Metareview -- Resident Evil 5
by Xav de Matos 
{ Mar 12th 2009 at 6:30PM } 
- GameTrailers (90/100): "You'll get a lot more out of it than you do from typical games with no competitive multiplayer and while played cooperatively it really sings. It's lost a lot of what has made the franchise a pins-and-needles experience, but that sense of dread has been replaced with pure action that's hard to match."
- IGN (90/100): "The creepy suspense of the earlier games has been replaced with an action-packed intensity that will instantly appeal to some gamers and disappoint others. As an action game, RE5 is a success, and there's a wealth of replayability through item collection, weapon upgrades, score chasing and the unlockable Mercenaries mode. But this is no gentle nudge to the formula of the previous main RE games; it's an evolution."
- 1UP (B): "Ultimately, Resident Evil 5 shouldn't be looked at as a failure in the series, merely too ambitious, inconsistent and uneven. Earlier entries in the series benefited from their simplicity and focus, and while it's laudable for RE5 to try and include so much variety, perhaps a little more of the same ol' same ol' would have resulted in a slightly better game."
- G4 TV (60/100): "Resident Evil 5 is mired in poor design decisions that drag down the experience and render single-player campaign a tedious exercise in working around the game. It's frustrating to see a game that I so looked forward to playing and carried with it such potential, sabotage itself in so many ways. Compared against the ambition of games like Bioshock, Mass Effect, and Assassin's Creed; Resident Evil 5 seems timid, unwilling to move out of its comfort zone. It's a shame."
Source - Metacritic: Residen Evil 5 (PS3)
Gallery: Resident Evil 5
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
PSN: HinchyFC @ Mar 12th 2009 6:32PM
Oh god, the picture made me laugh my ass off. Good job.
ice~ @ Mar 12th 2009 6:32PM
Not buying, im sorry vote me down but it just strays too far from its roots. And the fact that CAPCOM is making online versus mode DLC that you have to pay for is utterly ridiculous. No way i will pay extra for modes that should have shipped with the game, and were already made.
Moptimus Slime (Leader of the Taylor Swift Defense Force, Gobot in disguise) @ Mar 12th 2009 6:44PM
"pay extra for modes that should have shipped with the game, and were already made."
I believe you meant "pay for modes that should never, ever exist on God's green earth"
Latin_Trident @ Mar 12th 2009 7:04PM
If anybody wins the joyswag from joystiq or xbox.joystiq, they should buy the DLC. I know I would! You would have the ultimate bragging rights, especially at Gamestop. "I bought RE5 for 400 MS points!" Heehee (deep voice)
Night Elve @ Mar 12th 2009 7:38PM
I agree with you.
RE2 was the best, RE3 & CV were great. I felt that with RE4 they were trying something different and it was ok, but now with RE5 I just feel I'm playing a GoW wanna be.
That makes me a sad panda :( .... I want a Resident Evil not an Action Game.
Dr Jeckyl and Mr ESC. @ Mar 12th 2009 9:15PM
I agree with moptimus.
Resident Evil with Co-op = Win
Resident Evil with Versus online mode..Wait what? They should have copied Left 4 Dead not Gears of war.
I guess I'll buy it yeah I don't feel like it but I'm a sucker for CE but I'll play it offline to avoid the achievement update.If I reach a 100% I don't want that to get nulified for the crappy MP download.
OTAM @ Mar 12th 2009 6:34PM
Capcom turning Resident Evil,a horror staple of the PS1,into the next Gears of War really put a bad taste in my mouth. I think 4 will be the last I play in the series.
GG Capcom.
Moptimus Slime (Leader of the Taylor Swift Defense Force, Gobot in disguise) @ Mar 12th 2009 6:45PM
A horror staple? When was the last time you've played the original PS1 game?
tmacairjordan87 @ Mar 12th 2009 6:49PM
I dunno moptimus, those controls were pretty scary.
Moptimus Slime (Leader of the Taylor Swift Defense Force, Gobot in disguise) @ Mar 12th 2009 6:56PM
To be honest, those graphics left me scarred for life
not to mention this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtTfptkUgj0&feature=related
t_m @ Mar 14th 2009 10:52AM
are we saying that RE1 didn't have amazing graphics when it launched? I remember it looking pretty stunning at the time...
and being at least a little bit spooky in places. the little i've played of RE5 is more like a middle east action wargame.
Longhorn4Life (PSN MariusElijah) @ Mar 12th 2009 6:34PM
G4 gave it a 60 after expressing all their sad love for RE4. wow definitely not buying.
äsdf @ Mar 12th 2009 10:55PM
Don't fall for the bullshit score translation. 60/100 does not equal 3/5 stars. Just like a B does not equal anything out of 100.
I know what RE5 is already. I know exactly what I'm getting into when I buy the game tomorrow.
Quattro @ Mar 12th 2009 6:34PM
Wow at G4TV.
Timstew @ Mar 12th 2009 8:23PM
G4TV uses a 5 star point system. The 3/5 is a reasonable score.
sinai @ Mar 12th 2009 6:39PM
can someone fill me in on when G4 became a legit games reviewer? but then again, i think 1ups reviews are ass too.
waiting to hear from giant bomb!
