Resi 6 will reboot series, says Takeuchi

By Ellie Gibson Published 24 February, 2009

Plus: Resi 5 demo downloaded 4m times.

With weeks still to go until the release of Resident Evil 5, producer Jun Takeuchi has already been talking about the sixth instalment in the series.

Specifically he's been talking to 1UP which reports that, "Resident Evil 5 is practically guaranteed to be the last of its kind, with... Takeuchi assuring us that a reboot is in order for the inevitable Resident Evil 6."

But what could that mean? A brand new control system? Bunnies instead of zombies? No racism? Takeuchi didn't say, unfortunately, and we'll have to wait months, at the very least, to find out.

Still, there's always Resident Evil 5, down for a 13th March release on PS3 and Xbox 360. The playable demo has already proved popular, with Takeuchi telling MTV it's been downloaded 4 million times.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (74) Latest comment 3 years ago

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  • Dizzy #1 3 years ago

    Back to old mansions please ;)

  • Charlie_Miso #2 3 years ago

    waggle

  • DutchDemons #3 3 years ago

    well, ater playing the demo of resi 5 i instantly remember why i wasn't all that impressed with the series. it's still the same stupid control system where you get hit mostly because you're not allowed to shoot and run, or you have to stop, turn and run.

    also the fact that you always have enough bullets to decimate africa's zombie(!!) population kind of defeats the purpose of the game. i'm still hoping for Silent Hill 5 to prove critics wrong and blow me away.

  • BOBBYLUPO #4 3 years ago

    More stupid zombies please - none of this motorbike riding nonsense. And also a more intelligent lead character who can multitask (like walk and shoot).

  • JohnnyWashnGo #5 3 years ago

    A few years ago I would have been all against this. I love the old resi games and find the clunky controls system really suits those old, static background games.

    But the resi 5 demo really annoyed me. The control system is so broken for that type of game. So much so that I will not be buying this game at release and will instead wait a few months until the price drops and pick it up for cheap. I cannot really afford to buy games that I am not too comfortable playing, no matter how much I enjoy the story.

  • penhalion #6 3 years ago

    Possibly even first person in view, using the F.E.A.R style of interaction i.e. you see your own hands etc. etc. and interactions with objects are animated so that you feel immersed most of the time. Probably still have a lousy inventory system and the fake tention builder of not being able to move and shoot at the same time.

  • Redeye #7 3 years ago

    A cross between Half-Life and HOTD, please, Takeuchi-san...and no, I don't mean L4D.

  • DFawkes #8 3 years ago

    Just get Valve to make a Resi FPS. Heck, stick a Resi skin on L4D and watch it sell.

  • Les #9 3 years ago

    Downloaded it without any intent of actually playing it. For some reason I just don't care about Resi since part 4 and this one has never even peaked my interest really.

  • Entity #10 3 years ago

    Give me move & shoot, then I'll part with my cash.

  • GamesConnoisseur #11 3 years ago

    DutchDemons: I got imported PS3 Silent Hill since Nov, I have to say the most disappointing SH game ever in my view! I couldnt finish it after Sewer level (midpoint i believe).

    RE5 Demo otherwise was much more playable despite the hated stop and shoot and awkward control in this time and age needed a serious updating. I m looking forward to RE5 which I think would be much more fun than SH.

    Still I do consider SH2 to be the best example of survival horror, relying more on audio/visual scares rather than just the limited control which are more obvious in RE series.

  • Stu #12 3 years ago

    Was I the only one who really liked the demo?

  • homerramone #13 3 years ago

    Maybe he means it will actually be a resident evil game - rather than just another shooter with zombies ! (He says hopefully)

  • wobbly_Bob #14 3 years ago

    no, i liked it too!

  • DUFFMAN5 #15 3 years ago

    Please say raccoon city , please say raccoonn city (I don't give a shite if it was destroyed! surely you remember Pam waking up to find Bobby in the shower).

  • Artemus #16 3 years ago

    Remake RE2 and I'll be happy.

