Topic: Resident Evil 5 (Read 21095 times)

Nodaisho · « **Reply #50 on:** 17 Mar 2009, 19:14 »

...Johnny, are you trying to be the Devil's advocate here? Just wanting to know.

I don't really see how what you are talking about applies at all. It seems like your arguments are trying to draw people into debates that are related, if at all, by only the most tenuous of connections, debates that you can win, rather than ones that you can't.

This game isn't metal gear solid, we don't get a bunch of story and talking about anything more than what is trying to kill them next. We get a bit of the stereotype of hot worn-down Africa, with people dressed in a mix of traditional dresses and T-shirts and cargo shorts, but I think that part is accurate, at least for a certain part of Africa.

Seems to me like the issue at hand is that when we think of africa, we think of war-torn hellholes like Sudan and Darfur, child soldiers and poverty. When we think of the US, we think of an extremely violent dangerous city, or a bunch of backwoods rednecks named Bubba with their shotguns named betty. When we think of Russia, we think of a place permanently frozen and snowy, with grumpy and cold people and a thriving organized crime business. When we think of Scotland, we think of a bunch of loud drunk violent redheads in skirts. Everywhere has a stereotype, just not many stereotypes occupy such a large area.

Also seconding Ozy's question, which I think I asked, and I just now noticed you avoided answering. Care to answer it this time?

Johnny C · « **Reply #51 on:** 17 Mar 2009, 19:17 »

That's not what I'm saying, I'm not saying "Don't ever go to Africa." I'm saying that like any setting it has to be treated with concern but, like every other narrative form, games particularly have to confront the harmful colonially-minded depictions of Africa in the past and move past them lest they be considered irresponsible at least and racist at worst.

Let me break it down.

Fictional treatments of Africa were racist for hundreds of years, enforcing negative stereotypes about the people and the continent that can be traced back to the slave trade.
Fictional works in the 21st century, set in Africa, must take this into account.
Fictional works that successfully manage to avoid the pitfalls of colonial thinking are not racist.
Fictional works that do not successfully manage to avoid the pitfalls of colonial thinking are racist.

You can set games in Africa and they can be racist, or they can be not racist.

Johnny C · « **Reply #52 on:** 17 Mar 2009, 19:18 »

how does it have a "tenuous connection" you are an american in africa shooting africans

americans used to keep africans as slaves

martin luther king and malcom x, less than fifty years ago, were trying to achieve equal rights for blacks, who could not sit at the front of the bus or go to the same school or drink from the same fountain as white people because they weren't considered to be equal as people

america just elected its first black president who was accused, among various other things, of being secretly muslim, not an american citizen and also possibly the antichrist

race is still a concern! race is a concern

Nodaisho · « **Reply #53 on:** 17 Mar 2009, 19:49 »

And I believe race will be a concern until nobody can even conceive of it being a concern (like... actually, redheads still have trouble in the UK, don't they?), but that isn't the point.

So what, you are playing an American in Africa, shooting Africans? They would kill you if you didn't shoot them. You also shoot white people, one of the first minibosses is a white person, and I would say more, but since you haven't played or seen it, I don't want to spoil it unless you are okay with it. If there was a Postal-ish game with an American lead set in Africa, I could see your point, but not a game like this. I think you might have a bit better position if you argued based off of the main villains probably still being an American pharmaceutical company, so the Africans aren't important. But that isn't so much racism as it is the villains having been established back when the games were set in Colorado.

Ozymandias · « **Reply #54 on:** 17 Mar 2009, 20:08 »

Quote from: Johnny C on 17 Mar 2009, 19:18

martin luther king and malcom x, less than fifty years ago, were trying to achieve equal rights for blacks, who could not sit at the front of the bus or go to the same school or drink from the same fountain as white people because they weren't considered to be equal as people

And now they can be turned into zombies and shot like everyone else.

Equaaaaality!

Johnny C · « **Reply #55 on:** 17 Mar 2009, 20:37 »

I don't think the game is racist. Haven't I been clear on that?

Chesire Cat · « **Reply #56 on:** 17 Mar 2009, 20:42 »

Im actually having a hard time following you John, are you just debating the right for the debate to exist while taking the side of RE5 not being racist?

Alex C · « **Reply #57 on:** 17 Mar 2009, 22:12 »

I think he is and I agree with him if that is in fact his stance. I don't think people should shit all over RE5 until they've looked into the matter themselves with a clear head. Personally, I do not think the game is racist from what I have seen. I also see why someone might look at some screenshots and ask "Wait, what's going on here?" and I think it's a legitimate question for people to ask. Racism is real, it has harmed millions and sometimes that tension is used as a cheap stunt to play to an audience. If a performance artist decided to don blackface but used it to make a powerful, genuine artistic statement, that treated the subject respectfully I wouldn't have a problem with it. But if I only heard about the act, I sure as hell would have some questions on my mind until I saw it for myself; for all I know, the guy could just be a douchebag and a real hack. I also think even the artist would acknowledge going in that he'd be stepping on some toes and hurting some feelings when using such imagery. He'd be a fool not to realize such.

Avec · « **Reply #58 on:** 17 Mar 2009, 22:45 »

I feel obligated to tell everyone to stop talking out of their ass. Isn't the whole idea to talk about the game, not the controversy of morals?

