General consensus of RE5 demos

[Vector]

That's correct, Takeuchi mentioned this during an interview with 1up.

Well, that's one less thing to worry about. Next topic: saving your game and continuing your game.

[sainraja]

Hmm...has this happened to anyone else?

On PS3, when I go to the XMB to invite someone, the game screen in the background dims as usual, but once I'm done sending the invite, the XMB fades away but the game itself has the same brightness as when I'm accessing the XMB...it's almost like a glitch, and I can't get rid of it until I quit out of the demo.

Also, if I invite someone to play, we play through it and finish(and my screen stays dimly lit the whole time), if I try to invite someone again to play another round, I cannot. I click "invite this player" and it brings me back to the game screen...I have to quit out of the demo and access it again in order to invite someone.

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

That has happened to me and I believe it has to do with how many people you have in your friends list. I tried another username on my PS3 to see if I could duplicate it but it did not and went back to my other name and it did happen...

[Guest]

guys, help me with something
when I play as Sheva online/offline, I notice that Chris's voice is really louder than Sheva's......this is annoying me!

So this happens with you? If it does, why??

EDIT: I'm arguing about Sheva's low voice

[Skunky]

Houston, we have a problem...

Earlier today I tried the demo online again. Unlike previous attempts, I was actually able to start a game. I had 3 games and they all SUCKED!
Firstly, I was playing with people I didn't know and it was quickly apparent that it would be a race to the items, every man for himself type deal but that's okay, I can take care of myself.
The bigger problem was that no game lasted longer than 5 minutes before the connection was lost and I was abruptly taken back to the menu screen!
This would be incredibly annoying should it happen 15-20 minutes into a level on the real game.
I'm not sure I'll be playing online much. But I'd like to try with some other Aussies and see if it's a more stable connection. And yes, a microphone would definitely help improve things too.

At this stage I much prefer Sheva's AI to a real person. Real people suck! I would describe Sheva's AI as being 'moderately helpful' (I don't understand peoples complaints). She's like a good friend who tags along, does what she's told and is eager to please.
I've played the demo a LOT and I don't think she's ever died on me. I've only died once myself and that was by the Executioner on one of my first plays. I've never come close to being killed by the Chainsaw dude.
I just run around doing whatever I want and know that Sheva is following. I've lost site of her a few times but she'll be just off killing some Manji herself. I've rarely had to rescue or heal her and she's probably healed me an equal amount of times.
The only times I've gotten a bit annoyed at her is when there is only a few Manji that I'd like to finish with some handgun bullets and melee moves but she insists on hammering them with a machine gun or repeatedly firing the rifle, as if our lives are threatened.

Surviving both stages is really quite easy. But I still find that killing the Executioner is tricky. I run out of time more often than I kill him. But I'm not complaining about the difficulty. I find it a lot of fun. I'd rather it was fun than I die over and over again...

One thing I've noticed is that you seem to be completely invulnerable when running. You can run straight past any enemy and even run through large groups of Manji.

[Andyfer_Ruu]

I don't have a PS3 or 360, so I have not been able to play any of the demos. I've seen various posts here and there about people playing them, but I haven't seen too many opinions on the overall "feeling" toward the gameplay.

After playing said demos, can y'all please tell me how you feel about the game itself? Personally, I am not going to buy a PS3 until I pick up RE5 on 3/13, so I just want to know how everyone feels about the game so far.

The game is superb, i found the control scheme easy to use. You'll love it dude.