  • barchetta #17 3 years ago

    Pretty damning statement to be talking up the next Resi when 5 has yet to hit the shelves.

    "Oh but 6 is going to be so new and innovative...." says producers whilst jamming phone books into trousers.

    Sounds like someone is preparing for a damage limitation exercise.
    Edited by barchetta at 24/02/09 @ 09:58

  • asphaltcowboy #18 3 years ago

    Loved 4, will probably enjoy 5 but it is getting a little antiquated. Dead Space has shown that you can instil fear and apply pressure from enemies without hobbling the player with awkward controls!

  • Les #19 3 years ago

    Wow, they must think RE5 really sucks if they already start mentioning RE6.

    edit: first post responded to the # of downloads. This one was after actually reading it, sort of... ;)
    Edited by Les at 24/02/09 @ 10:26

  • GamesProgrammer Verified Games Team Programmer, Eutechnyx Ltd. #20 3 years ago

    Sounds like they might do something drastic like make it wii exclusive, waggle waggle.

  • KillallHippies #21 3 years ago

    really now, resi 5 isn't racist. If they went to Africa and there were no black people, THAT would be racist.
    and if you eurogamer wants to pretend that savage things don't happen in africa that's fine but i can see already that they will let their misplaced sense of colonial guilt affect the way they score it. They'll claim it's score reflects it's poor control system or that it is too action packed with not enough puzzles.

    7/10 i imagine, just to cover their backs if the shit hits the fan in the media.

  • Nithron #22 3 years ago

    I'm an old-school Resi fan, and I still like Resi 5. Also, wasn't the series rebooted exactly one game ago?(Two, once 5 comes out..)

  • Les #23 3 years ago

    "The same people bitching about RE5 being a next gen version of RE4 are probably the same ones who creamed their pants over SF4 which has the same dated controls and 2D fighting as SF2 over a decade ago."

    Are there actually people that care about SFIV?!

  • wanderingkid #24 3 years ago

    (good point Count Fap)
    Well I loved 4 and love 5!
    Did any of you actually play co-op on it with a friend? Not a random but an actual friend that you've played games with before and can communicate tactics with via a headset/mic because it's SO much better then.
    Also EG; very childish and kind of sadistic to bring up the racism row again, I kind of hate the people that run this site actually.

  • asphaltcowboy #25 3 years ago

    "Are there actually people that care about SFIV?!"

    Er... yes.

  • Les #26 3 years ago

    "Er... yes."

    Amazing. But then again, my tastes usually don't correspond with the sales charts... ;)

  • robg #27 3 years ago

    And also a more intelligent lead character who can multitask (like walk and shoot).

    Well done for being the only person in real life who can do this accurately. Everyone else stops and aims.

    And if your answer to that is, "Yes but I want games to be FUN!" well, if you want a first person shooter then go and play one of the millions (and if it's any good then you should have to stop moving before you're accurate anyway). TBH with RE, why even bother turning up if you can't cope? The skill in knowing when to stop and aim is a key, brilliant differentiator for the series.
    Edited by robg at 24/02/09 @ 11:06

  • Kremlik Verified Co-Founder, Crash To Desktop #28 3 years ago

    RE4/5 with this 'evil planet' bit I hope thats what he's talking about, bring back Biotech-weapons, evil corps and deep deep plot twists.

  • kangarootoo #29 3 years ago

    4m demo downloads eh? I wonder how many of those were then deleted within 24 hours.

  • kangarootoo #30 3 years ago

    @bmxbandit

    Res Evil 5 is perhaps a good game in some ways, but it is also in many ways a bloody awful terrible and badly designed game. The platform has nothing to do with it.

  • layleeloo #31 3 years ago

    @kangarootoo

    Wow - you managed to deduce a whole game being badly designed from a 5 minute demo? Impressive stuff.

    Im no resi fan, or hater - I loved the first, but basically havnt played one through until the end since as I got bored. Resi 5, who knows - could be good, could be bad. But let wait until we play it all until we start slagging it off.

