Chris's Blog

For example, though it just edged its way in on the cube, Resident Evil 4 rightly belongs on any proper accounting of the year of our lord two-thousand and five. I suppose that's another reason this kind of enumeration - what Jeremy Parish might call a hagiography - has value. I crave novelty like anyone else, and I can be devoured by it, and relinquishing my will to the simulation - playing absolutely - is sort of what I do. There are times when something I've really enjoyed looks pretty mechanical and uninspired a few months out. I would not say that this applies to Resident Evil 4.

It could have been so bad.

Look at Final Fantasy now, the wheels are completely off the fucking franchise. They don't have any idea what they did to create it, and then they let people who didn't understand it to begin with interpret it poorly. Their teenaged fumblings have destroyed it.

I spoke with someone at PAX would would love to have the old Resident Evil return and sees this new mutation as not entirely unpleasant but still unseemly and even perhaps somewhat damp. I've still got a few REs of the old persuasion in me, if they choose to go that route - but I don't know that they could materially improve on Code Veronica, and I think they're aware of it. Indeed, I'm alsmost certain they are, having retreating into prequels and "reimaginings" immediately upon its completion.

The reality is that by five separate interpretations of Alone In The Dark, the evil had become perhaps too resident, a little set in its ways. They were good ways, I mean, shit. I liked those ways. But I don't find the new ways less legitimate, disrespectful, or what have you. They've simply taken the slider that represents the supplied ammo and turned it up, while at the same time amplifying the number of enemies to a tremendous degree and - this is why it works - emphasizing precision and trick shots. It is as though the game is in a different key. There's that music term again: transposition.

In any case, the game is a Goddamn sight more interactive while it hits those notes we find so delicious about survival horror. That it is also exquisitely beautiful, proving the claim of a console that never really got respect for its prowess, well, that never hurt none.

I remember a lot of people complaining that RE4 (currently my GOY) was too differant from the previous Resident Evils. With the increase in action particuarlily irking people. These were often the same people who complained that the series was getting stale before RE4 change. Now, like Tycho, I love the old style of RE but I was more than ready to acknowledge that the series needed a fresh look. You can only do that if you change things. RE4 would never have had worked (the way they made it) in the old style and vice versa. Can you imagine how easy it would be taking out zombiesin RE with RE4's camera and controls? But it was a necessary leap for the series. For one it updated it and another it really pushed the story along. I mean *spoilers* if you aren't interested in what Wesker and Ada are going to do with both the T-Virus and Las Plagas in their hands you aren't a fan of the series. Sure RE4 probably could have not have been called RE4 (or should have been RE5), still Resident Evil but with subname as opposed to a direct sequel number but it moves things along. In fact I am more interested now in the story after playing RE4 than I was after Code: Veronica.

Either way I believe the whole fight over changes and staying the course is interesting. Since it is seems that hardcore gamers fear changes to formulas almost as strongly as they claim to desire innovation and variety.