9.0   

Resident Evil5 manages to execute the alreadywell executed format of the series in a different way  and refreshes the experience by adding new elements and aspects .

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The good : Stunning visuals , extremely amusing and varied gameplay , fabulous pacing and momentum  , remarkable voice acting, engaging story , deep puzzles  .   

The bad : Inventory menu , devoid of fear .

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

First of all let me initiate this review by stating that Resident evil 5 is a tremendously wonderful title , those of you who were disappointed by the demo should certainly give this game a try (a rent is a must )  .

The latest entity in Resident Evil series while does not deliver an experience we’d come to expect from the franchise , manages to establish itself as one of the most qualified games in the current generation of consoles . 

Resident evil 5 is probably the most fleshed out game in the series regarding the level of details and attention to the game structure , level design and story . Suffice to say that the story of the whole saga including the origin of Umbrella corporation , Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA), Biological Organic Weapons (BOWs), S.T.A.R.S , the previous protagonist and heroines , group of eleven and so forth reviews via the in game cut-scenes , flash backs and text documents .

The game follows the step of its predecessor in almost every aspect (it kicks off  exactly alike RE4 ; you first encounter with a zombie , kill him , jump out of a window , see yourself surrounded with numerous zombies , fight all of them desperately till invisible hands of god come to your help )  but dares to introduce brand new set pieces at the same time . Manning a turret against hordes of majini bikers , riding a boat , using various turrets against bosses , managing stealth attacks  ,  holding yourself on a boat  ,   ………… and even taking cover behind walls!!!“Awe C’moooooooon, now every one is trying to imitate me “ said a source who prefers to remain anonymous!!! .

Undoubtedly the most important alteration in gameplay structure is presence of a new ally called Sheva Alomar . Many gamers were [ and still are ] concerned about having to escort someone throughout the entire game .

I am proud to say that Sheva does NOT need your escort and ironically she is an incredibly supportive character . In other word  Sheva is not president’s daughter of RE4  ; she is a smart and coherent character that except for a few sessions does not need your help /support/escort whatsoever and can even survive with her mere knife when she is out of ammo .    

Sheva never gets in your way , never makes you stop for her , never takes damage from your attacks [neither melee nor projectile ] , never stands in your way and block your shots , never asks for ammunition but hand you some if you are in need, never stops checking on your health status , never misses a shot , never leaves items and loots behind if you happen to miss them ……………………….. In short  SHEVA NEVER LETS YOU DOWN .

Even though her AI is not perfect and some weird reactions and insignificant bugs here and there leaves you surprised , Sheva is the most intelligent side kick we have seen in a  video game thus far   .

Another new added component of gameplay is cover mechanic  . Before you start worrying you should know  RE5 is not Gears of War and you can not take cover behind any wall or object at any wanted time . At points were the threat of being shot [or exploded ] is present , you ‘d always find a piece of cover . Taking cover feels a bit awkward at times but it is a nice constituent nevertheless .

As we all know Resident Evil without quick time event sequences is not resident evil and thus RE5 includes many of these scenes that fortunately have been implemented pretty well . I admit that I really loved the magnificence of these sequences specially in the very last mission .

Puzzles in RE5 are much better than Find the plate to open the door kind of things we used to see in previous games of the series . Do not get me wrong ! , you still need to find wicked plates to open some doors but except for a case in which you have to find your way through rays of lasers, most of the puzzle are cooperative and requires both Chris and Sheva to solve . The cooperative nature of puzzles are really pleasing and it is even more fun while playing co-op .  For the first time you can play RE with your buddy online or off ; in this mode you have to collaborate with your partner as best as you can since you‘d fail otherwise . Technically the co-op has no problem and split-screen does not affect the frame-rate at all .   

For the most part RE5 plays the same as RE4 although some minor changes have been made concerning the control scheme . Through one of these changes you can now display/vanish the useful map in the top right corner of the screen by pressing a single button . The game features 4 different control types, none of which feels any better than the third-person control scheme debuted with games such as Gears of War but it gets the job done nonetheless  .