    Its like people who write reviews on play.com for games and CD's not out yet saying its brill cos theyre a fan? How can you have an opinion of something you havent seen or played the final product of. Demos are very miss reperesentative of any game, like Dead Space, Simpsons etc. Awful demos - alright games.

    And yes Les, there are people who care about SF4 haha. Look at the sales figures.

  • Linkified #32 3 years ago

    Lets hope they remove there archaic game designs, such as not being able to walk and shoot, having to press 'A' to run, etc.

  • Triggerhappytel #33 3 years ago

    I'm guessing the series is going to see at least one full iteration on the Wii - not a R5 port, and not an Umbrella Chronicles-type instalment.

    However, I too would like to see it go back to a proper scary setting like the mansion, with proper zombies (although the excellent and terrifying Crimson Heads are allowed) and actual proper scares and tension, not action disguised as a survival horror.

    That said, I love Resi 4 and I will at least rent Resi 5, but I'm a bit more keen on proper horror a la the first game and the REmake.

  • Toadie48 #34 3 years ago

    Shooting = YES FEELS GOOD!!! Runing = YES FEELS GOOD. Shoot + run = YES FEE... cocking hell you still can't effin shoot and run.

    If random sceary enemies that wanted to puncture me a new asshole was running towards me I'd run out of there like Sonic the Hedgehog, plastering bullets everywhere as I leave, I wouldn't be standing there like I have some kind of gay-arthitis playing around with a gun.

  • kinky_mong #35 3 years ago

    @Stu: I loved the demo too. Playing co-op with my friend online worked a dream, and having my friend yelling "Run! He's right behind you!" really ramped up the tension. Can't wait for March.

  • Les #36 3 years ago

    "And yes Les, there are people who care about SF4 haha. Look at the sales figures."

    Sarcasm is clearly lost on some of you...

  • muscleblade #37 3 years ago

    @CountFapula

    Exactly. I love SFIV and i will love RE5 for the same reasons.
    Its old school Capcom gameplay with amazing modern graphics.
    I wouldnt have it any other way.

  • sneetch #38 3 years ago

    @DutchDemons
    it's still the same stupid control system where you get hit mostly because you're not allowed to shoot and run, or you have to stop, turn and run.

    Yep. I don't understand why they continue to bring out these gimped control systems it turned Resi 4 into a chore for me on Cube, I wouldn't mind if readying your weapon slowed you to a walk (so you're not a man-shaped, gyro-stabilised hovertank like in FPS/TPS games) but the clumsy nature of the controls is just baffling in this age.

  • Cyclone #39 3 years ago

    Hopefully, as others have said, it's a return to the classic 1/2/3/Code Veronica RE formula. With a modern control scheme, of course. In my view RE2 is still the best of the series in terms of atmosphere, with CV being a close second. Wondering around the ruined police station with its oppressive atmosphere, reading the notes left behind by the last, desperate survivors, was a great experience. As was fighting actual zombies instead of the Los Plagus carriers.

  • Mooglepies #40 3 years ago

    This is an argument of iteration against innovation, and it's always a thorny problem for developers. On the one hand, you want to capitalise on the success of previous games, but on the other you want to try something different. At the end of the day, you usually get either iteration or a hybrid of the two; very rarely do you see pure innovation, and when you do, you usually see it in an entirely new genre.

    Iteration is nothing bad; it created such brilliant games as Super Mario World, Super Metroid, and Resident Evil 2. Innovation is a risky endeavour, but when it pays off you get things like Mario 64.

    Japanese developers prefer iteration to innovation; that's a cultural thing. Not necessarily a bad thing, at least not all the time. I can see where people might have a problem with the RE5 controls, particularly after Dead Space, but personally I'm fine with it. Ditto for Streetfighter 4, but that's far, far away a deeper, more interesting fighting experience than SF2; they're similar on face value but very different from an advanced perspective.

    I personally like the direction Capcom are taking, and wish them luck.

