Resident Evil 5
This is my first Resident Evil game, so don't expect an insider's review full of mentions of old games and how much it's changed over the course of it's existence. Instead, eagerly await the words of an ecstatic, albeit crazy fan-girl utterly in love with what had just been a wild roller-coaster ride of a video game. (I'm going to go full steam ahead into spoiler-galore land so if you haven't yet played this game, don't read any more!)
Resident Evil 5 promises scares, mystery, emotion and more. Of course, It's Resident Evil! The same Resident Evil that spawned films, books and obviously more games. The storyline is something short of jaw-dropping. You, Chris Redfield and your new partner – who you meet at the start of the game! - Sheva Alomar, are instructed with tracking down a known terrorist in the area of Kijuju, Africa and have to muscle through some terrifying creatures and monsters to do so. Along the way, secrets are unveiled, old friends and new and old foes come to light.
Wesker's back.
You can be sure of that! But you only get to see him quite a far way into the game, after having battling some truly horrific foes. Some that need to be doused in fire to be killed, some that wield chainsaws... I could go on! When he finally shows his Germanic, chiselled god-like face, don't go thinking this is the end! You face Wesker again after the first time you both meet after Chris and Jill Valentine's confrontation back at the Spencer Mansion – don't worry you get a flash back of all that, thunder, lightening and all. After a breath-taking cut-scene which holds one of the more shocking secrets of the game, you then have to survive for 7 minutes where you and your partner get to 'play' with Wesker. Actually, you have to deal as much damage as you can to him in those seven minutes all the while trying to stay alive. Stressful, I know! But for that reason, this if my favourite stage of the game.
Along with some new characters, new setting, friends and foes. Resident Evil 5 also unleashes a whole new control system to the game. Having only played one other Resident Evil game and still, sadly not finished it. I can only offer a limited range of info on the matter but know this much – you can't shoot and run at the same time as well as the fact the inventory is now only accessible in-game and not in a pause menu. Which is not only frustrating but is also responsible for several deaths and damage dealt in my play-through!
But the music makes up for all the hated. Well, nearly all of it... the soundtrack is both insightful and beautiful with each track matching the scene/level or character fantastically well. I even downloaded some of them! Some tracks sound similar but if you close you eyes tight enough and listen out for the subtle differences you can easily pin-point where they fit into the game and it's cut-scenes. Or not so easily in my case as I actually thought 'Sad But True' fit into the 'Favour For A Friend' cinematic! Oops!
Anyway, you're not paying attention to the music when you're supposed to be killing and defeating truck loads of enemies. Mainly the Majini, that means 'evil spirit' – which are our zombies for the game. Which, actually aren't actual zombies. More puppets, mutated puppets with someone just as mutated pulling their strings.
With many levels, many pretty, cools things to collect, like extra weapons, BSAA emblems and treasures there's loads to keep you busy, interested and excited in this surprisingly fantastic video game which I only just finished today, 17th April! At around two o'clock, no less! I then at unlocked and immediately tried out The Mercenaries mini-game and the new costumes, cut-scenes and files I had been so thankfully rewarded with for killing Wesker – by making him fall into a volcano full of burning lava and taking off his head with a rocket. Thank you, Capcom!
The graphics make the grotesque creatures and mutated monsters all the more horrid and the characters, mainly Excella and Wesker all the more god-like which then makes the cinematics fun to re-watch! Each level is intricately designed with hidden objects to hunt down till your heart's content with hordes of nasty things, each with their own freaking way to take them down. With buckets of secrets revealed, enemies and collectables the replay-ability in this game is sky high! Along with three difficulty setting and extras all over the place there's always more to do. And as Wesker's corpse is floating around in lava and you and your friends, fly away to safety in a chopper the only thing on your mind should be – when am I getting Resident Evil 6? ...and certainly not 'is Wesker really dead?!'
Thanks for reading! DCIPHOENIX
