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[54-46!]

RE purists go on about how it's a survival horror game and therefor the poor controls can be justified, then we read this..

The last quarter of the game

Spoiler

has you facing mostly Majini armed with guns, including AK74s. The contextual cover system is heavily prevalent in this section.

..and I giggle a bit. It's clearly not that type of game, RE4 wasn't either.

 

[Christopher]

Haha, I'm way beyond that. I'd say I've put in over 100 hours into it. And that's just being modest. It's insane considering the length of each stage.

um how?

 

[MiamiWesker]

RE purists go on about how it's a survival horror game and therefor the poor controls can be justified, then we read this..

..and I giggle a bit. It's clearly not that type of game, RE4 wasn't either.

Well I dont care about it being horror, my argument was that the game was designed around that control scheme so that scheme is needed to have the game work as it should. But this new info does hurt the argument as the game is not just like RE4, which is going to hurt it in my opinion.

 

[USD]

um how?

Other than completing God of War II, almost finishing P.N.03, several hours of RE4, and a few matches of Gears of War 2 and Call of Duty 4, it's been the only game I've been playing for the past month.

 

[Wark]

I don't understand how there can such a huge difference in people's playtimes.

I'm wondering if alternate paths throughout the course of game has anything to do with the difference between people's playtimes. Anybody know if there are alternate routes to take in this game?

 

[Sectus]

I'm wondering if alternate paths throughout the course of game has anything to do with the difference between people's playtimes. Anybody know if there are alternate routes to take in this game?

In chapter 2-3, there's a secret route to the left just as you exit the caves. That route leads you to a small research facility with Wesker. Kill him and the game is over.

That's actually a complete lie, but would be pretty neat if true.

 

[MiamiWesker]

In chapter 2-3, there's a secret route to the left just as you exit the caves. That route leads you to a small research facility with Wesker. Kill him and the game is over.

That's actually a complete lie, but would be pretty neat if true.

:lol For a few words I was like "DAMN why are you posting a spoiler!"

 

[Varth]

OMG I love you Varth. On the difficulty question, what do you think about normal for someone who will play alone the first time, is it equal to RE4 normal?

Uhm. I think that the fact alone that you played trough RE4 is enough to make RE5 "normal" a bit easier. I really found it enjoyable, however. Will do a second playtrough with some friend on harder level when the game come out.

Do you think "normal" mode for RE5 would be a fairly easy experience for a co-op pair that's experienced with RE4 to start out with?

Yup, absolutely. As I said: if you start in coop, go for hard.

 

[Amir0x]

20 hours there, 10 hours here... I don't care. I know one thing only: because this game is co-op, I personally will play it much MUCH more than I ever played through RE4 since I have multiple friends I'm going to tackle the game with. Co-op makes games live on immortal. PLUS

Spoiler

Co-Op Mercenaries?

FUCK yeah! So so fucking pumped, go RE5!

Besides the old adage is true: it's not how long the game is, but what you pack into the time you have. Was always true for God of War titles, is true for Resident Evil 5 too. True for any game.

 

[RavenFox]

At this point I'm just looking for excuses to cancel my preorder on this game.

I already did.

 

[MiamiWesker]

Uhm. I think that the fact alone that you played trough RE4 is enough to make RE5 "normal" a bit easier. I really found it enjoyable, however. Will do a second playtrough with some friend on harder level when the game come out.



Yup, absolutely. As I said: if you start in coop, go for hard.

Thanks for the info.

 

[adamsapple]

has this been confirmed that the 360 version is region free ?

 

[burgerdog]

USD is not lying, every time I turn on my 360 he's playing the RE5 demo. :lol

 

[Deleted member 30609]

Thanks for all the info Varth.

 

[Davey Cakes]

USD is not lying, every time I turn on my 360 he's playing the RE5 demo. :lol

It's pretty ridiculous how much value some are getting out of it.

I played the demo three times and was fully satisfied.

 

[Volcynika]

It's pretty ridiculous how much value some are getting out of it.

I played the demo three times and was fully satisfied.

I've just played it a few times, and played with different friends, but I'm taking a break from it until the full game comes out.

 

[Oldschoolgamer]

I dunno why the time thing is such a big issue. I'm one of the ones that took damn near 20 hours to play RE4(and I hardly died). RE4 can be beaten in anywhere between TWO hours up to whatever. Some people rush through games, some don't.

