ShadowLeon659
15 reviews liked by ShadowLeon659
Now before I begin I just want to clarify this:
This is strictly my own opinion. If you disagree with me, more power to you. Just keep the comments civil and respectful.
!THIS IS A RE-UPLOAD OF AN ARTICLE FIRST PUBLISHED ON LETTERBOXD BACK IN OCTOBER 2021!
Hello and welcome back.
This is PART 7 of
SEASON OF THE EVIL!
This is it, folks. The last review of the month and boy howdy, what a ride it has been.
Capping off my Resident Evil review series, I'll be discussing the very game that officially got me into the franchise in the first place.
After the release of RE6, the majority of fans were left more than disappointed by how the final product turned out. It just seemed like barely anybody wanted to play survival-horror games anymore, let alone make them. Sure, there were some indie titles over the years like Slender and Outlast but other than that, no major developers wanted to touch the genre ever again. This is even more apparent when Konami infamously cancelled a much-anticipated entry in the Silent Hill series for whatever stupid fucking reason.
Yep, it seemed like the survival-horror genre is doomed to be brushed off as a passe fad that only hardcore internet nerds care about. But then, in 2015, a special demo was presented at E3 simply called "Kitchen" which was made to show off a brand new achievement in game visual design which would later be called the RE Engine. At first, people have been speculating on what Capcom had planned for this mysterious title. Is this a brand new IP? Is this a new Dead Rising? What? WHAT?!
And then... E3 2016 happened. To the surprise of absolutely everybody, the game was fully revealed to be the seventh(technically ninth, counting RE0 and Code: Veronica) mainline chapter in the Resident Evil series. Everybody lost their shit that day as the wishes of a million fans came true. Not only was it gonna bring the series back to it's survival-horror roots but it also spiced things up to still keep it fresh like a shift to first-person gameplay, virtual-reality support and a much darker and more sadistic style and tone. It was the game that RE purists wanted and once the game came out back in January 2017, it was a big hit. Critics and fans considered it a perfect mixture of familiar and fresh and it even managed to do very well commercially as it ranked in $394 million in sales. How awesome is that, you may ask? Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, which came out around the same time, made about $312.2 million. Roughly a close call but WOW! That means that more people were interested in playing a new survival-horror experience rather than putting up with more of Alice's horseshit escapades. SUCK IT, PAUL ANDERSON!!!
Thanks to RE7's success, it officially brought back people's faith in the franchise and since then, we were no longer ashamed to be excited for a new upcoming title whether it be a remake of a classic game or an entirely new installment.
As for me? Well, here's the thing: RE7 was the whole reason I wanted to do this event in the first place(aside from the fact that it's the franchise's 25th anniversary). Last year, when I was still trying super-hard to calm myself during lockdown, I initially wanted to experience something new. So I asked my brother if I can borrow his copy of the game for the PS4. It was the first proper game I've ever played through in this series and ever since then, I've been hooked.
Beforehand, I was a bit apprehensive to play horror games as I found them too intimidating for my liking(and no, it's not because I'm a scaredy cat), feeling that I wouldn't get on with them well the same way I wouldn't be able to get on with RPGs well(the ones that aren't South Park anyway). I mean, I've played Telltale's Walking Dead series but I was more referring to the ones that require the most skill and balls, and to be frankly honest, RE7 wasn't really the first of that kind I've played all the way through. It was the original Dead Space which I actually managed to enjoy.
So when I first popped in this title and gave it a go, it was quite the refreshing experience that I never thought I would truly get into but my god, never have I ever been so glad that I did.
So, in honor of the Halloween season, I'll be finishing off the SEASON OF THE EVIL by looking back at the game that made me a fan in the first place: Resident Evil 7.
STORY & CHARACTERIZATION:
Four years after the events of RE6, the game focuses on Ethan Winters, an average joe who is drawn to a derelict plantation in Louisiana after receiving a message from his wife, Mia, who was presumed to have died some time ago.
He then arrives at a seemingly-abandoned residence where he is soon held captive by the Bakers, a family that has been heavily corrupted by a bio-hazardous substance known as the Molded. After making a few risky escapes, Ethan finds himself looking for a way out of the house while also seeking answers as to what truly happened to Mia and when did this madness all happen.
After going way too big, bombastic and over-the-top with RE6, this entry makes the right choice of dialing shit down a notch all the while bringing back what made the series so iconic to begin with: The legit sense of dread, fear and mystery.
By going back to the survival-horror roots, the developers were given a chance to start things off fresh. We have here a bit of a smaller-scale tale that introduces a new cast of characters, new threats to encounter and new additions to the overall lore. It's an interesting and overall engaging story that keeps you guessing as the game progresses while still offering some fresh scares. Even as someone who usually complains about jump-scares, I'll admit, there were some cases here that did get a good fright out of me. It should also be worth noting that the game pays plenty of tribute to other well-known horror properties like Evil Dead, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Saw. If you've played the game, you'll probably know what I'm talking about.
It also helps that the cast did a fine job of driving the story forward. Out of all the RE protagonists, Ethan is probably the most casual of the bunch. He's not some badass biker or a nonchalant rookie cop or even a cocky mercenary. He's just a person who's every bit as normal as you can get. A simple-living man who was unfortunately roped into a hellish situation that forces him to toughen up and push through one horrific scenario after another and man, he goes through quite some shit. On top of that, the Bakers make for solid antagonists that really put up a hell of a good fight. Each have their own unique and sickening personalities and will do anything to fuck you up if you so much as underestimate them. There's Jack, who's body can regenerate even when heavily damaged, Lucas, who has a serious obsession with deadly games and puzzles, and Marguerite, who's ability to send out vicious bugs and spew hives from her privates make her probably the freakiest of them all. Other notable characters include Zoe, the most sane member of the family who acts as your guide through the Bakers' residence, and Mia, Ethan's wife whose involvement with the Bakers get far much deeper than one would imagine. There's also occurring appearances from the Bakers' catatonic grandmother and a mysterious little girl that could be considered the cause of the Molded corruption.
As the game progresses, the mystery gets unfolded one piece of info at a time and each time you learn something new, the situation feels more hectic than it needs to be resulting in a tight horror experience that I doubt anyone is gonna forget.
GAMEPLAY & CONTROLS:
Besides bringing Resident Evil back to it's old roots, RE7 also had the bright idea of bringing back gameplay elements from the classic titles. Inventory management, non-linear exploration, puzzle-solving, ammo-conservation and even though checkpoints are around, the save rooms and item boxes also make a comeback. Hell, on the hardest difficulty mode, limited saves also return so fans should be happy with what the game offers.
On top of integrating these familiar mechanics, it also spices things up with a few fresh ones. For example, this is an entirely first-person experience as opposed to either fixed camera angles with tank controls or over-the-shoulders third-person gameplay. For the record, this isn't the first time RE translated to the FPS genre but I think everybody will agree that this was a more successful effort.
RE7 plays beautifully. Not a single jerky movement or even any buggy bullshit. The controls just feel right and every move you make corresponds wonderfully resulting in a fair and challenging experience. Every shot you take, every item you collect, it all feels like a fine-ass puzzle again. I swear, it has never been more satisfying to craft new weapons, ammo, healing items and whatnot.
Not to mention, there are special little secrets for gaining new stuff if you got a good eye for details and you can even upgrade your health and reloading speed through the use of steroids and stabilizers. Oh, and you also got these special drugs that help you locate the most well-hidden of items if you happen to get stumped on certain occasions.
In regards to the puzzles, they're just as satisfying to solve as ever. Some are simple but pretty damn neat at the same time. There's even a few times where you play through special segments via video-tapes to get a good idea of what's gonna come ahead, forcing you to put your memory to the test for later on. But be warned that if you intend on replaying this game, don't bother using your knowledge to skip certain segments and peel off some playtime because the programmers won't allow it. Believe me, I tried.
The exploration is as engaging as ever, the bosses are intense, the Molded are quite the fright to fight, it's just a bloody blast that'll keep you on the edge of your seat throughout your 6-12 hours of playtime.
If I did have one complaint about the gameplay and overall story, it's this one part after you fight Jack for a third time where you have a choice of either curing Mia or Zoe of the Molded. By saving Mia, you get the canonical ending where both her and Ethan live on to start a new life together. By saving Zoe, she ends up dying anyway despite being cured, you end up killing Mia and by the end, you have to start that new life alone. This is my only noticeable gripe with the game as far as I'm concerned as I don't even know what was the point of it. Barely anything about the gameplay or story changes and overall, such illusion of choice is just a cheap cop-out. Just stick to saving Mia for the real ending. There's no point in choosing Zoe aside from a little achievement.
But aside from that problem, the game is still a great time.
Oh, and it also should be worth mentioning that there's some extra DLC that either expands on the story like "Not a Hero" and "End of Zoe", gives you a hell of a challenge like "Ethan Must Die" or simply exists just for fun like "Jack's 55th Birthday". However, you gotta have to pay for most of it. My advice: Get the Gold Edition if you want the complete experience in one package.
PRODUCTION & VISUALS:
Being the first game to be built using the RE Engine, RE7 manages to sell the frights beautifully with, at the time, state-of-the-art graphics that really showed off how slimy, grimy, moldy(no pun intended) and overall disgusting these environments can be.
Sure, a few textures may have gotten a little muddy overtime but other than that, this game still looks amazing from a visual standpoint. The Baker Residence instantly engraves into your mind long after the game is over, the designs of the various monsters you face are equally as terrifying, this is what you call a perfect comeback for Resident Evil's glory days.
But besides the wonderful art direction, composers Akiyuki Morimoto, Miwako Chinone and Satoshi Hori upped the ante with a chilling and intense score that really gets your blood pumping for the crazy shit that's due to come your way. Oh, and who could forget that iconic rendition of "Go Tell Aunt Rhody"? I mean, c'mon!
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Overall, there is no better way to bring the franchise back to it's survival-horror roots than with Resident Evil 7.
It has an engaging story with some great scares, a solid cast of characters, chilling and fun surprises left and right and basically, it just plays very well.
It is such a enjoyable experience that I'm more than glad that this was my first RE game. Had I not mustered up the strength to try this game out, I would've never bothered to play many of the other entries and experience what this franchise has to offer. It's such an absolute gem that I honestly had a hard time choosing between this and RE1 as my favorite entry. Both are awesome games that truly embody what Resident Evil is all about but I'll always treasure RE7 as not only a great game but a solid introduction to a greater world.
And with that, the SEASON OF THE EVIL is finally over.
Thank you so much for sticking with me throughout the whole event, it's been loads of fun. I never thought I'd be able to pull off video game reviews as well as movie reviews but I'd like to think I nailed it. I had such a blast playing through these games and discussing my opinions on them, I honestly haven't had this much fun on the site for a while.
Normally, this is the part where I would end it right here and say my goodbyes but unfortunately, I can't do so without at least addressing Resident Evil 8, the latest installment in the series.
At the time I'm still touching up this article ready for publishing, I still haven't played it yet mainly because I wanted to wait until the right time when I can get my hands on it whether it be finally getting it to go along with a new console or just waiting for the price to go down for a pre-gen copy.
A little disappointing, I know, and I'm sorry if you feel that way. If possible, I could make it up to you by maybe doing a game review every once in a while.
Not too frequently though as some games take so long to finish and sometimes, certain games are a little too hard for me to finish at all. So it's all about choosing the right title that's up for a review from the likes of me and if you can accept that, I appreciate it.
That all being said though, once again, thank you so much for taking the time to read all that shit throughout October. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did pulling it off. Be sure to stick around for more content in the future and, until the next review, have a Happy Fuckin' Halloween!.
CURRENT AFTER-NOTE: A review of Resident Evil: Village will be up later this month.
This is strictly my own opinion. If you disagree with me, more power to you. Just keep the comments civil and respectful.
!THIS IS A RE-UPLOAD OF AN ARTICLE FIRST PUBLISHED ON LETTERBOXD BACK IN OCTOBER 2021!
Hello and welcome back.
This is PART 7 of
SEASON OF THE EVIL!
This is it, folks. The last review of the month and boy howdy, what a ride it has been.
Capping off my Resident Evil review series, I'll be discussing the very game that officially got me into the franchise in the first place.
