When I fired up Dark Void I had no real notion of what the game was about. I knew there was flying and that the game was a cover-based shooter. With the birth of my son in December, I was glad of an excuse to really sit down and play through a game. The list of unfinished games for both 360 and PC is growing ever so steadily.

But I digress – Dark Void, developed by Airtight Games and published by the good people at Capcom is an experience that has a distinct feel. And that feel is unfinished.Riddled with small annoyances and loose controls, and a story that has more holes than Star Wars (I say that with love), I would have loved to see this game in 6 months or more when it would have been finished. With no singular direction, the game suffers but still manages to pull off a passable 8-10 hour single player experience that has some satisfying moments. However, with a distinct lack of multiplayer

Read on to know the whole story…

Dark Void starts off with a taste of what’s to come by getting you used to the flying mechanic. Now, for those playing on PC as I am, you should be warned that this is a joystick-shooter. If you don’t already have your favorite console controller for PC then you will find the mouse/keyboard controls frustrating. The game was meant to be played with a controller. Anyways, it goes through a short flight tutorial, and then drops you into the shoes of Will (voiced by Nolan North), the game’s main protagonist and introduces Ava (voiced by Polly Walker), the inevitable love interest who has a complicated past and relationship with our hero. A short cut-scene later, you’re in the Void, and robots are trying to kill you.

You pick up a gun and the game shows you how to shoot and survive by hiding behind cover. The ruins of an old civilization provide ample coverage for a soft-skin such as yourself. It was heavily inspired by the likes of Gear of War, but never achieved the satisfying feel of it. Most of the time, I saved ammo by running and shooting in bursts, then just mashing the melee button until the bad guy died. There are only a few ground enemies that this cannot be done to and I took full advantage of it. The shooting was alright, if a little loose. I never felt fully in control of my aiming reticule, even near the end of the game when I was “used to it.” The heavier the action got, the more squirrelly the controls felt. Headshots seemed to be at random, which was frustrating because I am big on saving ammo when I can. The gun upgrade mechanic seemed almost like a throwaway. Each gun only had two upgrades, and you get far fewer points than you have options for upgrading guns. I just upgraded the main rifle (most ammo) and the disintegration gun to max which gave them more ammo and blew stuff up better.

With the annoyances of the ground combat and control, the air battles were fun and crazy. Unlimited ammo and the ability to upgrade your jetpack to shoot missiles was a nice touch that made the combat satisfying. It was at this point of the game that I realized that I didn’t see any options for multiplayer. Playing 8 or 16 person aerial deathmatch or aerial firefight/horde mode would be an incredible amount of fun, taking me back to the days of Starfox 64. The controls were tight and the physics were not too game-y to be ridiculous. This was the best part of the game by far. The lack of multiplayer is an enormous oversight and a downright shame for a game so short. I am hard pressed to say the game merits the $60 price tag for consoles, but the $40 price for PC is much more reasonable. Airtight and Capcom missed a huge opportunity to capitalize on the lack of aerial combat shooters.

With a strong performance by Nolan North (Will, the protagonist) you feel like you’re playing something of a Nathan Drake spin-off. With competent one-liners and an overall interesting take on the anti-hero Will is not really endearing but likable. Ava, voiced by Polly Walker is mostly good but Tesla and the rest of the voice acting crew were greatly overshadowed by North’s work – sometimes to the game’s detriment. The performances were so far apart in quality sometimes that it made you cringe.

The story was somewhat contrived and lacked finesse. There’s only a tiny bit of backstory for Will and Ava, but the rest of the game’s characters are, essentially, red shirts. Tesla seems like he was thrown in just to explain their technology (the jetpack, ships, etc) and there was almost no explanation of how anyone else came to be there. It makes a small effort to explain the “bermuda triangle” disappearances as saying ships and planes fell into the Void.