The inventory system has seen drastic changes and unfortunately it is not as good as it sounds . each character has nine and only nine slots to carry items and weapons and space upgrade is not available  . All inventory management is done in real time which sometimes add to the intensity but more often the inventory just does not work that well . Numerous times I found my inventory (and Sheva’s ) full while in desperate need of say a herb but I did not want to discard a package of shotgun ammo just for a pesky herb . So unless you manage your inventory slots pretty well and learn the proper way to exchange your items with your partner , you’d be in lots of trouble .

You’ll need to finish/reload the mission in order to gain access to the inventory organization menu where you can upgrade your weapons , change the place of items in your inventory , trade weapons and African treasures (Have you seen blood diamond ? ) and transfer useless stuff in your storage  .

Some of the improvements such as being able to buy/upgrade your weapons freely without having to find those shady dudes!!!  and the fact that you can assign weapons and items to D-pad for instant access are welcome . I should  mention that there is no longer a single typewriter around and saves are done automatically as you progress .

Due to considerable power of the current generation of consoles the environments in RE5 are enjoyably varied . Dusty desert, rusty factories , lush jungles , never ending rivers , sea side , ancient African tombs, tribe villages , underground tunnels , high tech facilities are amongst the environments you’d get to see while playing  .

The game never cease throwing one enjoyable and stylish sequence after another at the player but regrettably none of them are scary or socking . This incredible action-oriented game lacks the fear factor  . There are very few  oh, snap parts in the game where you feel somewhat overwhelmed by the foes , however they by no means can be considered scary . To make things even less scary the game features a so-called dying mode ; as the name suggests whenever you lose all your health the character goes into dying mode and can not do anything until the other partner revive him/her .

This being said the action feels quite intense (specially during the second half of the game ) because of large groups of enemies attacking you from all directions . One thing is for sure , RE5 is a challenging game in a good way and makes you release adrenalin even on the easiest difficulty setting .

Thanks to Capcom ‘s advanced engine , the game is an absolute looker both technically and artistically . Everything in the game looks fabulous and the level of visual details are quite impressive . Lighting , particle effects and explosions are simply jaw-dropping and regardless of the level of activity on the screen  the game renders smoothly all the time  .

I played the Xbox 360 version installed on hard-drive and never witnessed any frame-rate drop or pop-in issue during the entire game  . The loading times are so short that makes you wonder how could all of these elegant objects and textures be loaded in such a short time .

Another stunning aspect of the graphics is the quality of cut-scenes . The high quality of cut-scenes instantly reminded me of Metal Gear Solid 4 which was result of terrific look , exciting actions /martial arts and plausible voice acting . The in-game music is pretty good and makes the action profoundly exciting .

Similar to most of Capcom games , RE5 has plenty of replay value . The first thing would be Mercenaries mode which resident evil fans are already aware of . In this mode you need to kill as many enemies as possible before the time runs out . Unlockable documents , 3D figures , costumes , weapons , maps , screen filters and so forth are also enough reasons to keep you busy for long time to come . 

For the record , All of the upgraded weapons , items , remained ammo , costumes , skins transfer to a new game and unlike Dead Space can be used in higher difficulties .

Epilogue

Despite the huge departure from the franchise’s original formula , Resident Evil 5 is a magnificent title on its own . Lack of fear elements and emphasis on combat may annoy some longtime fans and satisfy the others but it is safe to say that you won’t regret playing this game .     

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Evaluation 

Gameplay[8.0] : Annoying inventory menu , unique control and some bugs never stop you from enjoying the game .

Graphics[9.5]: Simply spectacular visuals turn this biohazard into a safari .

Audio and music[9.0] : Amazing voice acting coupled with appropriate music .

Replay value[10]: The Mercenaries mode ,  multiple costumes , two playable characters , dozens of unlockables ………. What else do you need ?    

Story and atmosphere[7.0]: NO SCARE WHATSOEVER , plausible story with a payoff in the end .

Length[9.0] : Beating the game for the fist time takes somewhere between 12-15 hours . 