After the release of RE6, the majority of fans were left more than disappointed by how the final product turned out. It just seemed like barely anybody wanted to play survival-horror games anymore, let alone make them. Sure, there were some indie titles over the years like Slender and Outlast but other than that, no major developers wanted to touch the genre ever again. This is even more apparent when Konami infamously cancelled a much-anticipated entry in the Silent Hill series for whatever stupid fucking reason.
Yep, it seemed like the survival-horror genre is doomed to be brushed off as a passe fad that only hardcore internet nerds care about. But then, in 2015, a special demo was presented at E3 simply called "Kitchen" which was made to show off a brand new achievement in game visual design which would later be called the RE Engine. At first, people have been speculating on what Capcom had planned for this mysterious title. Is this a brand new IP? Is this a new Dead Rising? What? WHAT?!
And then... E3 2016 happened. To the surprise of absolutely everybody, the game was fully revealed to be the seventh(technically ninth, counting RE0 and Code: Veronica) mainline chapter in the Resident Evil series. Everybody lost their shit that day as the wishes of a million fans came true. Not only was it gonna bring the series back to it's survival-horror roots but it also spiced things up to still keep it fresh like a shift to first-person gameplay, virtual-reality support and a much darker and more sadistic style and tone. It was the game that RE purists wanted and once the game came out back in January 2017, it was a big hit. Critics and fans considered it a perfect mixture of familiar and fresh and it even managed to do very well commercially as it ranked in $394 million in sales. How awesome is that, you may ask? Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, which came out around the same time, made about $312.2 million. Roughly a close call but WOW! That means that more people were interested in playing a new survival-horror experience rather than putting up with more of Alice's horseshit escapades. SUCK IT, PAUL ANDERSON!!!
Thanks to RE7's success, it officially brought back people's faith in the franchise and since then, we were no longer ashamed to be excited for a new upcoming title whether it be a remake of a classic game or an entirely new installment.
As for me? Well, here's the thing: RE7 was the whole reason I wanted to do this event in the first place(aside from the fact that it's the franchise's 25th anniversary). Last year, when I was still trying super-hard to calm myself during lockdown, I initially wanted to experience something new. So I asked my brother if I can borrow his copy of the game for the PS4. It was the first proper game I've ever played through in this series and ever since then, I've been hooked.
Beforehand, I was a bit apprehensive to play horror games as I found them too intimidating for my liking(and no, it's not because I'm a scaredy cat), feeling that I wouldn't get on with them well the same way I wouldn't be able to get on with RPGs well(the ones that aren't South Park anyway). I mean, I've played Telltale's Walking Dead series but I was more referring to the ones that require the most skill and balls, and to be frankly honest, RE7 wasn't really the first of that kind I've played all the way through. It was the original Dead Space which I actually managed to enjoy.
So when I first popped in this title and gave it a go, it was quite the refreshing experience that I never thought I would truly get into but my god, never have I ever been so glad that I did.
So, in honor of the Halloween season, I'll be finishing off the SEASON OF THE EVIL by looking back at the game that made me a fan in the first place: Resident Evil 7.
STORY & CHARACTERIZATION:
Four years after the events of RE6, the game focuses on Ethan Winters, an average joe who is drawn to a derelict plantation in Louisiana after receiving a message from his wife, Mia, who was presumed to have died some time ago.
He then arrives at a seemingly-abandoned residence where he is soon held captive by the Bakers, a family that has been heavily corrupted by a bio-hazardous substance known as the Molded. After making a few risky escapes, Ethan finds himself looking for a way out of the house while also seeking answers as to what truly happened to Mia and when did this madness all happen.
After going way too big, bombastic and over-the-top with RE6, this entry makes the right choice of dialing shit down a notch all the while bringing back what made the series so iconic to begin with: The legit sense of dread, fear and mystery.
By going back to the survival-horror roots, the developers were given a chance to start things off fresh. We have here a bit of a smaller-scale tale that introduces a new cast of characters, new threats to encounter and new additions to the overall lore. It's an interesting and overall engaging story that keeps you guessing as the game progresses while still offering some fresh scares. Even as someone who usually complains about jump-scares, I'll admit, there were some cases here that did get a good fright out of me. It should also be worth noting that the game pays plenty of tribute to other well-known horror properties like Evil Dead, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Saw. If you've played the game, you'll probably know what I'm talking about.
It also helps that the cast did a fine job of driving the story forward. Out of all the RE protagonists, Ethan is probably the most casual of the bunch. He's not some badass biker or a nonchalant rookie cop or even a cocky mercenary. He's just a person who's every bit as normal as you can get. A simple-living man who was unfortunately roped into a hellish situation that forces him to toughen up and push through one horrific scenario after another and man, he goes through quite some shit. On top of that, the Bakers make for solid antagonists that really put up a hell of a good fight. Each have their own unique and sickening personalities and will do anything to fuck you up if you so much as underestimate them. There's Jack, who's body can regenerate even when heavily damaged, Lucas, who has a serious obsession with deadly games and puzzles, and Marguerite, who's ability to send out vicious bugs and spew hives from her privates make her probably the freakiest of them all. Other notable characters include Zoe, the most sane member of the family who acts as your guide through the Bakers' residence, and Mia, Ethan's wife whose involvement with the Bakers get far much deeper than one would imagine. There's also occurring appearances from the Bakers' catatonic grandmother and a mysterious little girl that could be considered the cause of the Molded corruption.
As the game progresses, the mystery gets unfolded one piece of info at a time and each time you learn something new, the situation feels more hectic than it needs to be resulting in a tight horror experience that I doubt anyone is gonna forget.
GAMEPLAY & CONTROLS:
Besides bringing Resident Evil back to it's old roots, RE7 also had the bright idea of bringing back gameplay elements from the classic titles. Inventory management, non-linear exploration, puzzle-solving, ammo-conservation and even though checkpoints are around, the save rooms and item boxes also make a comeback. Hell, on the hardest difficulty mode, limited saves also return so fans should be happy with what the game offers.
On top of integrating these familiar mechanics, it also spices things up with a few fresh ones. For example, this is an entirely first-person experience as opposed to either fixed camera angles with tank controls or over-the-shoulders third-person gameplay. For the record, this isn't the first time RE translated to the FPS genre but I think everybody will agree that this was a more successful effort.
RE7 plays beautifully. Not a single jerky movement or even any buggy bullshit. The controls just feel right and every move you make corresponds wonderfully resulting in a fair and challenging experience. Every shot you take, every item you collect, it all feels like a fine-ass puzzle again. I swear, it has never been more satisfying to craft new weapons, ammo, healing items and whatnot.
Not to mention, there are special little secrets for gaining new stuff if you got a good eye for details and you can even upgrade your health and reloading speed through the use of steroids and stabilizers. Oh, and you also got these special drugs that help you locate the most well-hidden of items if you happen to get stumped on certain occasions.
In regards to the puzzles, they're just as satisfying to solve as ever. Some are simple but pretty damn neat at the same time. There's even a few times where you play through special segments via video-tapes to get a good idea of what's gonna come ahead, forcing you to put your memory to the test for later on. But be warned that if you intend on replaying this game, don't bother using your knowledge to skip certain segments and peel off some playtime because the programmers won't allow it. Believe me, I tried.
The exploration is as engaging as ever, the bosses are intense, the Molded are quite the fright to fight, it's just a bloody blast that'll keep you on the edge of your seat throughout your 6-12 hours of playtime.
If I did have one complaint about the gameplay and overall story, it's this one part after you fight Jack for a third time where you have a choice of either curing Mia or Zoe of the Molded. By saving Mia, you get the canonical ending where both her and Ethan live on to start a new life together. By saving Zoe, she ends up dying anyway despite being cured, you end up killing Mia and by the end, you have to start that new life alone. This is my only noticeable gripe with the game as far as I'm concerned as I don't even know what was the point of it. Barely anything about the gameplay or story changes and overall, such illusion of choice is just a cheap cop-out. Just stick to saving Mia for the real ending. There's no point in choosing Zoe aside from a little achievement.
But aside from that problem, the game is still a great time.
Oh, and it also should be worth mentioning that there's some extra DLC that either expands on the story like "Not a Hero" and "End of Zoe", gives you a hell of a challenge like "Ethan Must Die" or simply exists just for fun like "Jack's 55th Birthday". However, you gotta have to pay for most of it. My advice: Get the Gold Edition if you want the complete experience in one package.
PRODUCTION & VISUALS:
Being the first game to be built using the RE Engine, RE7 manages to sell the frights beautifully with, at the time, state-of-the-art graphics that really showed off how slimy, grimy, moldy(no pun intended) and overall disgusting these environments can be.
Sure, a few textures may have gotten a little muddy overtime but other than that, this game still looks amazing from a visual standpoint. The Baker Residence instantly engraves into your mind long after the game is over, the designs of the various monsters you face are equally as terrifying, this is what you call a perfect comeback for Resident Evil's glory days.
But besides the wonderful art direction, composers Akiyuki Morimoto, Miwako Chinone and Satoshi Hori upped the ante with a chilling and intense score that really gets your blood pumping for the crazy shit that's due to come your way. Oh, and who could forget that iconic rendition of "Go Tell Aunt Rhody"? I mean, c'mon!
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Overall, there is no better way to bring the franchise back to it's survival-horror roots than with Resident Evil 7.
It has an engaging story with some great scares, a solid cast of characters, chilling and fun surprises left and right and basically, it just plays very well.
It is such a enjoyable experience that I'm more than glad that this was my first RE game. Had I not mustered up the strength to try this game out, I would've never bothered to play many of the other entries and experience what this franchise has to offer. It's such an absolute gem that I honestly had a hard time choosing between this and RE1 as my favorite entry. Both are awesome games that truly embody what Resident Evil is all about but I'll always treasure RE7 as not only a great game but a solid introduction to a greater world.
And with that, the SEASON OF THE EVIL is finally over.
Thank you so much for sticking with me throughout the whole event, it's been loads of fun. I never thought I'd be able to pull off video game reviews as well as movie reviews but I'd like to think I nailed it. I had such a blast playing through these games and discussing my opinions on them, I honestly haven't had this much fun on the site for a while.
Normally, this is the part where I would end it right here and say my goodbyes but unfortunately, I can't do so without at least addressing Resident Evil 8, the latest installment in the series.
At the time I'm still touching up this article ready for publishing, I still haven't played it yet mainly because I wanted to wait until the right time when I can get my hands on it whether it be finally getting it to go along with a new console or just waiting for the price to go down for a pre-gen copy.
A little disappointing, I know, and I'm sorry if you feel that way. If possible, I could make it up to you by maybe doing a game review every once in a while.
Not too frequently though as some games take so long to finish and sometimes, certain games are a little too hard for me to finish at all. So it's all about choosing the right title that's up for a review from the likes of me and if you can accept that, I appreciate it.
That all being said though, once again, thank you so much for taking the time to read all that shit throughout October. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did pulling it off. Be sure to stick around for more content in the future and, until the next review, have a Happy Fuckin' Halloween!.
CURRENT AFTER-NOTE: A review of Resident Evil: Village will be up later this month.
Now before I begin I just want to clarify this:
This is strictly my own opinion. If you disagree with me, more power to you. Just keep the comments civil and respectful.
Hello, everybody, and welcome back to
GAME MODE: ON!
As the Halloween season is nearing, I thought it'd be fun to return to the very series that helped me branch my critiquing skills out to other forms of entertainment: Resident Evil.
Back in 2021 on Letterboxd, I decided that it would be fun to dedicate that year's Halloween event to the iconic Capcom horror franchise as it celebrates it's 25th anniversary. Seeing how I never reviewed video games before that point, it proved to be quite the challenge just going out there, playing the first seven mainline entries and writing my own personal thoughts on them. Looking back on Season of the Evil, I like to think that all my efforts paid off as I'm happy with the reviews I've written. It was just alot of fun to go through and getting to publish all that shit for my followers to read was immensely satisfying.
But now that enough time has passed and Halloween is not long now, I thought it would be the perfect time to go over the most recent entry in the series, Resident Evil: Village.
When RE7 first came out back in 2017 and helped to bring the series back to it's survival-horror roots, it was an absolute success that managed to drag everything out of a hole that was dug out by all the overblown explosions that the last few entries splurged out.