To get a bit mushy, the game is very pretty for the most part. The character models and scenery were done very well and I think the PhysX were a nice touch. This game, more than others I’ve played, looks better with the extra particles and such that it adds. It adds a bit of grime and dirt to the scenery which makes it look at feel more genuine and real. I actually like the character animations and facial expressions better than certain current games. *coughAssassin’s Creed 2cough*

To top it off, there were times during the game that the music made me stop, reload an earlier save and play through the section again just to hear some of the best music in a video game I’ve heard in a long time. Its no wonder, because Battlestar Galactica composer Bear McCreary was the composer – his liberal use of heavy drums and exciting passages add an almost immesurable ammount of joy to the flying parts. The last battle in particular is one of my favorite musical moments in the game. Also, for those who are patient enough to sit through the credits there is a nice musical treat near the end. McCreary has some interesting things to say about his involvement in Dark Void on his blog. Warning – there are some plot spoilers ahead – Bear McCreary’s Blog.

Overall, the game does a great job of bringing us some good air combat and an incredible music score, however the ground combat and story leave much to be desired. If you have a chance, at least rent the game to hear some decent Nolan North and have a lot of fun flying around shooting things. The game lays the potential for a sequel, however I don’t know if that project will ever get the green light.

Dark Void (PC) Final Score: 6.5

Not since Marvel Ultimate Alliance have I truly enjoyed a comic licensed game. Then came Batman: Arkham Asylum.

And all is good.

The one-man show that is B:AA absolutely reeks with authenticity. From Kevin Conroy as Batman to Mark Hamil as Joker to Arleen Sorkin as Harley Quinn I was literally thrown back to after-school cartoons where I literally raced home to watch Batman: The Animated Series. I am a bit behind the times only just finishing it, but, being one of my favorite games of 2009, it was worth the wait.

Batman: Arkham Asylum is a very dark game, pulling more from a Frank Miller-esque world than even the the last two Batman movies. Yes they could be dark, especially Dark Knight, but neither come close to Miller’s Dark Knight Returns. You begin the game by returning the infamous Joker to Arkham Asylum. You make it clear to the warden and to Gordon that something isn’t right. Lo and behold, ten minutes later you’re already starting to fight the Joker’s goons after he’s escaped and beginning the crazy ride that is Batman: Arkham Asylum.

I’m not going to delve too much into the story here, because that is one of the best things about this game. Suffice it to say, the story and storytelling include you in their interactions. Think Half-Life 2 camera control in certain parts, and 3rd person storytelling in others. You battle against a full gamut of Batman baddies including Zsas, Bane, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, Scarecrow, Killer Croc and, of course, Joker. You match wits against The Riddler performing a somewhat interesting collection game throughout your quest to stop the Joker. The game is very interesting as the riddles are true to form, however if you have a knowledge of the DC comic universe, Batman specifically, you may have an easier time. This was one of the few games where I went back to play the collection part because it was actually interesting and fun.

The gameplay was absolutely phenomenal – there is a saying in life that should be applied to video games: Less is More. B:AA takes a few good concepts, for example free-flow battles, and does them extremely well. I found myself looking for trouble more often than not just to feel like a badass fighting anywhere from six to twenty thugs. The combat just works so WELL. The boss fights were simple, yet satisfying.  The platforming was no-fail in almost every part, so if you fell off a cliff, in true Batman form, you pull out your grapple and save yourself. The game is very forgiving of stupid mistakes out of battle, which makes for a very stress-free platforming experience.

The battle focus primarily resides around two types: stealth and brawl.  The stealth mechanic… well it was a bit heavy-handed. I know Batman is a nina and is practically silent, but when I drop right behind a guy from a few hundred feet up, something is going to move. Whether it be the walkway shivering or a sound, the guy should have at least a clue. Plus, hiding on gargoyles is one of the main escape tactics and it seems a little gamey to me, but I actually find it a bit funny that they are clueless at the beginning, but later on in the game they have some surprises waiting for you on your gargoyle friends. That’s all I will say. The Brawl battles are just all out fistfights that, if you’re quick enough, can link together in one long series of thug-crunching blows. The key is to learn when to defend and when to attack. Practice in the challenge rooms if you’re having trouble, because that is one of the coolest parts of this game. The combat flows so smoothly and is relatively simple to be proficient in. Mastering it takes some time, but the process is so fun anyway that it doesn’t matter.

