Into Africa
Capcom kicks over a playable build of Resident Evil 5 and we tear into it. What's that? A progress report? Why sure, we can do that, c'mon in!
Published: February 16, 2009
When a publisher sends along a laundry list of things you can't talk about when writing a preview (in this case, among other things, talking about anything beyond about the first third to half of the game), you know they're being protective of their baby. And why not? Capcom knows the Resident Evil franchise is one of their cash cows, and with expectations ridiculously high for the follow-up to Resident Evil 4 -- a game some consider to be the best of the last generation of hardware, it's understandable that they'd want to keep some parts of the game under wraps.
That's fine by us, as it didn't really impede our ability to enjoy a hefty chunk of Chris Redfield's trip through a bleak, oppressive new African climate, nor did it keep us from getting to know Sheva, Chris' partner throughout the adventure (and the person a second player will take the reins of when playing through the full game either locally or in online co-op). Chris has changed a bit since his experience in the first Resident Evil; he's bigger -- much bigger -- with absolutely heyuuge arms and a slightly more hardened demeanor, but time has apparently shifted his basic movement from being a tank to... well, moving a whole hell of a lot like Leon Kennedy from RE4.
If you've played the demo that was made available a few weeks ago on the PlayStation Network, then none of this will come as news. No, the build we have doesn't control any differently, which means plenty of getting used to the half-step upgrade to how Chris or Sheva pivot around a center axis, stay absolutely locked in place when aiming (or, more frustratingly, reloading), yet feature a twin analog stick control method by default that's different, but not all that different (and of course if you're a stickler for RE4's controls, you can always opt for that configuration at any time.
We also played through the two seconds in the demo; one, a clearing where an informant you meet early on that supplies you with some firepower meets his untimely end at the hands of a hooded executioner with nails stick out of seemingly every inch of his head and torso, and a more claustrophobic alleyway between two buildings where a masked chainsaw-wielding crazy would love nothing more than to separate your head from your shoulders. Both play just as they did in the demo, so if you haven't yet given it a shot, definitely go get your download on. It's easily the best way to see what you think of the new control scheme and the look of the game (not to mention some of the tag-team actions of you and your "pahtinah").
Instead, we'll focus on the stuff you couldn't see in the demo, namely what happens during some of the more interesting boss encounters that cropped up during our short-ish play time. The game starts with Alpha Team, the local emplaced group of soldiers piling out of a truck as they screech up to their destination, then a poor local suddenly being overcome with what looks like an exponentially growing case of a leech infestation. This all comes into play as the game's first boss fight, where the creature, which has utterly consumed its original host (and in fact gobbles up a slain member of Alpha Team before chasing Chris and Sheva down), has to be trapped in an incinerator. It's a simple little mechanic, and can actually be over in a matter of seconds if you're playing with a co-op buddy, but playing with the game's AI was a bit tougher.
See, you can issue basic orders to Sheva like "pick this ammo/item up" or "flick this switch for me" or "mount this turret," but aside from that and telling her to Attack or take Cover, she basically just plunks away with whatever ammo you've given her or she's picked up until it's all spent -- even if she's in Cover mode. Luckily, she's helpful far more times than when she isn't, and when either Chris or Sheva is on death's door, before an enemy can deliver a final killing blow, if a healthy partner is near, they'll punch 'em in the chest with a little wake-up juice and the injured-but-not-quite-dead partner will keep on keepin' on. There are multiple parts of the game where Chris can't climb but Sheva can, allowing players to branch off in similar but slightly different routes. During co-op, these often make for some tense support sections, with one player covering another while they accomplish a rudimentary task (like, uh, staying alive while getting bum rushed by angry villagers). It's a smart way to break things up, and when the pair combine -- such as when we raced through the savanna in a speedy little Humvee with twin mounted cannons repelling crazed bike and van riders until the Hummer jumped a bridge... and fell right into a boss fight.
That's fine by us, as it didn't really impede our ability to enjoy a hefty chunk of Chris Redfield's trip through a bleak, oppressive new African climate, nor did it keep us from getting to know Sheva, Chris' partner throughout the adventure (and the person a second player will take the reins of when playing through the full game either locally or in online co-op). Chris has changed a bit since his experience in the first Resident Evil; he's bigger -- much bigger -- with absolutely heyuuge arms and a slightly more hardened demeanor, but time has apparently shifted his basic movement from being a tank to... well, moving a whole hell of a lot like Leon Kennedy from RE4.
If you've played the demo that was made available a few weeks ago on the PlayStation Network, then none of this will come as news. No, the build we have doesn't control any differently, which means plenty of getting used to the half-step upgrade to how Chris or Sheva pivot around a center axis, stay absolutely locked in place when aiming (or, more frustratingly, reloading), yet feature a twin analog stick control method by default that's different, but not all that different (and of course if you're a stickler for RE4's controls, you can always opt for that configuration at any time.
We also played through the two seconds in the demo; one, a clearing where an informant you meet early on that supplies you with some firepower meets his untimely end at the hands of a hooded executioner with nails stick out of seemingly every inch of his head and torso, and a more claustrophobic alleyway between two buildings where a masked chainsaw-wielding crazy would love nothing more than to separate your head from your shoulders. Both play just as they did in the demo, so if you haven't yet given it a shot, definitely go get your download on. It's easily the best way to see what you think of the new control scheme and the look of the game (not to mention some of the tag-team actions of you and your "pahtinah").
Instead, we'll focus on the stuff you couldn't see in the demo, namely what happens during some of the more interesting boss encounters that cropped up during our short-ish play time. The game starts with Alpha Team, the local emplaced group of soldiers piling out of a truck as they screech up to their destination, then a poor local suddenly being overcome with what looks like an exponentially growing case of a leech infestation. This all comes into play as the game's first boss fight, where the creature, which has utterly consumed its original host (and in fact gobbles up a slain member of Alpha Team before chasing Chris and Sheva down), has to be trapped in an incinerator. It's a simple little mechanic, and can actually be over in a matter of seconds if you're playing with a co-op buddy, but playing with the game's AI was a bit tougher.
See, you can issue basic orders to Sheva like "pick this ammo/item up" or "flick this switch for me" or "mount this turret," but aside from that and telling her to Attack or take Cover, she basically just plunks away with whatever ammo you've given her or she's picked up until it's all spent -- even if she's in Cover mode. Luckily, she's helpful far more times than when she isn't, and when either Chris or Sheva is on death's door, before an enemy can deliver a final killing blow, if a healthy partner is near, they'll punch 'em in the chest with a little wake-up juice and the injured-but-not-quite-dead partner will keep on keepin' on. There are multiple parts of the game where Chris can't climb but Sheva can, allowing players to branch off in similar but slightly different routes. During co-op, these often make for some tense support sections, with one player covering another while they accomplish a rudimentary task (like, uh, staying alive while getting bum rushed by angry villagers). It's a smart way to break things up, and when the pair combine -- such as when we raced through the savanna in a speedy little Humvee with twin mounted cannons repelling crazed bike and van riders until the Hummer jumped a bridge... and fell right into a boss fight.