 

[Zenith]

RE4 was survival horror.

:lol :lol :lol

roflmao. Even Capcom has the good grace to call it survival action.

 

[Future PhaZe]

To be honest if RE4 is survival action then RE5 is ACTION :lol.

Honestly I'm not sure what it is but RE4 at least had me nervous with its darker atmosphere and music at times but RE5 does not give me even a slight chill. Hopefully that changes later in the game :\

 

[Diablohead]

It's pretty ridiculous how much value some are getting out of it.

I played the demo three times and was fully satisfied.

RE2 demo probably lasted me a solid 2-3 months when it was first out, granted I was 13 or 14 so my parents only treated me to games a few times a year, but that demo gave so much fun despite being timed!

There has even been a few games which I played the demo tons more then the final game, i'm rather odd.

 

[°°ToMmY°°]

i hope re5 is quite long. true 12 hours would be a good lenght for me, not like the "15 hours shit" capcom said for dmc4 and, in the end, it was 3/4 hours and then backtracking to reach 8/9 hours playtime. That was a really cheap move by capcom.

 

[Davey Cakes]

To be honest if RE4 is survival action then RE5 is ACTION :lol.

Honestly I'm not sure what it is but RE4 at least had me nervous with its darker atmosphere and music at times but RE5 does not give me even a slight chill. Hopefully that changes later in the game :\

Yeah, people keep going on how RE5 is just like RE4, and how RE4 was an action/horror game (or survival/action, whichever you prefer), and while I'd agree with that, I'd also say it had some great tense atmosphere. From what I've seen of RE5, I have yet to be convinced that's it not just RE4 but with even more of a focus on action and less so on anything resembling the RE of olde (in terms of atmosphere).

Just take something like Assignment Ada in RE4. It was a short experience, but it pretty much emulated the feel of the first part of the game for the actual location of the last part of the game. That is, you're started out with some guns and ammo, but none of your stuff is upgraded (or even upgradeable), and you have to actually try not to get hurt, since you don't just have a reserve of health items to rely on (you actually have to build up that reserve, just like in the beginning of the game). Not only that, but grenades are sparse. That scenario was probably the closest that RE4 came to being survival/horror, and even then there were too many enemies to make it that way.

What I want to know is, does RE5 ever do something like that? In fact, does it even do anything like that very short part in RE4 where you play as Ashley with a flashlight? I'd certainly appreciate anything of the sort.

 

[Cipherr]

That 8/10 score seems accurate. The reasoning is messed up but it looks like a solid 8.

It doesn't seem to read like an 8. Odd but it doesn't.

 

[Deleted member 30609]

I think that the fact that you only ever have 9 inventory slots for your weapons, ammo (which only holds so much per slot) and healing items means that you'll never quite be the walking tank you were in RE4, which will probably lend itself to feeling of "survival" if you're playing on a harder difficulty.

 

[Wark]

RE4 was survival horror.

I always interpreted survival horror as something of a hodgepodge of the horror genre (monsters) mixed with adventure game elements (puzzles) and sometimes added in another factor to the equation – action. Moreover, by omitting the horror and action pieces from the game, the game would play just like a point-and-click adventure game.

The Clock Tower series is a great example of a survival horror game without the action aspect being part of the game mechanics. The game's main characters did not rely on guns, ammo preservation, or health restoration, but was – at least to my knowledge – still considered a survival horror game because you are constantly being chased by the Scissorman (horror) while trying to use your surroundings (puzzles) to hide or escape from him.

The original few Resident Evil games in the series is an example of adding the action variable to the survival horror equation. The main characters are given a weapon to fend off zombies while making sure they have plenty of ammo in their stock; that their health doesn't diminish, and by solving puzzles that help them advance through the story.

Whether the player thinks Resident Evil 4 (or any survival horror game) is scary is purely subjective because one person could find a monster scary while the person sitting next to him may not even give it a second thought of being scary. Going back to what I said about a survival horror game playing like a souped up point-and-click game is what separates RE4 from being a survival horror game – while the player does have to survive (survival) from large crowds of monster/enemies (horror) – the game is so light on the puzzles that it could not be supported by them as a stand alone game; hence the reasoning people created the sub-genre of “survival action” – or at least that is what I think.