The visuals in the game are also amazing – I personally enjoyed the big reveals of the cityscape when you’re on a cliff overlooking Arkham near the beginning of the game the most because it gave you such a daunting feeling. The entire island is crawling with thugs and super villains just waiting to punish you. The art and presentation of the game is spot-on with creating exactly the mood and representing the DC Hero’s world. Hell for Batman probably includes 90% of what he has to deal with in this game. The way that Batman’s suit get progressively more torn up as the game goes on is neat, if a little canned. Its not really based on how much you get beat up, but more of a progress meter. You really only get your suit damaged in cut-scenes, and it looks cooler and cooler as you continue on. By the end your suit is in pretty rough shape. It would have been cool if it was a bit more interactive, but it was a cool storytelling device. The look of the villains and thugs were great. I’ve not seen such a sexy Harley Quinn since the comics – they almost went a little anime with her and the uh… well rounded… figure she has up top. Poison Ivy was a beauty to behold, and Croc was an actual terror. Joker looked amazing as well. They all did. Top notch visuals here.

The PhysX were a great addition to the PC version – the way you interacted with the environment’s less obtrusive elements such as smoke or mist, spider webs, and breaking building was amazing. There is a part where you are battling the Scarecrow’s toxins, and the building breaking effects are amazing. The way everything moves makes it feel more like an interactive movie than a game. My wife actually sat down and watched me play this game for a few hours, just enjoying watching it because of this.

The music and ambient sounds are extremely good at setting the mood and the desperate odds that Batman faces. It does a good job of sucking you in and creates a level of immersion that really helped me feel part of the game. So many studios don’t really put the time needed into sound creation and scoring. Eidos and Rocksteady scored a win with me, a musician, on the score on this game. It wasn’t always present, but it was when it needed to be and created the appropriate vibe for the scene.

Overall, B:AA is one of the best games of the year as far as I’m concerned. Its arguably my favorite comic book game of all time as well. Its up there with Marvel Ultimate Alliance. Its done a good job of setting a new bar for comic book games, telling the world that they can be great, and that the public will respond if they are. Apparently, so with the Guiness Book of World Records, who awarded B:AA the ‘Most Critically Acclaimed Superhero Game Ever’ world record. Not too shabby, gents. Not too shabby at all!

Overall I give the game a 9.75 out of 10 – the games small annoyances in stealth and gamey approach can’t be ignored, but the rest of the game is stellar. Best game of ’09 so far for me.

Finally, the long-awaited, Resident Evil 5 Review! Please drop comments or email and let me know what you think!

So… I’m pretty much a big chicken when it comes to horror games, moves, etc. I struggled through Doom 3, and just about soiled myself when I encountered my first Big Daddy in Bioshock. So, hearing how good the Resident Evil games have been over the years in regards to scaring you, I stayed as far away as possible. Not because I was afraid of a good game, but because I was just afraid. I’m finding the fact that I’m writing about the newest installment of the RE series very odd as I know that I am not a horror fan in the purest sense of the word.

To give you some background on why I ever picked up the latest installment, I start with an anecdote. I met and spent the weekend with Ken Lally in March for All-Con. He is Wesker in RE5 in every aspect but the actual voice. Pretty amazing dude – super-passionate about his craft and glowing about the game. Then the fangirls started rolling in gushing about this game and I find myself thinking, “I’m going to pass up a game that this many people are crazy about because I’m chicken? No way!”

And that’s when I picked up RE5. There were some pretty intense parts, and some were even scary, but overall its gotten away from its intense horror roots, and for me, that’s a good thing.

