Resident Evil series - the addendum
Posted 09-20-2009 at 01:22 PM by December Man
Updated 05-05-2010 at 09:01 AM by December Man (Added a note on the storyline)
Updated 05-05-2010 at 09:01 AM by December Man (Added a note on the storyline)
Tags addendum, games, resident evil, survival horror
I promised to comment on Resident Evil 5 as soon as it gets released on the PC. Well here I am, just finished it an hour ago. I have to say that, knowing the annoyances on the consoles, the PC version is the best one making it a very enjoyable experience.
Let me list the major complaints about the console versions:
1. Sheva's AI is dreadful. She wastes health items on you even when you're only very lightly wounded. Also, she wastes ammo like there's no tomorrow.
2. Item management in the inventory screen is a pain in the ass.
3. Game is not scary, creepy and it's short.
4. Storyline is poor compared to the previous titles.
My take on it:
1. In the PC version Sheva's AI has been significantly improved - when speaking about item management. She uses health items only when necessary to the point where you WANT her to keep the items and heal you when you do your thing and kill some zombies - the complete opposite to what was in the console versions. As to ammo. She's still pretty wasteful, but giving her a shotty and/or sniper rifle makes her a very efficient fighter.
2. On the PC each slot in your inventory has a corresponding hotkey on the number pad which allows you to quick switch weapons and healing items mid combat easily. Also you can combine and move items through drag and drop(dunno if that was on the console version, correct me if I'm wrong).
3. No, the PC version is not scary, nor is it longer. However, even though it lacks even the slight creepiness RE4 had, it's still an awesome game. As to the length; if it was any longer, it would've started to get dull.
4. Seriously? All of the games have a simplistic and straightforward story. RE5 is no different. I also find it ironic RE4 fans speak like that. RE4 has the most stereotypical low-budget 80's action movie plot I have ever seen. All it needs is Chuck Norris.
A government agent is sent to rescue the daughter of the president of United States, who was kidnapped by diabolical Spaniards who plan to inject her with a virus and send her home, so that they will be able to control the presidential family through her, thus the country and in the end, the world.
...
Even Matrix Wesker isn't as silly as this.
Back to RE5.
My overall impressions: the best RE game. As I said in my previous blog post, RE games were never really scary and going more into action is what the series needed. RE5 could've used a bit more creepiness now and then, I admit, but that doesn't change the fact you can curb stomp zombies' heads :p
:edit:
OK, after trying out the Mercenary mode and reading on the net about the Versus mode, I have to say both are broken. In what way? Character balance.
In both modes in all versions of the game, both Weskers wipe the floor with all the other characters. Check the leaderboards - the top 10's on all levels are nearly all Weskers. In the PC version Tribal Sheva has a crosshair to her already pretty overpowered bow making her totally ridiculous. On Public Assembly, on my first try with her, I got an SS rank(104k points) just standing 80% of the time killing anything that gets close.
On the other side we have BSAA Chris, Safari Chris, BSAA Jill and Clubbin' Sheva, all underpowered. Either the guns suck, or they have very low ammo to start with, or they lack the weapon to take down the bosses. Only Battle Suit Jill, STARS Chris and BSAA Sheva are balanced.
In Versus it's all about Wesker again. Especially the STARS version. His magnum and triple barrelled shotgun are just "wtf were they thinking?".
In RE4 there was a similar situation. Leon sucked due to his weak weapons and Krauser was a frigging beast.
What's the point of having so many characters if only half of them are capable of achieving high scores, and some of those are doing it with abysmally bad design-wise ease?
More about Versus. It's basically deathmatch, but having to stand to shoot results in unintentional hilarity. Two people are sometimes standing in front of each other, 3 inches between them, shooting mindlessly until someone dies. Yes, it's that bad. It may have worked in the campaign, but not in a PvP situation.
That's all for now :p
Let me list the major complaints about the console versions:
1. Sheva's AI is dreadful. She wastes health items on you even when you're only very lightly wounded. Also, she wastes ammo like there's no tomorrow.
2. Item management in the inventory screen is a pain in the ass.
3. Game is not scary, creepy and it's short.
4. Storyline is poor compared to the previous titles.
My take on it:
1. In the PC version Sheva's AI has been significantly improved - when speaking about item management. She uses health items only when necessary to the point where you WANT her to keep the items and heal you when you do your thing and kill some zombies - the complete opposite to what was in the console versions. As to ammo. She's still pretty wasteful, but giving her a shotty and/or sniper rifle makes her a very efficient fighter.
2. On the PC each slot in your inventory has a corresponding hotkey on the number pad which allows you to quick switch weapons and healing items mid combat easily. Also you can combine and move items through drag and drop(dunno if that was on the console version, correct me if I'm wrong).
3. No, the PC version is not scary, nor is it longer. However, even though it lacks even the slight creepiness RE4 had, it's still an awesome game. As to the length; if it was any longer, it would've started to get dull.
4. Seriously? All of the games have a simplistic and straightforward story. RE5 is no different. I also find it ironic RE4 fans speak like that. RE4 has the most stereotypical low-budget 80's action movie plot I have ever seen. All it needs is Chuck Norris.
A government agent is sent to rescue the daughter of the president of United States, who was kidnapped by diabolical Spaniards who plan to inject her with a virus and send her home, so that they will be able to control the presidential family through her, thus the country and in the end, the world.
...
Even Matrix Wesker isn't as silly as this.
Back to RE5.
My overall impressions: the best RE game. As I said in my previous blog post, RE games were never really scary and going more into action is what the series needed. RE5 could've used a bit more creepiness now and then, I admit, but that doesn't change the fact you can curb stomp zombies' heads :p
:edit:
OK, after trying out the Mercenary mode and reading on the net about the Versus mode, I have to say both are broken. In what way? Character balance.
In both modes in all versions of the game, both Weskers wipe the floor with all the other characters. Check the leaderboards - the top 10's on all levels are nearly all Weskers. In the PC version Tribal Sheva has a crosshair to her already pretty overpowered bow making her totally ridiculous. On Public Assembly, on my first try with her, I got an SS rank(104k points) just standing 80% of the time killing anything that gets close.
On the other side we have BSAA Chris, Safari Chris, BSAA Jill and Clubbin' Sheva, all underpowered. Either the guns suck, or they have very low ammo to start with, or they lack the weapon to take down the bosses. Only Battle Suit Jill, STARS Chris and BSAA Sheva are balanced.
In Versus it's all about Wesker again. Especially the STARS version. His magnum and triple barrelled shotgun are just "wtf were they thinking?".
In RE4 there was a similar situation. Leon sucked due to his weak weapons and Krauser was a frigging beast.
What's the point of having so many characters if only half of them are capable of achieving high scores, and some of those are doing it with abysmally bad design-wise ease?
More about Versus. It's basically deathmatch, but having to stand to shoot results in unintentional hilarity. Two people are sometimes standing in front of each other, 3 inches between them, shooting mindlessly until someone dies. Yes, it's that bad. It may have worked in the campaign, but not in a PvP situation.
That's all for now :p
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