 

[KeeSomething]

I don't know. Does a game need to have a strong focus on puzzles to be considered "surival-horror"? Just look at the name of the genre: "survival-horror." It's not "Surival-puzzle-solver-horror."

I've been playing RE4 on professional, and I have to say that there are plenty of surival and horror aspects. Just because the aiming is much better in RE4, and there is a lack of puzzles, doesn't mean scwat. You surive from hordes of enemies, much more than any other RE game before it. You need to know the level's layout in order to find the best spots to hide so you can reload, lead enemies down narrow paths so it will be easier to blow them away with your shotgun, and you can use the environmental hazards (like explosive barrels, or even doors when you kick them in while a Ganado is on the other side) to help you out. Enemies aren't stupid either. Unlike the classic RE games, you're not safe once you make it to the next door; enemies will follow. In fact, running through that door may end up a bad idea if more enemies are in that room because now you'll be surrounded.

Also, keep in mind that RE4 still does not throw as much ammo at you as you think; it's still very important to conserve your ammo, and use your knife as often as possible. Yes, you do get a lot more ammo in RE4 than previous RE games, but look at how many more monsters you have to fight! In each new area, you are basically fighting a small army. Just the village in RE4 has you fighting more ganados than all the zombies in RE2 combined, and all at once too! RE4 requires the player to need more ammo, which allows for a wider array of weapons as well.

Resident Evil 4 does is a survival game, moreso than any other RE game in my opinion. Then I hear people saying that Resident Evil 4 isn't a horror game. Seriously? But Resident Evil 0-CV are?

Everyone probably has different opinions on what's scary and what isn't, but I fail to see how any of the other Resident Evil games are scary. When I was 12, yes, they were terrorfying, but not anymore. The only classic RE game that still creeps me out is REmake. I'm not gonna lie, that mansion is very spooky; Lisa Trevor still makes me uneasy, and the Crimson Heads get my blood pumping fast. With that said, I think Resident Evil has more than enough horror elements to make it a horror game. The atmosphere isn't always spooky, and maybe it doesn't make it to the level of REmake, but it succeeds in another type of horror. See, when I was getting chased by a Crimson Head or the sharks in REmake, that was intense. I would yet "Oh shit! Oh shit! Run! Run! RUN!" It's intense. It get's you up on the edge of your seat. THAT'S the type of horror RE4 nails. Getting chased by Dr. Salvadors, getting trapped in a cage with Garrodors, having to run from Salazar's "right hand," having an Iron Maiden spot you, and pretty much any time you hear the creepy laugh of a monk directly behind you, you think "Oh shit!"

Now, let's be fair. RE4 does have an uneasy atmosphere throughout most of the game. You always feel alone (with a few exceptions; being with Ashley doesn't count since she is completely useless), and you rarely feel safe. When you come back to the village after rescuing Ashley, exploring any room in the castle, going deep into the mines, getting lost in a garden maze full of infected dogs, and being on a island, alone with a army of mind-controlled freaks, there is just something in the air that makes you feel like you're gonna die a horrific death. RE4 doesn't have the atmosphere of an action game; you know you're playing a horror game.

Resident Evil 4 is survival-horror. There's no question about it. The real question is: Is Resident Evil 5 going to be surival-horror? That's one I'm not very sure about. Based on the demo, and all the videos I've seen on the net, there is nothing that indicates this game will be "horror." It seems to be intense like RE4 at times, but it's hard to be worried when it's bright outside, and you have a partner that has your back. We'll see, but I'm not too confident, but I am excited.

 

[brandonh83]

Yeah, it's a horror game. Jesus Christ.

 

[Y2Kev]

I know, his arms are unnaturally scary.

 

[brandonh83]

:lol

I just think it's silly to debate whether or not RE5 is a horror game. No shit it is. Whether it's effective to you individually doesn't matter.

 

[Pojo]

It's not "horror" in a traditional sense. It's more like the movie equivalent of a slasher flick. Grotesque monsters does not equal horror. Is Left 4 Dead a horror game? It's debatable.

If anything, the only things that have to worry about surviving in RE5 are the legions of enemies that you're going to be mowing down with your arsenal of high-powered weapons.

