Resident Evil 5 (PS3 / Xbox 360)

[thetrooper]

I've gone back to this a secong time just to mop up some achievements and I have to say that I'm enjoying the game a second time.

But I can't for the life of me find a rotten egg! I've played through 4-1 countless times and none of the spiders drop one like guides have promised. Anyone have any hints?

[Stakers]

I got one from the spiders so can't give you any more hints. However, I have about 50 of the blighters so can meet up in the game and hand you one if you like. Let me know. Gamertag: Stakers.

[Adam Stone]

My first impressions of Resi 5 upon release were not the most positive… Like others have said it simply felt like a big-budget, blockbuster sequel to the triumphant Resident Evil 4; replacing all the heart and soul with a splash of paint and big explosions. It felt like a step backward and what on earth did they do to Whesker!? The final battle almost single-handedly tainted the whole Resident Evil experience for me. It was just… wrong.

Fast-forward to present times and I’m finding myself really enjoying re-exploring this title. I’m no longer concerned about what it doesn’t do - and have accepted Whesker's fate - and now am simply experiencing and enjoying Resi 5 for what it is. It’s not an amazing action game, and it certainly isn’t a great Resident Evil title – but what it is: is a fun title that has many hidden layers and an impressively addictive replay value.

In my opinion, Resident Evil 5 is not a bad follow-up to Resi 4, especially now I’m taking my time and appreciating and absorbing all the little details... details i missed before.
There’s no way this could have lived up to the insanely high expectations Resident Evil 4 created – even now it is an absolute beast of a game. Resident Evil 5 tries, it really does give it a go – but unfortunately it tries too hard… and focuses too heavily on the co-op mechanics. In theory, that could have been the ace in the hole that gave Resi 5 it’s edge, but it just doesn’t add enough. Still, for all it’s shortcomings… I’m really enjoying delving back into this. Taken for what it is, there’s a lot of fun to be had... and it's good to play as Chris again

[abigsmurf]

I suppose my view is it's a decent action game but a bad followup to RE4. Basically by the time you got to the boat, it could have been any game, it lost all of it's soul as an RE game.

Online co-op play is fun once you've finished the game but it'd be a horrible way to play through the game the first time as you're pressured not to explore. Likewise the single player game is crippled by the co-op concessions.

It's a single player game shoehorned into a co-op game and the nature of horror games mean at most it should be focused on single player first, then co-op shoehorned in.

[ezee ryder]

Online co-op play is fun once you've finished the game but it'd be a horrible way to play through the game the first time as you're pressured not to explore.

I strongly disagree here, I played through the first with a mate via online co-op and we had loads of fun. Not once did we feel pressured not to "explore", if we wanted to "explore" we just did it. Not only that though we had even more fun (as you suggest) playing through 4 or 5 times again.

I am probably the only one here (don't really care though, everyone else seems to have a hard-on for RE4) who thinks this is one of the best games to be released this generation. It still felt like a Resident Evil game to me, infact it felt alot like RE4. I have put countless of hours into it (single player and co-op) and it has been a joy.

[capcom_suicide]

For various reason, like Killzone 2, I never did get round to playing this game.

I'm not going to get into the "It's not a real RE" BS, because it's Capcom
's game and they just continued the path they started withe RE4. It's the same type of game, different wrapping.

What I will say is that reading this thread 6 months ago, I was thinking the game was probably not that good, and not worth a game.

Big mistake. I'm up to Chapter 4 and the game has delivered BIG STYLE. I know that I'm not the best at Capcom boss figths, so I choose the easy setting, I'm really pleased I did as it balances well for a Casual lad like me.

One of the things I'm kicking myself about, is the fact that I am a technology fan, and I do like to see graphics progression. (This isn't new, just like Vanpeebles and I were saying on XBL the other day, it was the same in the 8 bit days, everyone was impressed by "Great Graphics"then, and it's the same today.)

What I didn't know, was that the detail and quality of the visuals in this game are probably the best I have ever seen on my 360/PS3. It's bloody amazing!

So, visuals to the side, I am having a brilliant time with the game, and I forgive Capcom for the slow start.

If anyone else out there missed this game because the NTSC-uk "Experts" warned against it, then get a copy ASAP. One of the best experiences this gen.

[Mr Ono]

I bought in 360 a while back but, due to the kids being around, have never had a chance to play it.

Recently got this on PC though which means I can play in the safety of my study and was pleasantly surprised at how good the graphics were too. I have it running at 1920 x 1200 in DX10 so it does look purdy.

[jimmbob]

If anyone else out there missed this game because the NTSC-uk "Experts" warned against it, then get a copy ASAP. One of the best experiences this gen.

It's the tits. Especially one you've upgraded a few bits. Co-op is also amazing even if the lobby system isn't.

[abigsmurf]

So, visuals to the side, I am having a brilliant time with the game, and I forgive Capcom for the slow start.

If anyone else out there missed this game because the NTSC-uk "Experts" warned against it, then get a copy ASAP. One of the best experiences this gen.

I wouldn't warn against it, it's still one of the better games this gen. The problem is that it isn't as good as RE4 (except on a graphical front where it's obviously superior) and it kinda throws away any pretensions of being a survival horror.

The game is at its best in the first 2/3rds, it's really the final act which spoilt things for me with a drastic change in game play mechanics that's against the character of the series and the unsatisfactory treatment of the main villain.