Since then, the franchise began a new era in which fans were able to experience the classic horror experience they've missed for many years but with some many welcomed modern touch-ups to keep things fresh. We had a great remake of RE2 in 2019, a not-as-good but still playable remake of RE3 in 2020, a remake of RE4 earlier this year that was every bit as acclaimed as the original and a film adaptation in 2021 that, for once, actually resembles a fucking RE film. I know alot of people hate that movie but who cares? It's still better than those lame-ass Super Alice movies or even that dumbass live-action Netflix series.
While RE will still have it's little downsides here and there, there's no denying that RE7 changed the franchise for the better and trust me when I say that things only got as good as that when May 7th 2021 rolled around.
Village was a game that I was really looking forward to ever since I got into Resident Evil and the direction it's taking looks like alot of fun. The cold and isolating setting, the vicious creatures, all that good shit, we were just in for a blast.
So when the game came out, it was a definite success in terms of sales with reports saying that it was one of the best-selling RE titles ever. However, in terms of critical reception, that's a different story. While most reviewers and fans seemed to enjoy the game fine, many did consider it a step down from RE7 with certain aspects of the gameplay and style being criticized. Though everybody can agree that the best thing about it was a certain tall vampire lady that we'll get to later on.
But without further ado, let's once again enter the survival horror with Resident Evil: Village.
For this game, I'm tackling the PlayStation 4 version but with a PS5 upgrade.
STORY & CHARACTERIZATION:
Set three years after the events of RE7, Ethan and Mia Winters are settling into their new home in Europe with their baby daughter, Rosemary.
One fateful night, Mia is unexpectedly mowed down by a squad led by Chris Redfield who takes both Ethan and Rose without so much as an explanation as to what's even going on. Later on, the squad vehicle that Ethan was riding in crashes and he ends up wandering into a desolate village overrun with many sorts of deadly monsters and lethal dangers around every corner.
In order to save his daughter, Ethan must once again brave through an onslaught of terrors which would then lead him to various horrifying revelations as to why any of this is happening to his family.
As established in the last entry, Ethan is not some badass soldier or a cool biker or even a rookie cop but he's more or less your everyday average joe. While on paper, that may seem like a bland idea for a Resident Evil protagonist, it was actually a refreshing change of pace for the series and a clever way to start things anew without having to hit the reboot button. It was something that we desperately needed after how RE6 pretty much Michael Bay'd this bitch.
It was rather investing to see someone like Ethan start off as just a normal nobody civilian only for the horrors he experienced in Louisiana to force him to toughen up if it meant saving his own ass and any loved ones lucky enough to survive the scenario. As RE8 begins, Ethan is looking to finally settle down and find peace with his family but while Mia is able to move on and live normally, Ethan can't help but be overly-cautious which resulted in him being accused of paranoia. So when he's forced to go through a potentially-worse mess than before, yeah, he's scared at first but as the game progresses, he eventually just stops caring anymore. Halfway through, he's no longer bothered to take shit from anyone and has grown more and more confident in himself as he continues his personal mission to save Rose and get the fuck out of dodge.
There's also the mystery regarding what the hell was Chris doing and why on Earth would he do such a thing to Ethan. Once the game begins and you see him committing such a shocking act, you're immediately invested into what made him go rogue in the first place. That being said, Chris isn't the only force you have to take into consideration as when you traverse through the titular village, you're forced to deal with it's four psychotic lords and their god/parental figure, Mother Miranda, who plan to use Rose for their own selfish and deranged gain. This quadrant of ferocious beings consist of the morbid and pathetic bog-dweller Salvatore Moreau, the maniacal and unhinged dollmaker Donna Beneviento, the charismatic but deceiving mechanic Karl Heisenberg and the obvious fan-favorite, the big mother-fucker herself, Alcina Dimitrescu. Yeah, in regards to that last one, when the game's previews were coming out and Lady D made her presence known, gamers found themselves simping for her like crazy due to her proportionate design. Love or hate the game, you can't deny that the most memorable thing about it was her and her alone, she was that popular. So it makes sense that she's been made this game's unstoppable stalker in a similar vein to Nemesis from RE3, Mr. X from RE2(mostly, the remake) and Jack Baker from RE7. However, unlike those aforementioned stalkers, Lady D cannot simply be put down no matter how hard you try as no weapon you have at your disposal seems to phase her whatsoever so your only option until the obligatory boss fight is to just keep running, don't look back and find the nearest safe room if possible.
But if you thought going through Castle Dimitrescu nearly gave you a heart attack, just wait until you get to House Beneviento for anything that lies there will fucking haunt you for the rest of your life. I'm serious when I say that those parts with the giant fetus alone automatically make this one of the scariest RE titles by far. You have been warned.
So while Ethan is a solid and relatable protagonist, the villains are the highlight due to their distinct personalities, immense fright factor and unsavory demeanor. Seriously, Miranda herself is such a clingy psychopath that she's forcing Sarah Paulson from Run to hold her beer.
So taking into account everything I've mentioned thus far, this is such a great story that not only continues and concludes Ethan's journey nicely but the suspense is gripping, parts of it are terrifying as hell, there's some shocking revelations at certain turns, it manages to competently tie things into the overall RE storyline and there's even a bit of that camp factor that the series is usually known for. It's scary, it's bittersweet, it's action-packed, there's alot to unpack and love here.
GAMEPLAY & CONTROLS:
While RE7 more or less resembles the original in terms of gameplay and structure, RE8 resembles RE4 with it's European village setting, larger-than-life encounters, merchant system and a bit more focus on action especially towards the end. But whereas RE4 was mostly linear with little-to-no backtracking, RE8 was able to retain the element of non-linear exploration with the center of the village serving as your in-between hub and certain places such as Heisenberg's Factory and Castle Dimistrescu containing multiple paths, unlockable areas and other hidden extras which will have you spending hours trying to find everything. Puzzles are back as well and are just as satisfying to solve if a bit easier than in previous games and each villain location contains a special labyrinth mini-game where, if you can find the ball that goes with it, you have to guide said ball to it's winning hole to unlock a special and very valuable treasure which you can exchange for money.
Speaking of which, in place of the Merchant from RE4, we have the Duke, an eccentric being who serves as Ethan's unofficial guide while also offering a variety of items including ammo, weapons and attachments, healing packs and more for a hefty fee. On-top of that, he also offers to upgrade your weapons if you got the cash for it and will even serve you some meals for free if you have the right ingredients such as fish, poultry and meat. Said meals will expand your health and help you take less damage when guarding, among other useful effects.
Like RE7, the game is played in a first-person perspective though recent updates have included the option to play in third-person which is a nice touch for those who can't stand FPS games and like before, it plays beautifully. Controls are tight, fighting enemies have never felt so challenging and satisfying and the mechanics carried over from previous games are just as good as ever. Like in RE4, although you have a briefcase to carry a limited number of essential items such as weapons, first aid meds and such, you also have separate menus for treasures and key items so don't worry too much about using up too much room. In regards to treasures, also like in RE4, there are certain pieces that become more valuable when combined into one classy-looking piece. With so many goodies to look for and many pathways to uncover throughout, you're bound to be busy whenever you're taking a break from the story. Also like in RE7, there are certain points where you can save your progress if you feel like there could be alot to lose in the next part and even though there is an autosave system, I prefer doing things the manual way to keep within the RE spirit.
In terms of the foes you face, besides the four lords, Miranda and that disgusting giant fetus, your main enemies consist of Lycans, werewolf-type beasts, and Moroaicǎ, vampyric ghouls. There's also mechanical mutant hybrids, flying bat-like demons, killer dolls, huge dog-like monsters, Lady D's horny-ass daughters and a discount Rubeus Hagrid carrying a fuck-off massive mallet. It's crazy to say the least.
As far as I'm concerned, I don't really have any issues with the overall design. The gameplay's cool and challenging, the boss fights are tense, the exploration is very rewarding and I just found it to be quite fun, spooky and satisfying.
In regards to any extra content after beating the base game, you can unlock a shop where you can use the points gained from completing achievements to buy extra weapons, concept art, models and so on. There's also the return of Mercenaries mode and, of course, there's the paid DLC chapter, Shadows of Rose, which serves as the chilling epilogue to the main story, a good one I might add.
GRAPHICS & PRODUCTION VALUE:
As of right now, this is probably the best-looking RE game I've played thus far. Thanks to the technical capabilities of the PlayStation 5, RE8 just looks absolutely stunning with commendable attention to detail, expansive environments, solid motion-capture work and so many neat effects. With a stable performance, pretty much non-existent load times and more, it just makes the game all the more gorgeous to look at. The miracles the RE Engine can do, man.
The big highlight of the game's graphical quality is the very beginning and ending where we're treated to segments from a storybook that pretty much mirror the events of the game and my god, it just looks fantastic. Absolutely phenomenal work.
Besides all that, the music by Shusaku Uchiyama and Nao Sato is great, the sound design is crisp as hell, the overall artistry is just spot-on, again, I really have no complaints.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Overall, Resident Evil: Village is nothing short of a masterpiece and is by far one of my favorite RE games, easily in the Top 3.
It manages to take so many elements from past titles such as the exploration and mystery from RE1 and 2, the camp value and action from RE4, 5 and 6, the utter intensity of RE1, 3 and 7 and the sheer fright factor of RE1, 2 and 7 and mix it all together into this amazing and satisfactory package. So much about it worked and was so worth putting over nine hours into. I just fucking love this game and I seriously, SERIOUSLY! highly recommend it.
Until next time, thank you for taking the time to check out this installment of GAME MODE: ON.
If you liked what you've read here and want to see more, you can go ahead and follow me whenever you want.
And also, don't forget to check out my Letterboxd page for new film reviews every week.
AFTER-NOTE: I might review another horror game before Halloween though that may depend on time and energy. That, and if I can actually beat the bloody thing.
This is strictly my own opinion. If you disagree with me, more power to you. Just keep the comments civil and respectful.
Hello, everybody, and welcome back to
GAME MODE: ON!
As the Halloween season is nearing, I thought it'd be fun to return to the very series that helped me branch my critiquing skills out to other forms of entertainment: Resident Evil.
Back in 2021 on Letterboxd, I decided that it would be fun to dedicate that year's Halloween event to the iconic Capcom horror franchise as it celebrates it's 25th anniversary. Seeing how I never reviewed video games before that point, it proved to be quite the challenge just going out there, playing the first seven mainline entries and writing my own personal thoughts on them. Looking back on Season of the Evil, I like to think that all my efforts paid off as I'm happy with the reviews I've written. It was just alot of fun to go through and getting to publish all that shit for my followers to read was immensely satisfying.
But now that enough time has passed and Halloween is not long now, I thought it would be the perfect time to go over the most recent entry in the series, Resident Evil: Village.
When RE7 first came out back in 2017 and helped to bring the series back to it's survival-horror roots, it was an absolute success that managed to drag everything out of a hole that was dug out by all the overblown explosions that the last few entries splurged out.
Since then, the franchise began a new era in which fans were able to experience the classic horror experience they've missed for many years but with some many welcomed modern touch-ups to keep things fresh. We had a great remake of RE2 in 2019, a not-as-good but still playable remake of RE3 in 2020, a remake of RE4 earlier this year that was every bit as acclaimed as the original and a film adaptation in 2021 that, for once, actually resembles a fucking RE film. I know alot of people hate that movie but who cares? It's still better than those lame-ass Super Alice movies or even that dumbass live-action Netflix series.
While RE will still have it's little downsides here and there, there's no denying that RE7 changed the franchise for the better and trust me when I say that things only got as good as that when May 7th 2021 rolled around.
Village was a game that I was really looking forward to ever since I got into Resident Evil and the direction it's taking looks like alot of fun. The cold and isolating setting, the vicious creatures, all that good shit, we were just in for a blast.
So when the game came out, it was a definite success in terms of sales with reports saying that it was one of the best-selling RE titles ever. However, in terms of critical reception, that's a different story. While most reviewers and fans seemed to enjoy the game fine, many did consider it a step down from RE7 with certain aspects of the gameplay and style being criticized. Though everybody can agree that the best thing about it was a certain tall vampire lady that we'll get to later on.
But without further ado, let's once again enter the survival horror with Resident Evil: Village.