  • bad09 #41 3 years ago

    "Resident Evil 5 is practically guaranteed to be the last of its kind, with... Takeuchi assuring us that a reboot is in order for the inevitable Resident Evil 6."

    translated "we moved away from what people liked about RE with RE4, and while that game was success it's really hitting home with the public reception of the carbon copy RE5 it's not what they want. Also we REALLY cocked it up by adding co-op, but we'll fix it all for the next one. Honest"

    Anyway REALLY excellent news which makes me hopeful my favourite game series ever will return to it once great form.

    / awaits the return of survival horror eagerly, playing RE 1-CV in the meantime.

  • Zomoniac #42 3 years ago

    Copy the code for Gears' gameplay, paste into RE5, reduce speed by 30%. WIN.

  • Bulbatron #43 3 years ago

    When they say 'reboot' they could mean that they are going back to how the series used to be, or it could mean that they are going to drop the last remnants of the old series entirely and make Resident Evil a pure 'action-horror' series.

    As for Resident Evil 5, I didn't have any problems with the controls, (except the action and run buttons were the wrong way round) since I've been playing since the PSone original. What I did have a problem with, is the fact that the game now seems to be a co-op game with a badly thought out single player. Admittedly, co-op was quite fun and I've no problem at all with Resident Evil 5 including it. What annoys me is the fact that all the changes needed to allow co-op (such as the real-time inventory) have spilled over into single-player.

    It's unlikely I will buy this on release. I'll probably wait for the price to tumble first.

    My favourite in the series so far is Resident Evil Remake on the GameCube. It had all the atmosphere of the original PSone version, but with even better graphics to carry it off.

  • guernican #44 3 years ago

    "If they went to Africa and there were no black people, THAT would be racist. "

    No. That would be ridiculous.

    Personally, just like Count Fapula, I liked Resident Evil long before it was cool. In fact, I might have liked it before it was mooted. And my Dad may have bought me a Chelsea season ticket, but I liked them when they were rubbish too, and used to play Queens Park Warriors. And stuff.
    Edited by guernican at 24/02/09 @ 13:54

  • stevetuck #45 3 years ago

    I was really looking forward to resi5 after playing 4 to death... but im kinda bored of playing the same game now :(

    Resi5 its more like Resi4.5

  • PlugMonkey #46 3 years ago

    Well done for being the only person in real life who can do this accurately. Everyone else stops and aims.

    @RobG:

    Now that's not entirely true is it. People stop to shoot, they don't have to stop to aim. They don't normally drop their gun down to their side in order to be able to shuffle forward a few steps!

  • kangarootoo #47 3 years ago

    @layleeloo

    "Wow - you managed to deduce a whole game being badly designed from a 5 minute demo? Impressive stuff."

    I managed to deduce that the core control system, which I imagine doesn't change throughout much of the game, and is fundamental to my enjoyment of the game, was attrociously designed. Yes I did, without any trouble whatsoever. 5 minutes was more than enough time as it happens.

    On a more serious note, I understand what you are saying about the demo not representing the whole game. But the demo gave me enough information about some very fundamental aspects of the game that I knew I would find the experience of playing the whole thing a frustrating one.


    @KillallHippies

    "They'll claim it's score reflects it's poor control systems"

    Well they would be right then wouldn't they. Based on controls alone I would give Res5 a 3/10.

  • Freek #48 3 years ago

    I don't remember anyone complaining about the controls in RE4. I've yet to play this demo, but if it's the same as RE4, that's fine by me.

    That was before Dead Space came out. And (judging by the demo) RE5 is even more action oriented and less slow paced then RE4 is, making a change in controls more welcome then ever.

  • robg #49 3 years ago

    People stop to shoot, they don't have to stop to aim.

    You're confusing "aiming" with "vaguely pointing the gun in the right direction". You still have to aim. Otherwise absolutely nothing would stop you firing accurately whilst moving. What? But it wouldn't go where you were aiming? Yes it would, it's just you can't aim while you're running.

    And hell, how many people can run with a gun lined up between their eye and the target and not trip over?