 

[SapientWolf]

I don't know. Does a game need to have a strong focus on puzzles to be considered "surival-horror"? Just look at the name of the genre: "survival-horror." It's not "Surival-puzzle-solver-horror."

This also begs the question "Did people play the earlier Resident Evil games for the plodding, mechanical gameplay or in spite of it?" Because in my case it was the latter.

 

[brandonh83]

Lucio Fulci's film "Zombi" is set in a very similar setting as RE5. It's a pretty good horror film. Most of the film is shot in the daytime and when I first saw RE5 I immediately thought the team was taking direct inspiration from that film.

RE5 is horror. If you don't think it's scary, that matters not. That's the genre. What is horror to you? Is it the setting? The enemies? The music? Overall atmosphere? It's true, the daytime African setting may not seem like an ideal setting for a horror game. But it's clearly not the only location in RE5. We know of caves, industrial locations, a possible mansion, etc.

The game definitely isn't like past installments where the entire game takes place exclusively in nighttime settings. But just because we're not in a police station or mansion overrun with zombies doesn't make it any less horror. It's more action driven, yeah. But it's still, unquestionably, horror. I'll be honest, I felt that RE4 was less of a straight up horror game than its predecessors, but it still had its moments (the farm and village locations at night, the Regenerators, etc.).

We'll see how RE5 goes, but I haven't seen anything that doesn't make it horror in my eyes.

It's not "horror" in a traditional sense. It's more like the movie equivalent of a slasher flick. Grotesque monsters does not equal horror. Is Left 4 Dead a horror game? It's debatable.

Left 4 Dead is a horror game. Or at least, a game in which almost nearly every single aspect of the game is horror. You choose. Zombies, creepy settings, hell the thing has witches and crap like that. It's about a bunch of people trying to survive a classic horror situation. What does that make it? Horror. It falls under the horror genre. If Left 4 Dead isn't horror, what is it?

Horror, to me, is something with monsters, or creepy atmosphere, is something even mentally disturbing like the movie "Eraserhead" by David Lynch. I have NO IDEA what was going on in that movie, but I'd classify it as horror.

 

[Yagharek]

I don't know. Does a game need to have a strong focus on puzzles to be considered "surival-horror"? Just look at the name of the genre: "survival-horror." It's not "Surival-puzzle-solver-horror."

I've been playing RE4 on professional, and I have to say that there are plenty of surival and horror aspects. Just because the aiming is much better in RE4, and there is a lack of puzzles, doesn't mean scwat. You surive from hordes of enemies, much more than any other RE game before it. You need to know the level's layout in order to find the best spots to hide so you can reload, lead enemies down narrow paths so it will be easier to blow them away with your shotgun, and you can use the environmental hazards (like explosive barrels, or even doors when you kick them in while a Ganado is on the other side) to help you out. Enemies aren't stupid either. Unlike the classic RE games, you're not safe once you make it to the next door; enemies will follow. In fact, running through that door may end up a bad idea if more enemies are in that room because now you'll be surrounded.

<snipped> a fair part of your post, only because I agree with most of it.

What you say is correct. RE4 feels more like "Survival Horror" sounds like should than the original RE games because you have scary things trying to kill you. Persistently.

I think the RE4 template captures the "holy shit run its going to get me" feeling better than RE1,2,3,CV etc except for the Mr X and Nemesis encounters. The entire RE4 enemy lineup feels like Mr X only slightly more numerous and slightly less potent.

Sure, puzzles are part of the heritage of the game, but survival horror as a phrase evokes feelings of persistent threat more than it does images of skull crests.

 

[Pojo]

Left 4 Dead is a horror game. Or at least, a game in which almost nearly every single aspect of the game is horror. You choose. Zombies, creepy settings, hell the thing has witches and crap like that. It's about a bunch of people trying to survive a classic horror situation. What does that make it? Horror. It falls under the horror genre. If Left 4 Dead isn't horror, what is it?

Horror, to me, is something with monsters, or creepy atmosphere, is something even mentally disturbing like the movie "Eraserhead" by David Lynch. I have NO IDEA what was going on in that movie, but I'd classify it as horror.

Action? Slasher? I was never scared during Left 4 Dead. It was almost a caricature of a genre, kind of like Dead Rising or House of the Dead: Overkill.

