Majini, Lightning and Nazis, Oh My!

There's nothing quite like the feeling of finishing a game, and sending it packing back to GameFly. Of course, it's an extra bonus when I get a Platinum trophy or Completed game out of the equation, and this time, I managed get two! Two Platinums, and one hideous, glaring hole in my completion record. Read on!

 My Resident Evil 5 Stats:

 

• Platform:  PS3
• Playthroughs: 6+ @ 45+ hours     
•  Trophies: 51/51 before DLC (Platinum #9!)      /
•  I compare it to: Resident Evil 4, 2
• Play it again?:If not playing the DLC comes back to haunt me.
• Urgency: Gamefly or Used Section

Resident Evil is one of those franchises that I've been playing almost since game one. I haven't played any of the many spinoffs, however, I have played every main game in the series, and when Resident Evil 4 revitalized the series (and the genre), I was actually excited about it again. Resident Evil 5 takes the formula that RE4 utilized to such great effect (over the shoulder aiming, intense action, and upgrades upgrades upgrades!) and amps it up a bit. And, for the most part, it works.

The visuals, as I've expected from every new RE game, are fantastic. Top notch production value is one of RE5s real strengths. It's also the first RE set in bright sunlight, proving scary isn't just for the dark. The sound also keeps up with RE's stellar track record. But, these are all things we expect from AAA titles nowadays. When we consider the gameplay....

My first reaction after playing the demo was not excitement, but frustration. I had just played Dead Space, and while that game is just as terrifying and gripping (ok, maybe more so) than RE5, it has one important feature that RE5 did not. STRAFING! The ability to move sideways (or to move at all while you aim), Capcom argued, diminished the tension in this environment, which I think was just a lame cover for the real reason, which I think sounds something like, "Why didn't we think of that? Well, it's too late to put it in now, just make something up to cover for us, would you?"

One thing I noticed about this game and its predecessor is that it's not very fun the first time through. It's intense, it's taut, you're always fighting or running for your life (and not always succeeding). In other words, survival horror. However, on your second playthrough, you've fully powered up a weapon or two, and you tear through subsequent playthroughs, plural, like an unholy badass. This is where the new RE games get fun to play, and they are. It's also nice that you get to keep your equipment on higher difficulties, which makes them bearable.

A major new component in the RE formula is the inclusion of co-op. Having a partner, while one might think would lessen the intensity of a survival horror experience, actually provides some new thrills for the genre. Covering your partner as he/she runs across a catwalk crawling with Lickers (I'm so happy they're back!) is almost as intense as doing the running, hoping your trust in your partner is well founded.

Now, I haven't said much about the story. There's really not much to say, except that despite all of the improvements to the presentation, Resident Evil's story is a special type of ridiculousness that you can't find just anywhere. On the first playthrough, it's kind of fun to watch the cutscenes to attempt to figure out whats going on, but skip them thereafter. The game flows better without them, and they're not worth taking seriously. And, I do have to say, even though the lines haven't improved too much, lets give it to the voice actors for doing a decent job. And no one asks, "Where's Barry?"

If you're a RE veteran, definitely check this out. Not so bad for the general public, either, but no need to rush out the store.

My Infamous Stats:

• Platform:  PS3
• Playthroughs: 2 @ 35-38 hours     
•  Trophies: 50/50 (Platinum #10!)      
•  I compare it to: Supercharged Sandbox Superhero!       
• Play it again?: If it showed up orphaned on my doorstep. Otherwise I'll wait for the sequel.
• Urgency: Gamefly or Used Section.

Moment of Complete Honesty: I'm sick to death of sandbox games. Seriously. Yeah, ok, immersive worlds are fun, but it's hard to get this stuff right anymore. I HATE taking forever to get where I'm going, and sometimes I just get sick of wandering around. Infamous, I am glad to say, has refreshed my taste for these types of games, because it has shown me what they need: SOMETHING DIFFERENT! And, in Infamous' case, its superpowers! Sweet!


Infamous really did an excellent job of creating a city that was fun to traverse, and entertaining powers to wreak havoc with (and traverse said city, love you Rail Grind!). The game's morality system, while at times black and white, actually has a bearing on the gameplay, with each path directly affecting your selection of powers, as well as the city around you, with an altruistic play style inspiring the citizens to clean up the streets and cheer you on, while those of a more malevolent bent will notice neighborhoods falling deeper into ruin, and trash and insults being thrown your way.  


Honestly, I didn't get Infamous' story at first. I thought the tone was bizarre and confusing, however, when I thought of it as more of a comic book tale than other open world games, then I really was able to kick back and enjoy it. There are some bizarre and borderline ridiculous happenings, but in the context of a superhero comic, they all work just fine.


I have to recommend Infamous highly for anyone, but especially those burned out on open world games. It uses a lot of those conventions we know so well, but mixes up the formula just enough to make it a blast to play.

My Call of Duty 2 Stats:

 

• Platform: 360
• Playthroughs: 1 @ 10-12 hours     
•  Achievements: 200/1000 (really? See below)
•  I compare it to: WWII as you've never seen it before....as of 5 years ago.     
• Play it again?: Perhaps, that 200/1000 mocks me every time I see it.
• Urgency: For archival purposes only

A lot has changed in the gaming world since 2005. We're used to iron sight aiming, regenerating health, and Hollywood quality cinematic action. In other words, Call of Duty. After Modern Warfare, we've come to expect these features in a triple-A FPS.  So, I suppose it's no surprise that Call of Duty 2 was somewhat underwhelming for me. But, I could definitely see why it was such a big deal at the time.

A month or so after the Xbox 360 debuted, I saw CoD2 playing at a kiosk somewhere. I was instantly impressed by the level of detail on display, to say nothing of the utter chaos of battle. All running at 60 frames per second as well (my favorite framerate!). I was impressed and made it a point to play it someday. 

And 5 years later, I did. While some of the level design is pretty dated, it's very easy to pick out the conventions that made Modern Warfare such a resounding success 2 years later. The campaigns are interspersed with unforgettable "water-cooler" moments, the two that come to mind right this second are crawling through a trench while enemy tanks roll overhead, and gunning a tank over sand dunes taking out Rommel's Afrika Corps. And of course, there is the requisite D-Day level, though this one is certainly one of the best. 

Call of Duty 2 is also interesting in that it presents an example of developer's thinking toward achievements in their inception. While most games now have 40-50 achievements, with a very defined plan about when they are unlocked, Call of Duty 2 has only 13. I unlocked 2 on my Normal playthrough. 2. 50pts for finishing the tutorial, and another 150 chunk for beating the game. All the rest are for beating levels on Hardened or Veteran. While I just wasn't interested enough to keep going through Hardened and Veteran on this one, I may just get it again to do so, because looking at that 200/1000 feels like a stain on my GPA, er, completion record. Yeah.

From a historical perspective (and I mean gaming history, I'll leave the historical accuracy of the game to others), Call of Duty 2 is an important title that features many design staples that we take for granted today in their infancy. If you're interested for this reason, or if you're a World War 2 buff, CoD 2 may be worth taking a look at. Otherwise, just recognize this as a stepping stone to the games of today.

Next Time! Almost Caught Up! Hooray!