Series Predictions: Resident Evil 5

by Tom Hardman - 2008/08/01 11:00am

So with Resident Evil 5 receiving a steady dose of media coverage in its run up to release, taking with it an armful of awards from this year's E3. We take a look at what has made the franchise stand out from the crowd over the years, and try to conjure an image of what we can expect more of in its newest outing.

Resident Evil was a seized opportunity back in 1996 when the original graced our screens. It had all the markings of a good horror game, and successfully ticked off most of the cliché's normally reserved for film. A routine investigation derailed, a seemingly empty mansion used for shelter, and enough traps, freak encounters and precarious puzzles to make any fan of the genre swoon. It wasn't afraid to innovate too though, and from the very start players had the opportunity to pick one of the games two playable characters, Jill Valentine or Chris Redfield, to trespass in on the horrors inside.

The rather defining ability to play through the game from different perspectives was brought back for Resident Evil 2, this time your choice was between Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield (Chris younger sister) as they became trapped in the zombie-infested Racoon City. Whilst the series depicted many sidekicks and characters in mutual situations in their other outings, it was these first two games that made those relationships a playable affair. Resident Evil 5 reportedly re-introduces this concept, even allowing online co-op, but can we expect a fork in the storyline and the incentive to play through again as Chris's new partner Sheva Alomar, or will her lingering presence on your heels make that improbable?



The continued success of the series known as Biohazard in Japan has only continued to force its own evolution, adapting to suit wider audiences, or reflect the console of its choice at the time. One of the clear-cut trends throughout the core collections lifecycle has been one of scale. The first pitched you into an apparently empty house, so each of the encounters was small, but very well orchestrated. Frustrated hours were lost creeping round corners in anticipation of another shock. Later games upped the scale, pitting you in a city under siege and a remote village complete with obligatory castle. This changed the pace of the games and allowed the player to breathe little easier. Capcom hadn't given up the challenge of providing the sort of game you'd be afraid to play at night, but it was noticeable that their attempts at horror were being overbalanced by their new emphasis on action.

Speaking of which, with later games like Resident Evil 4, most of the functions of the older games had been removed, the control scheme showing the most progression. Tweaked in RE2, added functionality such as the dodge and 180 spin in RE3 and the ability to fine-tune your aiming in RE4 have left us with an expectancy for RE5 that should be 'comfortable'. The basics are still in place though, you still won't find yourself running and gunning at the same time, the pace is slowed to put you into a tight squeeze, a device that has worked well throughout each of the games.

Ignoring the obvious deviants from the pack such as the light-gun packing Survivor series, Resident Evil had a change of design post Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. Adopting an over the shoulder perspective, Leon had much more freedom over his moves and arguably player skill counted for more than previous instalments had done so. Mixing the new direction with the old formula of a slow-paced character and limited ammunition, the result was one that provided feelings of dread and fast-approaching doom whilst playing, especially so on the harder levels.



Whilst the new perspective arguably took away some of the cinematic quality from the presentation, which before allowed for triggered events to be played to full potential, it did provide one clever predicament: Facing down zombies with an impending lack of ammunition or reload, Leon could only see his foes if he continued to look at them head on, making retreating or increasing his distance from them difficult. Turning to run would increase your exposure to attacks from behind, and you never knew what would be stepping on your toes when you turned to face them again. Hopefully the enemies in RE5 will play on this that much more. Who needs dank corridors and medieval hallways when the hordes are descending on you and falling back might just make it worse?

So what about the games art direction? Over the years Resident Evil has moved through various shades of zombie grey and has taken a rather concerning interest in the visual (and devastating) effects of fire. The onset has been bleak, thrusting the player into an oppressive neighbourhood where most of the lights have been snuffed and no matter how long you wait around, morning never comes. Rolled in the music and there's a game that promises to drop a surprise on you from every corner, and from every dark shadow. Resident Evil 4 was perhaps the weakest showing of this notion, despite the art pointing in an entirely different direction. There was little to worry about and the term 'Survival Horror' it coined early on the in the PlayStations line-up was beginning to wilt, making way for much more impressive gameplay at its expense.



Any fears that the RE5 will follow the same path are all too apparent on the forums, speculation is rife on the intended direction of the game, many of which worry over its ability to keep us skipping heartbeats like the first releases. From the outset this looks unlikely, so far we've seen open environments, glistening sunshine, and not one iota of footage depicting vexing puzzles or dark claustrophobic rooms. But Jun Takeuchi, Producer for the latest game has already announced that he's looking to reemploy the thematic feel from the original game, and it's likely that what we're being shown is far from the complete picture. We'd go out on a limb to say that long-term fans will be catered for in the aesthetics that this new art direction is there to instil a false sense of security. One thing bright sunshine does is provide bigger shadows.

Promises of answered questions and a recap of Chris's time away from our screens are heavy ones to commit to. From the events of the first game, the main protagonist saw his share of horrors, returning to us in Code Veronica to rescue his sister Claire. Having helped defeat the Umbrella Corporation by exposing it to the world, his life after that has been much a mystery, as had the preceding years. Other characters will no doubt receive their own attention too, Wesker has plenty to answer for and there's a glimmer of hope that Jill Valentine will turn up to aid her ex-partner at some stage. Roll into this hints of an in-depth look at the T-Virus itself and we may be looking at the origins of the devastation caused.

With 18 games under its wing, three live action films and a planned CGI one. Capcom and its franchise have stirred enough against-the-grain footage up to keep us tantalised, confused and in some cases worried over the saga's future. This is nothing new though, and replaying through the games reveals just how much dedication is put into it. Not content with simply churning out sequels, each game has certainly received its own blend of originality and it's this notion we hang onto at present. The Resident Evil series from its very first game is still an enjoyable experience, a testament to the quality of work placed in it. The progression from game to game is clear and with little exception has always kept the collection a fresh experience.



So let's recap on the recap with our predictions:

Atmosphere

• Whilst we're expecting few of the original sudden frights that the original gave us in abundance, be prepared for the gradually escalating horror as your adversaries get out of hand quickly. Intensive dialogue will also become one of the hallmark features of this game, with two main characters seemingly together for the majority of the time, there's going to be an awful lot of voiced expression.

A Double-Crossing

• New girl Sheva may seem like a nice girl in a tight spot, but we've been through our fair share of double-crossings and we're not prepared to hold this hand tightly just yet. Due to the co-op mode, expect any revelations over her true nature to be just before the credits. Also, expect a meeting with the illustrious Ada Wong, she'll be switching sides yet again, but this time the tables will be turned and true colours shown.

A Friendly Reunion

• Jill Valentine should be making an 'in the nick of time' appearance. They worked together to take down Umbrella, they should still be celebrating.

Plans to be Unveiled

• Wesker has been up to something for far too long now, years have passed with him running free reign and it's about time we found out just how he's been spending them.

The Quick Witted Shall Prosper

• With the usual amount of scarce ammunition, and the ever-increasing hordes of the undead/infected intent on ripping you apart, it's obvious that you'll not be able to rely on mere bullets. Thinking strategically about your surroundings will be an absolute must in this game.



For a more detailed look at the facts behind the upcoming Resident Evil 5, be sure to check out our upcoming preview. For the time being though, dig out those old discs, turn down the lights and have one last go to whet your appetite.