For this game, I'm tackling the PlayStation 4 version but with a PS5 upgrade.
STORY & CHARACTERIZATION:
Set three years after the events of RE7, Ethan and Mia Winters are settling into their new home in Europe with their baby daughter, Rosemary.
One fateful night, Mia is unexpectedly mowed down by a squad led by Chris Redfield who takes both Ethan and Rose without so much as an explanation as to what's even going on. Later on, the squad vehicle that Ethan was riding in crashes and he ends up wandering into a desolate village overrun with many sorts of deadly monsters and lethal dangers around every corner.
In order to save his daughter, Ethan must once again brave through an onslaught of terrors which would then lead him to various horrifying revelations as to why any of this is happening to his family.
As established in the last entry, Ethan is not some badass soldier or a cool biker or even a rookie cop but he's more or less your everyday average joe. While on paper, that may seem like a bland idea for a Resident Evil protagonist, it was actually a refreshing change of pace for the series and a clever way to start things anew without having to hit the reboot button. It was something that we desperately needed after how RE6 pretty much Michael Bay'd this bitch.
It was rather investing to see someone like Ethan start off as just a normal nobody civilian only for the horrors he experienced in Louisiana to force him to toughen up if it meant saving his own ass and any loved ones lucky enough to survive the scenario. As RE8 begins, Ethan is looking to finally settle down and find peace with his family but while Mia is able to move on and live normally, Ethan can't help but be overly-cautious which resulted in him being accused of paranoia. So when he's forced to go through a potentially-worse mess than before, yeah, he's scared at first but as the game progresses, he eventually just stops caring anymore. Halfway through, he's no longer bothered to take shit from anyone and has grown more and more confident in himself as he continues his personal mission to save Rose and get the fuck out of dodge.
There's also the mystery regarding what the hell was Chris doing and why on Earth would he do such a thing to Ethan. Once the game begins and you see him committing such a shocking act, you're immediately invested into what made him go rogue in the first place. That being said, Chris isn't the only force you have to take into consideration as when you traverse through the titular village, you're forced to deal with it's four psychotic lords and their god/parental figure, Mother Miranda, who plan to use Rose for their own selfish and deranged gain. This quadrant of ferocious beings consist of the morbid and pathetic bog-dweller Salvatore Moreau, the maniacal and unhinged dollmaker Donna Beneviento, the charismatic but deceiving mechanic Karl Heisenberg and the obvious fan-favorite, the big mother-fucker herself, Alcina Dimitrescu. Yeah, in regards to that last one, when the game's previews were coming out and Lady D made her presence known, gamers found themselves simping for her like crazy due to her proportionate design. Love or hate the game, you can't deny that the most memorable thing about it was her and her alone, she was that popular. So it makes sense that she's been made this game's unstoppable stalker in a similar vein to Nemesis from RE3, Mr. X from RE2(mostly, the remake) and Jack Baker from RE7. However, unlike those aforementioned stalkers, Lady D cannot simply be put down no matter how hard you try as no weapon you have at your disposal seems to phase her whatsoever so your only option until the obligatory boss fight is to just keep running, don't look back and find the nearest safe room if possible.
But if you thought going through Castle Dimitrescu nearly gave you a heart attack, just wait until you get to House Beneviento for anything that lies there will fucking haunt you for the rest of your life. I'm serious when I say that those parts with the giant fetus alone automatically make this one of the scariest RE titles by far. You have been warned.
So while Ethan is a solid and relatable protagonist, the villains are the highlight due to their distinct personalities, immense fright factor and unsavory demeanor. Seriously, Miranda herself is such a clingy psychopath that she's forcing Sarah Paulson from Run to hold her beer.
So taking into account everything I've mentioned thus far, this is such a great story that not only continues and concludes Ethan's journey nicely but the suspense is gripping, parts of it are terrifying as hell, there's some shocking revelations at certain turns, it manages to competently tie things into the overall RE storyline and there's even a bit of that camp factor that the series is usually known for. It's scary, it's bittersweet, it's action-packed, there's alot to unpack and love here.
GAMEPLAY & CONTROLS:
While RE7 more or less resembles the original in terms of gameplay and structure, RE8 resembles RE4 with it's European village setting, larger-than-life encounters, merchant system and a bit more focus on action especially towards the end. But whereas RE4 was mostly linear with little-to-no backtracking, RE8 was able to retain the element of non-linear exploration with the center of the village serving as your in-between hub and certain places such as Heisenberg's Factory and Castle Dimistrescu containing multiple paths, unlockable areas and other hidden extras which will have you spending hours trying to find everything. Puzzles are back as well and are just as satisfying to solve if a bit easier than in previous games and each villain location contains a special labyrinth mini-game where, if you can find the ball that goes with it, you have to guide said ball to it's winning hole to unlock a special and very valuable treasure which you can exchange for money.
Speaking of which, in place of the Merchant from RE4, we have the Duke, an eccentric being who serves as Ethan's unofficial guide while also offering a variety of items including ammo, weapons and attachments, healing packs and more for a hefty fee. On-top of that, he also offers to upgrade your weapons if you got the cash for it and will even serve you some meals for free if you have the right ingredients such as fish, poultry and meat. Said meals will expand your health and help you take less damage when guarding, among other useful effects.
Like RE7, the game is played in a first-person perspective though recent updates have included the option to play in third-person which is a nice touch for those who can't stand FPS games and like before, it plays beautifully. Controls are tight, fighting enemies have never felt so challenging and satisfying and the mechanics carried over from previous games are just as good as ever. Like in RE4, although you have a briefcase to carry a limited number of essential items such as weapons, first aid meds and such, you also have separate menus for treasures and key items so don't worry too much about using up too much room. In regards to treasures, also like in RE4, there are certain pieces that become more valuable when combined into one classy-looking piece. With so many goodies to look for and many pathways to uncover throughout, you're bound to be busy whenever you're taking a break from the story. Also like in RE7, there are certain points where you can save your progress if you feel like there could be alot to lose in the next part and even though there is an autosave system, I prefer doing things the manual way to keep within the RE spirit.
In terms of the foes you face, besides the four lords, Miranda and that disgusting giant fetus, your main enemies consist of Lycans, werewolf-type beasts, and Moroaicǎ, vampyric ghouls. There's also mechanical mutant hybrids, flying bat-like demons, killer dolls, huge dog-like monsters, Lady D's horny-ass daughters and a discount Rubeus Hagrid carrying a fuck-off massive mallet. It's crazy to say the least.
As far as I'm concerned, I don't really have any issues with the overall design. The gameplay's cool and challenging, the boss fights are tense, the exploration is very rewarding and I just found it to be quite fun, spooky and satisfying.
In regards to any extra content after beating the base game, you can unlock a shop where you can use the points gained from completing achievements to buy extra weapons, concept art, models and so on. There's also the return of Mercenaries mode and, of course, there's the paid DLC chapter, Shadows of Rose, which serves as the chilling epilogue to the main story, a good one I might add.
GRAPHICS & PRODUCTION VALUE:
As of right now, this is probably the best-looking RE game I've played thus far. Thanks to the technical capabilities of the PlayStation 5, RE8 just looks absolutely stunning with commendable attention to detail, expansive environments, solid motion-capture work and so many neat effects. With a stable performance, pretty much non-existent load times and more, it just makes the game all the more gorgeous to look at. The miracles the RE Engine can do, man.
The big highlight of the game's graphical quality is the very beginning and ending where we're treated to segments from a storybook that pretty much mirror the events of the game and my god, it just looks fantastic. Absolutely phenomenal work.
Besides all that, the music by Shusaku Uchiyama and Nao Sato is great, the sound design is crisp as hell, the overall artistry is just spot-on, again, I really have no complaints.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Overall, Resident Evil: Village is nothing short of a masterpiece and is by far one of my favorite RE games, easily in the Top 3.
It manages to take so many elements from past titles such as the exploration and mystery from RE1 and 2, the camp value and action from RE4, 5 and 6, the utter intensity of RE1, 3 and 7 and the sheer fright factor of RE1, 2 and 7 and mix it all together into this amazing and satisfactory package. So much about it worked and was so worth putting over nine hours into. I just fucking love this game and I seriously, SERIOUSLY! highly recommend it.
Until next time, thank you for taking the time to check out this installment of GAME MODE: ON.
If you liked what you've read here and want to see more, you can go ahead and follow me whenever you want.
And also, don't forget to check out my Letterboxd page for new film reviews every week.
AFTER-NOTE: I might review another horror game before Halloween though that may depend on time and energy. That, and if I can actually beat the bloody thing.
Ratchet & Clank
2016
Now before I begin I just want to clarify this:
This is strictly my own opinion. If you disagree with me, more power to you. Just keep the comments civil and respectful.
Hello, everybody, and welcome to the first Backloggd exclusive of
GAME MODE: ON!
Now for those of you who are new to me, my name is Adam Janaway.
I am an amateur internet critic who specializes in reviewing movies. I've started writing for a website called Letterboxd in 2016 and I'm still doing so to this day on a mostly weekly basis with event months, special bonuses and a few unconventional articles including Top 10's, TV reviews and yes, even game reviews.
It's been my most active hobby for years and I just enjoy getting to share my humble( and sometimes, controversial) opinions on alot of stuff.
In 2021, I've decided to experiment with my writing skills and branch out to other forms of media which includes video games. For that year's October event, I've dedicated the Halloween season to reviewing the first seven mainline entries in the Resident Evil franchise to accommodate it's 25th anniversary and honestly, it's been a ton of fun. To this day, I consider it one of my proudest moments as a reviewer and since then, I like to think that my skills have been getting better the more I do this.
After that, I have said that I do plan on doing more game reviews in the future. However, I do have my limits as to when I can get around to them considering that games take more time to go over than movies, difficulty can play into a major factor of whether or not I'll be able to complete a game in time or there are certain titles I might not be able to experience since they're not as easy to preserve as movies are and no, you can't expect me to spend a ridiculous amount of cash on original hardware and copies off of Amazon or Ebay since they usually have a 60%-70% chance of just not working and I might as well just throw my debit card in a fire.
So yeah, don't expect me to do game reviews as a regular thing like I do my film reviews. These are just an occasional fun treat that I like to do if I feel like it.
That being said, if you're interested enough to check out my stuff on Letterboxd, I'll leave the link to my profile right here:
https://letterboxd.com/CMPG1337/
I'll also consider reuploading my RE reviews(as well as my Sonic Generations review) on here in due time.
Now with all that said and done, let's talk about Ratchet & Clank.
As a kid, PlayStation was my shit back in the day and I've had my fair share of cool games to indulge myself in whether it be Spyro the Dragon, Crash Bandicoot or even the subject of this review.
I remember the days when I would hang out with my older brother and watch him play some of the Ratchet & Clank games, specifically Ratchet & Clank 2: Going Commando, and so many of the elements like the characters and weapons were instantly ingrained in my mind for years to come. So when I heard back in 2013 that a movie based on the series was in the works, I was immediately interested and have been keeping an eye on it for the next three years till it was finally released. I know video game adaptations have had a notorious reputation for such a long time but to me, this was gonna be a game-changer because, unlike most adaptations, this one looked to be far more faithful to the source material right down to the look, the sense of humor and hell, they even managed to rope in some of the cast from the games including James Arnold Taylor as Ratchet, David Kaye as Clank, Jim Ward as Captain Quark and Armin Shimerman as Dr. Nefarious. Normally with these movie adaptations, these roles would be played by big name actors. For example, I think Michael Cera would've been a pretty good Ratchet. But hey, they made up for it by casting the likes of Paul Giamatti, Sylvester Stallone and John Goodman so at least that quota's done and over with.
Unfortunately, in a year that's supposed to be the beginning of a new age for movie adaptations of video games, the four films that were released in 2016 ended up barely pleasing anybody and Ratchet & Clank is sadly no exception.
Not only was it panned by critics and slammed by longtime fans but it was such a box office bomb that it pretty much caused it's distributor, Gramercy Pictures, to shut down for a second time. It was quite a disaster to say the least.
As for me, I personally liked the movie fine. It's not amazing and it doesn't exactly live up to the legacy of the games but as just a silly little sci-fi adventure for the whole family to enjoy, it's a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine. Not to toot my own horn but I have seen far worse animated films such as Norm of the North and far worse sci-fi movies such as Battle: Los Angeles.