  • GiarcYekrub #50 3 years ago

    Just...
    1. Axe the AI! Or Give more control options!
    2. Bring back the merchant and give him a story(I alway thought it was gonna be Wesker for some reason)
    3. Stop enemies spawning ammo.
    4. Alternate Endings
    5. No steroids to be given to lead characters.
    6. Make key items take inventory space again
    7. Delinearise the levels, I felt like I was on rails in RE4

  • Feanor #51 3 years ago

    "Well they would be right then wouldn't they. Based on controls alone I would give Res5 a 3/10."

    Then you'd have to give RE 4 the same score since the controls are so similar, a game which has an average score of 96% and only shows that your opinion is such an outlier as to be worthless.

  • DAN.E.B #52 3 years ago

    i agree the controls are dated but stick at it and you soon get used to it
    i would prefer dead space controls but resi 5 will be the better game.

  • Entity #53 3 years ago

    "You know what's funny? The same people bitching about RE5 being a next gen version of RE4 are probably the same ones who creamed their pants over SF4 which has the same dated controls and 2D fighting as SF2 over a decade ago."

    Wrong! For that exact reason as well.

    I feel better now.

  • bad09 #54 3 years ago

    ""You know what's funny? The same people bitching about RE5 being a next gen version of RE4 are probably the same ones who creamed their pants over SF4 which has the same dated controls and 2D fighting as SF2 over a decade ago."

    Or maybe they don't want a next version of RE4? Maybe they wanted (and still want) a next gen version of Resident Evil....

    Besides good old Street fighter doesn't piss all over it's heritage like RE4 did (well except for the movie one!)

  • coolbritannia #55 3 years ago

    The only racism is on this site in your perception of innocent events...

  • VMerken #56 3 years ago

    Controlz Whining(tm) for the win.

    What's the matter, too lazy to get to grips with the control setup?
    Don't worry, tons of other games to choose from. ^_^

    Anyway, the topic's Resident Evil 6 and the reboot it's going to be. But oh dear, what shall this reboot be? Since there's no info to work from, everything is pure speculation based on experience. So what are the options:

    (1) A "next gen" revamp a la RE4. The next evolutionary step, after 5 tries to expand upon the potential of 4. What this revamp entails? Everyone's guess is as good as everyone's guess, save for the developers. Perhaps there's finally run and gun in there, but by the time RE6 is going gold, most of the Controlz Whinerz(tm) will probably cry for their latest control puppy which was "shamefully omitted".

    Time to be more proactive than ever, Capcom. ^_^

    (2) A complete return to the old. Big, scary locale, fear of the unknown, puzzles, fast spooks and the Comeback of the mighty Square Crank and Valve Handle. Jill, Chris & co. dance with the Undead yet again in a parallell universe. Now with extra backtracking and please get that dialogue cheesier than ever.

    (3) A complete overhaul. New characters, new controls new story, new enemies, new venues because we've beaten the STARS/Umbrella plot line to a bloody pulp i.e. closed all loose odds and ends. Think "Apollo Justice", but without the Phoenix Wright shoe horn. Thing is, wouldn't that warrant a whole new name for the game? Pshnah.

    Add freely.
    Edited by VMerken at 24/02/09 @ 23:15

  • Michael1406 #57 3 years ago

    +1 on Bulbatron (comment 51)

    @all the people crying about run+shoot....stop being a pussy, fuck off and play an FPS or something. I didn't have a problem in the demo, same as I didn't have a problem in 4.

  • kangarootoo #58 3 years ago

    @MattDamon

    "I don't remember anyone complaining about the controls in RE4. I've yet to play this demo, but if it's the same as RE4, that's fine by me."

    Its a fair point, but there are differences between Re4 and Re5 in what the game demands of you. The Res series has recently shifted its focus from creepy lumbering "get of of my personal space Mr zombie" toward modern day "28 days later" sprinty zombies.

    Re4 had the same sense of scale, but it didn;t have the same pace as Re5. 5 is very action oriented, and the control system is simply the wrong one for the job. In something like Fatal frame it might have been fine, but in this game it is woefully misplaced imo.

