Joystiq E3 hands-on: Resident Evil 5

by Justin McElroy { Jul 17th 2008 at 2:00PM }

Before I get into talking about my brief hands-on with Resident Evil 5, I want to make something perfectly clear: I'm fairly sure you're going to love it. It's gorgeous, it's fun and it looks like it's going to be horrifyingly intense. So why am I about to tell you I'm a little disappointed? Well, as good as it is, it's also Resident Evil 4.

To clarify, where it's not RE4 is in terms of graphics. E3 isn't the best place to judge this stuff because the setting is always so ideal, but the game looks astoundingly realistic. As hordes of not-zombies lurched towards the window of the hut I began in, I was almost a little disturbed at having to blast things that looked so ... human. From the standpoint of graphics, I don't have any complaints about RE5.

Gallery: Resident Evil 5 (06-02-2008)

They're complemented by some really nice camera tricks too, which is something I can't believe I'm writing about in a Resident Evil game. For example, when you destroy a barrel, the camera does a quick pan up to show the full scale of the explosion. It's hard to understand without seeing it in practice, but I imagine you'll see plenty of games trying to ape it in the coming years.

However, as good as it looked, I still couldn't get RE4 out of my head. Remember the first time you played it? How fresh it felt? How every facet had been retooled, re-imagined to really serve the experience? I think that is what I was hoping for from RE5's gameplay. But this is iterative, an evolutionary step forward, nothing like the leap I was hoping for.

Your partner is one of the few tweaks that really adds something new. When they're under attack a light begins flashing in the lower left corner of the UI, and knowing that they need you and you're swamped in a thicket of not-zombies adds an even greater sense of urgency to a game that was already pretty intense.

Though it wasn't available, I imagine the previously announced co-op play could be able to parlay that intensity of having to watch two backs into something that really will feel revolutionary. But it hasn't happened yet. Along those future-looking lines, I should note that this is a small section of the game we're talking about, and there could be plenty of surprises, but I have to judge what I'm given.

I have no problem dinging a game if it doesn't meet my expectations for quality, but this is something different. This is complaining about a game not changing the very landscape of the genre, something I'm not even sure is fair. But as I put down the controller, guts freshly ripped out by a zombie, it was the thought I couldn't get out of my head.

Tags: capcom, e3-2008, resident-evil-5

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Jhongerkong @ Jul 17th 2008 2:01PM

Im stoked just for the fact that this might have the merchant in HD.

sicsided @ Jul 17th 2008 2:09PM

whadya buyin?

Shaq-Fu @ Jul 17th 2008 2:22PM

Didn't Justin ask Takeuchi? It was on one of the podcasts and he said the merchant wasn't going to be in it/

Chris @ Jul 17th 2008 8:50PM

Whaddaya sellin?

Zachary Hinchliffe @ Jul 17th 2008 7:02PM

Come back any time... Heh heh heh.

Desert Eagle @ Jul 17th 2008 7:21PM

Aaaaahhhh... I'll buy it at a high price!

Co @ Jul 17th 2008 8:03PM

"Well, as good as it is, it's also Resident Evil 4."

Well duh... the main guy(s) behind the awesomeness that is RE4 are making Mad World as we speak. Why would a bunch of underlings not follow the script to the 'T' without the tutelage of the creators!

This game is still gonna kick ass on PS3. (Not to be confused with what will be the outright suckiness of the 360 version)

ThePerfectCompanion @ Jul 17th 2008 2:03PM

I think you're complaining about a good thing...

Frankly I'm ecstatic that it plays like RE4 only BETTER with better graphics...

Can't wait.

Paul (PSN: heypaul) @ Jul 17th 2008 3:00PM

Not a bad thing as long as they fix the fact that you couldn't shoot while moving. So Justin, can you now?

Foetoid @ Jul 17th 2008 5:23PM

And what, turn it into ANOTHER 3rd Person dual-analog shooter like GOW? The controls, especially the Wii controls, were perfect in every single aspect. It's not meant to be a fast-paced shooting game, and changing the controls would genericalise the whole game (ima copyright that word). Leave RE with the controls that it has. They are unique to RE and work very well for the RE style of game.

Gun Barrier (Gamer Tag) @ Jul 17th 2008 8:06PM

I agree with paul. I hated re4 on the wii simply because of the control mechanics. I can't stand and shoot, i just don't like it. I have to get used to it.

mmxzero @ Jul 18th 2008 10:14AM

I know it's going to be great and I love the way re4 plays, I cant help but think that Mikami or even myself(from my extensive time with re4) would have been a little more ambitious as producer(ex: knifing). There are still 9 months before it comes out and a lot I havent seen yet.

