Spring Break
Demo of 'Resident Evil 5' is such a tease for gamers
Andrea Kahn
Issue date: 2/3/09 Section: Focus
The gaming community was set ablaze last week when Capcom unleashed the "Resident Evil 5" demo to the hoard of wild, soulless zombie - which includes XBox Live users, who ravenously tore its content to pieces and feasted upon its hi-def innards in an orgy of bloodlust so terrifying, only a Resident Evil fanboy could find reason in its violent depravity.
Okay, so that's not exactly what happened, but the demo is out and while it features no surprises, it offers a mouthwatering taste of things to come when the title is released next month.
Everybody who's been following RE5 since its 2005 announcement knows the basic setup: ten years have passed since the first "Resident Evil." Players take control of an uber-jacked and jaded Chris Redfield (or his partner, a female agent named Sheva) as he investigates strange incidents (RE lingo for "shoots zombies") in a dilapidated third-world town in Africa. Plot details have been closely guarded, and released only in teasing glimpses (Wesker is back! Jill is apparently dead!). The demo reveals no major plot details.
The major focus is gameplay, and there aren't many surprises here, either, but that's good news. RE4's celebrated over-the-shoulder-run-and-gun setup has been streamlined considerably (accessing inventory no longer pauses the game, nor does finding items), giving a greater sense of immediacy and tension to the action. Some controls are clunky, like getting the camera to stay behind Chris in a narrow corridor, but it doesn't really hurt the experience (besides, since when is RE known for its camera?) Featured in the demo are two playable areas, Public Assembly and Shanty Town. In the former there are few special enemies to be heard of (save for the giant axe-wielding dude) and it allows for the player to get a feel for the controls. In the second level, though, the game introduces some slightly newer enemies aside from the regular zombies - there's flying worm-like creatures and (of course) the skinny masked chainsaw man. It should be quickly noted that the graphics look stupendous, and the level of detail put into the character models and environments is nothing short of amazing. Dialogue, though scant, is normal and bearable, something fans of the game will appreciate after years of poor translation.
Co-op is the game's biggest divergence from RE4, with Sheva able to be controlled by the computer or a friend (online or splitscreen!). The words "zombie multiplayer" will spark immediately with gamers, but RE5 looks to be a different game than Left 4 Dead. While L4D relies on heavy teamwork and quick thinking, Resident Evil 5 accomodates both parts of the "survival horror" genre; even when playing with a buddy you are bound to experience the same horror of hearing the chainsaw man right on your tail.
Based on this demo, Resident Evil 5 is shaping up to be a fine addition to any game collection. Though the single player is fulfilling on its own, the co-op gameplay will be the real star of this game - unfortunately, there's still plenty of waiting before its mid-March release. Better make yourself a Jill sandwich in the meantime.
Okay, so that's not exactly what happened, but the demo is out and while it features no surprises, it offers a mouthwatering taste of things to come when the title is released next month.
Everybody who's been following RE5 since its 2005 announcement knows the basic setup: ten years have passed since the first "Resident Evil." Players take control of an uber-jacked and jaded Chris Redfield (or his partner, a female agent named Sheva) as he investigates strange incidents (RE lingo for "shoots zombies") in a dilapidated third-world town in Africa. Plot details have been closely guarded, and released only in teasing glimpses (Wesker is back! Jill is apparently dead!). The demo reveals no major plot details.
The major focus is gameplay, and there aren't many surprises here, either, but that's good news. RE4's celebrated over-the-shoulder-run-and-gun setup has been streamlined considerably (accessing inventory no longer pauses the game, nor does finding items), giving a greater sense of immediacy and tension to the action. Some controls are clunky, like getting the camera to stay behind Chris in a narrow corridor, but it doesn't really hurt the experience (besides, since when is RE known for its camera?) Featured in the demo are two playable areas, Public Assembly and Shanty Town. In the former there are few special enemies to be heard of (save for the giant axe-wielding dude) and it allows for the player to get a feel for the controls. In the second level, though, the game introduces some slightly newer enemies aside from the regular zombies - there's flying worm-like creatures and (of course) the skinny masked chainsaw man. It should be quickly noted that the graphics look stupendous, and the level of detail put into the character models and environments is nothing short of amazing. Dialogue, though scant, is normal and bearable, something fans of the game will appreciate after years of poor translation.
Co-op is the game's biggest divergence from RE4, with Sheva able to be controlled by the computer or a friend (online or splitscreen!). The words "zombie multiplayer" will spark immediately with gamers, but RE5 looks to be a different game than Left 4 Dead. While L4D relies on heavy teamwork and quick thinking, Resident Evil 5 accomodates both parts of the "survival horror" genre; even when playing with a buddy you are bound to experience the same horror of hearing the chainsaw man right on your tail.
Based on this demo, Resident Evil 5 is shaping up to be a fine addition to any game collection. Though the single player is fulfilling on its own, the co-op gameplay will be the real star of this game - unfortunately, there's still plenty of waiting before its mid-March release. Better make yourself a Jill sandwich in the meantime.
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