Rating by Stars: * Waste of time / ** Okay / *** Recommended / **** Superb
Overall: **1/2
Now I know what you all must be thinking, "I thought you only reviewed movies?" I do. So unfortunately for the gamers, this review is going to be strongly focused on main plot rather than the video game itself. In Japan, the video game industry is considered to be the "hollywood" industry using directors, producers, screenwriters, and voice actors to give them a hollywood charm. It's also considered as an another art form of storytelling. I mean think about it.... what are the most successful japanese video game series out there? "Metal Gear Soild," "Silent Hill," "Final Fantasy," and of course, "Resident Evil." Now what do all this games have in common? Great storytelling. Which is why I'm going to review this as a film perspective.
The story takes place after the events of the "straight-to-DVD" CGI film, "Resident Evil: Degeneration." Which means if you haven't seen it, you'll find yourself a bit lost. So anywho, here we are re-introduced to Chris Redfield, one of the few surivivers of the series. We see him now working for the BSAA (Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance) an anti-bioterrorism unit created by the government to prevent biological warfare. After driving into Africa, Chris is met by assigned partner Sheva Alomar, a BSAA operative from the western african unit. The two rendezvous with a butcher who tells them to locate a man named Irving. Along the way, the two see someone get fed a strange object which turns him into a majini which causes a victum to become extremely violent(much like "Las Plagas" from the fourth game but more advanced). After some time, the two watch the butcher's execution in the middle of the village while discovering they are set up by Irving. Knowing this, the two fight their way out of the demented villagers and much later while the plot begins to unfold, Sheva discovers that Chris's exceptence to the assignment was only to settle a personal vendetta for the death of his old partner.
There is also a "semi-plot twist" to this game. Of course I'm not going to give it away here, but all I can say is that you'll pretty much figure it out before the game even starts. Yes, it's that predictible. But other than that, it's pretty straight forward. It's no longer a horror game. Nothing scares you here like the previous games. This is a straight up action thiller. Just think how if "Night of the Living Dead" was directed by John Woo. It's that action-packed. It's like watching a high quality B-movie. A lot of great cinematic camera work, but very low on plot. Now this doesn't neccessarly ruins the game, but there is some room for adjustments. It just felt too simple to me.
If you're a hardcore fan of the series, add this one to your collection. It's not exactly the best of the series, but it is a very entertaining one. You're mostly going to love it because of the new co-op and mercenaries features. But remember, I'm reviewing this as a film perspective. So as game, I'm sure it's very enjoyable and worth spending your money on. But if you're the type that's looking for a game with a well crafted storyline, I would keep waiting.
Overall: **1/2
Now I know what you all must be thinking, "I thought you only reviewed movies?" I do. So unfortunately for the gamers, this review is going to be strongly focused on main plot rather than the video game itself. In Japan, the video game industry is considered to be the "hollywood" industry using directors, producers, screenwriters, and voice actors to give them a hollywood charm. It's also considered as an another art form of storytelling. I mean think about it.... what are the most successful japanese video game series out there? "Metal Gear Soild," "Silent Hill," "Final Fantasy," and of course, "Resident Evil." Now what do all this games have in common? Great storytelling. Which is why I'm going to review this as a film perspective.
The story takes place after the events of the "straight-to-DVD" CGI film, "Resident Evil: Degeneration." Which means if you haven't seen it, you'll find yourself a bit lost. So anywho, here we are re-introduced to Chris Redfield, one of the few surivivers of the series. We see him now working for the BSAA (Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance) an anti-bioterrorism unit created by the government to prevent biological warfare. After driving into Africa, Chris is met by assigned partner Sheva Alomar, a BSAA operative from the western african unit. The two rendezvous with a butcher who tells them to locate a man named Irving. Along the way, the two see someone get fed a strange object which turns him into a majini which causes a victum to become extremely violent(much like "Las Plagas" from the fourth game but more advanced). After some time, the two watch the butcher's execution in the middle of the village while discovering they are set up by Irving. Knowing this, the two fight their way out of the demented villagers and much later while the plot begins to unfold, Sheva discovers that Chris's exceptence to the assignment was only to settle a personal vendetta for the death of his old partner.
There is also a "semi-plot twist" to this game. Of course I'm not going to give it away here, but all I can say is that you'll pretty much figure it out before the game even starts. Yes, it's that predictible. But other than that, it's pretty straight forward. It's no longer a horror game. Nothing scares you here like the previous games. This is a straight up action thiller. Just think how if "Night of the Living Dead" was directed by John Woo. It's that action-packed. It's like watching a high quality B-movie. A lot of great cinematic camera work, but very low on plot. Now this doesn't neccessarly ruins the game, but there is some room for adjustments. It just felt too simple to me.
If you're a hardcore fan of the series, add this one to your collection. It's not exactly the best of the series, but it is a very entertaining one. You're mostly going to love it because of the new co-op and mercenaries features. But remember, I'm reviewing this as a film perspective. So as game, I'm sure it's very enjoyable and worth spending your money on. But if you're the type that's looking for a game with a well crafted storyline, I would keep waiting.
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