If you add movement to shooting I think it should only be walking while you have your weapon drawn. But even that would require a dual analog set up on the 360/ps3. With (awesome) Wii controls, walking would work fine since the analog stick is only used to rotate the screen in re4:WE, hence why the Wii should get its own resident evil game, or any 3rd person game (please Mikami?!)

kaneda @ Jul 18th 2008 12:15PM

I know that game mechanics are rarely about realism, but, in real life, trying to hit even a human sized moving target from more than 10 yards away while you are also moving is exceedingly difficult. I think the fact that you have to stand still to aim not only makes sense in terms of increasing the odds that a person would be able to hit a target (esp a headshot), but it also adds to the survival horror element of the game in that you have to choose between getting away and trying to kill your pursuers.

The_Punisher @ Jul 17th 2008 2:04PM

As annoying as it is, it's what i expected.

I'm also buying it anyway :)

Imaginationland Warrior @ Jul 17th 2008 3:23PM

(in a low, scratchy voice)

He he he he, thank you.

The_Punisher @ Jul 17th 2008 3:54PM

:)

I loved that guy. I also knfied him every time i finished buying cuz i liked watching him die....is that bad.....

KilgoreTrout XL @ Jul 17th 2008 5:35PM

You could knife him? I did not know that...

Duke @ Jul 17th 2008 2:07PM

Justin, its just not fair to expect each game to reinvent the genre somehow. RE4 was a great game, and there is nothing wrong with holding onto its feel, especially when you consider the earlier games' shortcomings.

Talryyn @ Jul 17th 2008 2:10PM

Just curious, what platform did you get to test? Ps3 or 360?

The game does look great.

Squirtforce @ Jul 17th 2008 2:11PM

I just hope they fix the controls to be a more FPS style.

eldee @ Jul 17th 2008 2:46PM

-1 for general douchebaggery. RE4 is not an FPS. There actually WAS a resident evil FPS, and it blew sack.

Vidikron (FU) @ Jul 17th 2008 3:13PM

@eldee

What's wrong with wanting the controls to be more like an FPS? You find something wrong with being able to move and shoot at the same time?

Squirtforce @ Jul 17th 2008 3:24PM

Yeah, I guess I'm a douchebag since I like my controls to be a bit more intuitive and play like a normal game instead of COMBAT on the fucking Atari.

Dr. Stabbingworth @ Jul 17th 2008 3:25PM

The whole push forward to move is really annoying. I don't understand why they don't make it so the character moves in the direction that is pushed. I like RE, but it's a terrible gameplay choice that's seriously hampered this entire series.

Microswirl (MKWii:1676- 4270-3674) @ Jul 17th 2008 4:23PM

I hope it controls exactly like Gears of War.
The 4 face buttons and d-pad can be completely different, but as long as LT aims and RT fires then I'll be a happy camper.

Bobby Ensminger @ Jul 17th 2008 2:11PM

I think I can understand what is he saying. RE4 was so revolutionary with it's "over the shoulder" view and controls (Hell, MGS4 and Gears of War both copied it's control scheme for shooting) that, I suppose he was hoping for the same thing with RE5. But to me, it's not stale by any means, and I'm expecting RE5 to be an evolution of RE4 not a revolution. But that's what the hype machine does; kills expectations. It happened to Halo 3 and hopefully to Gears of War 2.

DangerMouse @ Jul 17th 2008 2:34PM

I agree with the revolutionary view, but other games have refined it. I thought Gears of War was the game that got it right, giving the player complete control over the character. RE4's controls are so stiff, that trying to maneuver out of a difficult situation was tough. I find the game to be quite frustrating to be honest, and one of the reasons why i don't care for the game so much.

I also noticed that RE5's animations of when the zombies get shot are the same, like when they do twirls and such. I think it would look better if they were rag dolls (not over the top, but some with decent collision detection when they hit other zombies), or had a better physics system applied to them. Other than those, i think it's looking more interesting than RE4.

As long as the game doesn't blow as much ass as RE code veronica did, it should be fine.

natels @ Jul 17th 2008 2:36PM

Why would you hope for a game not to live up to the hype? Fanboyism 101..? If you thought about it for one second and stopped hating something you don't own, you would realize that if the games do live up to expectations, those expectations are now a precedent on future games.

eldee @ Jul 17th 2008 2:45PM

actually, splinter cell was doing the over-the-shoulder thing 3 years before RE4 came out. That was the first place I saw it, although I'm sure there were games that came before it that also did it.

Bobby Ensminger @ Jul 17th 2008 4:30PM

Actually, I meant to say "hopefully not" to Gears of War 2. I love GoW and I hope the hype DOESN'T kill its expectations. Ah, proof-reading, proof-reading...sigh...

Uh_urmom @ Jul 17th 2008 2:12PM

um... of course its not RE4. who wrote this. why would they even bring up RE4. just play RE5 and tell me about it, not that hard.