It's all debatable, but eh.

 

[brandonh83]

Doesn't matter if it scared you, I don't remember being scared much in any Resident Evil game-- startled, sure, during some of the jump scares (the licker crashing through the window in RE2 for example!) but due to the setting and the enemies, it's still classified as horror. Horror isn't a restricted genre, there's actually quite a huge range when it comes to what horror can be. I would say that Silent Hill is more of a horror franchise than Resident Evil, because Silent Hill tends to focus on the horror while Resident Evil has always been geared toward action aspects (weapons, action setpieces, etc.) but they're both still horror.

Some people might bring up examples like House of the Dead: Overkill (like you did) and movies like Shaun of the Dead. They're comedies, but are they horror? Well, yes. They may be a parody of the horror genre, but Shaun of the Dead actually had serious moments and a couple of parts went for genuine jump scares. While its a parody, it can also be called horror. Shaun of the Dead isn't scary. But it takes place in a horror setting with characters trying to survive, some parts of it are serious and it attempts some scares more than once.

 

[KeeSomething]

I think the RE4 template captures the "holy shit run its going to get me" feeling better than RE1,2,3,CV etc except for the Mr X and Nemesis encounters. The entire RE4 enemy lineup feels like Mr X only slightly more numerous and slightly less potent.

You know, Mr. X really doesn't bother me anymore. I was playing Resident Evil 2 last week (my favorite classic RE game by far). After beating Claire A, I moved on too Leon B, and I was so excited to see Mr. X pop up since the last time I played through a B game in RE2 was when I was 12. Well, we've crossed paths 4 times so far, and he really doesn't worry me at all. I was shocked at how fast he gave up chasing me, and he PUNCHED me. He PUNCHED Leon! He seems more like a bully than anything else. Then again, I'm playing on Easy mode because I'm a little girl.

My point is, even when your being chased by Mr. X, it doesn't compare to getting chased in RE4, at least that's how I feel. When Mr. X (or Nemesis; who is far more threatening to me) chase me, I usually think "OK! I gotta run through a few more rooms, then he'll give up on killing me for a while." I still feel pretty safe.

I'm not trying to bash RE2 (or RE3), by the way. RE2 and 3 have some very creepy enemies that are hard to kill, but since I'm finally playing Professional on RE4, it's hard to sweat over the enemies in those classic games. Still, Resident Evil 2 is the most nostalgic RE game for me, and I still enjoy it today, even though the graphics and gameplay have not aged well (no 180 turn!). While I'm completely against remakes in general, I do feel that a remake of Resident Evil 2 has the potential to be the best game in the series.

Holy crap! A remake of Resident Evil 2 would make me very... happy. I know this is random, but if they remade it, I'd love them to mix gameplay elements from the classic RE games and RE4. I mean, where the camera angles are fixed, but when you aim, it's over the shoulder. Didn't Capcom mention that they are interested in remaking RE2?

 

[brandonh83]

Speaking of, I'm pretty depressed because I don't know what happened to my Leon disc. It just... went missing. I have absolutely no idea what happened to it. My only guess is that some douchebag stole it from my college dorm a couple of years ago. :lol

I've been looking for just the Leon disc alone on ebay and elsewhere but with no luck.

 

[KeeSomething]

Speaking of, I'm pretty depressed because I don't know what happened to my Leon disc. It just... went missing. I have absolutely no idea what happened to it. My only guess is that some douchebag stole it from my college dorm a couple of years ago. :lol

I've been looking for just the Leon disc alone on ebay and elsewhere but with no luck.

That's funny. My friend has his Leon disc, but lost his Claire one. I have the N64 version, so I don't have to worry about losing discs.

 

[dreamcastmaster]

That's funny. My friend has his Leon disc, but lost his Claire one. I have the N64 version, so I don't have to worry about losing discs.

N64 version is an amazing feat.

 

[brandonh83]

Guess I'll just have to re-buy the entire game.

Spoiler

or CAPCOM could remake it, either way

 

[KeeSomething]

^It truly is. Makes you wonder if FFVII was possible on the N64. Mind you, I'm not a fan, but... naw. That game was 3 discs, correct?