I enjoyed the game but RE4 was brilliant start to finish and one of my most replayed games whereas this felt like a bit of a chore towards the end.

The game was a victim of skyhigh expectations and some tinkering that didn't really suit the franchise. Concept art and storyboarding seemed to show that forced co-op was a late edition and they removed some great looking set pieces.

[Paddy]

I strongly disagree here, I played through the first with a mate via online co-op and we had loads of fun. Not once did we feel pressured not to "explore", if we wanted to "explore" we just did it. Not only that though we had even more fun (as you suggest) playing through 4 or 5 times again.

I am probably the only one here (don't really care though, everyone else seems to have a hard-on for RE4) who thinks this is one of the best games to be released this generation. It still felt like a Resident Evil game to me, infact it felt alot like RE4. I have put countless of hours into it (single player and co-op) and it has been a joy.

I agree mostly with what you have written but I think to sum people's gripes up, RE4 really took Resident Evil in a positive, different direction. RE5 just embellished on that formula so where as it was good it wasn't as much of a change as from the game before RE4 (Code Veronica I guess) to RE4.

ANyway, fingers crossed either the next Resident Evil game or RE6 changes things up enough again to reignite those feelings brought about by RE4. Wicker Man indeed!

[capcom_suicide]

Up to the final chapter, and last two levels now.

I feel even more strongly that this is a fantasic game & I love the direction Capcom has taken the series.

Giving "zombies"

->Open Spoiler<-

guns

was a master stroke and it really changed the tempo of the game in level 5.

The attention to detail in the game is just so awesome!

Brilliant brilliant game. I hope Capcom continues to go in this direction, (Uncharted is one of my all time fave games, and this is very similar) and maybe, just maybe in the next game we will be able to move and shoot.

Great stuff. Best Resi for me, by FAR!

[jimmbob]

If you fancy co-op on the PS3 version let me know, there's still a couple of trophies I wouldn't mind clearing up. Any time after next Tuesday as I'm away to rainy Spain.

[capcom_suicide]

If you fancy co-op on the PS3 version let me know, there's still a couple of trophies I wouldn't mind clearing up. Any time after next Tuesday as I'm away to rainy Spain.

Hey Jim.

I'm on the 360 version I'm afraid.

I'll try and play some coop anyway, once I'm finished on the SP.

Cheers

C_S

[Malc]

I feel even more strongly that this is a fantasic game & I love the direction Capcom has taken the series.

Giving "zombies"

->Open Spoiler<-

guns

was a master stroke and it really changed the tempo of the game in level 5.

I can't say I agree with this. The new direction with Resi' 4 worked great, especially at its time, but with Resi' 5 being released earlier on this year, it really had to do something new and exciting in order to stay leader of the survival horror pack. Which in my opinion Dead Space the year before done it better. And that's not just me saying that because you can walk and shoot, but the whole structure of the game is much better, as well as the level design and combat mechanics etc. Resident Evil 5 didn't have any of that. It was simply a repeat of Resi' 4 but with worse design choices along the way.

The option to set the game outside was a great idea conceptually, it meant new gameplay ideas could be introduced like Chris becoming dehydrated and hallucinating which would create a new type of fear for the series; phycological horror. However, Capcom realised it didn't work gameplay wise as the player would just end up getting frustrated having to run from shade to shade and wasting ammo on enemies that weren't really there. So they took it out. Which then left a very sunny and generic environment for the first part of the game with no atmosphere at all; and first impressions do count.

I admit that there are parts of the game which are brilliant, most of these being parts that resemble that of the Racoon City games such as the

->Open Spoiler<-

Lickers in the research lab

in the latter half of the game. It took the lighting down a bit and confined you. The atmosphere in that part and some other areas are what makes the game worth playing to experience. But these good parts are dampened somewhat when zombies with

->Open Spoiler<-

guns

are introduced. Maybe it's because they aren't in the official lore of zombies, but they didn't suit the game in any way. Not just because they all had a

->Open Spoiler<-

gun

which was bizzare, but because the control mechanics of the game are not suited for those types of enemies, it doesn't feel natural for the player to have a big button prompt appear, and for Chris to take cover. The controls just aren't suited to that gameplay yet. Uncharted's controls are wonderful in my opinion, and they work with the enemy and level design fluidly, Resi does not, and makes it feel like every point of cover in the game was put their artificially and it stands out pretty clearly.

[capcom_suicide]

I can't say I agree with this.

Some really good points Malc. I tend to agree with them, but I guess that I am thrilled that the designers are pushing Resi in this direction, and I hope for Resi6 we will get "Unchartered" controls.

I also hope they run a different "Line" of games too, that go back to closed horror type gameplay.

Dead Space was one of my all time fave horror games, just like at the first play thread, I think at one stage VP said I should make a Dead Space visor I was such a fanboy!

Capcom decided to change the resi gameplay to a different, style, and a style that I personally love. (Gun & Adventure)

The only problem is, they forgot to change the controls!

The visuals are so quality and design so great that I can kinda forgive them, but I am playing on Easy. If I had to cope with the "set pieces" on hard I'd end up throwing the controller out the window. The controls just aren't up to the requirements of the game, or I am not a good enough gamer.

So I guess your comments stand and are correct. But on Easy the game is great popcorn entertainment, and that is sad as it's like saying that instead of producing 10 year old single malt that 20% of the market will appreciate, they have gone to 2 year blended whisky for the other 80%.

It's a bad time to be a hardcore gamer really. I feel for you.

Casual CS!