Mr Khan @ Jul 17th 2008 2:13PM

Am i the only one who's a little irked by the fact that everyone expects a re-invention of the wheel everytime a new game comes out

On the plus side, it being built on a severely amped version of the RE4 engine increases the likelihood of a Wii Port

They ARE bringing Dead Rising to Wii, after all

Abscissa @ Jul 17th 2008 3:00PM

God, I hope you're right about that. I *loved* "Resident Wiivil 4", and the HD graphics of a 360/PS3 Resident Evil would not even remotely make up for having to go back to dual-analog controls (or "single-analog" as it were).

BTW, Am I the only one who thinks that RE4 and RE5 make the whole "Resident Evil" name vastly less appropriate than the real name of "BioHazard"?

007craft @ Jul 17th 2008 2:16PM

Am I the only one who didnt like Re4 over the shoulder camer system vs static images you scroll through like with code veronica and such?

Mr Khan @ Jul 17th 2008 2:20PM

Both have their advantages, the latter makes the game more action-y, while the former, more adventure-y

Lactose The Intolerant @ Jul 17th 2008 2:16PM

Saying that this game is RE4 is the equivalent of saying that Gears of war 2 is Gears of war 1, or that every Final Fantasy game is it's predecessor.

It's a game in a series, of course there is going to be some nostalgia and it's going to seem like it's predecessor. It's the characters, plot, environment, AI and other minor gameplay changes that STILL make it a different game. Stating simply that it's the same just with new graphics and minor changes really doesn't do much for your credibility considering you've only played it at a kiosk.

Nigeria: SSBB: 0731-6347-2110 @ Jul 17th 2008 2:20PM

I hope this game is a little shorter than RE4, or at least a little more interesting when reaching the climax. I remember forcing myself through the final third of the game.

Anyway, I'll probably wait, and hope, for a Wii version. After using the Wiimote for so long it's quite a slog going back to a traditional controller. Not all genres, though. Just the gun games.

natels @ Jul 17th 2008 2:38PM

My ex said the same thing about reaching the climax.. Weird.

Abscissa @ Jul 17th 2008 3:06PM

I found Splinter Cell to be a surprisingly huge exception to the "going back to a traditional controller for shooters sucks" rule. But for the most part, yea, I'm totally with you on that. Like I said in another post, I'm not a graphics whore, so for me, the HD graphics just cannot possibly make up for the step backwards in controls.

ronald.raygun @ Jul 17th 2008 2:24PM

weird that he didnt mention turbonegro doing the soundtrack.

Dirty @ Jul 17th 2008 4:07PM

is that bible man in your icon!? You gotta get him a mario cap.

xFenixKnightx @ Jul 17th 2008 2:24PM

? o_O

RE4 was amazing so I have no problem with it 'feeling' the same. Now with even better graphics, different location, co-op, achievements and that sexy beefed up hunk of a man Leon. Oh, uhh oops...sorry, I dont know where that came from.

:P

DO WANT!

baby sea tuna @ Jul 17th 2008 3:40PM

I have faith in this game, at the very least, to moderately improve on its predecessor. I'm okay with that, and the graphical enhancement, for now.

Incidentally, I finally gave enough of a shit to look up my PSN ID yesterday. It's baby_sea_tuna, if you, or anyone, wants to be my friend.

xFenixKnightx @ Jul 17th 2008 4:03PM

"I finally gave enough of a shit to look up my PSN ID yesterday"

Lol, cool. With the way KZ2 is looking and the way MP sounds I think my 360 might collect some dust. Nah who am I kidding, I'm sure I'll still be knee deep in Gears2 MP. I'll just have to ration time.

Shaq-Fu @ Jul 17th 2008 2:24PM

Did Capcom mention a Wii version? No? Ok, if you need me, I'll be crying in the corner, griping my copies of RE4 and Umbrella Chronicle for dear life

deaftly @ Jul 17th 2008 2:30PM

Not gonna happen, sorry.

Mr Khan @ Jul 17th 2008 2:40PM

Never say never

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/16/rumor-dead-rising-coming-to-wii/

Shaq-Fu @ Jul 17th 2008 2:49PM

It would make sense. They have the RE4 engine. They know it will sell in both Japan and America. Why not?

Wise Guy @ Jul 17th 2008 2:25PM

OMG? Does this Justin guy like anything. This is the 3rd preview I've read that he's written. Here it goes...

1. Fable 2 - Disappointing
2. Banjo 3 - Disappointing
3. RE3 - Not up to expectations

May I ask what kind of game would meet the ridiculously high bar and expectations you have?? These games look fantastic... not everyone is looking for the wheel to be reinvented. I for one am excited about this one and though RE4 was one of the most intense... fun... survival games I have ever encountered.