Topping previous RE games is tough...to tough in this case
I had the pleasure of attending the launch party for RE5 and with all the hype and the bit of gameplay that I was able to gather before the lauch I was pretty hyped up...but the hype was short lived.
Graphics - Well done, I cant say ground breaking, but nicely done none the less. Character modeling was well thought out, and the zombies and other creatures were well done for this release. Environments were well done, but still had a somewhat linear feel to it, at least for me.
Gameplay - This was the downfall of RE5 in my opinion. I am only reviewing the single player version, and I would rather have not played with a AI partner. Granted, the AI was well done, but having my partner up my as* the entire game and constantly getting in my way, or continually using unneeded ammo, got old fast. I played the game on Normal level, and it didnt really prove challenging. Weapons and ammo were standard for RE games, but obtaining ammo was tedious. And speaking of tedious, after I broke open the 200th barrel just to get 100 coins took all the fun out of exploring. There were some levels that offered up spectacular gameplay, but not the whole game. The ability to upgrade weapons was nice, but by 3/4 through the game most of my weapons were maxed out.
Storyline - It held up to the RE series, and overall it was compelling to watch and play. Voice acting was decent as well.
Overall - A must have for any fan of the series, but not the best of the 5 games to date.