Best of the Rest: Dave’s Picks of 2009
The following is a feature I submitted to Joystiq, reprinted here in its entirety. Also, be sure to check out Joystiq's Top 10 of 2009, where I contributed a piece on Borderlands.
I've long been a fan of the Resident Evil series, and while the campaign here has problems and should never be played solo, the Mercenaries mode is what kept me coming back. Those action-packed levels spent trying to survive while running low on ammo and health were some of my most chaotic, yet highly enjoyable, experiences of 2009.
Resident Evil (that grows on you) 5
I must admit that RE5 didn't grip me immediately. I plowed through it in 2 sessions with my friend Josh and immediately afterward felt like the experience really wasn't worth the wait. Was RE5's focus on co-op a big enough improvement from RE4? I thought not, then I got into the Mercenaries mode.
Mercenaries mode is a great game mode. 8 maps, each with their own specific set of enemies and challenges, awaited me and Ludwig during my first dabble in the multiplayer mode. We ran through every stage and had a blast. The next day, I started up the single player again with Josh, on the highest difficulty, and I must say that improved things drastically. The game is much more rewarding when playing on a higher level of difficulty, at least I think so. Playing through on Normal never really provided much tension, as two semi-smart human players (see: us) managed to traverse its challenges with relative ease. In the end, however, RE5 has been fun and a worthwhile experience.
I still don't get trying to put versus in the game, though. I can't imagine anyone dying to play that.
Resident Evil 5 is not racist
Seriously, people! You're all making a big fuss over nothing! If a WWII game has you in Germany, blowing away Nazis, it's not racist, it's true to life. If a game was set in Poland and you had to wave at one-armed men in trees, that wouldn't be considered racist. Well, maybe that last one. A little bit.
But, the point is, Capcom is trying to make it feel authentic and as real to life as a game of this type can possibly be. Black people live in Africa. Africa has become infected. The people living there carry the infection, turning them into murderous crazies trying to end our heroes. It seems pretty cut and dry to me.
Now, get back to complaining about the controls already!
Quick bio:Hi! I'm David Hinkle, Contributing Editor for Joystiq, former Lead of DS Fanboy and Wii Fanboy and co-host on the Xbox 360 Fancast. Basically, I write about games, talk about games and play games -- all the time.
This place is mainly a dumping ground for random thoughts, but you can also find links to all of my reviews and my contact info. Email me by clicking on this link.
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