If you want to hear my full coverage, I'll leave the link to my review of the film right here: https://letterboxd.com/cmpg1337/film/ratchet-clank/
Now the most unexpected thing about the movie's release is that there was a video game tie-in. Odd, right? A game based on the movie based on the game? I mean, what the fuck?
Developed by Insomniac Games, the same guys who have been working on the franchise since it's inception in 2002, this re-imagining of Ratchet & Clank was released for the PlayStation 4 just about a week or so prior to the film and unlike said film, it was better received with many reviewers claiming it to be a fun ride. However, that's not to say that it has it's detractors as there are some fans out there who were upset with the more sanitized nature and kid-friendly tone compared to the more adult and satirical edge that the original games were known for.
But how do I feel about the game myself compared to it's movie counterpart? Well, let's take a look.
STORY & CHARACTERIZATION:
Basically, the plot of the game follows that of the movie. It follows the exploits of a lombax named Ratchet and a warbot defect named Clank who are united together by fate and go on an epic quest to join up with the fearless Galactic Rangers and take on the corporate forces of Chairman Drek and his scientist partner Dr. Nefarious.
That's the best that I can sum up and while I don't hate the story as much as some fans do, I'll admit, it does have a few issues, alot of which do carry over from the movie.
It does lack the satire that pokes fun at capitalism and consumerism and the more mature edge is pretty much null so what you're stuck with is your basic kids' comedy adventure. It does offer a few better laughs than the movie but that's about it as far as I'm concerned. It also utilizes alot of the typical cliches that we've come to expect from lesser family films which does end up making some of the characters a bit more one-note.
For example, Ratchet is a spirited and strong-hearted dreamer who sees to it that the galaxy is protected from darker forces. Compare that to his portrayal in the original game in which he's alot more hot-headed and would often butt heads with Clank, he's an asshole in that game. While the original has more personality and a stronger arc compared to the new Ratchet, I can understand not wanting kids to look up to a constant arguing dick. After all, it's one of the big criticisms that people have had with the first game.
That being said, some of the other classic characters are more on-point and just like how you remembered them with Clank being sassy but willing to help whenever he can and Captain Quark being the egotistical superhero we gamers would love to fuck up with a RYNO near the end of the campaign.
I'll also give credit that the performances are very good with many of the actors from the movie coming in to lend their voices including Bella Thorne as Cora Veralux and Rosario Dawson as Elaris. However, some actors like Paul Giamatti as Drek, Vincent Tong as Brax, Sylvester Stallone as Victor Von Ion and John Goodman as Grimroth Razz were replaced with Eric Bauza, Mick Wingert, Mark Silverman and Travis Willingham respectively. To be fair, those guys have done their best to replicate the movie actors' voices even if it isn't 100% accurate like, for example, you can definitely tell that's not Stallone playing Victor.
It should also be worth noting that while the game follows the movie very well, it diverts from it in many areas as it is also a partial re-imagining of the 2002 game with many of the environments, characters and elements being very familiar to longtime fans. Some may call this unnecessary padding but if you're going to make a game based on a movie, changes have to be made in order to create a genuine experience for players and seeing how the film is already based on a video game, I say "Fuck it" and go all the way and in my opinion, they've done it very well. After all, these are the developers who originally created Ratchet & Clank so they know what they're doing.
GAMEPLAY & CONTROLS:
But while the story maybe basic and nothing special, the real meat of the game is how it plays.
As it is a re-imagining of the original Ratchet & Clank, the gameplay should raise some nostalgia boners for longtime fans. Most of the time, you control Ratchet as he runs around many alien environments, either smashing enemies with your handy wrench or blasting them with a variety of creative and explosive weapons. You can collect nuts and bolts which act as currency which you can spend on new weapons from a Gadgetron stall or just refill your ammo and health. You can also collect raritanium crystals which you can use to upgrade your weapons including more ammo, a stronger rate of fire, etc. Not to mention, the more enemies you annihilate, the more XP points you earn which will make Ratchet level up and give him a stronger health meter. Also, the more you use a certain weapon, the more you level up said weapon resulting in more ammo to use up and a much bigger punch.
Oh, and I have to say, the loadout in this game is so much fun to use with my personal favorite weapons being the Buzz Blades, the Sheepinator, the Pixelizer and, of course, the RYNO.
Throughout the game, you can either stick to your primary objectives or take some time off to go on optional sidequests which will earn you some goodies including upgrades to your gear, new gadgets and plenty of collectables including holocard packs and big golden bolts. Speaking of the holocards, when you complete a set of three, that also earns you some cool rewards including upgrades and shit like that. Not to mention, if you manage to find all nine RYNO cards, you get the big boy himself and man, is he a broken weapon because he just tears through enemies and even bosses, like a Minion plowing his mouth through a banana garden.
There's also fun hoverboard races, cool grinding sections, hard as fuck laser puzzle bits and there's even a few points in the game where you play as Clank and you have to either escape Victor's wrath or solve logic puzzles using the abilities of the number of Gadgetbots you got to work with. Suffice to say that exploration is heavily encouraged and you are blissfully rewarded for doing so.
It helps that the controls are rock-solid which makes movement and aiming a fun breeze and the game itself never gets too easy or too hard which is nice. I played the game on Normal mode so the challenge is genuine... as long as you're not using the RYNO. Seriously, that shit really gives proper meaning to the term "Rip You a New One".
Once you've beaten the game, you unlock a Challenge Mode which is basically New Game + with tougher difficulty and you get to carry over all your weapons. Plus, you also unlock an Insomniac Museum which you can access via a transporter pad in Grim's garage. So there's solid content here to keep you guys hooked for hours on end. There's no cut content being resold as DLC, there's no bullshit micro-transactions or loot boxes and there's no buggy live-service nonsense. It's the perfect action game to just pick up, pop in and enjoy to your heart's content without a single worry.
GRAPHICS & PRODUCTION VALUE:
This game came out seven years ago and my god, it still looks great. The visuals just pop with so much life, energy and color, it's such a wonder to witness. The character designs look great, the many environments are wonderful to stare at, there's alot of really cool shit to be found here. Combine that with such stellar sound design that makes every shot and explosion satisfying and you get a very fun cartoony action game.
It should be worth noting that while it utilizes original animations for the cutscenes, it also integrates clips from the movie(remember when movie-licensed games do that?) and to be fair, you can hardly tell the difference. The graphics are so lovely that I wouldn't blame you for thinking that it was the movie that's the tie-in and not the other way around. Although the difference between the in-game cutscenes and the movie clips are pretty seamless in terms of visuals, if you squint hard enough, you can tell apart in regards to fidelity and texture.
I will say that my only big criticism in regards to the visuals is during the cutscenes where Ratchet & Clank are talking to an NPC. Whereas the ones in the PS2 games were lively and emotive, here, the characters barely move when they're speaking or showing a big expression like excitement or worry, there's a very noticeable lack of motion in those moments. It's disappointing since the PS4 was an advanced console at the time so clearly, they're capable of programming more expressive motions in those animations with the kind of tech they have at their disposal. Maybe it was a budget thing but I'm not buying it. Compare that to 2019's MediEvil, thanks to the resources they have with the PS4's tech, Other Ocean Emeryville were able to create very energetic character interactions even in the smallest moments. But here, Ratchet just stands there sounding like he's ready to kick ass but looks like a Disney park animatronic... an early prototype from the 1950's to be exact.
As for the music, well, I'll have to agree with some of the fans on this one as Michael Bross' score isn't exactly memorable. There were a few good tunes here but for the most part, it's a generic cinematic orchestral soundtrack. In the old games, the music had this alien and techno vibe to them which made them very fun and iconic beats to listen to. Sure, this game's score has that in a few areas but they're not as frequent. That's another problem that was carried over from the movie, it's not a bad score, mind you, just... forgettable.
So overall, while I can understand that Ratchet & Clank 2016 has a few flaws, some carried over from it's film counterpart, I cannot say outright that it's a mediocre game. In fact, it's a fucking great game.
Coming back to it years later was such a blast and to this day, it's still alot of fun to play through. It remains one of my favorite PlayStation exclusives and I have no regrets giving it a high recommendation, it's that enjoyable.
Until next time, thank you for taking the time to check out this installment of GAME MODE: ON.
If you liked what you've read here and want to see more, you can go ahead and follow me whenever you want.
And also, don't forget to check out my Letterboxd page for new film reviews every week.
AFTER-NOTE: For those wondering, yes, I really do want to play Rift Apart and I am planning on getting it, as well as a PS5 to go along with it, very very soon.
Also, Happy 10th Anniversary, PlayStation 4!
This is strictly my own opinion. If you disagree with me, more power to you. Just keep the comments civil and respectful.
Hello, everybody, and welcome to the first Backloggd exclusive of
GAME MODE: ON!
Now for those of you who are new to me, my name is Adam Janaway.
I am an amateur internet critic who specializes in reviewing movies. I've started writing for a website called Letterboxd in 2016 and I'm still doing so to this day on a mostly weekly basis with event months, special bonuses and a few unconventional articles including Top 10's, TV reviews and yes, even game reviews.
It's been my most active hobby for years and I just enjoy getting to share my humble( and sometimes, controversial) opinions on alot of stuff.
In 2021, I've decided to experiment with my writing skills and branch out to other forms of media which includes video games. For that year's October event, I've dedicated the Halloween season to reviewing the first seven mainline entries in the Resident Evil franchise to accommodate it's 25th anniversary and honestly, it's been a ton of fun. To this day, I consider it one of my proudest moments as a reviewer and since then, I like to think that my skills have been getting better the more I do this.
After that, I have said that I do plan on doing more game reviews in the future. However, I do have my limits as to when I can get around to them considering that games take more time to go over than movies, difficulty can play into a major factor of whether or not I'll be able to complete a game in time or there are certain titles I might not be able to experience since they're not as easy to preserve as movies are and no, you can't expect me to spend a ridiculous amount of cash on original hardware and copies off of Amazon or Ebay since they usually have a 60%-70% chance of just not working and I might as well just throw my debit card in a fire.
So yeah, don't expect me to do game reviews as a regular thing like I do my film reviews. These are just an occasional fun treat that I like to do if I feel like it.
That being said, if you're interested enough to check out my stuff on Letterboxd, I'll leave the link to my profile right here:
https://letterboxd.com/CMPG1337/
I'll also consider reuploading my RE reviews(as well as my Sonic Generations review) on here in due time.
Now with all that said and done, let's talk about Ratchet & Clank.
As a kid, PlayStation was my shit back in the day and I've had my fair share of cool games to indulge myself in whether it be Spyro the Dragon, Crash Bandicoot or even the subject of this review.
I remember the days when I would hang out with my older brother and watch him play some of the Ratchet & Clank games, specifically Ratchet & Clank 2: Going Commando, and so many of the elements like the characters and weapons were instantly ingrained in my mind for years to come. So when I heard back in 2013 that a movie based on the series was in the works, I was immediately interested and have been keeping an eye on it for the next three years till it was finally released. I know video game adaptations have had a notorious reputation for such a long time but to me, this was gonna be a game-changer because, unlike most adaptations, this one looked to be far more faithful to the source material right down to the look, the sense of humor and hell, they even managed to rope in some of the cast from the games including James Arnold Taylor as Ratchet, David Kaye as Clank, Jim Ward as Captain Quark and Armin Shimerman as Dr. Nefarious. Normally with these movie adaptations, these roles would be played by big name actors. For example, I think Michael Cera would've been a pretty good Ratchet. But hey, they made up for it by casting the likes of Paul Giamatti, Sylvester Stallone and John Goodman so at least that quota's done and over with.
Unfortunately, in a year that's supposed to be the beginning of a new age for movie adaptations of video games, the four films that were released in 2016 ended up barely pleasing anybody and Ratchet & Clank is sadly no exception.
Not only was it panned by critics and slammed by longtime fans but it was such a box office bomb that it pretty much caused it's distributor, Gramercy Pictures, to shut down for a second time. It was quite a disaster to say the least.
