Resident Evil 5 released with much praise last year but came under heavy fire with the news that an additional Versus Mode was to be released not long after the launch, for a price. Gamers were up in arms over this, as effectively the content was already on the disc and seemed like it was withheld content. Well that seems like old news now, and since then Resident Evil 5 (RE 5) has had two more downloadable content packages with 'Desperate Escape' and 'Lost in Nightmares' adding two new chapters to the main storyline. An additional set of skins to be played through the main story and in a revised Mercenaries mode which places some of the old S.T.A.R.S team back together is also part of the package, but surprisingly Capcom has decided to not only release the content via Xbox Live for those gamers who already have RE 5, but as a standalone disc which features the exact same game, but with an additional code, for use over Xbox Live. Is this madness? Possibly.
Gameplay:
The gameplay as found in the original game remains unchanged, and what's really different are the two extra chapters which opt to appease fans of the old games of the series, (more so with Lost in Nightmares). The Mercenaries Reunion is also fan service because not only do you get to play as Excella and Josh from RE 5, but also Barry Burton and Rebecca Chambers who you will be familiar with from the original Resident Evil. What really sets the characters apart from the others are the weapons load-outs and special melee moves, other than that, there's no extra stages and the game plays exactly like the Mercenaries mode featured in the original RE 5 game.It would have been great if the Spencer Mansion from Lost In Nightmares was featured as a special stage for this mode. In a nutshell this game is purely for those players who missed out on RE 5 the first time and would like to have all the content at their disposal right away. In this regard, the price is reasonable and gamers who pick up on the game will find some sort of value, however, what can throw a spanner in the works is the fact that due to its age, it's entirely possible to pick up RE 5 second hand or new for around £12- £15. When you then add up all the content (both extra chapters weigh in at 400 points a piece) and the two costume packs at 160 and you're looking at possibly making a saving by not buying the full game.
Something else which is pretty odd is the fact that all the extra content has to be downloaded from Xbox Live, so when you buy the gold edition it's essentially a repackaging of the original game with a code printed on the back of the manual. So what of those gamers wanting to try out the extra outfits and Mercs mode who aren't connected to Live? The game assumes that all the people buying are going to have an Internet connection and will be happy to download the extras. This really isn't fair, and although you can argue that digital distribution saves on producing a second disc for the package (bumping up the price a little), the whole process totally disregards an entire segment of gamers who probably wouldn't mind having access to the new stuff.
What really seems to be an underlying theme here is the fact that the one time use only code does prevent second hand sales of the game, something the industry has been looking at tackling for many years now. More and more publishers are adopting these methods, and it seems very obvious in this case.
Longevity:
In terms of game time, all the extras will add on several hours of play, and the rather unusual Versus mode can be played over and over, as can the Mercenaries mode. Therefore you can't really argue against the longevity of the title, and if you're a newcomer, then you'll certainly have a grand time of it. For those of you who have already played the main game and are looking to expand the RE 5 experience, then perhaps ditching your old copy for this new one is not favourable, considering you can just download the extras from the Live Marketplace and seeing as being Live connected is a requirement for this disk anyway.
Overall:
Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition sounds like a riot on paper, and probably seemed like the best idea in the marketing rooms at Capcom. However, there just seems to be an air of resentment towards the package as it's aimed squarely at bringing new residents into the home and that's it. Yet the procedure for doing so, seems contrived and dipped in bitter sauce. Why not make a proper game and have two discs so that all gamers can experience the extras? The content download only route makes the entire game null and void for most Resident Evil fans, and with no extras unique to the gold package why bother with it? A nice extra making of video or additional stages for Mercenaries Mode to bolster a second disc would have appeased many, but alas, the whole thing screams lazy. Well if you've been living under a rock for the last two years and weren't one of the millions who rushed out to buy Resident Evil 5 originally, now is your chance to do so, you'll be pleased to know that for your efforts, you'll have a unique box art to be proud of. It's a shame we can't offer two scores for this package, because for newcomers, the game is up there with the greats. For the rest of us fans it's right down there at the bottom of the pile as it adds nothing new to the table.
| Review By: Robert Cram - Overall Rating (out of 10) |
| Gameplay: |
8.5 |
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| Graphics: |
9 |
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| Sound: |
8 |
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| Longevity: |
9 |
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| Overall: |
8.5 |
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