Finally got around to wrapping up the Resident Evil 5 single player run-through on Veteran mode.  As a mega-fan of RE4 but not someone who was plugged into the series before then, I had El Gigante-sized expectations for Capcom’s anticipated follow-up.

The short of it: I agree with everything that’s been said about its action-focus over horror, but man if it isn’t some primo action.  I love this game.

Spoiler-laden reactions after the jump.

I get the criticisms of the controls.  Yes, it is counter-intuitive to draw your gun and not be able to move, but that’s just how Resident Evil rolls, you know?  Having played RE4 into the ground, the transition to 5′s tank layout was easy, though stopping to load then taking a wrench in the face by a bad guy wasn’t super-enjoyable.

But I adapted.  The game compensates for that rooted-in-placeness, as the enemies often wait before attacking.  Just time your attacks and reloading right and you should be okay.  Really, about five minutes in, the controls were second-nature, so please don’t get scared off of the game because of non-strafing horror stories you hear.  If you do you’re missing out on a supremely cool action experience.

"Anyone here from out of town? You, with the shotgun and the biceps, are you trying to compensate for something? Hello, is this thing on?"

Stuff I Liked

1.  The boss fights. They truly are huge and varied and the solutions to them typically don’t involve just opening fire with your Magnum.  The giant smackdown with the tentacle thing at the end is legendary.

2.  The head shot-to-melee combo.  This is the bread and butter of besting your foes in RE5 and it’s half-a-loaf of fun.  Pop someone  in the face with a handgun shot, walk up and lay them out with a straight punch.  You can also chain melee moves in co-op or sneak around a kneeling enemy and snap his neck.

3.  The length. I’m pretty sure RE4 is longer, but RE5 isn’t brisk.  The chapters are long and the settings are varied.  You’re running through shanty-towns, laying waste to indigenous tribes, screwing around an oil refinery and laying siege to a battleship.  It’s a meaty, satisfying adventure.

4.  Sheva.  She’s a great AI construct.  Though I anticipate playing co-op with another human, Capcom hit paydirt with your CPU partner.  She doesn’t get in the way and is quick to heal you and give you stuff.  Yeah, she relies too much on her handgun, but then again she’s accomplished at those head shots, freeing you to walk up and let fly a beatdown.

5.  The tech. Just look at this game.  Wow.  And the music is perfectly suited to getting your blood pumping.

6.  The finale.  I can see how some players might think the ultimate showdown is drawn out, but this is Wesker and he deserves prolonged comeuppance.

7.  The story.  It’s not Camus-like, but what do you expect?  All we need is a coherent narrative to keep our heroes shooting dudes in the heads and though the madman-wanting-to-remake-the-world-in-his-image isn’t terribly original, it works fine enough.  No complaints from me.

Stuff That Didn’t Do It For Me

1.  The dogs.  Man I hated those dogs in the beginning.  They wrecked me.  Smoking the dastardly canines with my infinite shotgun ammo these days is cathartic.

2.  The dearth of puzzles.  Aside from one low-impact mirror-turning puzzle, there wasn’t anything to tease your brain.

3.  Scares are in short supply.  Another common criticism, but it’s valid, though hearing those barking dogs wasn’t a treat.

4.  Cant buy ammo from the store. This proved to be enormously frustrating at the end, facing mutant Wesker.  I was about ready to throw rocks because my ammo was so low.  Pro-tip: hoard Magnum ammo for the end boss fight.

5. “Chriiiiisssss!” We get it Wesker.  You’re not a fan.

As an action game junkie, I absolutely devoured this installment in the vaunted franchise.   The horror is most definitely derived from the “survival” aspect, as you’ll be relentlessly chased by all manners of bad guys and can’t run and shoot at the same time, but who cares: when a game is this polished and this fun, any shortcomings are easily discarded.

The Verdict: Not Guilty.  Commence chainsawing.