Resident Evil 5 (PS3) Preview

Posted by Jacob Lopez on 02.13.2009

On Friday, March 13, 2009, Capcom will release Resident Evil 5 in North America. Last week the demo became available for download. Does the demo hype us up for the game? Find out here.



Judging any game based on a downloadable demo may not be the best way to go about things. For one, the demo does not represent the final version of the game, on the other hand, the publisher was satisfied enough with the product to release a demo of the software in hopes of generating interest. Of course, the first screen the player sees upon launching the demo is a disclaimer stating that this is not the complete version of the game, and that their may be some notable glitches while playing. At this point, we can only write about what we see in the demo. Given that the game is this late in the development cycle, we can probably expect any changes that come to the final build to be only minor tweaks.

One thing we can be sure will not change is the fact that you still cannot run while shooting, which seems to be the common complaint shared by most who have played the demo. Capcom feels that this emphasizes the importance of co-op play, and while multiplayer and co-op—especially online—is the way that gaming is going, I feel that it is really just more of an added bonus. Honestly, I play multiplayer and co-op more than I do campaign mode on any of my games, but I now have to rely on a friend to be on if I want to get the "real" gameplay experience.

Whether you are playing solo or with a friend one thing you will surely experience is the game's beautiful graphics. The Resident Evil 5 demo looks great. It is by no means anything revolutionary in videogame graphics, but it does not disappoint. The backgrounds, the fibers in your clothes, every detail down to the pores on each character's face. Thanks to the Hi-Def graphics of the current-gen systems, it has also become apparent that Chris doesn't carry a razor around with all those guns (Unless he shaves with that big-ass machete of a knife). Every vein is Chris' arms is visible, the dude looks like a bad ass this time around. Much like Leon in RE4, he has certainly beefed up since his last Resident Evil adventure. I mean, not Marcus Fenix big, but damn.

Despite all the extra time Chris has spent in the gym, he still can't turn worth a damn. Which brings me back to my original complaint. Your characters both still move like tanks. Which really becomes frustrating when facing vicious waves of infected villagers. I don't mind the endless attacks from the bad guys, but the ability to stay on the move becomes a much-needed part crucial to the survival part of survival shooter gameplay. Which is a conscious design choice by Capcom stress he importance of playing with another player.


In RE5, You will learn the true meaning of friendship

Co-op was definitely where this game shines. My only problem with that is, like I said earlier, you must now rely on having a decent co-op partner if you want to experience RE5 the way the developers had in mind. Having a great co-op partner is often the difference between life and death and is something the computer ally can't fully replace. Constant communication between two players is key to success, especially in areas where one player plays sniper to pick off enemies while the other runs to open a gate.


The enemies in the demo range from normal villagers and a huge bastard of an executioner to an evil chainsaw wielding douche bag, who we will call Dr. Salvador Ver. 2.0. As in Resident Evil 4, you don't want to get anywhere near the chainsaw guy, because it still means instant death if he catches you. Luckily, as threatening as the executioner looks, it takes more than one hit to die with him, which is fine by be, because that axe covers a lot of ground when he swings. That doesn't stop Chris from nailing him with a nice, strong uppercut when stunned.

One minor gripe that I will chalk up to this being a demo version is that melee attacks don't seem to be fine-tuned yet. One of my favorite strategies in RE4 was to temporarily immobilize an enemy, run up to kick them, then tear away at 'em with my knife. At this point, that close range attack still feels a little off. It just does it when it wants to. I am hoping that this is just a result of it being an unfinished build of the game.

I notice that this demo doesn't feel anywhere near as bloody as Resident Evil 4 was. The series is notorious for rubbing it in when you die. Whether that is changed for the retail version we won't know until it's available, but I actually really don't mind. It looks fine as is. Some of the older fans and gore hounds may be disappointed if this is how the release looks, but to me the novelty of head-ripping wore off after I played Mortal Kombat in 1993. In Resident Evil 4 we saw Leon's head tumble. In this one, the camera just focuses on everything below the player's head as they fall.

Whatever the final release brings, we can be sure it will be an overall fun experience. If Capcom were able to make some changes in the way the characters handle, it might even become more welcoming for those new to the series. Until then, we will just have to play the completed version of the game to form our full opinion on it. The demo is definitely worth a download though.

Screenshots
All 6 Resident Evil 5 Screenshots