Overall : 9.0

PS  I apologize for the poor quality of images taken by a cellphone , I just wanted to show you some previously unseen footages    :)  

                          9.0   

Resident Evil5 manages to execute the alreadywell executed format of the series in a different way  and refreshes the experience by adding new elements and aspects .

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The good : Stunning visuals , extremely amusing and varied gameplay , fabulous pacing and momentum  , remarkable voice acting, engaging story , deep puzzles  .   

The bad : Inventory menu , devoid of fear .

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

First of all let me initiate this review by stating that Resident evil 5 is a tremendously wonderful title , those of you who were disappointed by the demo should certainly give this game a try (a rent is a must )  .

The latest entity in Resident Evil series while does not deliver an experience we’d come to expect from the franchise , manages to establish itself as one of the most qualified games in the current generation of consoles . 

Resident evil 5 is probably the most fleshed out game in the series regarding the level of details and attention to the game structure , level design and story . Suffice to say that the story of the whole saga including the origin of Umbrella corporation , Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA), Biological Organic Weapons (BOWs), S.T.A.R.S , the previous protagonist and heroines , group of eleven and so forth reviews via the in game cut-scenes , flash backs and text documents .

The game follows the step of its predecessor in almost every aspect (it kicks off  exactly alike RE4 ; you first encounter with a zombie , kill him , jump out of a window , see yourself surrounded with numerous zombies , fight all of them desperately till invisible hands of god come to your help )  but dares to introduce brand new set pieces at the same time . Manning a turret against hordes of majini bikers , riding a boat , using various turrets against bosses , managing stealth attacks  ,  holding yourself on a boat  ,   ………… and even taking cover behind walls!!!“Awe C’moooooooon, now every one is trying to imitate me “ said a source who prefers to remain anonymous!!! .

Undoubtedly the most important alteration in gameplay structure is presence of a new ally called Sheva Alomar . Many gamers were [ and still are ] concerned about having to escort someone throughout the entire game .

I am proud to say that Sheva does NOT need your escort and ironically she is an incredibly supportive character . In other word  Sheva is not president’s daughter of RE4  ; she is a smart and coherent character that except for a few sessions does not need your help /support/escort whatsoever and can even survive with her mere knife when she is out of ammo .    

Sheva never gets in your way , never makes you stop for her , never takes damage from your attacks [neither melee nor projectile ] , never stands in your way and block your shots , never asks for ammunition but hand you some if you are in need, never stops checking on your health status , never misses a shot , never leaves items and loots behind if you happen to miss them ……………………….. In short  SHEVA NEVER LETS YOU DOWN .

Even though her AI is not perfect and some weird reactions and insignificant bugs here and there leaves you surprised , Sheva is the most intelligent side kick we have seen in a  video game thus far   .

Another new added component of gameplay is cover mechanic  . Before you start worrying you should know  RE5 is not Gears of War and you can not take cover behind any wall or object at any wanted time . At points were the threat of being shot [or exploded ] is present , you ‘d always find a piece of cover . Taking cover feels a bit awkward at times but it is a nice constituent nevertheless .

As we all know Resident Evil without quick time event sequences is not resident evil and thus RE5 includes many of these scenes that fortunately have been implemented pretty well . I admit that I really loved the magnificence of these sequences specially in the very last mission .

Puzzles in RE5 are much better than Find the plate to open the door kind of things we used to see in previous games of the series . Do not get me wrong ! , you still need to find wicked plates to open some doors but except for a case in which you have to find your way through rays of lasers, most of the puzzle are cooperative and requires both Chris and Sheva to solve . The cooperative nature of puzzles are really pleasing and it is even more fun while playing co-op .  For the first time you can play RE with your buddy online or off ; in this mode you have to collaborate with your partner as best as you can since you‘d fail otherwise . Technically the co-op has no problem and split-screen does not affect the frame-rate at all .   