[unemployed]

anybody get suicidal players? i finished the shanty town and then the person just kept killing themselves by shooting the electrical box, kind of funny, they tried to kill me at first w/a grenade but ran out.

didnt know u can say thanks, wait, go in co-op! played with some very decent people who shared and thanked alot, whole lot better than the people who run up ahead and take everything

[chris redfield]

anybody get suicidal players? i finished the shanty town and then the person just kept killing themselves by shooting the electrical box, kind of funny, they tried to kill me at first w/a grenade but ran out.

didnt know u can say thanks, wait, go in co-op! played with some very decent people who shared and thanked alot, whole lot better than the people who run up ahead and take everything

yeah happens to me alot lol people killing them selfs or killing me

[CubedSphere]

I'm an oddball when playing online. I don't know what my partners think of me. My "strategy" almost everytime is to bum rush in, killing everything as fast as possible and collect all the items/ammo I can before my partner. Then whenever there is a break in the action I give them all the ammo for their exclusive guns, and all the handgun ammo and health I have, leaving myself depleted (only keeping all the ammo for my exclusive gun and one full clip in my handgun).

Don't know why... I guess I just like doing most of the work, but I surely don't want my partners to be without health and ammo. Many probably think I'm a complete ass for the first 2-3 minutes before I start feeding them my inventory to guarantee their survival. Though, this only really applies to Shanty Town as I more or less end up seperated from my partner in Public Assembly once the gate is smashed open. It's usually because I go on top of the building we're stuck in while they run out into the open, back near the SMG. Though it's fun because I disappear for a moment then show up as their savior when I throw 3-4 grenades at the Executioner's feet and uppercut the freak to hell.

Regardless, I always help my partner when they need it, but I don't feel like sticking my fist up their ass and walking right next them.

[trist]

Does anyone else think that scene where Chris and Sheva witness the execution of turbin guy (sorry forgot his name) is messed up?

I mean really, they just stand there and watch the poor dude get his head chopped off. I'm particularly disappointed in Chris, I mean at least Sheva was on the verge of doing something, before Chris put his hand on her shoulder and sort of held her back. But what if it were Claire up there on the chopping block. Think Chris would still have just stood there? HELL NO!

If this is part of his, "I really don't wanna do this anymore" mentality on display. Or if he's feeling one life is more valuable than another, then he sure as hell NEEDS to retire!

I like Chris a lot, but that was just wrong.

[Canas Renvall]

Cutscenes, sir. A land where ethics happen.

Also a land where they suddenly can't take on a giant horde, apparently.

[Jill's Boob]

Okay, I finally got to play the demo. I was very happy to see that it was still available for download.

My thoughts: Amazing, simply amazing.

RE5 looks to be everything that RE4 could have been. I say that, not because RE4 is a bad game by any means, but that RE5 is the natural progression of the excellent game mechanic. There’s a reason why RE4 won so much critical acclaim – yet there are still various flaws.

A few that immediately come to mind: (These aren’t spoilers, per se, they’re just my complaints on RE4 – I’ve spoiler tagged them so you can choose to skip them and jump down to my assessment of RE5)
Spoiler:

show spoiler

- The most annoying, garbage-dialogue-spewing, emo haired douchenozzle of a lead character that I have ever had the displeasure of controlling. Honestly, I cannot stand Leon (and that has been well documented by many of my posts)...his dialogue, his mannerisms, etc. There is nothing remotely likeable about him. His characterization is the embodiment of a 14-year-old’s nocturnal emission; that’s how ridiculous he is. He is the #1 reason that I often feel doubt toward picking up the controller for a replay. Luckily, “Assignment Ada” and “Mercenaries” offer a chance to play with other characters.
- The basic ganados are mentally retarded, walking into your line of fire.
- Many of the events are laughably bad: running from a 30 foot tall stone statue of Salazar, fighting an BDSM clad Gigante in a lava room, etc.
- The mysterious Merchant – who for some reason has glowing eyes, the ability to randomly teleport around Spain, and a bunch of weapons strapped to both his body and his trenchcoat. I thought magic item boxes were ridiculous until I happened upon this salesman.
- Salazar; one of, if not the most ridiculous foe in any game, ever.
- Ashley; from her whining voice to her dumbo ears, she is just annoying. Not to mention helpless.
- The codec calls from Hunnigan. What a blatant rip-off of Metal Gear.
- The story – fearless secret agent enters foreign country to rescue President’s daughter, and in the process lays waste to buildings, 75% of the population, and various monsters (without breaking a sweat). Sprinkle a dash of random evil bad guy hellbent on world domination, and voila! Cliché storytelling 101!
- Men using knives to duel in a swordfight, running up walls to backflip over lasers, a scantily clad woman braving the elements while defying the laws of gravity with her Spider-Man/Tarzan rope swinging abilities, outrunning a gigantic mobile stone statue (so dumb I had to mention it again), etc. There’s the “suspension of disbelief” and then there’s full-blown flushing it down the crapper.

