Be prepared for small spoilers. I'll try to avoid any big ones. ^_^
GRAPHICS
RE 5 looks very nice. It has a very similar style to RE 4, but obviously with the improved graphics of being on a next gen console. Everything is very detailed, from the dust puffing up under your feet to the sprays of blood from your enemies. It doesn't have much of a "wow" factor, but it definately looks like a convincingly real world.
7/10
AUDIO
Music... hmm, I can't say that the music left much of an impression on me. It seemed to range from almost nothing, particularly in the village at the start, to hurried action music whenever an enemy was around. The music is pretty standard, none of it struck me as anything special.
The sounds are fine, the best showcase for them is in the village, when you are first attacked en masse by the villagers. You can hear their shouts, the sound of the guy's voice through the megaphone, them hacking away at the wood across the windows. It all adds to the tension of the moment.
It's too bad the sound isn't put to as good use throughout the game, although there are a few points where this is replicated (such as when you first come across a Licker) but overall the sounds perform their function but leave no real impression.
5/10
STORY
I have to say, as much as I love the Resident Evil series, its storyline has always been a bit of a joke. At first it seemed like this game was going to try and improve upon it by explaining a few odds and ends that had been hanging over our heads as players since RE 1 and at first, the game did a god job of revealing small tidbits whilst still keeping you interested. For the first half it was subtle, hinting at a bigger plot behind it, hiding somewhere in the shadows.
Which, of course, only added to my sorrow when about four chapters in, all subtlety was long gone. It had suddenly gone from a mysterious faceless organisation pulling the strings as you trapse through the African marshlands, to gunfights in huge laboratories with tentacled monsters. It's not really surprising, but the storyline is still a joke.
4/10
GAMEPLAY
One thing I liked about RE 4 was the new over the shoulder camera and the way you handled weaponry, so I was quite pleased to see this had made a slightly edited return in RE 5. It was now not so over the shoulder, but apart from that the core gameplay for that element of the game was intact and working pretty well. Having to aim carefully with the laser for a head, arm, or leg shot so you could get in with a brief QTE to get them on the floor not only added a sense of panic and tension, but also works hand in hand with the now greatly reduced inventory system.
It is a little annoying to have so little room for all your guns, ammo and herbs, but it beats the system in RE 4 where you could carry enough weaponry to start a small war. It definately adds something that the older games had, and gives the game a sense of realism.
Overall, the gameplay works well. Sometimes Sheva can be a little irritating if you are playing alone and having to deal with the slightly thick AI, but she isn't all bad and performs her function as partner/decoy well enough for me not to hate her guts by the end of the game. The QTE's also work well, RE 4 and 5 both seem like games where they actually fit and seem needed, and also use them consistently throughout the game so you aren't too surprised by them popping up during boss fights and such.
8/10
SUMMARY
I liked it. It still didn't feel like a Resident Evil game, but I knew it wouldn't. Those days are gone and they are never coming back. It plundered a little hard into Action territory, but the game makes no attempts to put on airs.
For what it is, it is executed very well, and overall is an enjoyable game. Just don't go into it expecting to be remotely scared, you will be sorely disappointed.
OVERALL SCORE: 7/10
GRAPHICS
RE 5 looks very nice. It has a very similar style to RE 4, but obviously with the improved graphics of being on a next gen console. Everything is very detailed, from the dust puffing up under your feet to the sprays of blood from your enemies. It doesn't have much of a "wow" factor, but it definately looks like a convincingly real world.
7/10
AUDIO
Music... hmm, I can't say that the music left much of an impression on me. It seemed to range from almost nothing, particularly in the village at the start, to hurried action music whenever an enemy was around. The music is pretty standard, none of it struck me as anything special.
The sounds are fine, the best showcase for them is in the village, when you are first attacked en masse by the villagers. You can hear their shouts, the sound of the guy's voice through the megaphone, them hacking away at the wood across the windows. It all adds to the tension of the moment.
It's too bad the sound isn't put to as good use throughout the game, although there are a few points where this is replicated (such as when you first come across a Licker) but overall the sounds perform their function but leave no real impression.
5/10
STORY
I have to say, as much as I love the Resident Evil series, its storyline has always been a bit of a joke. At first it seemed like this game was going to try and improve upon it by explaining a few odds and ends that had been hanging over our heads as players since RE 1 and at first, the game did a god job of revealing small tidbits whilst still keeping you interested. For the first half it was subtle, hinting at a bigger plot behind it, hiding somewhere in the shadows.
Which, of course, only added to my sorrow when about four chapters in, all subtlety was long gone. It had suddenly gone from a mysterious faceless organisation pulling the strings as you trapse through the African marshlands, to gunfights in huge laboratories with tentacled monsters. It's not really surprising, but the storyline is still a joke.
4/10
GAMEPLAY
One thing I liked about RE 4 was the new over the shoulder camera and the way you handled weaponry, so I was quite pleased to see this had made a slightly edited return in RE 5. It was now not so over the shoulder, but apart from that the core gameplay for that element of the game was intact and working pretty well. Having to aim carefully with the laser for a head, arm, or leg shot so you could get in with a brief QTE to get them on the floor not only added a sense of panic and tension, but also works hand in hand with the now greatly reduced inventory system.
It is a little annoying to have so little room for all your guns, ammo and herbs, but it beats the system in RE 4 where you could carry enough weaponry to start a small war. It definately adds something that the older games had, and gives the game a sense of realism.
Overall, the gameplay works well. Sometimes Sheva can be a little irritating if you are playing alone and having to deal with the slightly thick AI, but she isn't all bad and performs her function as partner/decoy well enough for me not to hate her guts by the end of the game. The QTE's also work well, RE 4 and 5 both seem like games where they actually fit and seem needed, and also use them consistently throughout the game so you aren't too surprised by them popping up during boss fights and such.
8/10
SUMMARY
I liked it. It still didn't feel like a Resident Evil game, but I knew it wouldn't. Those days are gone and they are never coming back. It plundered a little hard into Action territory, but the game makes no attempts to put on airs.
For what it is, it is executed very well, and overall is an enjoyable game. Just don't go into it expecting to be remotely scared, you will be sorely disappointed.
OVERALL SCORE: 7/10