For the most part RE5 plays the same as RE4 although some minor changes have been made concerning the control scheme . Through one of these changes you can now display/vanish the useful map in the top right corner of the screen by pressing a single button . The game features 4 different control types, none of which feels any better than the third-person control scheme debuted with games such as Gears of War but it gets the job done nonetheless  .

The inventory system has seen drastic changes and unfortunately it is not as good as it sounds . each character has nine and only nine slots to carry items and weapons and space upgrade is not available  . All inventory management is done in real time which sometimes add to the intensity but more often the inventory just does not work that well . Numerous times I found my inventory (and Sheva’s ) full while in desperate need of say a herb but I did not want to discard a package of shotgun ammo just for a pesky herb . So unless you manage your inventory slots pretty well and learn the proper way to exchange your items with your partner , you’d be in lots of trouble .

You’ll need to finish/reload the mission in order to gain access to the inventory organization menu where you can upgrade your weapons , change the place of items in your inventory , trade weapons and African treasures (Have you seen blood diamond ? ) and transfer useless stuff in your storage  .

Some of the improvements such as being able to buy/upgrade your weapons freely without having to find those shady dudes!!!  and the fact that you can assign weapons and items to D-pad for instant access are welcome . I should  mention that there is no longer a single typewriter around and saves are done automatically as you progress .

Due to considerable power of the current generation of consoles the environments in RE5 are enjoyably varied . Dusty desert, rusty factories , lush jungles , never ending rivers , sea side , ancient African tombs, tribe villages , underground tunnels , high tech facilities are amongst the environments you’d get to see while playing  .

The game never cease throwing one enjoyable and stylish sequence after another at the player but regrettably none of them are scary or socking . This incredible action-oriented game lacks the fear factor  . There are very few  oh, snap parts in the game where you feel somewhat overwhelmed by the foes , however they by no means can be considered scary . To make things even less scary the game features a so-called dying mode ; as the name suggests whenever you lose all your health the character goes into dying mode and can not do anything until the other partner revive him/her .

This being said the action feels quite intense (specially during the second half of the game ) because of large groups of enemies attacking you from all directions . One thing is for sure , RE5 is a challenging game in a good way and makes you release adrenalin even on the easiest difficulty setting .

Thanks to Capcom ‘s advanced engine , the game is an absolute looker both technically and artistically . Everything in the game looks fabulous and the level of visual details are quite impressive . Lighting , particle effects and explosions are simply jaw-dropping and regardless of the level of activity on the screen  the game renders smoothly all the time  .

I played the Xbox 360 version installed on hard-drive and never witnessed any frame-rate drop or pop-in issue during the entire game  . The loading times are so short that makes you wonder how could all of these elegant objects and textures be loaded in such a short time .

Another stunning aspect of the graphics is the quality of cut-scenes . The high quality of cut-scenes instantly reminded me of Metal Gear Solid 4 which was result of terrific look , exciting actions /martial arts and plausible voice acting . The in-game music is pretty good and makes the action profoundly exciting .

Similar to most of Capcom games , RE5 has plenty of replay value . The first thing would be Mercenaries mode which resident evil fans are already aware of . In this mode you need to kill as many enemies as possible before the time runs out . Unlockable documents , 3D figures , costumes , weapons , maps , screen filters and so forth are also enough reasons to keep you busy for long time to come . 

For the record , All of the upgraded weapons , items , remained ammo , costumes , skins transfer to a new game and unlike Dead Space can be used in higher difficulties .

Epilogue

Despite the huge departure from the franchise’s original formula , Resident Evil 5 is a magnificent title on its own . Lack of fear elements and emphasis on combat may annoy some longtime fans and satisfy the others but it is safe to say that you won’t regret playing this game .     

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Evaluation 

Gameplay[8.0] : Annoying inventory menu , unique control and some bugs never stop you from enjoying the game .

Graphics[9.5]: Simply spectacular visuals turn this biohazard into a safari .

Audio and music[9.0] : Amazing voice acting coupled with appropriate music .

Replay value[10]: The Mercenaries mode ,  multiple costumes , two playable characters , dozens of unlockables ………. What else do you need ?    

