"Journey to the Zombies". Review specifically for Gamer.ru

Resident Evil is arguably my favorite series. No other game has captivated and engaged me as much. I don't even feel the same way about **Fallout** or Gothic. I remember there was a time when I didn't play anything else for about six months except for RE2. It was released on two discs for the PlayStation — an unheard-of wonder and oddity. We were amazed back then...

Then came the third installment. A bit different, with a much larger open city at the beginning, but still in the spirit of the first two games. After I completely explored the series Resident Evil, I started looking for something similar. I played through both Dino Crisis games and dismissed Silent Hill — for some reason, I didn't like it. In general, if you're searching for a true fan of that cult series, here I am. But I have always felt closer to the classic style of "Resident Evil," and therefore I couldn't accept the fourth installment. I didn't even bother to play it. I thought it was just an attempt to cash in on the brand; it had nothing in common with those original projects.

But the fifth installment did pique my interest. I decided to come back. Even if it's during the day, even with zombies running around, even if everything seems different — would it be interesting? Could I enjoy it? That's the main question. By the way, Mr. Unleashed was helping me figure it out, and together we killed zombies. Throughout the material, you'll come across our dialogues that arose during the gameplay. They're real, just a bit censored.

A Different Style

Lovers of the first three parts are unlikely to greet the new game with a smile. The fifth one starts during the day, in Africa, without the old main characters. Moreover, in the introductory cutscene, we are immediately told that we are living in complex times — bio-terrorism is in full bloom, and this is no longer about some "Umbrellas" and rodents.

And the main characters now work in pairs. Not like before, when one would run around one side of a building and the other the other side. You're in the precinct; I'm in the basement — we wouldn't meet at all. But it made sense in the first parts. If both characters moved together, the feeling would have vanished when looking at the same items with different eyes. First, Claire would rummage around, then Leon would come along. And even if he only had a lighter, it revealed so much new information! If you let the heroes roam the precinct together, the game would turn into The Lost Vikings — you'd have to guess whom to use at any moment.

But Resident Evil 5 lost all its "quest" aspects. Here, we only think about how to take down the next batch of zombies, how to escape dangerous foes, and how to lure the boss into a trap. Forget about statues and bookshelves; they're nowhere to be found. Instead, we have real, lively shootouts. And indeed — the dynamics are something else. Do you remember that zombies run, drive vehicles, and shoot guns at will?

Unleashed: So, it looks like we should approach each statue. I'll never forget how I had to set the correct order of the bookshelves in the library and light the lamps correctly.

Agrippa: I hope nothing like that will happen here now.

Unleashed: Nah, in such a game there can't be puzzles anymore...

From this stems the need for cooperative gameplay. Personally, I don't view the fifth part as a single-player experience. I tried to play solo — it was decent. But playing with a buddy is much more interesting. So much so that I urge you — find partners (hussars — stand down!) — at least in this game. But play in pairs. Otherwise, you'll miss out on so much that you'll come back to me and say, "You lied, Agrippa, your RE5 is terrible.".

Everyone knows what Left 4 Dead is, right? So compare the feeling of cooperative play to running through the levels alone.

Unleashed: So, we’ll reach the key point, save, and I’ll be afk for two minutes.

Agrippa: Saves used to be stringent. In the second part, there was a time when the cartridges ran out, so I ran for three hours trying to save. I kept circling around the precinct because I couldn’t progress, but I didn't want to lose what I had already accomplished.

Unleashed: It got easier in the third one — infinite cartridges, no problems.*

Agrippa: Only I was too lazy to carry it around, constantly dumping it in chests. It's always more convenient that way...

Yes, let’s accept that what’s before us is already a full-fledged action game. But it’s not your ordinary action game. It follows a distinctly console tradition: betting on cutscenes. This was seen in the last MGS, and it constantly popped up in FF.

After every segment, we get a cutscene rendered in the game engine. Throughout the playthrough, we’ve seen so many of them... And you know, we never ceased to be impressed. First of all, the facial animation is beyond all praise. I was amazed each time at how lifelike the characters look.

Secondly, everything is directed just like in real movies. This is not a metaphor or exaggeration — some scenes are worth a rewatch on their own. Like the execution, or the fight from the fourth part. Those who have played will agree with me. They have already fully enjoyed it. For those still in doubt, you’ll see it all in the video review.