Markez @ Mar 12th 2009 7:08PM
I think 1up reviews are less reliable than the G4/xplay ones. 1up reviews seem to vary wildly dependent upon who is reviewing them. There seems to be *some* semblance of consistency in the G4 ones, plus it's one more (somewhat) valid opinion I can go off to see if I want to pick up the game or not.
I do enjoy Sesslar's Soapbox quite a bit.
Mr Khan @ Mar 12th 2009 7:14PM
Shouldn't reviews vary depending on who reviews them? I mean, the whole point of a review is focused on one's own opinion. I mean, Metacritic heavily recommends Gears of War over Sonic and the Secret Rings, but i know which one i enjoy, and which one i don't
Multiple reviewers per game (like joystiq's little roundtable earlier, or Famitsu's general method) could sort that out
Markez @ Mar 12th 2009 7:19PM
Nah, I agree by and large, Khan. BUT, I find 1up's to be horribly and utterly inconsistent. While subjectivity is great and appropriate and all, that doesn't mean there should be a complete vacuum of objectivity, which I feel is the case with 1up. There's no uniformity, no consistency, and seemingly no standards for what different staffers do on their reviews. I did initially really like the letter grading. When I was more of an avid reader of theirs I noticed that they do have multiple reviews about half the time. Half the time, in 1up's case, really doesn't cut it.
Levi (God Hand Defense Force) @ Mar 12th 2009 7:22PM
Haha, someone in the comments pointed out that Blood in the Sand scored higher on G4 than RE5.
Depending on the reviewer, 1up is my most reliable review source. James Mielke and Jeremy Parish have never led me wrong. I miss Andrew Fitch the most from the UGO merger because I found him to be the most trustworthy RPG reviewer ever!
Levi (God Hand Defense Force) @ Mar 12th 2009 7:30PM
I'm sorry, I meant JRPG reviewer, not just RPG.
BananaBoat @ Mar 12th 2009 7:37PM
Didn't the milkman get shitcanned with the recent layoffs?
Anyway, Sessler is a reputable source, but their 5 star ratings system is too blunt. They gave the game a 3 out of 5, which absolutely does not equate to a 60/100, since their review system was never designed for that. Saying a 3 out of 5 is a 60/100 may work out in terms of the math, but it isn't even nearly accurate. It would be nice if there were some standardization in terms of how games are reviewed, but since there isn't, we'll have to put up with people going nuts over a 60/100 that is really 3 stars out of 5 and nothing more. A scoring system where the conversion to metacritic can only be 20/100 (1 star), 40/100 (2 star), 60/100 (3 star), 80/100 (4 star), or 100/100 (5 star) is garbage, and horribly outdated (yes, I know it isn't their fault that Metacritic butchers their scores).
I think the general wisdom at this point of an 85/100 is a bit more in line with how I feel about the game. I'm not blown away, and I don't think I like the game as much as I liked RE4, but it isn't bad by any means (control scheme debate withheld). In a season where there aren't a lot of big releases, it is much easier to swallow the purchase.
Levi (God Hand Defense Force) @ Mar 12th 2009 8:17PM
BanannaBoat: Milky is back and better than ever. He wrote an epic 2 part blog that chronicled his history with EGM, GMR and 1up. Go and find it when you have time. It actually got me to tear up a little.
I just now finished watching Sessler's Soap Box, and I liked that a lot more than his video review. I'll read his full review later (cue the, "I'm not gonna read ahl dat," Governor Schwarzenegger pic).
JD @ Mar 12th 2009 6:46PM
Ok... some of you don't want to buy for your own personal reasons... that's ligit. But don't listen to someone's review and say "I'm not buying." There are a lot of games I've liked that recieved mediocre reviews. It's someones opinion. I'm a little disappointed that the tension in the game will be gone due to having a partner (safety net)... but it should be a fun action game in any case. I'm buying for sure. What else is coming out in the dry spring and summer months???
Longhorn4Life (PSN MariusElijah) @ Mar 12th 2009 6:47PM
sorry not all of us have $60 bucks to just throw away, that why there is reviews to tell us if its worth the money
tmacairjordan87 @ Mar 12th 2009 6:56PM
Well personally, I'm buying guitar hero metallica thanks to RE 5's horrible demo.
JD @ Mar 12th 2009 6:59PM
Oh, so it gets one mediocre review out of 4 and that's the one you're going with? Nice try at your logic! How bout your rent it, borrow it, or read up on it more and make an objective opinion yourself before you state...
"G4 gave it a 60 after expressing all their sad love for RE4. wow definitely not buying."
RE games don't generally have a history of being horrible. Only shortcomings to someone's expectations.
Rick @ Mar 12th 2009 7:02PM
It doesn't make much sense to me either that people throw their hands up and say yes/no to a game after a review. Yeah, not all of us have 60 bucks to throw around. The kicker is... demo's are FREE, and they *gasp* let you play the game for yourself without renting/buying. I know, crazy world, but yes you can now decide things for yourself.