  • kangarootoo #59 3 years ago

    Are people actually defending the control system on the basis that it is realistic?

    Nonsense. Firstly, realism means nothing if the end result is less fun for it. Secondly, the system is simply NOT realistic. The Dead Space controls are more realistic if anything. I've fired a few guns in my time (I'm a crap shot, lets be clear) and I guarantee that I could shoot almost as well (i.e. badly) moving at a crawl paced walk as I could standing still.

    And if I needed to be more accurate I could simply stop moving and AIM the gun that is already right in front of my eyes and already lined up with my target.

    And you know what, if a zombie (or a 7 foot tall executioner swining an axe as big as I am) was stood 2 feet behind me and to the right, I'd probably bloody know about it too. And I could turn around in a quarter of a second and then stick several unaimed shots (which would be fine at that range) into him. I'll be damned if the same can be said of RE5 about any of that.

    Realism indeed.

  • Entity #60 3 years ago

    "@all the people crying about run+shoot....stop being a pussy, fuck off and play an FPS or something. I didn't have a problem in the demo, same as I didn't have a problem in 4."

    Well... I said "move and shoot". I don't need to be able to run, just bloody move with a gun pointed. I'd rather have a game that is fun, fun, fun, than one that feels like I've dived into a pool of treacle. Stop being a pussy? Since when has gaming been about manly stuff like fighting with the controls? Oh yeah... since bastard middle-Americanism syndrome took hold.

  • kangarootoo #61 3 years ago

    "Since when has gaming been about manly stuff like fighting with the controls?"

    Unfortunately, for sad individuals searching for a way to elevate their self esteem, always.

  • kangarootoo #62 3 years ago

    "I loved RE4 but in this version the controls suck'', when the controls are pretty much exactly the fucking same."

    But the GAME is not the same. Simply put, the controls of Res5 aren't up to the job. Maybe they have been passable in other games along the lines of hostory, but that is barely relevant.

    "If you want to play gears or dead space, guess what? Put them in your fucking disc and play it. Don't bitch and whine about how this doesn't copy other games"

    Isn't that partly what these pages are for?

    "But please, at least stop whining about it every five minutes. It gets tedious."

    This is probably true. Point taken.
    /exits

  • Entity #63 3 years ago

    "I really don't understand how some people can struggle so much with a control scheme that to me has always felt perfect."

    It's the same with Metal Gear Solid. My friend can't play that for the life of him, but he enjoys watching it be played well. MGS4 at least added some control to the camera, whereas this was just a mess imo. I'm not going to retune my brain for a game that hasn't moved on. I've been playing (brings out CV) since the days of the speccy 48k, so I know enough from my early years of playing with anally retentive controls. Simple thing is, this was acceptable last-gen, but why do you think there's talk of a reboot to the series already? Because they understand that they can make the controls a lot nicer maybe?

    Dead Rising next please!

  • kangarootoo #64 3 years ago

    Viewed in isolation any game can be liked by some. But peer review and general experience shows that ResEvil 5 is behind the times and shonky.

    If you want to wave your willy and suggest that being weak or stupid (very dangerous ground given how you have represented yourself thus far) has anything whatsoever to do with it then knock yourself out. It means nothing to me.

    I'm in my mid-thirties, have been playing games since I can remember and make them for a living. And when I played the demo of ResEvil 5 I immediately thought (as did almost everyone I have talked to, for what that is worth) these controls are utter shit compared to many other games I have played recently.

    That is all I care about.

  • Les #65 3 years ago

    I hate Resident Evil's control scheme as well. Always hated it TBH but in the past it was more forgiveable as there weren't as much better examples. But if a game is good enough, it can overcome control issues (e.g. the MGS series). From the looks of it though, it doesn't appear RE5 will be such a game.

  • kangarootoo #66 3 years ago

    "I didn't say you were weak or stupid, but if you can't grasp a friggin control scheme, you definitly should go to your doctor and make sure all your cognative functions are working well. It's not actually that hard to grasp. Maybe you are just being lazy, expected a carbon copy of gears or dead space and got upset when you realised that it's different? And why do I care how you see me, or how I represented myself? I'm just being honest. People who can't grasp the control scheme are either lazy or have some kind of dexterity problem and are best suited to basic, two or three button games (ie wii games)."