Starting off in a small shanty-town in Africa, the story picks up as Chris Redfield pulls up and meets his counterpart and ambassador, Sheva Alomar. The visual counterparts that Chris and Sheva make are notable, but its hard to believe Chris is still so pretty after all these years fighting BOW’s. Playing through this game, I’m pretty sure he’d look more like Freddy Krueger than the buff chiseled-jaw hunk. But I digress.

Speaking of visuals, the game palette is amazing. This game gives creedence that video games are true visual art. So many games are hitting a wall in regards to realism and opting for a stylized look (Madworld, No More Heroes) that does a decent job of telling the story its easy to forget what a studio like Capcom can achieve with their big-budget games like Resident Evil. The options you get after beating the game the first time to change the visual filter is interesting but doesn’t really do much to really change the feel visually. For me personally, it takes away from what is already stunning, making the game seem like a bad remake of, “Night of the Living Dead.”

The beginning “tutorial” takes you through the town. Don’t be afraid to explore here. While everyone looks at you like they want to kill you, no one actually will. Yet. You make your way towards a butcher’s shop where you ammo up and equip your tools of trade. From there is where the game really begins. Quickly you are introduced to the infected and the control scheme with a few infected coming your way. You’re supposed to run but its not really apparent at first so just be warned. You’ll need every spare bullet early in the game so don’t make the same mistake I did – run for cover when Sheva says run.

Getting used to the gun control scheme was filled with frustration while I broke my traditional FPS habits. Remember, I’m not a veteran RE player, so this was even tougher for me than most. I would say, if you’re like me, it will take you the entire first chapter and part of the second before you instinctively have the controls down. Afterwards, I found the system interesting but ultimately it was just something to get used to.

The inventory system is intelligent and uses proximity to determine if you can give something to someone or get something. This by no means that it was any good. I found that most times I was managing my inventory and using Sheva as a pack mule. I’ll cover Sheva’s AI shortly, but to really drive it home the game is sometimes infuriating when you are trying to keep a decent array of weapons on your person for different situations and the game gives you items and/or ammo that you have next to no use for at the moment but you want to keep so you don’t have to tap into your very limited cash resources.

The games atmosphere was heavilly reliant on sound and the team did not slouch here. The use of dogs popping out of stuff to scare the living bejeesus out of you is still the hallmark of the RE games and is used to great effect. The music revving up when you are getting into a hairy situation is a nice indicator that they need to mentally prepare themselves. However, I think from a horror point of view this is a bit like giving away the surprise. Worked well for me, though.

In regards to the useful(less)ness of Sheva’s AI I found that she was nearly utterly useles throughout most of the game. Playing through parts of the game online in co-op mode I found the experience infinitely easier and more enjoyable as we were actually able to rely on each other. I know that AI isn’t going to be as good as any human but it would be nice if Sheva switched weapons to meet each challenge rather than when one of two scenarios arise:

1. She runs out of ammo
2. She’s on a rooftop and has a sniper in her inventory

Eventually I gave up on her and only gave her a fully upgraded pistol (one you start off with) and a sniper rifle with no additonal ammo. I essentially used her as a pack mule from there through the rest of the game. I did get annoyed with having to swap out herbs to combine them sometimes, and at other times she already took care of it. The game is obviously meant to be played co-op, but for many people they would rather have the option to do both. Personally, I didn’t have anyone that I could consistently play with on a regular basis available during my play-through but I jumped in on any number of games after I finished my solo-experience.

Now, I want to comment on the whole race issue very briefly here. I do not believe Capcom was out to anger anyone or point out one race over another. The thing is, they listened when the first truly angry people started criticizing the game. They made sure that all races were represented on both the protagonist and antagonist sides. I don’t know if anyone else noticed, but the 3 main evil people are all white? Again, I didn’t feel that race was an issue in the game because it doesn’t seem, to me, that the intent was there. I think the discussion is good and the sensitivity is good to have, especially in our Politically Correct US of A. However, Europe isn’t really like that, folks. Japan isn’t really like that. I keep reading and hearing about people taking issue with race but I just don’t see it.

