Resident Evil 5 gameplay report (page 2 of 3)

By Chris Morell & Travis Moses
June 03, 2008 12:29 PM PST
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The Great Outdoors

Outside, Chris was greeted by mayhem. Zombies swarmed from what seemed like every corner. He pulled out his shotgun and fired at a few baddies, causing them to propel backward. Oftentimes, a shotgun blast knocked one foe into another and caused them both to topple, like a morbid game of dominoes. As Chris dispatched the zombies, we noticed he was still being pursued by that giant axe-wielding maniac who, as we were told by the producers, couldn't be killed in this demo (though that may not hold true for the final game). But the giant often worked to Chris's advantage, as his massive axe swings cleaved right through nearby Las Plagas.

In the village, there were several small shed-like structures. Chris climbed on top of one to gain some temporary safety. This was a crucial error. The Las Plagas in Resident Evil 5 can climb, and as they piled onto the small rooftop, Chris was once again mobbed. Chris shot down some of the climbers, and they fell off to the ground below, sometimes breaking a table or other object on their way down. Chris hopped to another rooftop, but eventually ended up fighting from the ground again.

Chris can now dish out a powerful uppercut to to topple his enemies.

We were told that the complete village in the game is about four times larger than the village from RE4. But in the small sector we saw, it was easy for Chris to get trapped in a corner or otherwise overwhelmed. To break out of these tricky spots, Chris pulled out a sub-machinegun that was better for pegging multiple enemies. At one point, Chris took aim at an electrical transformer and shot it down. If planned right, it would have electrocuted a horde of zombies, but instead he shocked himself. And he tossed incendiary grenades to set zombies ablaze, though he repeatedly lit himself on fire, too.

No matter where Chris ran or hid, the Las Plagas would find him. Judging by the demo, there is simply no safe place to hide in Resident Evil 5. The Las Plagas can breach the safely of nearly any room, whether it has windows or not.

It was 20 minutes of terror, but an absolute delight to watch. Unfortunately we didn't get to see every detail, such as the new inventory screen or the on-screen interface. But we're told that these details will be unveiled at E3 next month.

Resident Evil 5 is as creepy and violent as RE4, and the African setting is a welcome change.

Travis Moses thinks:

The live gameplay demo of Resident Evil 5 captured the attention of everyone in the room for a brief 20-minute sit down. The new trailer, which you can watch here, was shown first. Then we were presented with a real-time demo of a level that is similar to the first village in Resident Evil 4.

Live from Africa, it's Resident Evil 5

It was exciting to finally see live gameplay. Chris stood in the middle of a shanty house with his pistol drawn, and a machete and shotgun on his back. You can now see as Chris holsters and reaches for each gun. But it wasn't long before the Las Plagas infected zombies were banging at the door and windows. The glass shattered and the barricade splintered. Zombies came pouring in carrying axes, machetes, piping, and wrenches.

At least a dozen zombies filtered into the house, too many to stay and fight. If a zombie grabs hold of Chris, you must "break free" by mashing buttons. Suddenly, the wall behind Chris was obliterated and we turned to see a hulking, fat executioner lugging around a life-threatening axe-mace. There are mini-boss zombies in RE4, such as Dr. Salvador the chainsaw-wielding maniac, but this tub of lard ~~eats~~ takes the cake. He doesn't have a name yet, joked Takeuchi-san. We'll call the executioner Gond Annabon, which means strong elephant in middle-earth Elvish.

The "total gameplay time in Resident Evil 5 will be over 20 hours," RE5 producer Takeuchi-san said

The headsman towers above the other fodder zombies, swiping his axe with abandon and taking out anything in his path. Fruit stands, awnings, and even other zombies don't stand a chance of withstanding a single blow from the executioner. Almost every object can be destroyed in Resident Evil 5, adding another level of intensity and strategy to the survival horror series.