    Yeah, keep working that one. Shoot the messenger and everything will be ok.


    The thing is, the controls of a game should not be what provides the challenge. The controls are my interface with the game environment. They are what allows me to meet the actual in-game challenges I am presented with. Its not that I couldn't persevere with the controls, or learn them eventually (and seriously, finding 6 different ways to tell me I an uncoordinated isn't going to wash. I know I'm not, regardless of whether you agree). Its more than I simply can't be arsed.

    Why should I spend time grappling with bad controls when I can simply play another game that is better put together?


    "also, out of curiosity, what games have you made?"

    I like my anonimity thanks very much (not that I am anyone that anyone else has heard of). Regardless, its not relevant. I can speak as a gamer about my experience playing a game, and I don't need any qualifications in order to do so. I probably shouldn't have mentioned I worked on games (though its known among many on here), but I did so in an effort to refute your suggestion that I was someone who was struggling simple because they were not "used to games".

    Anwyay, you are quite right about me poking my oar in when I've clearly got issues with the title in question. So I'll shut up (I'm getting dejavu here, but this time I shall mean it) :)

  • Les #67 3 years ago

    "Again, if you hate the control scheme, why on god's green fucking earth would you be interested in this?????"

    I'm not particularly interested in RE5. But I enjoy a discussion, especially if it's about controls. IMO controls are (and always will be) the biggest constraint of video games.

    IMHO complex controls are a sign of poor development skills. Either the developer uses poor controls to artificially increase the difficulty or it just hasn't given them (and the rest of the game design) enough thought.

  • Les #68 3 years ago

    "I have never had any problems whatsoever with them."

    For me (besides the 'feel' aspect) the biggest problem is that they don't adhere to control 'conventions'. I'm not the type of gamer that finishes a game before moving on to the next. I start a game, play it a couple of days/weeks and move on to another. Sometimes it takes months before I return to it again. A highly unique control scheme means it's hard to get back in and up to speed quickly.

  • kangarootoo #69 3 years ago

    Oh ok, we seem to have gone round in that circle that sometimes happens, where we start being polite to each other again. Which is a good thing, as being rude just 'cos we disagree is a poor show by both of us.

    Ok, I'll break it down into my observations and I'll try and be as objective as possible (which I've not really been so far - "controls" is a pretty wide area).

    Ok.

    The gameplay of Res5 seems to focus on the feeling of being surrounded by enemies. Older res games rarely broke enemies up into fast moving groups. They tended to clump them together, or have them shambling toward you at a manageable rate from various parts of a room, or if they did spring a fast moving bugger on you it tended to be all by itself. Older res evil games also worked on a room system, so you were usually aware of where the doors were and that is where enemies would come from. As such the limited camera and character movement systems did not majorly hamper the experience (though they have still looked progressively dated over the years).

    Res5 puts enemies around you, and gives them many "entry points" (be that doors, or windows, or climbing up onto the roof next to you, or whatever). In such a system the player HAS to be able to establish an awareness of their surroundings. A wide angle camera, quick turning, effectively being able to drop or at least DELAY a nearby antogonist all contribute to the player being able to gain that awareness.

    Granting the player an awareness of their surrounding is not inherrently making the game easy, it is simply equipping them for the challenge ahead. A game like Ninja Gaiden or God of War can be absurdly difficult, but a practised player will always feel like they are able to react. In fact, a suitable control and camera system allows you to actually increase the difficulty and ask more of the player, as you know they have the tools with which to respond.


    When I talk generally about controls I might even say that the controls are not really part of the gameplay - rather they are the bridge between the player and the gameplay.

    Ideally there be no controls at all. If you wanted to punch an opponent, you would simply move your own arm and punch. If you wanted to shoot you would raise your arm and shoot (this obviously isn't so straight forward when you are not controlling a humanoid avatar, Flower being an example).