Try the demo and if it's bad, don't buy. Simple stuff.
Longhorn4Life (PSN MariusElijah) @ Mar 12th 2009 7:04PM
i tried the demo, and for once i agree with Sessler, he hits all the right points
Moptimus Slime (Leader of the Taylor Swift Defense Force, Gobot in disguise) @ Mar 12th 2009 7:11PM
god you all are soo biased why do you hate the PS3? Im sure if RE5 was a 360 exclusive you'd all be buying 20 copies of it. Thats the only logical explanation I can come up with because nobody would ever have an opinion that's different than mine. And if they did, they certainly wouldn't be so vocal about it.
Levi (God Hand Defense Force) @ Mar 12th 2009 7:12PM
If people don't want to buy it, they shouldn't buy it. It's not like there will never be another RE game if copies of RE5 don't sell into the millions. Maybe Capcom will try figure out why RE5 didn't work and fix the series for the better. If you love it, great! I love many games that people don't give a shit about, and I'm no less happier.
Markez @ Mar 12th 2009 7:13PM
Dude, JD, we're not selecting a presidential cabinet here, it's just a friggin videogame, jesus. We don't have to put every videogame through a thorough vetting process.
Reviews are enough for people to read and then figure out on their own whether they want to buy it or not.
"Reading up on it" = reviews
Markez @ Mar 12th 2009 7:14PM
We'z gonna minus you back to the days of RE2 sucka, VOTE DOWN MOAR PLZ
Roto13 @ Mar 12th 2009 7:18PM
"Try the demo and if it's bad, don't buy. Simple stuff."
It IS bad, but sometimes good games have bad demos so reviews still have their place.
Joe @ Mar 12th 2009 8:01PM
Guitar Hero Metallica!
Foetoid @ Mar 12th 2009 9:12PM
"What else is coming out in the dry spring and summer months???"
2009 GOTY?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXoN6kCC7ps&fmt=18
Moptimus Slime (Leader of the Taylor Swift Defense Force, Gobot in disguise) @ Mar 12th 2009 6:47PM
IGN (90/100)
GameTrailers (90/100)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/th3n00b/family-guy-i-disagree-1.jpg
merobb @ Mar 12th 2009 6:52PM
Wow, Adam Sessler ripped RE5 a new one.
Ernest Alba @ Mar 15th 2009 4:05AM
Heh, I know. I was watching that and laughing. So owned.
davidchege @ Mar 12th 2009 6:56PM
i was rent games i want to play first, then if i like them i buy it, i already like the demo and my friend and i are having fun, it's all about having fun anyway, right? the game is a lot of fun to play.....
Nook @ Mar 12th 2009 9:16PM
very true, however I know I have a different kind of fun playing something like a Zelda series type game than a Resident Evil game. It seems this is the problem, your 'goto' IP for thrills and chills gets all action-y on you....what about your fix!?!?
At least we can revisit the older titles, where it was different. Crimson Heads, dear god....
davidchege @ Mar 13th 2009 12:05AM
Even duck hunt. lol. but oh well, everybody is entitled to there own opinion, and 9 times out of 10 i go with mine....lol....by the way, my U.N. is bigboi1904 on the ps3....
ungu @ Mar 12th 2009 7:01PM
I wouldn't trust a review from anyone that thought Assassins Creed was any good. The guys that gave that game a good review did so hoping Jade Raymond would come and thank them presonally.
Afa @ Mar 12th 2009 7:06PM
did G4_TV say that "Assassin's Creed" is better than "Resident Evil 5"
щ(ﾟДﾟщ)
Mr Khan @ Mar 12th 2009 7:16PM
cyrillic ASCII?
Delicious.
Shady3011 @ Mar 12th 2009 7:32PM
The examples it used are actually not all that great. Mass Effect's combat was pretty lackluster. Bioshock didn't do much different than what System Shock 2 did before it. Assassin's Creed fell short of what it was built up to be. In the end, however, I loved all those games even with their faults.
I understand some use game reviews as metrics to make the game buying decisions. My suggestion is to play what you like. If you like the RE franchise, chances are you'll probably pick up this game.
ryuk @ Mar 12th 2009 7:51PM
why don't you try reading the entire review before saying anything, they said RE5 didn't try anything ambitious like those games, despite those games flaws they were still trying something new
Quattro @ Mar 12th 2009 9:23PM
I don't remember feeling anything new or ambitious when I played through those games Ryuk.
Dagobert @ Mar 12th 2009 9:37PM
And when they try to do something new, people will bitch about how it's not RE anymore and it's a whole different game. If they try to stick to it, you'll still have people bitching. So G4TV should just shut the hell up, I saw that channel for a month and it was like willingly getting aids.
In A World (XBL) @ Mar 12th 2009 10:58PM
@Quattro, regarding innovation and ambition:
Assassin's Creed: Fluid free-running platforming mechanic, unprecidented level of character animation
Mass Effect: Incredibly deep dialog system, great storytelling and voice acting
Bioshock: Bizarre art deco underwater city = unique setting
Resident Evil 5: Ummm.... co-op? Pffft...