Thirdly, the cutscenes are interactive. Not always, of course, but sometimes we can control the character during the cutscene. Zombies surround us on motorcycles, riding around, suddenly hitting us with chains while we have to quickly press the right button. Then we switch to attack — again, we’ve got to hammer on the glowing buttons. And it’s important that both players stay focused. There was this one occasion — we’re rushing through a cave, everything's caving in, and we’re beating out a symphony, pressing E, F, and V. Sometimes we need to tap A-D quickly. We're running, tapping, and suddenly the character stumbles, and I’m asked to press the crucial combination of buttons. I do everything right, but the hero falls into a crevice. "I pressed it, what the hell?!" I ask. "Ha, I was digging in my nose with that hand," comes the reply in my headphones. In short, help each other out.

By the way, fans of Fahrenheit will surely enjoy the cutscenes. They are very similar, just prettier and more spectacular here. For me, it's like a balm for the heart. I'm an old fan of Lucas' adventures...

Unleashed: Nah, doors open here like not real.

Agrippa: Yeah, in the old "Resident Evils" it was kosher, wasn't it, when you’d look for something for five hours that would finally advance the plot — it got tiresome. By the way, the doors opened just like that in Dino Crisis too.*

Unleashed: Well, yeah, they're on the same engine. I completed the second one.*

Agrippa: Well, the second one was really something else. It was closer to this "Resident." Though, no, it was a wild shooter at all. We wouldn’t shoot as much throughout this game.

Now, at last, onto the combat part itself. The camera nowadays follows the character. So, the characteristic static angles from RE have vanished. I wouldn’t say they bothered me in the original. But now, fighting is certainly easier. Especially since the levels have changed so much that using the old approach is no longer possible.

Each map is more realistic and open. Earlier, all sections were corridor-like. Now there's much more freedom of movement. And it feels quite strange to be able to run in any direction. We’ll circle around the building from this side, then the other. We often climb onto roofs and jump down somewhere — go wherever you want; nothing blocks your way. It’s very characteristic of those chapters where we fight in the city. You physically feel the freedom. And it even makes you a little nostalgic for the corridors. However, there are still plenty of them. Moreover, there are more corridors than ever. But there's also openness, which I absolutely approve of.

The only complaint would be about somewhat awkward controls. The hero doesn’t run very fast; if you aim — stay still, and if you’re running, don’t shoot. It lacks the everyday features typical of PC shooters. You have to adjust and curse under your breath... If you're battling with a shocker — know that you're not alone. I'm also feeling down.

Unleashed: To the left, three dudes, take them down, damn it, faster!

Agrippa: Ugh, terribly politically incorrect game. Throughout the entire playthrough, not a single white guy died.

But overall, the fights became more exciting. You can glimpse how zombies creep up from behind. Earlier, we just couldn’t kill them all in time, but we clearly saw each one. I remember a fight from the fifth part when both Unleashed and I dashed into a house and started defending against hordes of the undead. Suddenly he starts running around and shouting: "Lags, lags! Stupid Live, the zombies appear from invisibility, what the hell?!" But actually, we just missed a window, and part of the enemies climbed in through it.

But despite all the visible changes, the developers tried to incorporate as many references as possible. Most of the weapons are from the original parts. We rejoiced like children when we found the magnum. Then we reminisced for a long time about how it smashed heads so satisfyingly. The pistol ammo is also in red patches where you wouldn’t expect them. And we recover health with herbs. Mix red with green, and you get an excellent pill that fully restores health.

It’s just that the method for collecting items is now different. Before, we could find something in a closet, behind a shelf, in strange and wonderful places. Now it's all in barrels. Just like in arcade games — run up, smash, collect prizes. Childish, but it was better...

Agrippa: Huh, the magnum didn’t knock off a zombie’s head... And there are hardly any bullets. In the second part, I think, there were a few too.

Unleashed: In the second part, there were virtually none at all...

But what's undeniably good now is the sheer freshness exuded by the game. I enjoyed the mission where we had to shoot from a machine gun. That’s no joke! I’ve been dozing off during those for the past five years, yet here it was beautiful and energetic. Moreover, the machine gun was splendid — an AK. We're racing at high speed, zombies are chasing us on motorcycles and buses, throwing things at us. Everything burns beautifully; sometimes we have to suddenly press the right button to avoid falling to the ground.