Enough ranting. RE4 is no doubt fun. The gameplay was a breath of fresh air for the stale tank controls and fixed camera angles of RE0-RECV. Though those things were a staple of the franchise’s success, a continuously evolving video game market forced Capcom’s hand at “re-inventing” Resident Evil. The changes implemented in RE4 were incredibly well received, and rightly so, when the game was released.

Since then, there have been a ton of FPS games released (Haze, Halo, Gears of War, Call of Duty, etc, etc.) and even RE4 clones (Dead Space). The market is saturated with FPS games. I think that the abundance of these “run & gun” games – along with the fact that RE5 no longer has “fresh, new” controls – will be a negative impact on RE5 when it comes to how it is reviewed.

But to me, the gameplay mechanic is just fine the way it is. Being unable to run & gun adds to the tension. It’d be much less challenging if you could just strafe back and forth while the Executioner ambled along. (I’m basing this all on “Control Type A,” as I never tried any of the others…I’m sticking with the RE4 setup, thank you very much.)

The graphics are excellent. Not mind blowing, but the detail on Chris & Sheva is incredible. Intricate details that come to mind are little things like the bulk of Chris’ shoulder straps, or Sheva’s numerous pieces of jewelry. I especially love the way weapons are carried on the character's backs. The game looks like “RE4 in HD,” just as many have said. I agree, and I think there’s nothing wrong with that. RE4 was a beautiful game on the ‘Cube, and next gen makes it even more beautiful.

Now, I never liked the idea of having a partner (or “partnah”) character. But having Sheva by my side is kind of nice, and it is maybe a little throwback to RE0 and REUC (though your partner really didn’t do anything in that title unless you were playing with another person). The way I feel about Sheva is that her inclusion is like the cabin level of RE4, where Leon & Luis are battling the assaulting ganados. RE5 is just an extension of that scene. Sheva’s AI has only been an issue to me about 20% of the time, when she’s either (a) overusing her Beretta or (b) running off on the Shanty Town level while I am waiting in a position for the majini to walk into my ambush. These aren’t awful issues, but I can see some validity in complaints toward her AI. Still, she helps more than she hinders, and attending to her just adds another element of game management/challenge. When she screws up, it is frustrating, but I don’t feel the controller-throwing-level-of-frustration that I felt playing Mega Man as a kid. (I have yet to play RE5 with another person, but I can only imagine that it alters the game accordingly.)

The enemy AI is pretty good. It feels somewhat similar to RE4, except that the majini are more aggressive and move a little faster. Some still walk slowly into your line of fire, but the increased number of them AND the presence of the menacing mini-bosses does a good job of correcting that flaw from RE4. The mini-bosses feel like a throwback to RE3, as you have a super-powered/super-strong behemoth stalking you throughout the level. I know that their presence adds a great deal of tension, to me. It’s a feeling I only felt in RE4 when Dr. Salvador or the Bella Sisters were present.

The structures and alleyways in “Public Assembly” & “Shanty Town” feel very restricting to me. I feel like that is a nod to early RE games, with the narrow corridors. I don’t know how other levels will pan out, but I feel like the environment in these two levels is very disadvantageous. Anyone else feel this way?

