you can only slowly hobble around, and call out to your partner. If your partner gets to you in time, they can revive or heal you. They will only revive you if they have no health spays/herbs in their inventory, this will just take you out of recovery mode. If they do have a health spray or herb, they can heal you, which takes you out of recovery mode and replenishes your health.
Like in another popular Capcom game, you’re rated at the end of each level. Your rating is based on Accuracy, Kills, Deaths, and Time. The better your rating, the more points you will receive. Points can be used to unlock a variety of things, such as figurines, costumes, filters, infinite ammo, and unlockable characters for Versus mode.
Once you’ve completed the game once, the popular Mercenaries mode (from RE4) is unlocked! Like the story mode, this can be played single player, spilt-screen, and online. You can unlock more characters and stages to use here by doing well in each stage.
Versus mode, which you have to pay £3.99 for, if basically Mercenaries, but with 4 people. There are two types of games for this. One is where the objective is to kill zombies, and you can also kill other players for additional points. The tougher the zombie you kill, the more points. The other mode is mainly for killing other players. You get more points depending on what gun you’re using. Both of these modes can be played in free for all modes, and team modes (2v2). The player(s) with the most points at the end win. To unlock more characters, you have to buy them with points from the Bonus features menu, as mentioned earlier. All of these online modes are great fun, and are compatible with headsets.
Story Line 9/10
The story is interesting. Indeed it is better than RE4s story line, but the whole Las Plagas thing is incorporated into RE5. You play as Chris Redfield, just like in the first game. You’re working for the BSAA, and are accompanied by Sheva. As I mentioned earlier, she helps and hinders in gameplay, but doesn’t involve in the story line much. You’re mission is to track down Irving, a black market Bio-Weapon salesman. As well as this mission, you’re also trying to track down your long lost partner, Jill Valentine. You will meet a old friends, and old enemies, as well as make new ones! But I’ve probably already given you too much information; you’ll just have to complete the game for yourself.
Also, there’s a nice added feature to the game called The History of Resident Evil. Just incase you’ve missed out on any of the old games!
Graphics 9.5/10
Graphics are totally stunning. And I’m not just saying that! People look very life-like, the gore is very nice, and it’s just overall very, very good graphics. Play the demo for yourself and see!
Sound 8.5/10
Sound is good; I didn’t pay too much attention to it. I was too busy drooling over the pretty graphics.
Lasting Replay 9.5/10
This game has immense replayability! If you thought you got your monies worth out of RE4, you’re in for a surprise with this game! There’s just so much to do, so much to collect, and so much to unlock! And it doesn’t get boring! You can play on harder difficulties, or with a friend. I’ve already spent 70 hours on the game, and still I want more! This game will keep you going for AGES!
Overall
If you’re a fan of the series, I think you will enjoy it. If you liked the style of the original RE games, you may not like it, and I recommend you play RE4 if you already haven’t. If you like RE4, you will most probably love RE5. If you’re a runner gunner type of guy (Gears of War, Killzone 2, Call of Duty) you may not like it so much. I recommend you download the free demo, offering you 2 of the earlier levels in the game to play.
I rate this game 8.5/10. I’d really like to give it a 9 or even a 10, but I know some people aren’t going to like the controls, and how ‘slow’ the game can feel at times.
I'd like to know how I can improve my review, or possibly add more detail to it. I'm always open for constructive criticism!
