Here we go again.

Resident Evil has always been a series which is held in high regard by gamers. Zombies are awesome. Even when Res 4 introduced not-zombies, it was forgiven for leaving the ancient control scheme and play mechanic behind and bringing a totally new, for the time, way of playing action games. A way which inspired Gears of War which then inspired the MGS4 control scheme.

And history is repeating itself once again. Just like the Res games up to Outbreak 2 suffered from a control scheme which made the character move like a tank in comparison to other games, Res 5 once again finds itself feeling tank-ish, even though the much applauded control scheme of Res 4 remains in tact. Tweaked infact.

Graphics are great, voice acting seems ok, cutscenes done well if not a little tear ridden. Fine. However the control scheme completly stands out, let me explain why.

Weapon select has been made "easier" by getting rid of the carry case. Now to change weapon, you press Y. Then then navigate to where you weapon is in the slot system, usually up down left or right, then press a, then press equip.

Now this is less frustrating in a non combat situation but in a combat situation it is bordering on game breaking. Nothing is more annoying than getting your head chopped off by a guy with a chainsaw because you had to stand still, press Y etc. Its just too slow, its unbelivable that you have to stop to change weapons in a modern game, nevermind navigate mini menus.

Also, your character once again feels tank like by modern standards. Not much has changed since Res 4 and theres the problem. Not being able to move and shoot to create false tension is rediculous. The camera seems to close, entirly understandable as they want to achive a first person limited field of view but with the over the shoulder gameplay, but it just feels off in Res 5, your character takes up a third of the screen, meaning you have to jiggle him around abit to see exactly what it is that caught your eye.

Aiming also feels off. It dosnt feel organic. Your character seems to pivot on a pin head. Everything that I feel is wrong with it I know they have justified to themselves that it adds tension. But if you have to cramp up your controls to give your game tension, then you havnt designed it very well.

Turning takes too long, and the quick turn is so disorientating I dont know which is worse.

Its ok saying that people loved Res 4 and that its control scheme is arguably better this time round than back then, but it just dosnt work like that. Controls have evolved since then, games have evolved since then. Its like saying that people loved Madden and Fifa before physics were introduced so we could take them out now and they would still be loved. Or that shooters were still loved before online play really became the norm or even loading corridors or rooms were ok and that if we took out seamless, streaming loading that people would still be just as fine with it.

Games have moved on and once again Capcom have played it too safe. Just when everybodys favorite survival horror franchise was making a comback, Dead Space, Gears of War and even the less than awesome GTA 4 shooting controls make Resident Evil feel like an unplayable relic all over again.

Wah Wah. Complain more! I have so many problem with games but you can't change it because you're not the developer, now are you?

"Wah Wah. Complain more! I have so many problem with games but you can't change it because you're not the developer, now are you?"

Dont feed the troll. Ignore him guys. If you think Im right or wrong I wanna know. Is it just me or do others feel the same.

I disagree, I find the controls to be fine, if a little different than gears. Then again, I am a Resident Evil fan through and through, so I guess you should take my opinion with a grain of salt.

I agree that RE really needs to catch up. I won't be getting this game mainly because of the controls and the inclusion of the partner that you have babysit.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Everything about the control scheme was classic RE, and everyone is fine with that for the most part. The only complaint I agree with is the way you have to equip weapons. Although even that is used so that you have to change weapons more strategically.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Everything about the control scheme was classic RE, and everyone is fine with that for the most part. The only complaint I agree with is the way you have to equip weapons. Although even that is used so that you have to change weapons more strategically."

It plays like RE4 but you can strafe now, dead space plays better

I completely agree Merx.  I pretty much wanted to make the exact post you did.  After playing the demo I know what Brad meant on those Bombcasts when he said he felt like the whole thing was just off.

If you press a direction on the Dpad it quick changes to where your weapon is in your inventory. IE, up for pistol. Still feels off though. Like, it does go someway to ending that problem but everything else still stands. The camera especially, 3 enemies can overwhlem you if coming at you from a different angle.

Its ok to keep saying its survival horror but its in-congruent with the characters. Chris Redfield survived the mansion and the events of CV and now is an elite member of some anti-bullshit force against umbrella. Yet shooting straight, movement skills and situational awareness are all super low because the player dosnt have the tools to do things.. right.

I just played some co op with some random guy and we both complaining about the controls. He was maninly complaining that its hard to get a feel of how close is close-enough when it comes to knifing, which seems really slow and cumbersome. He was using his knife because he quickly ran out of ammo. I lasted longer than him and was grabbing as many pickups as was fair. Now I know Im a good shot even on a difficult-to-aim system like RE5, and if Im running dry on ammo after a couple of minutes then its not distributed effectivly. I just refuse to play along with "ITS TENSION LOL! RUN PAST DUDES WHEN YOUVE GOT NO AMMO AND GO FIND SOME MORE, EVEN IF YOU GET HIT 4 OR 5 TIMES THROUGH NO FAULT OF YOUR OWN!"

A massive dissapointment.

You get use to it quickly, it's like dead rising, or lost planet, awkward controls at first that grow on you

If it ain't broken, don't fix it. I'm sick of all the people saying that the controls are broken, you guys got spoiled with all the new games that pretty much do everything by yourself.

I came to look at the forums just to see if anyone else thought that the RE5 demo is a piece of junk. I'm currently playing Dead Space and I quit out of that cos I kept getting messages from my friends to play RE5 demo, Ny impression: Dead Space schools RE5. I went back to Dead Space within fifteen minutes with very little desire to play RE again. The controls are clunky and outdated and make the characters look totally lame, the camera turns so much slower than I can actually turn my head and I find it really irritating. RE5 felt like it was all underwater compared to Dead Spacem I might rent it when it comes out but i'm definitely not sold on it.

