When I first started to play this game it was pretty confusing and I died all of the time even on easy mode but this is a game that you can keep playing and keep improving at and it has such incredible presentation and game design. I think with how this game works on easy mode vs normal and the scoring system combined with the enemy and bullet patterns this might be the closest thing I have ever seen to perfection in game design. I still after all these years have never had time to fully master the game. I am proud to report that I have managed to get to level 4 on one continue though.

Resident Evil is one of my favorite series. I love the creepy atmosphere, the nerve wracking counting of bullets and ink ribbons and the way you feel vulnerable because you know as soon as you run out you have practically no chance of survival. The feeling of being completely alone trying to figure out what Umbrella is up to.

The problem with Resident Evil 5 is that it has none of these things. Enemies spawn ammo, you have a partner all the time, it takes place in the daytime... It's basically Gears of War with clunkier controls. I think that might have been what Capcom was going for at the time to reach a 'wider audience' but I am definitely not part of that audience.

This game made me mourn the loss of my favorite series but I am happy to report that there are good Resident Evil games made since. The Remake of Resident Evil 2 in particular is a huge upgrade over the original RE2.

Not only is this game a really great remake, it is better than Resident Evil 2 was at the time of launch. I can't believe how seamlessly this game was able to capture all of the great things from Resident Evil 2 and none of the bad parts. It ranks up there with the remake of Resident Evil 1 as the best in the series.

I love that they were able to use the over the shoulder view to create a genuine survival horror game for the first time. To me that view was always associated with the departure from survival horror that Resident Evil 4 represents.

I think it is doing this game a disservice to call it a Zelda clone. It is a Zelda style game but has very few puzzles. It is basically a study in game design where you ask the question: What if Zelda was all about the combat? It's not to say the world isn't fun to explore but the game revolves around a satisfying combat loop that requires skill but also teaches you the skills you will need very competently. Normally I would think it sounds like a bad idea but the game design is so good that it works very well.

I know this is considered one of the greatest shmups of all time but I just could not get into it no matter how much I tried. The 7 weapons with 3 buttons mechanic is very cool but the game feels clunky and complicated in a way that Ikaruga does not. I feel that it is a great step in the right direction but I could never play this when I could be playing Ikaruga instead. I suspect that this game's allure comes partly from the many many years after release when the only way to play it was to import it from Japan at incredibly high prices. I know my opinion of the game was higher before I got it and was able to really sit down and play it for a while. It is still a great shmup though.