So I've been hearing a lot of concerns and complaints about Resident Evil 5 lately. I swear, a few days after the demo was out, the RE5 Gamefaqs board was an effing warzone. There were gamers new to the series, complaining about the controls, RE fans defending the controls and attempting to define the genre, and other RE fans criticizing other RE fans for there ignorance. It was a mess.
Being a dedicated Resident Evil fan, I feel like I should address the situation. People seem to be under the impression that the controls are too archaic and that RE developers should get with the times and fall in line with every other third person shooter. In my opinion, switching to typical third person controls for the next RE game would be upsetting. The control restrictions are not an unwillingness to change on the developer's part, but a well-thought out, necessary aspect of the game. I was hesitant at first when the series moved from being a survival horror game to an action/survival horror game. But it was done well and didn't stray to far from it's roots. A switch to typical third person shooter controls would make the game less unique, and honestly, discourage me from buying. It would be just like all those other games. For ALL of the people new to the series who are complaining about the controls, there is an equal amount of dedicated RE fans rejoicing over the fact that Capcom didn't sellout for the sole purpose of appealing to a wider array of gamers.
Have you all played the demo? What do you guys think?
Matt (MWG)
I love RE4. I played it on the Wii and I think it works great with the Wiimote. Going back to a Joypad control felt .. sluggish and fiddly at the same time.
ReplyDeleteBUT the demo is all about arbitrary combat. The context is just as important in a RE game. So I'll wait untill it comes out.
I am not sure
ReplyDeleteI've played every major Resident Evil game since the series came out in the 90s on PSX. I loved especially Resident Evil 2 and the Remake of RE1 on Gamecube. When Resident Evil 4 came out I was blown away by it's awesomeness - there has never been anything like it before. It set the start point for a new generation of action games - yeah, action games.
ReplyDeleteCliffy B was quoted that one of Gear of War's biggest influences was Resident Evil 4 - he wouldn't have been able to denie that anyway. Gears took the Gameplay that made RE4 so good and evolved it. Many games tried to copy this and failed in some point. Then came Dead Space and showed which great gameplay a modern horror game can have. Gameplay wise Dead Space is Gears inspired, but because of it's heavy atmosphere many claimed that this game is the new Resident Evil.
And now comes Resident Evil 5 and after playing the demo I am disappointed. It feels like a step back. There is no excuse for not being able to move while shooting. Why is there such a giant HUD behind which the game is hiding. Capcom should've taken the clever design of Dead Space. Why are you forced to do a quick time event for punching the infected? Today it feels limited. I am sure it will be a good game, but I am sure most gamers (will) think that it could've been a better experience by changing just a few minor issues.
I will buy it anyway for my collection, but right now I am thinking about getting it some time later and not day one.
I may be a little jaded, and it's possible that I would blindly follow the RE series wherever it goes, but I feel like the style of play in Resident Evil games never needed to progress in the first place, I guess that's why I'm not disappointed in the controls at all.
ReplyDeleteYou do make a very good point though, Hans. Capcom made the decision to drastically change the series with 4, and maybe they need to push it as far as it can go and not just make RE4-esque sequels.
Matt (MWG)
I played the demo for the first time today. I haven't ever played an RE game before, so maybe your interested in my perspective.
ReplyDeleteI thought that the aiming system was terrible, I mean, I felt constricted by and like the game was almost trying to get in the way of me killing dudes.
Another problem was the weapon switching which seemed to be a little too difficult to do when you quickly want to change to the pistol.
On the good side, the shotgun was awesome, and the graphics were fantastic.
Definitely understandable, Matt. The controls are for sure going to be awkward for a new player.
ReplyDeleteIn regards the problems you had with the inventory, I don't know if you played it for 360, but mapping your inventory to the D-pad makes item changes alot easier. I think the default is up on the D-pad to select the pistol, and then left on the D-pad to select your secondary. But you can arrange items however you want, up to four slots. I usually have my pistol set to Up, secondary weapon to left, grenades to right, and herbs to down.
Matt (MWG)