I don't think saying the controls are broken or junk or whatever is right. Merx nailed it in the title; they feel antique compared to what we're used to, especially when the controls are the outgrowth of a system designed originally for shooting slow moving things lurching towards you down a narrow hallway.

I can't comment from a demo player's perspective as I don't have a 360 or PS3 yet.

The demo did a fine job of confirming my lack of interest in this game.

I find RE4 with new graphics to be completely unacceptable at this stage in games development.

When will Japanese developers start innovating again and stop racing to catch up. Adding co-op is not innovation.

The demo did a fine job of confirming my lack of interest in this game.

I find RE4 with new graphics to be completely unacceptable at this stage in games development.

When will Japanese developers start innovating again and stop racing to catch up. Adding co-op is not innovation.

resident evil before RE4 had a antique control scheme? yeah maybe in your head but it was perfect for what the game was, RE4 was crap it wasn't even a survival horror game the same with RE5.

I loved RE4 on the Wii, this just seemed broken.

• Aiming and getting headshots is really hard. Maybe I just suck.
• My pistol ran out of ammo really early, and I had to run around weaponless for 5 minutes just to find 10 bullets.
• That dude with the big axe is too overpowered. At least your shotgun knocked chainsaw dude back in RE4, but now you shoot the guy with the shotgun, stand there reloading it, he's still on his feet and he hits you with the axe.
• Your partner is a douche. Theres an option to give them ammo, but wheres the option to ask for ammo from them? I guess in multiplayer this won't be so bad. Solution, if its simgle player, get rid of the AI co-op player
• Real time inventory sucks balls. In the heat of battle I dont want to stand still, open my inventory, squint at the TV screen, figure out which one is health, navigate over to it then use it. By then big axe bloke has cut me again. Other games do this better. Mapping health to a button, awesome. Gears of War's weapon switching, sweet. RE4's inventory, really good.
• It just doesnt seem scary. Its broad daylight, in a normal looking village (by African slums standards). Compare this with the opening to RE4, dark, gritty village, cop hung up on a fire. It was awesome, this is not.
• At least the guy says RESIDENT EVIL.....................FIVE! At the begining, which made my day.

These controls do seem very iffy, but you begin to see the logic in them after a while.

I didn't enjoy the "shooter" controls I switched it back to RE4 control scheme and felt right back at home. Didn't  have any trouble after that. Had plenty of fun shooting the zambies in the kneecaps and then uppercutting them across the room. :D

Also for people saying that these levels aren't scary enough,
remember when RE4 was first coming out, and everyone thought it just took place in the village? I'm pretty sure they are pulling the same bait n' switch this time around too.

i loved it, i crapped my pants while being chased by the chainsaw dude, loads of fun. ill probably buy it.

"I didn't enjoy the "shooter" controls I switched it back to RE4 control scheme and felt right back at home. Didn't  have any trouble after that. Had plenty of fun shooting the zambies in the kneecaps and then uppercutting them across the room. :D

Also for people saying that these levels aren't scary enough,
remember when RE4 was first coming out, and everyone thought it just took place in the village? I'm pretty sure they are pulling the same bait n' switch this time around too."

I find myself alternating between Control Type A and D and I find the controls work well for a Resident Evil Game. Besides I thorughly enjoyed myself and thats the main thing. I didnt even notice the whole no shoot and move gig.

Oh and you can request weapons and ammo from your partner by pushing Right Bumper (I think thats it) while in Inventory. 

I have resigned myself to not playing Resident Evil 5 due to the fact that after trying to play RE4 with dual analog after paying it for the first time with IR, I failed hard. If people who played RE4 with dual analog are mad at this, I don't know what would happen.

"Wah Wah. Complain more! I have so many problem with games but you can't change it because you're not the developer, now are you?"

"Weapon select has been made "easier" by getting rid of the carry case. Now to change weapon, you press Y. Then then navigate to where you weapon is in the slot system, usually up down left or right, then press a, then press equip.

Now this is less frustrating in a non combat situation but in a combat situation it is bordering on game breaking. Nothing is more annoying than getting your head chopped off by a guy with a chainsaw because you had to stand still, press Y etc. Its just too slow, its unbelivable that you have to stop to change weapons in a modern game, nevermind navigate mini menus.

Also, your character once again feels tank like by modern standards. Not much has changed since Res 4 and theres the problem. Not being able to move and shoot to create false tension is rediculous. The camera seems to close, entirly understandable as they want to achive a first person limited field of view but with the over the shoulder gameplay, but it just feels off in Res 5, your character takes up a third of the screen, meaning you have to jiggle him around abit to see exactly what it is that caught your eye.

Aiming also feels off. It dosnt feel organic. Your character seems to pivot on a pin head. Everything that I feel is wrong with it I know they have justified to themselves that it adds tension. But if you have to cramp up your controls to give your game tension, then you havnt designed it very well.

Turning takes too long, and the quick turn is so disorientating I dont know which is worse.

Its ok saying that people loved Res 4 and that its control scheme is arguably better this time round than back then, but it just dosnt work like that. Controls have evolved since then, games have evolved since then. Its like saying that people loved Madden and Fifa before physics were introduced so we could take them out now and they would still be loved. Or that shooters were still loved before online play really became the norm or even loading corridors or rooms were ok and that if we took out seamless, streaming loading that people would still be just as fine with it.
"

I agree I just plain didn't like the controls.  It really did feel like driving a tank... slowly turning, moving backwards, adjusting aim, and then firing.  Switching weapons is total rubbish, you actually have to stop and find the weapon in your bag, select it and then select to equip it.  It just feels like a crappy action game where you are constantly fighting with the controls and trying to enjoy it but it's too frustrating.