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Chronicles

codeh4x0r has 7 chronicles

  1. codeh4x0r Resident Evil 5 Demo

    Player Chronicle -- Posted on Dec 12 2008

    It's been a while since I've written a game review chronicle. It's also been a while since a game (demo or otherwise) has gripped me as this one has. Seeing as not everyone has access to this little gem, I figured I'd share my experience and opinion with everyone - whether they want it or not! Wink

    Firstly, about the demo itself (as opposed to the gameplay). As of this writing, this demo has only been released in Japan. A few enterprising individuals found a way to distribute it in the US on a burned CD though (no 360 mods required!), and a copy of it fell into my lap. After a couple of days, Capcom noticed that US players had gotten ahold of it and "disconnected" the demo for anyone not in Japan. That's all well and good, but if one were to disconnect from XBox Live, then the demo works beautifully. Worst case is that noone can see that you're playing it, which is probably what Capcom wanted, but I digress. Before Capcom "pulled the plug", as it were, the demo did support both online and split-screen two player co-op, so I'm fairly confident that the final release will also support both of these options. Any other type of multiplayer is up to speculation, but in my opinion, that would be somewhat out-of-character for a Resident Evil game.

    Overall, the game *feels* like Resident Evil, which is the most important aspect, IMHO. As might be expected, the graphics are top notch, and the frame rates are smooth very smooth. I haven't noticed any glitches, artifacts, or holes in the geometry (not that I've had much time to look for those), and the game looks pretty solid all around.

    The game is third-person, as are the others, but movement is more in line with an FPS game. Running is only done while moving forward, and the quick-turn is still around. After playing more Call of Duty and Halo than I'm going to admit, it did take me a while to get used to the "must aim before shooting, and cannot move while aiming" method of combat, but once I did, there weren't any problems.... except for the bosses, of which I've yet to defeat one, but that's for later in the chronicle.

    There are a couple of new additions to the game, none of which are new concepts, per se, but still new to the Resident Evil franchise. In the prior games, I've always tried my best to conserve ammo, as finding more was often troublesome. In this one, enemies drop loot. Usually ammo, sometimes money. There are also the "stock" pickups in the game - herbs lying on the ground, handgun bullets in the drawers, etc. There's also many things to examine to help set the mood (the table of cut meat with a bloody chainsaw will forever be burned into my memory). As I just mentioned, there's also money. I've yet to figure out what the money is used for. It might be score, or it might be an "end-of-level" shop to buy things. Who knows? I can't beat either of the two levels in the demos - the bosses kill me very quickly. Another new mechanic is what I'm dubbing as "action moves". If you stun an enemy, you can run up to it and press X to do a special melee attack. The nature of the attack depends on your character. This also works for enemies on the ground, and stunned bosses (boss-level action moves look spectacular!).

    Speaking of characters, Chris Redfield makes a return appearance, accompanied by a woman named Sheva who I know absolutely nothing about. According to internet postings, this game is supposed to be a direct sequel to Resident Evil 1, but 10 years later and in Africa. The first playable level in the demo seems to indicate that at least the place is correct.

    As for combat, it feels like Resident Evil. It does play very similar to Resident Evil 4, so if you're hoping for a "true" throwback to the original style controls, I'm sorry to have to let you down. The enemy AI is fairly adequate and you often need to use teamwork to bring enemies down. Bosses, though, are extremely frustrating. The two I've encountered have insta-kill moves (as have others in the series) that, while visually spectacular (and gross!), kill you dead. Instantly. They are fun to watch though! Very Happy

    I mentioned above that the demo supports both online and offline co-op. I haven't played the demo without a friend with me, but given the design of the levels, it's intended to be played co-op. If you've played Army of Two, then you know what I mean - there are areas which only one character can access, then that character has to open up access for the other. These situations are particularly tense because you might not have your partner to back you up, but that just adds to the overall feel to the game.

    Thanks for taking the time to listen to me ramble, yet again. I seriously can't wait for this game to be released, and I'll probably take a short vacation from work so that I can fully absorb myself in it's grotesque goodness!



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Chronicle Comments

codeh4x0r has 3 comment s on this chronicle.

  1. Silent Bob Silent Bob
    Posted On Dec 15 2008

    Lucky duck! I suppose I'll get my hands on this soon enough, but thanks for the preview of what's to come.

    We're anticipating this will be a bigger hit for us (with respect to selling time) than Halo 3: ODST. I'm crossing fingers our prediction holds true.

  2. DecipherOne DecipherOne
    Posted On Dec 12 2008

    Great review. I'm going to have to pick up a console to get a hold of this game sometime soon. I love the RE franchise and coop games are always cool too. Nice review!

  3. BEN BEN
    Posted On Dec 12 2008

    That's cool that you had the chance to play this "underground" title...good old code...always having technology drop into his lap Shocked

    You need to get an EasyCap setup so you can post some video or screenshots!