Anyways, overall fun-value and replayability is very high for this game, despite the infuriating AI. After I beat the game I immediately went back and began planning out my next moves in regards to how to upgrade all of my weapons and get the rest of the goodies that I missed on my first run-through. I’ve gone back and played some pick-up games several times since I moved on to other games just for some fun zombie-esque blow stuff up cravings. I give this game very high marks based on its movie-style script and execution, and the AI and other small annoyances are gotten over somewhat quickly to give RE5 a solid BUY IT. I have not been this impressed with production value in some time. I loved the game and look forward to following the RE series as it goes into its “reboot” and see where that goes. Well done, Capcom. Well done.

P.S.
Now, I did not pick up the additonal content out of principle that I don’t believe in selling extra content so close to release. If its ready this close, just put it on the disk. If its truly a new chapter or content that continues the story after a great finale (RE5 does not slouch on the ending, either) then I am game but money is pretty tight in everyone’s wallet and I just don’t see paying $70-80 on my games when there are other options out there for my (and your) cash.

Fallout 3 – The latest entry into one of the most lauded RPG franchises for their brutal re-tellings of humanity’s attempt to survive the apocalypse. Bethesda Softworks, creators of the Elder Scroll’s chapters Morrowind and Oblivion have stepped up to take a swing at a series that many thought to be long-dead, this writer included. Having completed both Fallouts 1&2, I could easily draw many parallels between Fallout 3’s predecessors, however this is no sequel. It is as complete a re-telling as Fallout 2 was from Fallout.
How did Bethesda do? Find out after the jumpBeginning with one of the more unique intro cut-scenes that I’ve seen, I was immediately faced with a pretty standard character creation system. You select your name (which means no one ever calls you anything but some generic pronoun), sex, and creat your look. I did have quite a bit of trouble trying to make my character look like me and eventually gave up. Not really a failing of the system, but just another game that relies on a person’s memory of their own face to try and re-create it. I really wish that some game would find a way to extrapolate a starting place from photos taken at different angles or something similar. Then you enter a pseudo-tutorial. It really only covers basic movement, shooting, and the Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System (aka: V.A.T.S.). You are expected early on to spec your character with some pretty vague descriptions of your primary stats. Don’t worry about this too much, though – you have a chance to change them before the end of the “tutorial,” and when you do, the descriptions are better.

One thing that you will likely realize quickly is that Bethesda was trying to walk the line between an action-oriented FPS and the turn-based play of an RPG. What you end up with is an interesting hybrid called V.A.T.S. I truly am a lover of both Role Playing Games (RPG) and First Person Shooters (FPS), so this left me feeling satisfied on both levels, yet somewhat unsatisfied on both as well. Before you begin throwing stones, let me explain what I mean. When playing a pure FPS or RPG, you have a certain level of challenge that comes from the medium. First Person Shooters have a twitch type of play that requires pinpoint accuracy and speed to shoot first and best. An RPG, on the other hand, requires that you plan your attack and know your enemy so that you can defeat your opponent, maximizing effort and minimizing resource use. Fallout 3 combines these, however it takes away the challenge of both styles leaving most combat lacking what makes each genre’s combat style rewarding. When I faced my first Super Mutant, I certainly did feel good, however as an RPG player I felt wasteful of so many bullets, and as an FPS player I felt extremely inaccurate. The game wants you to use V.A.T.S. to full-effect and you really have to master it to survive. I do enjoy the combat for what it is, however I don’t really feel like I’m performing at the top of my game in either category. A small annoyance in comparison to the coolness of what Bethesda did with the V.A.T.S. system.

Graphically, it is as pretty as Oblivion and then some. Its not really even worth talking about graphics much due to the fact that telling you that it looks about as good as the 360 can push out really covers it. Without spoiling anything, take a trip in the elevator in the Washington memorial and tell me if its not at the same time one of the most horrific sites you could imagine, as well as one of the most beautiful.