As for me, I personally liked the movie fine. It's not amazing and it doesn't exactly live up to the legacy of the games but as just a silly little sci-fi adventure for the whole family to enjoy, it's a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine. Not to toot my own horn but I have seen far worse animated films such as Norm of the North and far worse sci-fi movies such as Battle: Los Angeles.
If you want to hear my full coverage, I'll leave the link to my review of the film right here: https://letterboxd.com/cmpg1337/film/ratchet-clank/
Now the most unexpected thing about the movie's release is that there was a video game tie-in. Odd, right? A game based on the movie based on the game? I mean, what the fuck?
Developed by Insomniac Games, the same guys who have been working on the franchise since it's inception in 2002, this re-imagining of Ratchet & Clank was released for the PlayStation 4 just about a week or so prior to the film and unlike said film, it was better received with many reviewers claiming it to be a fun ride. However, that's not to say that it has it's detractors as there are some fans out there who were upset with the more sanitized nature and kid-friendly tone compared to the more adult and satirical edge that the original games were known for.
But how do I feel about the game myself compared to it's movie counterpart? Well, let's take a look.
STORY & CHARACTERIZATION:
Basically, the plot of the game follows that of the movie. It follows the exploits of a lombax named Ratchet and a warbot defect named Clank who are united together by fate and go on an epic quest to join up with the fearless Galactic Rangers and take on the corporate forces of Chairman Drek and his scientist partner Dr. Nefarious.
That's the best that I can sum up and while I don't hate the story as much as some fans do, I'll admit, it does have a few issues, alot of which do carry over from the movie.
It does lack the satire that pokes fun at capitalism and consumerism and the more mature edge is pretty much null so what you're stuck with is your basic kids' comedy adventure. It does offer a few better laughs than the movie but that's about it as far as I'm concerned. It also utilizes alot of the typical cliches that we've come to expect from lesser family films which does end up making some of the characters a bit more one-note.
For example, Ratchet is a spirited and strong-hearted dreamer who sees to it that the galaxy is protected from darker forces. Compare that to his portrayal in the original game in which he's alot more hot-headed and would often butt heads with Clank, he's an asshole in that game. While the original has more personality and a stronger arc compared to the new Ratchet, I can understand not wanting kids to look up to a constant arguing dick. After all, it's one of the big criticisms that people have had with the first game.
That being said, some of the other classic characters are more on-point and just like how you remembered them with Clank being sassy but willing to help whenever he can and Captain Quark being the egotistical superhero we gamers would love to fuck up with a RYNO near the end of the campaign.
I'll also give credit that the performances are very good with many of the actors from the movie coming in to lend their voices including Bella Thorne as Cora Veralux and Rosario Dawson as Elaris. However, some actors like Paul Giamatti as Drek, Vincent Tong as Brax, Sylvester Stallone as Victor Von Ion and John Goodman as Grimroth Razz were replaced with Eric Bauza, Mick Wingert, Mark Silverman and Travis Willingham respectively. To be fair, those guys have done their best to replicate the movie actors' voices even if it isn't 100% accurate like, for example, you can definitely tell that's not Stallone playing Victor.
It should also be worth noting that while the game follows the movie very well, it diverts from it in many areas as it is also a partial re-imagining of the 2002 game with many of the environments, characters and elements being very familiar to longtime fans. Some may call this unnecessary padding but if you're going to make a game based on a movie, changes have to be made in order to create a genuine experience for players and seeing how the film is already based on a video game, I say "Fuck it" and go all the way and in my opinion, they've done it very well. After all, these are the developers who originally created Ratchet & Clank so they know what they're doing.
GAMEPLAY & CONTROLS:
But while the story maybe basic and nothing special, the real meat of the game is how it plays.
As it is a re-imagining of the original Ratchet & Clank, the gameplay should raise some nostalgia boners for longtime fans. Most of the time, you control Ratchet as he runs around many alien environments, either smashing enemies with your handy wrench or blasting them with a variety of creative and explosive weapons. You can collect nuts and bolts which act as currency which you can spend on new weapons from a Gadgetron stall or just refill your ammo and health. You can also collect raritanium crystals which you can use to upgrade your weapons including more ammo, a stronger rate of fire, etc. Not to mention, the more enemies you annihilate, the more XP points you earn which will make Ratchet level up and give him a stronger health meter. Also, the more you use a certain weapon, the more you level up said weapon resulting in more ammo to use up and a much bigger punch.
Oh, and I have to say, the loadout in this game is so much fun to use with my personal favorite weapons being the Buzz Blades, the Sheepinator, the Pixelizer and, of course, the RYNO.
Throughout the game, you can either stick to your primary objectives or take some time off to go on optional sidequests which will earn you some goodies including upgrades to your gear, new gadgets and plenty of collectables including holocard packs and big golden bolts. Speaking of the holocards, when you complete a set of three, that also earns you some cool rewards including upgrades and shit like that. Not to mention, if you manage to find all nine RYNO cards, you get the big boy himself and man, is he a broken weapon because he just tears through enemies and even bosses, like a Minion plowing his mouth through a banana garden.
There's also fun hoverboard races, cool grinding sections, hard as fuck laser puzzle bits and there's even a few points in the game where you play as Clank and you have to either escape Victor's wrath or solve logic puzzles using the abilities of the number of Gadgetbots you got to work with. Suffice to say that exploration is heavily encouraged and you are blissfully rewarded for doing so.
It helps that the controls are rock-solid which makes movement and aiming a fun breeze and the game itself never gets too easy or too hard which is nice. I played the game on Normal mode so the challenge is genuine... as long as you're not using the RYNO. Seriously, that shit really gives proper meaning to the term "Rip You a New One".
Once you've beaten the game, you unlock a Challenge Mode which is basically New Game + with tougher difficulty and you get to carry over all your weapons. Plus, you also unlock an Insomniac Museum which you can access via a transporter pad in Grim's garage. So there's solid content here to keep you guys hooked for hours on end. There's no cut content being resold as DLC, there's no bullshit micro-transactions or loot boxes and there's no buggy live-service nonsense. It's the perfect action game to just pick up, pop in and enjoy to your heart's content without a single worry.
GRAPHICS & PRODUCTION VALUE:
This game came out seven years ago and my god, it still looks great. The visuals just pop with so much life, energy and color, it's such a wonder to witness. The character designs look great, the many environments are wonderful to stare at, there's alot of really cool shit to be found here. Combine that with such stellar sound design that makes every shot and explosion satisfying and you get a very fun cartoony action game.
It should be worth noting that while it utilizes original animations for the cutscenes, it also integrates clips from the movie(remember when movie-licensed games do that?) and to be fair, you can hardly tell the difference. The graphics are so lovely that I wouldn't blame you for thinking that it was the movie that's the tie-in and not the other way around. Although the difference between the in-game cutscenes and the movie clips are pretty seamless in terms of visuals, if you squint hard enough, you can tell apart in regards to fidelity and texture.
I will say that my only big criticism in regards to the visuals is during the cutscenes where Ratchet & Clank are talking to an NPC. Whereas the ones in the PS2 games were lively and emotive, here, the characters barely move when they're speaking or showing a big expression like excitement or worry, there's a very noticeable lack of motion in those moments. It's disappointing since the PS4 was an advanced console at the time so clearly, they're capable of programming more expressive motions in those animations with the kind of tech they have at their disposal. Maybe it was a budget thing but I'm not buying it. Compare that to 2019's MediEvil, thanks to the resources they have with the PS4's tech, Other Ocean Emeryville were able to create very energetic character interactions even in the smallest moments. But here, Ratchet just stands there sounding like he's ready to kick ass but looks like a Disney park animatronic... an early prototype from the 1950's to be exact.
As for the music, well, I'll have to agree with some of the fans on this one as Michael Bross' score isn't exactly memorable. There were a few good tunes here but for the most part, it's a generic cinematic orchestral soundtrack. In the old games, the music had this alien and techno vibe to them which made them very fun and iconic beats to listen to. Sure, this game's score has that in a few areas but they're not as frequent. That's another problem that was carried over from the movie, it's not a bad score, mind you, just... forgettable.
So overall, while I can understand that Ratchet & Clank 2016 has a few flaws, some carried over from it's film counterpart, I cannot say outright that it's a mediocre game. In fact, it's a fucking great game.
Coming back to it years later was such a blast and to this day, it's still alot of fun to play through. It remains one of my favorite PlayStation exclusives and I have no regrets giving it a high recommendation, it's that enjoyable.
Until next time, thank you for taking the time to check out this installment of GAME MODE: ON.
If you liked what you've read here and want to see more, you can go ahead and follow me whenever you want.
And also, don't forget to check out my Letterboxd page for new film reviews every week.
AFTER-NOTE: For those wondering, yes, I really do want to play Rift Apart and I am planning on getting it, as well as a PS5 to go along with it, very very soon.
Also, Happy 10th Anniversary, PlayStation 4!
Shadow the Hedgehog
2005
Shadow with a gun is badass and you get to kill the military
Combining both iconic lego star wars games into one created possibly the greatest single game of all time. While this technically only changed the hub and some small side missions, this is the true lego star wars experience
Devil May Cry 2
2003
5
Resident Evil 6
2012
For the record, I just found out that the fat zombies in this game are called “whoppers” and I cannot think of a more stupid, ridiculous yet perfect name for them even if I tried.
Resident Evil 6. The 6th time we’ve learned that the Residents are in fact, Evil. More or less. I do have some faint memories of this game, mainly from seeing commercials about it on tv back when it released, and reading the…less than flattering reviews on top of that. I didn’t have any interest in picking it up as I was only 13 years old and I wasn’t really wanting to get into the franchise any time soon. I didn’t mention this in the RE5 review even though in hindsight, I probably should’ve, but this series has quite noticeably been moving away from its survival horror roots at this point in time. It started with RE4’s focus on more action and B-movie camp, and RE5 took it a step further, but good lord if you think these 2 games were too focused on action you haven’t seen RE6.
I’m not really gonna bother with the story as I was fairly uninvested throughout. Not that the story is bad or anything, it’s…whatever. It takes itself seriously again like RE5 but it is at the very least somewhat entertaining, but man the pacing and set pieces are absurd. Literally nobody in this game is allowed to just relax, the instant that characters think they have a moment to breathe, BOOM, explosions, BOOM, they’re hanging off a helicopter holding on for dear life, BOOM, something bursts in to chase after them. It’s just constant nonstop stimulation all the time. I did like the voice acting though, Mathew Mercer does a good job playing Leon and this is probably Roger’s best performance as Chris Redfield to date, it’s really good. The game looks really nice at the very least, especially for a late 360 title. Runs pretty smoothly as well so not much to complain about on that front. I also really like the UI; at least, for the main menu anyway. That part where you select a campaign from the list of characters and each campaign selected has a specific silhouette on an alleyway wall, illuminated by a flash of lightning showcasing what the main threat of each campaign is (zombies lumbering in the distance for Leon, the mutated J’avos transforming for Chris, Ustanak twitching and flailing its mechanical claw for Jake, a spider for Ada which I guess symbolizes how each of these campaigns are tied to her in a massive sprawling web which, not so coincidentally is a main theme of the title screen and box art) is a really cool detail, kinda eerie in a way. Idk why I gush so much about stuff like that it’s just pretty cool, it’s something they didn’t have to do but they did and it works well. The actual campaigns though? That’s…another story…
If anything else before I start dogpiling this game, I do think it’s necessary to mention that, to my surprise the mechanics of RE6 actually have a surprisingly fair bit of nuance to them. They’re more or less similar to what we’ve seen in RE4 and 5, you can still pop an enemy in the head or kneecap em and melee followup to lay on massive damage and crowd control. This time, tank controls are gone entirely, you can move and shoot at the same time, and now melee attacks have their own dedicated button. You don’t need to use them exclusively for a prompted follow up, you can straight up kick and punch enemies on your own, and doing this can also lead to the standard melee stagger followup. In fact there’s a wide variety of melee attacks to perform this time around. You can baseball slide and shoulder bash enemies while running, you can stealth kill takedown enemies from behind, you can deliver an instant kill if an enemy gets staggered next to a wall, you can stomp a downed enemy like in RE5 and doing so near the head results in an instant kill, etc. There’s definitely a lot of variety in what you can perform, and each character has unique takedown animations as well (Chris’s melee attacks are super meaty). You can also use the melee button to straight up parry attacks but it’s wildly inconsistent. It’s only something you can do contextually via a prompt, and not every attack can be parried. It’s no RE4make knife parry that’s for certain. The thing is, with all this melee variety, melee attacks now cost stamina so you need to consider how often you perform these melee attacks before you get winded. You can also do this quick shot move by pressing the left and right trigger simultaneously. Doing so will automatically snap you to a target and perform a single gunshot from whatever gun you happen to be wielding, and landing the shot will almost guarantee that an enemy will be staggered/stunned for a melee follow up. Not only is this maneuver extremely effective with stuff like the standard handguns or machine guns, but when using stuff like sniper rifles or shotguns in close range it almost always guarantees an instant kill. This sounds extremely overpowered, and it kinda is, but they actually thought ahead and considered this because quick shots use up the stamina gauge, and a melee followup ALSO costs stamina, so you can’t just mindlessly spam them repeatedly. At the very least, whatever I end up saying about RE6 later on, it’s definitely competent on a mechanical level, which is already way WAY more than I can already say for games like, The Evil Within 1 or the og RE3. There are other hidden mechanics that the game doesn’t necessarily teach you about either: you can press the A button just as you get knocked down from an attack to instantly get back up on your feet, restoring even one peg of your health bar instantly refills your stamina gauge, you can even dodge roll to avoid attacks which…in hindsight would’ve been nice to know during certain boss encounters. Side note though, I don’t like how healing items are handled in this game. You can still combine green herbs to make stronger effects but now you need to basically unload the herbs in your uh…pill bottle I guess. For instance, if you use the max health restoring combination of a red and green herb, you get 6 green herb pills, you put them in your pill storage, and can use them later on. Each pill restores one peg of health, and while it’s neat having the ability to heal yourself mid combat on top of restoring your stamina with each pill, I miss the instant access to healing herbs usually provided. Sure you can use a button combination to instantly use the herbs in your inventory and get the pills in your storage, but needing to pop them to restore your health isn’t as effective as the instant burst of healing that herbs provided previous games, especially considering that you can’t pause the game to use them from your menu because the game doesn’t pause in real time due to coop.