Story and atmosphere[7.0]: NO SCARE WHATSOEVER , plausible story with a payoff in the end .

Length[9.0] : Beating the game for the fist time takes somewhere between 12-15 hours . 

Overall : 9.0

PS  I apologize for the poor quality of images taken by a cellphone , I just wanted to show you some previously unseen footages    :)  

Good, well written review. Glad to hear its 12/15 hr game. I heard it was 7/9. 

Nice review but I don't think I'll get it because the controls sucked for me.

Does it have the ending mini-games like in RE4?

"Good, well written review. Glad to hear its 12/15 hr game. I heard it was 7/9. "

"Nice review but I don't think I'll get it because the controls sucked for me."

"Does it have the ending mini-games like in RE4?"

daniel_beck-

In RE4, you had not only Mercenaries mode, but you also had this small mission where you played a Ada Wong and stuff. RE4 had tons of content that kept me addicted for a whole year. Does RE5 do that? And also, are there more characters to play in Mercenaries mode other then Chris and Sheva? Or are the other characters unlockable?

I have a hard choice to make: Killzone 2 or Resident Evil 4??? Bah!

"daniel_beck-In RE4, you had not only Mercenaries mode, but you also had this small mission where you played a Ada Wong and stuff. RE4 had tons of content that kept me addicted for a whole year. Does RE5 do that? And also, are there more characters to play in Mercenaries mode other then Chris and Sheva? Or are the other characters unlockable?"

"I have a hard choice to make: Killzone 2 or Resident Evil 4??? Bah!"

Nice review beck!

*Spoilers!*
Don't complain if the elemental things of story reveals to you after reading this, Seriously.

I finished it an hour ago. It wasn't as bad as I thought... Also seeing Chris back again was great. and of course his long time companion's situation was surprising and sorrowful. Closing scenes indicate that we won't see Chris, Jill, Leon, Claire and all the other bitches again, and that's Slightly disappointing. and hell, Spencer was the monster of the series. but... he died very suddenly, without being converted into a monster with a dozen balls and heads.

"Nice review beck!"

"*Spoilers!*
Don't complain if the elemental things of story reveals to you after reading this, Seriously.I finished it an hour ago. It wasn't as bad as I thought... Also seeing Chris back again was great. and of course his long time companion's situation was surprising and sorrowful. Closing scenes indicate that we won't see Chris, Jill, Leon, Claire and all the other bitches again, and that's Slightly disappointing. and hell, Spencer was the monster of the series. but... he died very suddenly, without being converted into a monster with a dozen balls and heads."

"Falloutmadness said:

"Nice review beck!"

 
Thanks Garret :)


Aurelito said:

"*Spoilers!*
Don't complain if the elemental things of story reveals to you after reading this, Seriously.I finished it an hour ago. It wasn't as bad as I thought... Also seeing Chris back again was great. and of course his long time companion's situation was surprising and sorrowful. Closing scenes indicate that we won't see Chris, Jill, Leon, Claire and all the other bitches again, and that's Slightly disappointing. and hell, Spencer was the monster of the series. but... he died very suddenly, without being converted into a monster with a dozen balls and heads."

  Yeah , just like MGS4 , Resident evil 5 wrapped up story of all the events in resident evil series .

Spoiler Alert
.
.
.

That enormous boss with 4 yellow balls that required the player to lock on using laser designator was really awesome .
.
.
..

End of spoiler

Spencer ?!!!  final boss was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better



"

If they really reboot the series with Resident Evil 6 with new characters and all that, they're going to have a lot of fans up in arms, including me.

"daniel_beck_90 said:

"Falloutmadness said:

"Nice review beck!"

 
Thanks Garret :)


Aurelito said:

"*Spoilers!*
Don't complain if the elemental things of story reveals to you after reading this, Seriously.I finished it an hour ago. It wasn't as bad as I thought... Also seeing Chris back again was great. and of course his long time companion's situation was surprising and sorrowful. Closing scenes indicate that we won't see Chris, Jill, Leon, Claire and all the other bitches again, and that's Slightly disappointing. and hell, Spencer was the monster of the series. but... he died very suddenly, without being converted into a monster with a dozen balls and heads."