The games’ story is very immersive. I spent well over ten hours doing side-quests before advancing the main story a single step. This is one aspect that I love in open-world RPG’s. You truly take it at your own pace. You can rush through the main story, but you’d be doing yourself a great disservice. The rest of the Fallout 3 experience lies in living in the world that Bethesda has re-created for you. I thoroughly enjoyed the Survival Guide quests because they injected some added difficulty to some otherwise mundane encounters and asked that I play a little differently than I normally would. On a very base level, the story is about a son’s search for his father who left the vault for a reason that isn’t fully known. I find this to be a very good premise, because its very relatable. There are times in people’s lives when people leave for little or no reason and whether it be a sense of love or duty, we follow them. I lost a little of that sense while completing the side-quests, but quickly got it back when progressing the main storyline. Delving too far into the story would endanger some for spoilers, but let me say that in addition to the main story you have more than enough to keep you interested in an engaging way for a long time.

Leveling up your character is straightforward with several perks that lend themselves to the type of character you’re playing. In the early levels I really recommend getting the XP bonus perks so that you level faster, and can get other abilities more quickly. Talking to a friend who played the game through already and never took those perks, I was about 2-3 levels higher than him early on, and maxed out well before he did. It was well worth suffering early. Using the items and quick-select system is nothing really new. The Pip-Boy 3000 is a neat inventory interface, categorizing items nicely. Overall, the mechanics are solid, but not really redefining the genre, except for V.A.T.S. as I already discussed above. The similar decision system and Karma system was present that governed most of Oblivions interactions was present, but mostly irrelevant. One interesting thing was that if you were too good (as I apparently was) contracts get taken out and you have to fight bounty hunters. By the time this was written, I hadn’t played through as a bad boy but I imagine you have similar situations with that as well. I was impressed by the effect that your decisions did have on a global scale. I’m still always surprised that some towns have heard of things I did in others, and there’s no mail system I’m aware of. Creepy weird

Lastly, covering sound… The score for Fallout 3 is what I would call the bare essentials. You have the hits when its scary, you have the silences when its awkward, etc. However most of a great story is told through its music. I think in the context of the game the music is acceptable but it does not approach what it could be. What could have taken this game to an ethereal, epic level would have been more attention to the musical details. When going into new areas or new parts of the story you have token sound effects and music that help to re-iterate what you are seeing visually. What I would have loved is more music that helped tell the story. I use John William’s music as a guide here – I know pretty much what is happening by the music. This is not so with Fallout 3’s music most of the time. When investigating some of the vaults, I got more annoyed with the sounds and wished there were something else going on and then BAM, something significant would happen and I felt sort of let-down because there was no build-up to it. Even if there is no build-up visually or story-wise, you can do it musically. Also, the radio system annoyed me because I felt like I was missing something if I didn’t listen to it, so I did until I started hearing the same crap over and over and then didn’t listen to it again. I would have to say that the sound did what it was supposed to, and that’s it. It didn’t really add too much more to the game than being present.

Overall, the game was extremely enjoyable. I enjoy talking with friends about it and the different decisions that I made and how it affected everything, including the story. At present, there are three DLC packs planned, extending the gameplay considerably, and, from what I have read, even change the ending in a way that twists what actually happened. Even without these, though – Fallout 3 was a very fulfilling game and stands on its own two feet.

Overall: A-

As over almost 2 million others have done within the past week, I downloaded the free Resident Evil 5 demo from Xbox Live! the other night. Since this game is slotted to really be this year’s first multi-platform blockbuster, it deserves some love.

First impression was a good one – and its probably not what you think. It was the download size. I probably got a good hour or two of enjoyment out of the demo with solo and co-op play and it was only slightly over half a gig in size. Looking at other games that game that much content like Mirror’s Edge or LOTR: Conquest which are both over a gig and really didn’t have that much more to show for it. The download over my puny “hi-speed” connection was over before I knew it and I jumped right in.