    Now Wii Sports not withstanding we can't remove abstraction completely, so we try to reduce it. The Fight Night games let you control your boxer's punches by manipulating the analgue sticks. Its not like really swining your own arm, but its closer than presing a button. Other games do more or less of a job of reducing the abstraction, but the intent is the same.

    What I have found with ResE5 is that the level of abstraction is very high. I can't turn quickly, like I can in real life. I can't move and aim, like I can in real life. I can't have a quick look over my shoulder (or otherwise make myself aware of someone creeping up on me), like I can in real life.


    All of that aside, and trying to be more objective about things, I felt that R5 made a couple of other poor errors in judgement. One was making your own progress dependant on a very frail co-op partner, and the other was in how it teaches (or doesn't teach) the player.

    The teaching subject is a quick one. There is barely any teaching. Any player coming to the demo without a history of ResE play will struggle to even pick ammo up off the floor under pressure. For a demo, the lack of handholding and teaching was abominable. By all means let experienced players turn it off, but don't leave it out completely.

    On co-op.

    Its bad enough that an AI controlled character can't keep itself alive with even a basic amount of autonomy, but the issues I described above make it hard to even keep track of where the AI character is. I realise there is a "where is my partner" button, but that felt like a sticking plaster to me - an admission that the basic interface was not up to the job of letting the player stay aware of their environment.

    Think of playing the game with a human partner. The death of either character fails the game for both players. In my book this is a huge mistake for one key reason. It requires that both players be skilled for either player to have fun. Imagine a situation in Halo, where one l33t player is co-op'ing with a n00b (to use the preferred terminology). The n00b can die numerous times, but the l33t player is still able to maintain progress. The leet player has fun being awesome, and the n00b has fun just taking part in the action.

    Imagine the same scene again, where every time the n00b player dies both players find their checkpoint reset. 5 minutes of the play and the l33t player is telling the n00b to piss out out of his game and he is now instead looking for a "better" team mate.


    Back on the subject of spacial awareness (and this is the last point before I fully fire up the waffling engine), Warren Spector once described the fun a player can gain from a game environment as resulting from the slow taking of control. Initially the player is in the enemy's house, and they control nothing. Then over time they defeat enemies, control systems, lock doors and so on, and slowly the environment becomes the player's house. A sense of control builds and satisfaction results (and even sets the designer up to spring a reversal on the player to restore tension).

    In R5 I never felt like I was gaining control of the environment, purely because I was not equipped to react to what I was faced with. Perserverance may have solved that problem by degrees, but Dead Space let me feel like I was learning from the off... and I only have so much money to spend.

    I wonder how often the question was asked "Is it more or less fun"?

    Is it more or less fun that I can't move when I am aiming?
    Is it more or less fun that the death of my AI partner ends my game?
    Is it more or less fun that the camera is close and slow, so I keep getting grabbed from behind by monsters I didn't know were there?
    Is it more or less fun that my saves are limited both in number AND location? (I don't know if that is still the case)

  • kangarootoo #70 3 years ago

    Christ that is a long post. Sorry about that :)

  • Bulbatron #71 3 years ago

    I wonder how this game will go down in Japan.

  • kangarootoo #72 3 years ago

    I think it will go down a storm in Japan personally. A lot of the "this is how it is, deal with it" design philosophy is very suited to the Japanese market. I don't know why, but it seems to work for that market. Japanese games seem to have a lot more stick and a lot less carott than western titles, but that is what the market likes.

  • Entity #73 3 years ago

    Dear lord! Most of the time a post that long loses my interest, but that was well written and really highlighted the problems.

  • gelf #74 3 years ago

    I actually found it harder to get used to the controls in halo(my first console FPS that used dual stick controls) then the first Resident Evil oddly enough but perhaps I'm weird.

    There's just something about suggestions of FPS like controls in relation to resident evil I just don't like but I can't put my finger on what. But then I also miss old slow zombies
    Edited by gelf at 26/02/09 @ 02:44