Or we're going through a sewer. Three corpses lie along it. We're already sure they will rise. And indeed, they rise slightly, and we comment, "Phew, so cliché." And then something bursts out of the zombie's back, flying up: "Now that’s interesting!".

The levels and the zombies on them are also curious. For example, I had to visit an infected tribe. The undead run around in loincloths, with spears and shields. Sometimes they shoot from bows.

Or in another mission. We need to pass through a mine. But it’s very dark there — visibility is zero. So, one player takes a big flashlight in both hands and goes forward, while the partner covers him from behind. You can't do it any other way. If the fighter with the gun goes first, nothing can be seen — the shadow blocks everything. It turns out to be very unusual, especially when zombies swirl from all sides, and the one holding the light starts to panic. He suddenly turns around, tries to do something, while the other is already shouting: "Light, I can’t see anything, a-a-a! You’re depriving me of my sight!".

Unleashed: Run over here, let’s get into the bus; there seem to be some bullets there.

Agrippa: Hey, remember the bus in the second part that was at the very beginning?

Unleashed: Yeah, that’s my most vivid childhood memory, damn, especially when the creature wanted to grab me by the leg.

Playing together is very interesting. Because ammunition is often scarce, inventory is small, and there’s a lot of weaponry — roles have to be assigned. One grabs a shotgun while the other uses a sniper rifle. This creates a specific battle tactic. We had an ideal "division of labor". I bought a shocker and "tanked" the zombies. I'd dash into the crowd, swinging in a circle, while Unleashed shot those I couldn’t get to.

Agrippa: Wait, here are some documents. Come here, let’s see.

Unleashed: Uh-huh, they're writing about increased strength in the infected.*

Agrippa: Oh, too many words, screw it, I’ll go gather bullets instead. I remember back then we had to read all the documents. There were passwords without which, damn it, you couldn’t proceed... I wonder what those four digits on the safe were, I can’t recall them.

Resident Evil 5 is an excellent adventure game. It can't be compared to action games like the new Wolfenstein and Bionic Commando. They will simply seem like cheap knock-offs. What’s interesting about them, really? There’s no story, the levels are similar, the enemies look alike. There’s no drive to move forward. And yet these are good games, worthy.

But RE5 is a more serious and profound project. It's truly an adventure. You don’t know what lies ahead. You want to push forward, watch these beautiful cutscenes, and progress through the levels. Something new and unusual constantly appears.

But I repeat, embarking on this journey solo can be dull. The game in front of us is still that interesting title, with the same magnificent cutscenes and beautiful levels, with unusual enemies and finds. But you can't play it alone! Simply because on a journey, you should have someone with whom you can share impressions, who will gasp when you see a boss, who will exhale, "Phew, finally," when you barely make it to the exit and brace the door. Otherwise, all those emotions will burn inside you. They will smolder, like in a furnace, never escaping, fading and dying away. You’ll rush to discuss the game on forums, trying to pour out your feelings, but it will be a little too late. The most important parts will already have burned out. It ignites so easily...

Moreover, if you don’t have the opportunity to play with someone online, invite a friend or your spouse — let them sit beside you. Take turns as you progress through the levels; first, one plays, then the other. But I will reiterate — you need to play with someone. Preferably online, too.

Unleashed: It seems like there are an awful lot of living people around here. There weren't this many before.

Agrippa: Yeah, before the living either died in front of our eyes or passed away long before our arrival.*

Unleashed: Or these living were already zombies...

Resident Evil 5 can become a very interesting gaming experience. One of the most vivid ones in recent months or maybe even years. But don’t expect excessive depth, hardcore battles, or stringent teamwork. Just expect an interesting adventure in a special gaming world where there’s only you and your friend. And the closer your friend is, the more intriguing the game. So you don’t need 3D glasses for $300 to immerse yourself, but rather a good buddy...

Unleashed: We shot down another helicopter. That’s the second one in the last half hour.

Agrippa: If there's any profession to choose in the world of Resident Evil, it would definitely not be a helicopter pilot. Has one managed to land safely in all five installments?