More After the jump…

I was a bit surprised at no intro video, however that probably helped a good bit in the file size. I went into the first scenario playable in the demo, and was happy to see something that hopefully gives me an idea what the game is about, other than killing infected. What I got, which was a bunch of foreign language and an English speaking character getting executed, actually left me more confused than when I started. It was at that point that I really thought the story is either unfinished or irrelevant at this point. Basically it was time to blow up things!

First thing notice is the graphics and how good they look. The character models are very smooth and well created, however what really drew my eye was the environment. During moments when I was not being attacked I would just look around and I could really feel the oppression and danger. I could sense that this place had been to hell and was still there.

Moving on, the control scheme is somewhat similar to RE4 on Gamecube. D-pad is for quick item-selection with Y as a more in-depth 9-slot inventory. Your basic move speed is at a walk and pretty directional. Meaning up is forward, down is back, left turns you left, and right turns you right. This is a pretty common control scheme, however I always would rather control all head/gun movement independently from the rest of the body. I am a frequent FPS player and this was an irk I had as I sometimes could not make it around a small bend on the first try. The next thing I immediately noticed was that, run-n-gun was missing from this game as well. I was resolved to this gameplay choice as an attempt at realism, but could never quite convince myself. Capcom later made a statement that this was intentional, and meant to force players to focus on cooperating. I take issue with this statement as we have just been shown a very good horror co-op game in Left4Dead that has this exact feature. I can understand having a slow move speed, this isn’t Counterstrike. But there is zero movement when aiming. I found myself getting hit a LOT and rescued by my partner within the first 10 minutes of the first stage. If they said that it made the player focus on strategy, such as gaining the high ground, or focus on using your environment for cover opportunities. I believe this to be a justification for why they really made this choice – Capcom likes this and they’re not going to change it because it obviously works. Look at the sales for RE4; people didn’t really have a problem with it then and will put up with it now because the rest of the game is top-notch.

The enemies are legion in number and come from everywhere. In the first scenario my partner and I fought to get to the raised platform so that we could at least only have two places to cover rather than everywhere. The variety in the infected is nice – they’ve previously been a bit cookie-cutter and it was nice to see a large variety. I love shooting the weapons from the hands of the infected, which saves precious life. The one-button assist system is also very cool. With only one button you can assist your partner if they get in trouble, knocking infected off them.

Another beautiful addition was that of the soundtrack. The tense music tells you that you’re about to get attacked most of the time. Every once in a while it psyches you out and I found myself listening for the tense music and cringing every time it came on. It was more than just your run-of-the-mill drama hits and shocks. The eerie melodies that crept in and out reminded me quite a bit of how Heroes uses their music not just to set up a delivery, but to really round out a scene.

The gameplay? I was a bit torn on it due to my FPS background but to give RE5 full credit where it deserves, it was pretty polished. Collision detection was a bit of a problem with doors, but as any programmer can tell you, that is a near impossible battle to win completely. Since the animations really do not take into account other geometry other than things to hit and kill, you take what you can get. I did find myself wishing for an aim assist at times. I ran out of ammo once in the second scenario right before getting to Mister Chainsaw and it was a quick death for me because I wasted so much ammo previously on attempting headshots and missing. I give it an E for effort but only a B in execution. I’m sure some more polish will hit when retail becomes available.

So to really give it a recommendation, I will most likely rent this one. If you’re a RE fanboy then you don’t really care what I’m going to say and have already pre-ordered it. If you’re on the fence, wait for it to drop in price or rent it first to see if you’re going to like it. If you liked/loved RE4, then you will almost certainly like this prettier, co-op available version. It didn’t change anything major, but it did shine it up a good bit. Final ratings below:

Gameplay: 85/100

Graphics: 90/100

Control: 70/100

Sound/Music: 95/100

Overall: 85