…oh yeah, coop is back I guess. I didn’t bother playing this game with coop this time, I just went solo. It wouldn’t really matter anyway considering coop is way WAY less fun than it is in RE5, for a multitude of reasons. Probably the biggest reasons being you can’t spam commands frequently and scream at each other constantly. The funniest thing coop introduces is the ability to praise or give thanks to your partner with a thumbs up gesture and it’s the goofiest looking action I’ve ever seen. The arm looks so limp and detached from the body, it’s like someone animated it by dragging it across the space using a mouse in real time. Unnatural looking doesn’t even begin to cover it. This also applies to weapon swapping, getting to other weapons and items in your inventory is super easy but your characters arms spaz out in such a crazy matter when you cycle between multiple larger weapons at once, but I’m getting off topic here. Back to coop, your AI partner is…ok I guess. It genuinely feels like they don’t contribute much to combat encounters at all, you do most of the heavy lifting in that department. But at the same time it’s not like they’re completely dead weight as they have infinite health and can’t be killed by normal means. They’re also annoying because they never once pick up items like skill points or ammunition, not that it matters since you can’t trade items back and forth like you can with RE5, but the skill points? Come on man, at the very LEAST you should exert some effort for these things. In general though, with a couple of exceptions, coop feels like a complete afterthought. A lot of times the most you get out of it is tossing your partner across a gap so they can open the way up for you to join you and that’s really about it. Nothing much else comes from it. It feels like they added it here out of obligation, RE5 did it and that was successful so why not do it again.
The entire RE6 as a cohesive whole is certainly…something alright. I mentioned a lot of the intricate nuances the combat mechanics have, and while they are nice, the gameplay never feels anywhere near as satisfying as RE4 and even RE5. It feels like a poor man’s imitation despite having a lot to it mechanically. Enemies are mostly bullet sponges and crowd control against these enemies is limited for a couple of reasons. For one, unlike RE4 and 5, and as far as I’m aware, there aren’t any invincibility frames when performing a melee followup attack on a staggered enemy; meaning you can get damaged and interrupted when performing this action. There’s also the deal about melee followups being a limited action with stamina as well but that’s a separate problem. For another, crowd control items (grenades, remote bombs, flashbangs, etc) are extremely rare to come across, so your standard firearm arsenal is mostly all you have. The game also loves to spam pretty obnoxious enemies that you can’t really defend against, like the J’avo with firearms that, if they take down one health peg, will knock you down on your back every single time and it’s incredibly irritating. Most enemies are pretty annoying too. There’s a good variety to be had and they even brought back classic zombies which is cool, but the rest I can definitely live without. The regenerator knock offs that instant kill you weren’t very enjoyable to deal with, and the…sigh…WHOPPERS aren’t really fun either. But this is all just one piece of the misery puzzle in RE6, it’s now time to discuss…the campaigns themselves.
Let’s just make it perfectly clear: this is not a good Resident Evil game. As an action game it’s…fine, I guess, but as I stated before it’s moved so far away from what RE originally was it’s ridiculous. This game is not even trying to be scary anymore, it’s just constant, nonstop, bombastic action 24/7, 365. There isn’t even any files to read to get information on lore, you instead find these medallions hidden throughout the game and read up on character and story files in a separate menu because they don’t WANT you to stop and read things, we gotta get a move on!! There’s 4 campaigns to choose from, initially you’re only allowed to choose from 3 while Ada is the final unlockable campaign only available after beating the first 3, while I guess they removed this requirement in the PC version. I still ended up playing Ada last anyway for consistency’s sake. Much like Sonic Adventure, each campaign has a different gameplay “theme” to it, so to speak. Sadly, just like Sonic Adventure, these campaigns vary greatly in quality. I got my warning signs blaring as early as finishing Leon’s campaign. I clocked in a good 12.7 hours finishing the entire campaign of RE5, while Leon’s campaign alone surpassed it with about 13-14 hours put in. This was bad enough as is, but then I looked and realized I still had 3 more campaigns to go through and I audibly went “oooooh nooooooooooo”. Each campaign is…more or less about the same length as a typical Resident Evil game, which is absurd. Things get very very tiring very fast, by the end of the game that original 12.7 hours or RE5 were now utterly dwarfed by Resident Evil 6’s utterly mind boggling 45 HOUR PLAYTIME. Look, I don’t care how good you think your shooty shooty bang bang action game is; it should not, I repeat, should NOT be the length of a Kingdom Hearts game. These campaigns get exhausting after a while, the extremely linear hallway level design, lack of puzzles (the only exceptions being in Ada’s campaign and even then they feel so slapdashed it’s not even funny), the constant barrage of explosions that happen so frequently you become basically as numb to them as you would in a Michael Bay film, the campaigns do not understand how to properly keep a playthrough engaging for an entire session. There’s also a fair bit of recycling too, as if you encounter another set of characters in one campaign and you face the same enemy or scenario (like Sherry meeting Chris and both needing to disable the giant anti air cannons while being hounded by giant monsters), then when you play the other campaign you need to eventually do that section again due to the circumstances.
If I had to rank which ones I liked more than others, I’d say Chris is my favorite, followed by Ada, then Leon, then Jake. Chris is essentially the Call of Duty campaign, the most gunplay and action out of any of the other campaign. However, with here, I think it works. With RE6 trying to make a hard shift towards action, having a gameplay style that embraces this shift at the very least fits and works well enough. Ada has some interesting setpieces and boss fights (the section with Carla in the ship was actually pretty disturbing and weird and the boss wasn’t too bad either). Leon wasn’t…very good. He had a great variety of locations, I liked the atmosphere of the college campus and the cemetery but the bosses were terrible (especially Simmons, both the final encounter and his…flesh dinosaur form) and it just feels like the game was trying to be something it wasn’t. It starts out attempting to be creepy and build an atmosphere but by the 1/4 point it just gives up and resorts to more boring action schlock. Jake’s campaign is the absolute bottom of the barrel. There’s a lot of tedium that exists in all the typical RE6 campaigns but it also comes with a heaping dose forced unfitting gameplay variety!!! There’s a section where you need to stealth past the main monster Ustanak, who chases you throughout the entire campaign much like Nemesis, there’s a really miserable section where you need to find certain keys lodged in this open ended area in the middle of a snowstorm complete with ice physics, there’s a section where Sherry is basically naked (both figuratively AND literally) and needs to stealth kill enemies to get past doors without any of her equipment, this campaign legit could not make up its mind on what it wanted to be. It’s a whole lot of everything, but that everything ended up being nothing, which is a shame because I legit thought it was really cool seeing Sherry Birkin again after RE2 concluded but it’s a shame her campaign with Jake is the worst in the entire game.
I have to reiterate again, this game is absolutely exhausting, between the flawed constant gunplay and campaigns that took forever and a half to finally end, Resident Evil 6 is just a drag to get through. In the end, it was mainly a necessary evil (haha) I had to endure to get to the games I was truly looking forward to, 7 and 8. I can’t even remember any sort of memorable dialogue from this game, in every other RE game I can think of (besides maybe 3, that one sucks lol), I could point out at least one or 2 cheesy lines to remember from my experience, but here? Nope. Nothing. I didn’t viscerally hate what I experienced but that’s also probably the nicest thing I can say about it. Word of advice: unless you’re an RPG, do not under any circumstances make your game last over 40 hours to simply beat. Period. That is all.
actually I change my mind, Jake replying “what are you, mental?” to Sherry asking him to move in was kinda funny I’ll give you that
Resident Evil 6. The 6th time we’ve learned that the Residents are in fact, Evil. More or less. I do have some faint memories of this game, mainly from seeing commercials about it on tv back when it released, and reading the…less than flattering reviews on top of that. I didn’t have any interest in picking it up as I was only 13 years old and I wasn’t really wanting to get into the franchise any time soon. I didn’t mention this in the RE5 review even though in hindsight, I probably should’ve, but this series has quite noticeably been moving away from its survival horror roots at this point in time. It started with RE4’s focus on more action and B-movie camp, and RE5 took it a step further, but good lord if you think these 2 games were too focused on action you haven’t seen RE6.
