Hi there, allow me to grab a bat and beat this very dead horse just one more time.

Keep in mind that this is coming from a relatively objective point of view. Of the “classic” Resident Evil titles, I’ve only played the second one for about 10 minutes. I’ve also never owned a Gamecube or PS2, thus keeping me playing from RE4. Although Leon’s 14 year old haircut turned me off as well.

"I love Hot Topic and talking about obscure bands on MySpace.”


So that brings me to the RE5 demo, without any preconceived notions of how the series “should” be.

The game creates a very good first impression. The graphics, animation, and atmosphere are excellent. The hit detection is out of this world. The way bodies react differently depending on where they are being shot is amazing. It is something I always want to see more of in games. I also love that you can uppercut an enemy when they are stunned.

And then there are the unnecessarily frustrating and archaic controls. Yeah, you knew this was coming.

In 2009, how do we still have an action game that requires the player to stop moving to fire a weapon, or even to just aim? Sure the common responses from fans are that “This game isn’t about running and gunning” or “It’s not realistic to be able to move while shooting.”

Yes, in a gritty game like this you shouldn't be able to run and gun. But anyone without Parkinson's can accurately shoot while at least walking.

Sorry Marty.

How is it not realistic to be able to move while shooting? Do special forces kick a door down and then just stand there trying to shoot enemies inside? Do soldiers still form lines and take turns shooting across a battlefield? If you were surrounded on all sides by a crazed flesh-eating mob, would you remain still to line up every shot perfectly?

And yeah if you shoot while jogging or running your accuracy should take a hit. But you should at least have the option of doing something that is not that difficult to do. It’s incredibly frustrating when I can’t get my highly trained and physically fit character in a video game to do stuff that my lame ass can do in real life.

"I can’t walk and chew gum at the same time!"

And then there’s the other claim that this limiting control scheme is a good thing because it maintains the survival horror vibe. This is bull, as even fans state that since RE4, the series has become an action game. Never mind the ridiculousness of the idea that a developer should artificially inhibit the controls in the name of preserving suspense. A feeling of helplessness should come from the atmosphere and challenge of a game, not from the fact that the player is helpless in getting his character to do what he wants.

In fact, the clunky controls contribute to the lack of suspense. Throughout the demo, I saw infected come sprinting from a distance, only to stop 10 feet in front of me to shamble forward at a snail’s pace. How did they suddenly lose the ability to run once they got close? This is clearly done to accommodate the controls, and it makes the game like a shooting gallery. You stand there shooting while zombies slowly shamble into your sights. That’s supposed to be scary?

"Slower guys. Remember, we’re paid by the hour."

Worse yet, how is it that Chris Redfield can’t reload or use a knife while moving? I loved having a zombie attack me while my character stands completely still, calmly reloading his weapon.

And nothing took me out of the action like hacking a zombie with my machete, watching as he staggered out of range, and then waiting as he shambled back into range before I could hit him again. Of course the other option was putting the knife away, running towards the enemy, taking the knife back out, and then slicing again.

I’ll be able to hit him again any minute now…


Listen, I don’t play much survival horror. But I think clunky combat is more understandable in a genre that emphasizes psychological terror and features everyman protagonists. But RE5 is a third-person action game with seriously outdated controls. My beef is that Capcom is bringing that kind of weak sauce to a genre I enjoy.

Hell, the original Splinter Cell allowed you to move while aiming a weapon.... in 2002. And that game discouraged large fire fights, it didn’t require you to shoot hordes of enemies..

Could you imagine if other genres didn't see progress in their controls? How about if FPS's on consoles still controlled like Goldeneye?

What gets me is Capcom's response to this. One of their PR people recently said “I don’t wanna see it, because then it’s not Resident Evil.”

Really? So changing the controls would suddenly make the game no longer Resident Evil? If that’s their attitude, then why did they go from a stationary camera to the over-the-shoulder view? Why are backgrounds no longer pre-rendered?

So is this the only game that truly is Resident Evil?

Technology improved, thus allowing those early limitations to be eliminated. Capcom should check out another handy piece of technology, dual analogs.

It is always trumpeted that gameplay > graphics, yet I find that this belief doesn’t apply to Resident Evil 5. All the time you see highly anticipated games with otherwise high production values get trashed due to subpar controls. But the franchise history and large fanbase of Resident Evil appears to buy RE5 a free pass on this particular front

I’m not saying that RE5 is going to be a horrible game. I touched on some of the good things I think it brings to the table. But it is in light of the positives that I find the outdated controls all the more frustrating. I keep reading things like "The game is a lot of fun, once you get used to the controls." I say don't settle for that crap. Sure an amputee can have a very enjoyable life once they adjust to it, but that doesn't mean he should have lost his leg to begin with.


Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to run around all day with a knife in my hand. Because I can.