Retro Review

What pains me the most about the 'Next Gen' & 'Current Gen' consoles is their distinct lack of backward compatibility. I won't lie it often infuriates me as it seems like a deliberate ploy so that gamers need to repurchase an old game. More often than not the old game is exclusively available for download so the gamer doesn't even get a box with instructions to get the most out of the game. As a collector this really does annoy me and I'm sure it annoys many other gamers out there too. It forces great consoles like the Playstation 3 to become retro a lot quicker than they need to. Great games like the one I'm reviewing today are then re-packaged much to the expense of the customer and much to the delight of industry juggernauts like Sony and Microsoft.

The game I'm reviewing today is quite a few years old but I managed to pick it up for £1.99 for the PS3 and it was new to me as I hadn't played it. The Resident Evil series has long been a feather in the cap of game producers Capcom who make some real quality titles. Two of their other accolades include Dead Rising and Street Fighter which are really well made games. The original Resident Evil dates back to the Playstation One and the initial three games have all been remade for more current consoles. The old games were more focused on horror and exploration; the player had to think tactically for survival. They are excellent games and to some fans may stand up today but the new stuff (probably from 4 onwards) tends to be more action based. They've also been developed for co-operative play and have the novel feature of being able to invite an online player into your game.

For those who don't know much about the storyline of the games, you tend to play a survivor of normally a military/ law enforcement background. An corrupt Pharmaceutical company known as Umbrella have normally unleashed a viral outbreak in a heavily populated area. Your character has the sizeable task of surviving in that area and trying to find out the mystery of the biohazard. In this case the biohazard causes humans to mutate into flesh eating zombies. In Resident Evil V you play as Chris Redfield or Sheva who work for the BSAA; a Biohazard Counter Terrorism Unit currently working in Africa. It's compelling stuff and the setting of an African town is both exciting and controversial. As the story of Resident Evil progresses it appears a sister organization of Umbrella have been experimenting on the residents of this African town. The virus has now developed into a parasite which mutates inside the host. The host develops a kind of mutated jaw as well as becoming hyper aggressive. Unlike zombies in the previous games though, the victims are controllable, can take orders and even use weapons.

The graphics are amazing as you and your partner navigate through the African towns , mines and factories. The series has come on along way from it's pre-rendered graphics on the Playstation One. As I said before the game is more focused on action rather than the survival horror of the old titles. Another element which seems to have disappeared though is the puzzling solving. Having played the first three games, the problem solving was quite complex and definitely adult orientated. I only briefly played Resident Evil 4 as I was distracted with other video games at the time so I can't really compare the puzzles in 5. All I can say is that they're fairly easy and you won't have too much trouble beating the game on the easy and normal mode. The game feels like a Resident Evil title; it appears Capcom have kept a lot of the complications of the combat so it feels unique to the experience. While a lot of third person shooters have made it easier to manoeuvrer, Capcom seem to make you want to think about your every move. You can only use cover in gunfights and at specific points in the location. I don't think every fan will like this especially when they can move and strafe so easily in games like 'Gears of War' or 'Splinter Cell.'

Another element of the gameplay is that when the player is aiming their weapon they are a stationary target.

It's only when they relinquish their aim that they can move again and as I said the strafing from side to side is limited. Personally I didn't mind and felt it distinct to the Resident Evil experience. The enemies are pretty controversial as they are mainly African civilians who have been experimented on. The third world is often exploited and it did feel a bit unnerving mowing down countless African Zombies. Not sure if that's what developers Capcom were going for but it might be a bit too close to home for some. There's also a diverse hoard of enemies behind the infected though which range from gigantic titans, mutant ants and the classic Licker first seen in the second game. One of the original heroines from the first game returns in Chris Redfield (who seems to have hit the gym since we last saw him.)

The likeable and sexy Sheva is his partner who is part of the African leg of the BSAA. There's a good story between the two of them as they search for the terrorists in Africa and look for Chris' missing partner also from the first game; Jill Valentine.

There's a lot to like here and although the game is easy to complete, there's a harder difficulty part and a Mercenaries mode for that extra challenge. The Mercenaries mode also has different characters to unlock all with their unique characteristics. The scares are fewer but the action is very entertaining in this third person shooter. I definitely recommend it and give it 4 out of 5.

4 out of 5.