  Yeah , just like MGS4 , Resident evil 5 wrapped up story of all the events in resident evil series .

Spoiler Alert
.
.
.

That enormous boss with 4 yellow balls that required the player to lock on using laser designator was really awesome .
.
.
..

End of spoiler

Spencer ?!!!  final boss was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better



"

------That boss battle on the roof of ship's bridge was indeed awesome, but during that battle I felt I'm playing Gears of War or Crysis... I don't think that Capcom would achieve a game as outstanding as Code Veronica was with manipulation like this. -----"

Good review man, I enjoyed reading it. Even though the cell phone pictures aren't the best quality I think they added a nice touch to the review and they aren't bad enough so you can't make out what the pic is.

Good to hear you enjoyed playing though!

Great Review, I guess it will disappoint in the sense it wont scare you. I will play it as 'not Resident evil ", in that way I can enjoy the game how it is. So the story is not all that good, I mean doesn't it tie with the previous games as epic as MGS series?

"Good review man, I enjoyed reading it. Even though the cell phone pictures aren't the best quality I think they added a nice touch to the review and they aren't bad enough so you can't make out what the pic is.Good to hear you enjoyed playing though!"

Great review Mr. Beck, but alas I will not be buying this game. Some games are too hard for me to play. I remember playing RE 4 on the Gamecube and I became so frustrated, dying over and over, that I quit playing and sold the game. I did play it again on the Wii, finished it, and liked it much better. I played the demo of RE 5 and I felt that same frustration, it was just too much for me. That sucks for me, maybe I'll try the demo again and see if I can get into a rythym with the game, but it doesn't look like I'm getting the fun out of it that you did. Have fun and take care.

"Great review Mr. Beck, but alas I will not be buying this game. Some games are too hard for me to play. I remember playing RE 4 on the Gamecube and I became so frustrated, dying over and over, that I quit playing and sold the game. I did play it again on the Wii, finished it, and liked it much better. I played the demo of RE 5 and I felt that same frustration, it was just too much for me. That sucks for me, maybe I'll try the demo again and see if I can get into a rythym with the game, but it doesn't look like I'm getting the fun out of it that you did. Have fun and take care."

"Great Review, I guess it will disappoint in the sense it wont scare you. I will play it as 'not Resident evil ", in that way I can enjoy the game how it is. So the story is not all that good, I mean doesn't it tie with the previous games as epic as MGS series?"

Mate you can move stuff around your inventory by pressing X on the highlighted item and pressing X in the desired slot, so dunno what you're talking about saying you can't move things in the middle of the game

"Mate you can move stuff around your inventory by pressing X on the highlighted item and pressing X in the desired slot, so dunno what you're talking about saying you can't move things in the middle of the game"

Awesome review.  God I want this game right now.

No problem buddy

"Awesome review.  God I want this game right now."

Thank you so much for the review! I wasn't to fond of the control mechanics during the demo, however reading your review has convinced me otherwise. I guess I just have to tough it out and get used to it, shouldn't be that hard.

"Thank you so much for the review! I wasn't to fond of the control mechanics during the demo, however reading your review has convinced me otherwise. I guess I just have to tough it out and get used to it, shouldn't be that hard.

I can't wait till friday now...

"

Thanks for writing an advance review like this. I am very excited for this game and it looks awesome. It is also a well written review, kudos. I am glad Dr. Cash hasn't popped up here yet, hehe.

It's good to read an ordinary persons take on a game like RE5. I'm really looking forward to this especially because I'm a huge fan of co-op games.

"Thanks for writing an advance review like this. I am very excited for this game and it looks awesome. It is also a well written review, kudos. I am glad Dr. Cash hasn't popped up here yet, hehe."

"It's good to read an ordinary persons take on a game like RE5. I'm really looking forward to this especially because I'm a huge fan of co-op games."