The gameplay is great. It feels just like an improved RE4. It is much more frantic – more enemies, relentless mini-bosses, real-time inventory. Standing in place and shooting is a necessity to this game. It is done for tension, not just to frustrate the gamer. Having real-time inventory also adds to the intensity, as you struggle to manage your items while your foes keep coming. It is difficult, but I like the additional challenge. The basic enemies feel a percentage smarter to me than they did in RE4. I loved the gameplay in RE4, and I think Capcom did a nice job of improving it in RE5. I honestly don’t see how anyone who enjoyed RE4 could not think RE5 is just as awesome (or improved). Even though there are only 2 levels on the demo, I can’t stop replaying them. That level of fun leads me to not worry one bit about RE5’s length. No matter the total time of the game’s main story, I am sure it will possess a high level of replayability. (Not to mention the unlockable mini-games and DLC.) Now I haven’t timed myself playing the demo levels, but I am pretty sure playing both takes upwards of 45 minutes. So I find it hard to believe the ENTIRE game would take only 7 hours…

I’ve seen some complaints about RE5 resembling Gears of War, or Call of Duty, or any other “war” game. I suppose this could be somewhat legit, with the amount of FPS combat games that flood store shelves. But to me, RE5 feels so much more different than one of those standard FPS games. RE5 somewhat resembles the war novel Black Hawk Down, and you have what seems to be an extensive military support group with the BSAA. I find this adds realism, as you are in a violent country, facing a plot concerning bio-terrorism. (Much more believable than a one-man army singlehandedly razing Spain.) The “war” on bioterror has basically been the plot of RE since the earliest games, though the first 3 focused more on escape, you still sought to uncover the nefarious plot and fight the evil entities. Anyway, I don’t find this game to be a carbon copy of the other FPS games (and am thankful for that). Sure, you have weapons, and can ride in a Humvee, but you still have the core elements of the RE experience. And as for the complaints about the majini in later levels having AK-47s – if they’re intelligent enough to operate crossbows, then they can surely have the sentience to pull the trigger on a machine gun. Or maybe you missed the scenes in the trailers where they fire at you from machine gun nests & turrets? Or maybe you forgot in RE4 where the Illuminados fired mounted gatling guns? Or the big black ganados that carried gatling guns?

I’ve also seen complaints about the characters in RE5 being dull & uninteresting. If you know anything about RE, then you already know the characters are typically drab and not fully fleshed-out. I’ve played every game in the core series, and none of the characters stood out to me, except for the arrogant turn taken by Leon in RE4 where he turned into a cocksmith. Chris, Claire, Jill, Rebecca, Barry, Billy – they’re all standard fare. I honestly think there is very little that differentiates them personality-wise. Still, I saw more emotion and depth to Chris’ character in the RE5 intro – where he reflects on the word “partner” – than I saw for Leon in all of RE4 and Degeneration.

Anyway to finish up – I think the story in this game will not be a letdown. Reviewers may have their own say, but die-hard fans probably, nay SHOULD, be satisfied. There’s so much to be hyped for: The Chris/Wesker rivalry which will undoubtedly come to its conclusion; the “Mystery Woman” (which shouldn’t even be a mystery – so please stop thinking that it is Rebecca or Claire – as the identity has been concretely evident since the “Play God” trailer) is involved in the story; the progenitor virus is pursued; and Spencer finally shows his withered face! Besides, you can only go up from the bottom rung of the storytelling ladder, which is where the simple, cliché-filled plot of RE4 resides.

March 13th can’t get here fast enough!

[BadWolfX]

JB pretty much gave all my views on the demo - baring Sheva. No problems with her at all imo, but I can't wait to play it with another person via Live.

[Jill's Boob]

Sheva's not awful, I just noticed some things about her that could be better. And I only noticed those discrepancies after having played the demo levels repeatedly this past week. The game is a f****n' blast!

[CubedSphere]

Hey, give the Type C controls a run, JB. They're identical to the RE4 ones (i think) except they allow you to strafe side to side. Personally, I like type D, but C is good since it feel like old-school RE using a shoulder button to aim and face button to fire, but you can strafe sideways.

[Jill's Boob]

I'll give it a shot, but I am really bad with controllers as it is...haha. I'll never NOT miss the simplicity of the NES & SNES controllers. Thanks though, I'll try "C" and let you know how many times I died!