I’m not really gonna bother with the story as I was fairly uninvested throughout. Not that the story is bad or anything, it’s…whatever. It takes itself seriously again like RE5 but it is at the very least somewhat entertaining, but man the pacing and set pieces are absurd. Literally nobody in this game is allowed to just relax, the instant that characters think they have a moment to breathe, BOOM, explosions, BOOM, they’re hanging off a helicopter holding on for dear life, BOOM, something bursts in to chase after them. It’s just constant nonstop stimulation all the time. I did like the voice acting though, Mathew Mercer does a good job playing Leon and this is probably Roger’s best performance as Chris Redfield to date, it’s really good. The game looks really nice at the very least, especially for a late 360 title. Runs pretty smoothly as well so not much to complain about on that front. I also really like the UI; at least, for the main menu anyway. That part where you select a campaign from the list of characters and each campaign selected has a specific silhouette on an alleyway wall, illuminated by a flash of lightning showcasing what the main threat of each campaign is (zombies lumbering in the distance for Leon, the mutated J’avos transforming for Chris, Ustanak twitching and flailing its mechanical claw for Jake, a spider for Ada which I guess symbolizes how each of these campaigns are tied to her in a massive sprawling web which, not so coincidentally is a main theme of the title screen and box art) is a really cool detail, kinda eerie in a way. Idk why I gush so much about stuff like that it’s just pretty cool, it’s something they didn’t have to do but they did and it works well. The actual campaigns though? That’s…another story…
If anything else before I start dogpiling this game, I do think it’s necessary to mention that, to my surprise the mechanics of RE6 actually have a surprisingly fair bit of nuance to them. They’re more or less similar to what we’ve seen in RE4 and 5, you can still pop an enemy in the head or kneecap em and melee followup to lay on massive damage and crowd control. This time, tank controls are gone entirely, you can move and shoot at the same time, and now melee attacks have their own dedicated button. You don’t need to use them exclusively for a prompted follow up, you can straight up kick and punch enemies on your own, and doing this can also lead to the standard melee stagger followup. In fact there’s a wide variety of melee attacks to perform this time around. You can baseball slide and shoulder bash enemies while running, you can stealth kill takedown enemies from behind, you can deliver an instant kill if an enemy gets staggered next to a wall, you can stomp a downed enemy like in RE5 and doing so near the head results in an instant kill, etc. There’s definitely a lot of variety in what you can perform, and each character has unique takedown animations as well (Chris’s melee attacks are super meaty). You can also use the melee button to straight up parry attacks but it’s wildly inconsistent. It’s only something you can do contextually via a prompt, and not every attack can be parried. It’s no RE4make knife parry that’s for certain. The thing is, with all this melee variety, melee attacks now cost stamina so you need to consider how often you perform these melee attacks before you get winded. You can also do this quick shot move by pressing the left and right trigger simultaneously. Doing so will automatically snap you to a target and perform a single gunshot from whatever gun you happen to be wielding, and landing the shot will almost guarantee that an enemy will be staggered/stunned for a melee follow up. Not only is this maneuver extremely effective with stuff like the standard handguns or machine guns, but when using stuff like sniper rifles or shotguns in close range it almost always guarantees an instant kill. This sounds extremely overpowered, and it kinda is, but they actually thought ahead and considered this because quick shots use up the stamina gauge, and a melee followup ALSO costs stamina, so you can’t just mindlessly spam them repeatedly. At the very least, whatever I end up saying about RE6 later on, it’s definitely competent on a mechanical level, which is already way WAY more than I can already say for games like, The Evil Within 1 or the og RE3. There are other hidden mechanics that the game doesn’t necessarily teach you about either: you can press the A button just as you get knocked down from an attack to instantly get back up on your feet, restoring even one peg of your health bar instantly refills your stamina gauge, you can even dodge roll to avoid attacks which…in hindsight would’ve been nice to know during certain boss encounters. Side note though, I don’t like how healing items are handled in this game. You can still combine green herbs to make stronger effects but now you need to basically unload the herbs in your uh…pill bottle I guess. For instance, if you use the max health restoring combination of a red and green herb, you get 6 green herb pills, you put them in your pill storage, and can use them later on. Each pill restores one peg of health, and while it’s neat having the ability to heal yourself mid combat on top of restoring your stamina with each pill, I miss the instant access to healing herbs usually provided. Sure you can use a button combination to instantly use the herbs in your inventory and get the pills in your storage, but needing to pop them to restore your health isn’t as effective as the instant burst of healing that herbs provided previous games, especially considering that you can’t pause the game to use them from your menu because the game doesn’t pause in real time due to coop.
…oh yeah, coop is back I guess. I didn’t bother playing this game with coop this time, I just went solo. It wouldn’t really matter anyway considering coop is way WAY less fun than it is in RE5, for a multitude of reasons. Probably the biggest reasons being you can’t spam commands frequently and scream at each other constantly. The funniest thing coop introduces is the ability to praise or give thanks to your partner with a thumbs up gesture and it’s the goofiest looking action I’ve ever seen. The arm looks so limp and detached from the body, it’s like someone animated it by dragging it across the space using a mouse in real time. Unnatural looking doesn’t even begin to cover it. This also applies to weapon swapping, getting to other weapons and items in your inventory is super easy but your characters arms spaz out in such a crazy matter when you cycle between multiple larger weapons at once, but I’m getting off topic here. Back to coop, your AI partner is…ok I guess. It genuinely feels like they don’t contribute much to combat encounters at all, you do most of the heavy lifting in that department. But at the same time it’s not like they’re completely dead weight as they have infinite health and can’t be killed by normal means. They’re also annoying because they never once pick up items like skill points or ammunition, not that it matters since you can’t trade items back and forth like you can with RE5, but the skill points? Come on man, at the very LEAST you should exert some effort for these things. In general though, with a couple of exceptions, coop feels like a complete afterthought. A lot of times the most you get out of it is tossing your partner across a gap so they can open the way up for you to join you and that’s really about it. Nothing much else comes from it. It feels like they added it here out of obligation, RE5 did it and that was successful so why not do it again.
The entire RE6 as a cohesive whole is certainly…something alright. I mentioned a lot of the intricate nuances the combat mechanics have, and while they are nice, the gameplay never feels anywhere near as satisfying as RE4 and even RE5. It feels like a poor man’s imitation despite having a lot to it mechanically. Enemies are mostly bullet sponges and crowd control against these enemies is limited for a couple of reasons. For one, unlike RE4 and 5, and as far as I’m aware, there aren’t any invincibility frames when performing a melee followup attack on a staggered enemy; meaning you can get damaged and interrupted when performing this action. There’s also the deal about melee followups being a limited action with stamina as well but that’s a separate problem. For another, crowd control items (grenades, remote bombs, flashbangs, etc) are extremely rare to come across, so your standard firearm arsenal is mostly all you have. The game also loves to spam pretty obnoxious enemies that you can’t really defend against, like the J’avo with firearms that, if they take down one health peg, will knock you down on your back every single time and it’s incredibly irritating. Most enemies are pretty annoying too. There’s a good variety to be had and they even brought back classic zombies which is cool, but the rest I can definitely live without. The regenerator knock offs that instant kill you weren’t very enjoyable to deal with, and the…sigh…WHOPPERS aren’t really fun either. But this is all just one piece of the misery puzzle in RE6, it’s now time to discuss…the campaigns themselves.
Let’s just make it perfectly clear: this is not a good Resident Evil game. As an action game it’s…fine, I guess, but as I stated before it’s moved so far away from what RE originally was it’s ridiculous. This game is not even trying to be scary anymore, it’s just constant, nonstop, bombastic action 24/7, 365. There isn’t even any files to read to get information on lore, you instead find these medallions hidden throughout the game and read up on character and story files in a separate menu because they don’t WANT you to stop and read things, we gotta get a move on!! There’s 4 campaigns to choose from, initially you’re only allowed to choose from 3 while Ada is the final unlockable campaign only available after beating the first 3, while I guess they removed this requirement in the PC version. I still ended up playing Ada last anyway for consistency’s sake. Much like Sonic Adventure, each campaign has a different gameplay “theme” to it, so to speak. Sadly, just like Sonic Adventure, these campaigns vary greatly in quality. I got my warning signs blaring as early as finishing Leon’s campaign. I clocked in a good 12.7 hours finishing the entire campaign of RE5, while Leon’s campaign alone surpassed it with about 13-14 hours put in. This was bad enough as is, but then I looked and realized I still had 3 more campaigns to go through and I audibly went “oooooh nooooooooooo”. Each campaign is…more or less about the same length as a typical Resident Evil game, which is absurd. Things get very very tiring very fast, by the end of the game that original 12.7 hours or RE5 were now utterly dwarfed by Resident Evil 6’s utterly mind boggling 45 HOUR PLAYTIME. Look, I don’t care how good you think your shooty shooty bang bang action game is; it should not, I repeat, should NOT be the length of a Kingdom Hearts game. These campaigns get exhausting after a while, the extremely linear hallway level design, lack of puzzles (the only exceptions being in Ada’s campaign and even then they feel so slapdashed it’s not even funny), the constant barrage of explosions that happen so frequently you become basically as numb to them as you would in a Michael Bay film, the campaigns do not understand how to properly keep a playthrough engaging for an entire session. There’s also a fair bit of recycling too, as if you encounter another set of characters in one campaign and you face the same enemy or scenario (like Sherry meeting Chris and both needing to disable the giant anti air cannons while being hounded by giant monsters), then when you play the other campaign you need to eventually do that section again due to the circumstances.
If I had to rank which ones I liked more than others, I’d say Chris is my favorite, followed by Ada, then Leon, then Jake. Chris is essentially the Call of Duty campaign, the most gunplay and action out of any of the other campaign. However, with here, I think it works. With RE6 trying to make a hard shift towards action, having a gameplay style that embraces this shift at the very least fits and works well enough. Ada has some interesting setpieces and boss fights (the section with Carla in the ship was actually pretty disturbing and weird and the boss wasn’t too bad either). Leon wasn’t…very good. He had a great variety of locations, I liked the atmosphere of the college campus and the cemetery but the bosses were terrible (especially Simmons, both the final encounter and his…flesh dinosaur form) and it just feels like the game was trying to be something it wasn’t. It starts out attempting to be creepy and build an atmosphere but by the 1/4 point it just gives up and resorts to more boring action schlock. Jake’s campaign is the absolute bottom of the barrel. There’s a lot of tedium that exists in all the typical RE6 campaigns but it also comes with a heaping dose forced unfitting gameplay variety!!! There’s a section where you need to stealth past the main monster Ustanak, who chases you throughout the entire campaign much like Nemesis, there’s a really miserable section where you need to find certain keys lodged in this open ended area in the middle of a snowstorm complete with ice physics, there’s a section where Sherry is basically naked (both figuratively AND literally) and needs to stealth kill enemies to get past doors without any of her equipment, this campaign legit could not make up its mind on what it wanted to be. It’s a whole lot of everything, but that everything ended up being nothing, which is a shame because I legit thought it was really cool seeing Sherry Birkin again after RE2 concluded but it’s a shame her campaign with Jake is the worst in the entire game.
I have to reiterate again, this game is absolutely exhausting, between the flawed constant gunplay and campaigns that took forever and a half to finally end, Resident Evil 6 is just a drag to get through. In the end, it was mainly a necessary evil (haha) I had to endure to get to the games I was truly looking forward to, 7 and 8. I can’t even remember any sort of memorable dialogue from this game, in every other RE game I can think of (besides maybe 3, that one sucks lol), I could point out at least one or 2 cheesy lines to remember from my experience, but here? Nope. Nothing. I didn’t viscerally hate what I experienced but that’s also probably the nicest thing I can say about it. Word of advice: unless you’re an RPG, do not under any circumstances make your game last over 40 hours to simply beat. Period. That is all.
actually I change my mind, Jake replying “what are you, mental?” to Sherry asking him to move in was kinda funny I’ll give you that
Resident Evil 6
2012
a hundred hours too long and also bad, but pretty funny in co op and Jake’s campaign was genuinely pretty quality and should have been the entire focus of this game. definitely deserves the hate doe
Resident Evil 6
2012
why is this game 40 hours
Resident Evil 6
2012
If you go in as a longtime fan of the series expecting a tense horror-action game, I can completely understand why this game might suck hard for you. But if you go in expecting the dumbness and craziness of what is essentially a 2010s-era Fast and Furious movie with a bioterrorism subplot, and if you have a friend to play through with you, it’s a really good time.
Completely forget about the story and writing because it’s all pretty awful, but I think all the action setpieces that the game sends you through are anywhere from great to okay. Funny enough, I think newcomer Jake’s campaign was actually the best one due to its insistence on how fresh he was to the series and how simple the directive he and Sherry had: stay alive. The pacing is really great and it takes you through a lot of amazing locations and objectives. Leon’s campaign is pretty good, Ada’s is okay, and Chris’s is just straight up bad for the most part.
I also disagree with some of the reviews calling the four campaigns superfluous because they’re all just the same. Each of them have some intersections, some handled well and some that literally have you doing the exact same thing again, but they all feel pretty separate and defined by their own stories, and I could imagine it could’ve been pretty engaging if the story was anything worth remembering. Then again, GTA IV and its DLCs did the same thing 5 years prior, so…
Either way, please play this with a friend, as I've heard the friendly AI is just garbage.
Completely forget about the story and writing because it’s all pretty awful, but I think all the action setpieces that the game sends you through are anywhere from great to okay. Funny enough, I think newcomer Jake’s campaign was actually the best one due to its insistence on how fresh he was to the series and how simple the directive he and Sherry had: stay alive. The pacing is really great and it takes you through a lot of amazing locations and objectives. Leon’s campaign is pretty good, Ada’s is okay, and Chris’s is just straight up bad for the most part.
I also disagree with some of the reviews calling the four campaigns superfluous because they’re all just the same. Each of them have some intersections, some handled well and some that literally have you doing the exact same thing again, but they all feel pretty separate and defined by their own stories, and I could imagine it could’ve been pretty engaging if the story was anything worth remembering. Then again, GTA IV and its DLCs did the same thing 5 years prior, so…
Either way, please play this with a friend, as I've heard the friendly AI is just garbage.