In RE2 for the N64, the pre-rendered backgrounds look like they were saved as gifs, the audio quality of voice acting is muffely, and the cutscenes are lower quality, but it's not enough to make the game any less enjoyable. Plus, the character models do look a bit better. Man, just in general, RE2 is amazing. I'm listening to the save room them right now, and it just may be one of my favorite pieces of music I've ever heard. Beautiful. Actually, that leads me to something else, the music in the pre-RE4 games were much better. Wit that said, the music for RE4's credits are very... well, depressing, but beautiful as well.

 

[ajfoucault]

Half of this topic is covered in complete darkness and skepticism...
Like anything that has to do with Capcom...
Then, the game get's released and everyone pees on their pants out of awesomeness :lol

*OffTopic* KeeSomething, very nice ReBoot avatar... brings back memories... :lol

 

[kaskade]

The spoilers made me way more excited for the game than I was before. Definitely day one now.

 

[USD]

USD is not lying, every time I turn on my 360 he's playing the RE5 demo. :lol

What, GAFers on my Friends list? Haha, I didn't even know.

 

[KeeSomething]

*OffTopic* KeeSomething, very nice ReBoot avatar... brings back memories... :lol

Thank you! I'm stoked for the upcoming 3-part movie trilogy!

The spoilers made me way more excited for the game than I was before. Definitely day one now.

Same here. This is going to be an epic Resident Evil game that ties up a lot of loose ends.

 

[Yagharek]

My point is, even when your being chased by Mr. X, it doesn't compare to getting chased in RE4, at least that's how I feel. When Mr. X (or Nemesis; who is far more threatening to me) chase me, I usually think "OK! I gotta run through a few more rooms, then he'll give up on killing me for a while." I still feel pretty safe.

True, but imagine the first time you had to deal with him. That kind of persistent threat is ongoing in RE4/5.

 

[Future PhaZe]

To be completely honest despite having 4 people with me and L4D being mostly an action game the atmosphere there is more chilling than anything present in RE5 demo.

 

[KeeSomething]

True, but imagine the first time you had to deal with him. That kind of persistent threat is ongoing in RE4/5.

Ah, roger that! The first time Mr. X blasted through the wall while I was lighting those three statues... I remember I screamed, threw the controller down, and ran out of my room. I may have peed a little too.

I'll tell you what still get's me-- the licker that jumped through the magic mirror. I still let out little yelps. Seriously, I played through that part twice and two different files no more than a week ago, and I still went "WHOOOOAAAAAA!!"

 

[MiamiWesker]

The whole surivior horror thing drives me crazy cause no two people have the same definition of what it is, so how can we talk about it if everyone is on a completely different page.

You have to remember the origins. Survival horror was a advetising term created by Capcom to describe Resident Evil. Game journalists and the community picked up on this and started calling anything that was RE like survival horror, thats how all this got started.

The question is where does it end for you, does survival horror only describe games like old RE, that mix of action with adventure like puzzles in a horror setting. Does it describe every single horror game. Thats where its at for me, since RE and many horror games like it have moved on from that old school RE template I now see them as just horror themed action/adventure games, cause thats what they all are. Some are more action oriented, some more puzzle oriented but they all deal with the horror theme and that is what brings them all together, not some advertising term.

 

[Diablohead]

^It truly is. Makes you wonder if FFVII was possible on the N64. Mind you, I'm not a fan, but... naw. That game was 3 discs, correct?

In RE2 for the N64, the pre-rendered backgrounds look like they were saved as gifs, the audio quality of voice acting is muffely, and the cutscenes are lower quality, but it's not enough to make the game any less enjoyable. Plus, the character models do look a bit better. Man, just in general, RE2 is amazing. I'm listening to the save room them right now, and it just may be one of my favorite pieces of music I've ever heard. Beautiful. Actually, that leads me to something else, the music in the pre-RE4 games were much better. Wit that said, the music for RE4's credits are very... well, depressing, but beautiful as well.

You can kind of play the entire FFVII from one disc if you don't mind missing out on a lot of the fmv's and some pre rendered backdrops not working, the main reason for 3 discs was all that footage. You can play an area on disc 1, do a disc swap without rebooting the ps1 and continue the game using disc 3, but areas which are not used or change from each disc will load wrong or scrambled.