Resident Evil 5

REVIEW: Resident Evil 5 : Lost In Nightmares

I was gonna begin with an excuse for what took me so long to get around to this DLC, but not only do I not really know why I waited. I also very much doubt any reason would make my opinion any more or less valuable, so let's just jump right in, shall we? It's no surprise to those who've kept up with the Resident Evil series that it's lost sight of it's horror roots in the recent years, and grown into a more modernized third person shooter. Relegating most of the craziness to the plot rather than game mechanics, resulting in one of the worst cases of a half way decent video game story going way off rails to make sure it can surprise you, even if the “surprise” was contrived only for that occasion. I for one was actually really into Resident Evil 5, and while I get where people saw issues in the game, I still stand by the idea that it's incredibly similar to Resident Evil 4, just has the symptoms of a bigger budget title trying to grasp at an audience they would likely never have gotten to begin with. This led to the mishap that was Resident Evil 6, the ultimate example of trying to please everyone, and in consequence showing everyone that even they didn't know what Resident Evil was anymore.

Flash forward a bit and we got the HD port of Resident Evil Revelations, initially released as a 3DS exclusive to high praises. The game starred Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield, and took place between Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5. Now, while I'm not quite finished with Revelations, the prospect of a Resident Evil game that felt like Resident Evil for a change was so nice a change that I thought I'd give the duo's previous outing a shot. This led me back to Resident Evil 5 – Lost In Nightmares. A DLC pack released after the games launch that focuses on the repeat flashback Chris Redfield has, in which he witnesses his former partner, Jill, fall to her death in a last ditch effort to take out their enemy Albert Wesker. The chapter opens on Chris and Jill entering a mansion that looks all to familiar to fans of the series, and it would be the first of many feelings of Deja Vu.

Put simply, the controls and inventory from Resident Evil 5 makes a return though the inventory isn't an issue here as it was with the campaign, as the number of items available is much more easily managed. The enemies you'll encounter here are specific to the DLC, meaning no traditional enemies you've seen before, and once you see what exactly that means, you like me will probably be left giddy and terrified. With countless throwbacks to the first game in the series, it's clear that while some of the Resident Evil team has moved onto more mainstream genres, there are most definitely some seriously dedicated fans still working on the series to ensure it doesn't loose sight of it's roots. From familiar but slightly modified puzzles to entirely new traps, the mansion explored will rarely stop being endlessly intriguing, and encourages exploration unlike anything from the entirety of the Resident Evil 5 campaign.

While those familiar with the main campaign will know the story the moment they enter, there is still a TON of fun to be had, and the game does a good job of playing with memories while not alienating those who aren't going to readily recognize some of the throwbacks. The way that the game divides itself between puzzles and combat almost perfectly equally, it's easy to see why not only did many have higher hopes for Resident Evil 6, and while I am always going to remain a Resident Evil fan, I will be hard pressed to ever find a better example of the classic RE formula neatly packed into a consumable experience than Lost In Nightmares. From the feelings of lost hope to fighting with everything you've got come the end game, the DLC pack is a great example of how one can not only use DLC to deliver a wholly unique experience, but also a standalone one that manages to feel different enough to justify its ownership.

Resident Evil 5 : Lost In Nightmares gets an 8 out of 10.