Cythusly's weblog

I spent a little more time with the Resident Evil 5 demo last night and a bit today and I’m happy to say it was quite a bit better once you pick a control style (‘Style D’ really sucked ass in my opinion, ‘A’ was closer to what I’d want to use, but still not perfect – but I can adapt.) I didn’t manage to get Sweet D to come play with me last night (and I still haven’t found my headset, but I’ve resigned myself to buying a Messenger Kit since it has a headset in it too and I absolutely loathe typing anything with the L-stick and button clicks) but I got my friend @mithrandir202, Chris, on the phone and we ghettoed up the voice connection that way.

Our attempts at Public Assembly were dismal at best, due in part by Chris’ lack of having played a RE game before, let alone the one that would probably help most RE4. He commented a few times on how he was less than pleased about the having to stop and aim – but as I told him, “it adds to the tension and keeps it from being Halo with t-virus infected las plagas victims” to which he responded “huh?” Kids.

Anyway, I’m going to try and get a few other friends to load up with me in the next few days and see if we can’t get both “Public Assembly” and “Shanty Town”, neither of which Chris and I were able to get through last night.

Finally today I beat the chainsaw ganado (not sure what to call it, but I think the term still applies) that ends the level and I have to say it’s much more difficult doing that with two characters whose asses you have to watch and make sure don’t die. As to be expected in the solo campaign ammo conservation is freaking time consuming, with the new inventory system, and frustrating, because your idiot partner decides she needs all the ammo – tell you what, chickie, how about I pick up the ammo and give you some if I think you need it, otherwise stay out of my way and try not to catch a chainsaw to your head.

-Tyler

I’m going to do a few of these because I feel the two levels offered in the demo of Resident Evil 5 need more attention than I’ve been able to give them – so far, first impressions are the game is fantastically beautiful, semi-fun to play, and honestly? A little too much like Resident Evil 0 for my liking. I’m playing on a 21″ Insignia 720p and it feels a little bit cramped, especially running down a hallway or alley being bumped into by your cohort, Sheva, as she’s trying to stand right next to you.

The way Chris Redfield (yes, Resident Evil’s Chris Redfield) runs and moves feels a little more clunky than Leon did in RE:4 and I can’t tell exactly why. The controls feel out of place on the 360′s controller and the sense of longing for the GameCube’s controller constantly bashes me over the head as I think “man… I remember maneuvering much easier in 4.” Another thought is that possibly they’ve slowed Chris down a bit because he is a bit bulkier than Leon was – in fact, he’s not just a bit bulkier, he’s HUMONGOUS. The guy has shoulders so large no wonder Sheva has a problem standing next to him, he’s too damn big. Not functional.

Hopefully the control complaints will be silenced later tonight when I’m hoping to hook up with my friend Sweet D on XBL for some co-op action if I can find my old headset.

More to come.

-Tyler

Resident Evil 5 website

RE5 link on XBL: download the demo!

For everyone reading this that doesn’t know the Resident Evil 5 demo dropped on Live! today. I’ve only had a chance to check out one level and I don’t have time to do a writeup right now but I will get on that later today – unless I’m too busy playing the demo, which you should be playing or downloading RIGHT NOW. Go!

-Tyler

Had a chance to watch RE:Degeneration a few nights ago and it’s kind of been sitting in the back of my mind. The opening scene in the airport terminal was freaking amazing, and I immediately recognized one of the cops voices as the American voice of Onizuka from GTO (probably my favourite animé ever, watched in both Japanese with subs and dubbed English. I’m hardcore like that.)

The story is pretty much the standard for the Resident Evil franchise – something has gone horribly wrong, the T-Virus is let loose and someone we have played in previous games is there to fix it all.

Glenn, Miller and Kennedy

This time it’s Claire Redfield and Leon S. Kennedy, seemingly right out of Resident Evil 4. The movie is like one long RE cutscene, which isn’t bad I just felt like I should have a controller in my hand for some of those awesome contextual button presses we all know so well from RE4. Paul Mercier and Salli Saffioti are back voicing Leon and Hunnigan (respectively) as well as Alyson Court as Claire Redfield, not having voiced the character since Code: Veronica in 2000.

All in all, the movie is fun and set in a universe I love (but am not all that familiar with, having only played about 3 of the titles) and should be given a shot – I wouldn’t say it’s a buy, unless you’re completely obsessed. But if you are completely obsessed you would have already bought it when it was released December 27th! Otherwise just pick it up at your local video store (if they’re cool enough to have a copy and the rest of your city/town/area is lame enough to leave it on the shelf for more than 5 minutes.)

-Tyler

I hope everyone has seen the featurette for the (possibly defunct?) movie based on Alan Moore’s Watchmen, but if you haven’t Superhero Hype has you covered! Check it out, then check out what’s going on with Warner Bros. and Fox fighting about who legally owns the rights to the movie… when I think about it, it kind of reminds me of that awful Fantastic Four movie Fox made on next to nothing to keep the rights to the Fantastic Four franchise, they haven’t made any such movie (read: no such movie has surfaced) to keep ahold of the Watchmen rights and I’m no lawyer so I can only add conjecture to the mix: Fox can’t continue to own the rights to the Watchmen and sit on it for close to 20 years. And if they can, fuck you Fox. I hate your politics and now it’s fucking with a movie I am actually kind of excited about (but still wary of very possibly sucking.)

Here’s to hoping something gets worked out in time for the March 6th release of the Watchmen.