RESIDENT EVIL... FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love Achieving High Scores

I've spent a good deal of time on playing Resident Evil 5. While I don't think it outclasses its predecessor, I also feel that the game is still executed incredibly well; it's hard to make lightning strike twice, much less five times, right?

I was interested to come upon the realization, however, that I may almost be having more fun in Resident Evil 5 now that I've seen all that it has to offer. I feel like a lot of the fun in the game comes from the execution (quite literally in some cases) of the game's mechanics, moreso than whatever hackneyed story scenario the game throws you into next. This is best established in Resident Evil 5's sub-game, The Mercenaries.

I know The Mercenaries is not new to the Resident Evil series, having been added to the series in RE3. I'm more familiar with it in terms of Resident Evil 4 onwards. It's funny to think that I never really had a taste for this bonus game in RE4, but somehow it has turned into an addictive little arcade-type title in RE5 that I keep coming back to. I think part of what I had to do is overcome my RE4/RE5 playstyle, which is to handicap enemies and use the ultra stylish melee maneuvers to find them off. Since Mercenaries limits you to a strict time allotment, this narrow focus tends to limit the high scores you can achieve. This in turn limits you from unlocking new levels/arenas to play in and new characters to use in these arenas. A loosening of my typical brute force strategy was required.

This leads to a new kind of frantic pacing in the game. I found it interesting that RE5's admittedly obvious detour from survival horror to nonstop action has probably benefited this side game more than the actual campaign. Many of RE5's "arenas" are reproduced in Mercenaries, often to greater effect than in their respective scenario in the storyline. Having 8 different selectable characters also gives a replayable edge to the mode, as the weapon loadout and inherent damage ratings between the different characters benefit different playstyles.

On top of all that, this mode can be played with a second player, online or locally on your Xbox 360/PS3. I highly recommend you try it; you might be surprised about how addictive trying to achieve a high score in a Resident Evil game is!