Frankly, I enjoyed this game. At certain points, it might've felt a little on the short side, but this game is designed to be replayed and always done so with friends. It's one of those titles that I'll play for a week straight, forget about for another week, and start to play again the following week. There is a definite appeal and when talking about the genre of horror. Things could go two ways; the character is using stealth and one's enviroment as a weapon or you're given huge guns and friends to play with. I'd rent this game and then decided if you're willing to give up the sixty dollars to own it.

Inlander · « **Reply #59 on:** 17 Mar 2009, 23:46 »

Personally I can't help but feel that video game morality is an infinitely more interesting topic of conversation than video game gameplay.

Coward · « **Reply #60 on:** 18 Mar 2009, 01:24 »

Quote from: Inlander on 17 Mar 2009, 23:46

Personally I can't help but feel that video game morality is an infinitely more interesting topic of conversation than video game gameplay.

Then you'll love the planned 'Resident Evil 6: Mission to Auschwitz'. Chris Redfield, now working for a militant wing of the the KKK, puts reanimated Jewish prisoners out of their misery whilst in a search for a 'Final Solution' to the Umbrella problem.

It's possible this one won't get past the censors though.

Johnny C · « **Reply #61 on:** 18 Mar 2009, 02:06 »

Stop leaving this forum, mate.

Inlander · « **Reply #62 on:** 18 Mar 2009, 06:40 »

I've never played a Resident Evil game. Is this whole global zombie pandemic thing really called the "Umbrella problem"?

Coward · « **Reply #63 on:** 18 Mar 2009, 06:45 »

Yes.

That or Chris Redfield, along with Chris Brown, isn't a big fan of Rihanna.

Inlander · « **Reply #64 on:** 18 Mar 2009, 07:22 »

Is it okay with everyone if I call it the "Brolly puzzler" instead?

BeoPuppy · « **Reply #65 on:** 18 Mar 2009, 07:31 »

Sure. In fact, I think you should suggest this to the creators of the game. I'm sure they'll agree. Or they should, at least.

Blyss · « **Reply #66 on:** 18 Mar 2009, 08:41 »

o.O What in the unholy blue fuck has happened to the RE5 thread?

Christ on a stick, can't we stay focused for more than a page? Or are we all just poster children for ADHD?

Johnny C · « **Reply #67 on:** 18 Mar 2009, 09:05 »

We're focused on issues beyond the quality of the game! Sorry for trying to turn a critical eye on something beside the gameplay and the voice acting.

Alex C · « **Reply #68 on:** 18 Mar 2009, 09:47 »

The only thing that hits me as offtopic about all of this is the bitching about it being offtopic. Resident Evil 5's primary cultural impact may be contingent on how sensitive the developers are to the issue of race relations. That's not offtopic at all.

Melodic · « **Reply #69 on:** 18 Mar 2009, 09:50 »

Guys, it is impossible to be racist to zombies.

Alex C · « **Reply #70 on:** 18 Mar 2009, 12:38 »

Christ, didn't you guys read the Huffington post article? The term is disease challenged.

Dimmukane · « **Reply #71 on:** 18 Mar 2009, 13:49 »

Quote from: Melodic on 18 Mar 2009, 09:50

Guys, it is impossible to be racist to zombies.

You obviously haven't seen Last Rites of the Dead. People were DICKS to zombies in that movie.

Melodic · « **Reply #72 on:** 18 Mar 2009, 14:13 »

I am raceful to them.

Nodaisho · « **Reply #73 on:** 18 Mar 2009, 21:04 »

It isn't racist, it is vitalist. Of course, since these aren't the walking dead, rather the walking holy-fuck-what-happened-to-his-mouth, it might not apply.

KvP · « **Reply #74 on:** 23 Mar 2009, 08:11 »

Beat the game last night. It was pretty fun up until the last few chapters, when (minor spoiler) zombies start toting automatic weapons. This wasn't a gamebreaker along the lines of Manhunt but a lot of the fun of REs 4 and 5 has been holding off hordes of zombies in melee. Turning the game into a more precise Gears of War wasn't terribly interesting. Also uninteresting - the environment art towards the end of the game, as the more distinct African settings gave way to generic steel facilities and labs. And the last level was so ridiculous and inexplicable it might as well have been taken from Soul Caliber.

Darke · « **Reply #75 on:** 23 Mar 2009, 08:56 »

Not only was it ridiculous, but I don't think they could've made the final boss battle any more tedious.

KvP · « **Reply #76 on:** 23 Mar 2009, 09:22 »

Well all the boss battles (save for the one or two matrix-y ones) follow the same "shoot the brightly colored weak spot" template as 99% of shooter boss battles anyway.

AngelofShadows · « **Reply #77 on:** 23 Mar 2009, 10:21 »

If Capcom put other ethnic groups to keep the game from seeming racist, then they did a piss poor job. You only get multi colored enemies really in the first two chapters.

Also, since when is it fucking cool to sic a pack of lickers on you? If I recall from RE2, two of those things are a handfull with a shotgun. a bakers fucking dozen is un acceptable first time around.

KvP · « **Reply #78 on:** 23 Mar 2009, 12:07 »

I think it's less the perception that AIDS victims act like animals and more the perception that tribal Africans act like animals. You can read literature at least up until the end of Idi Amin's reign that bemoan the nature of the African.

dennis · « **Reply #79 on:** 26 Mar 2009, 05:15 »

Mercenaries mode is great, but it's far too difficult on co-op. My partner and I couldn't get through the first stage.

glyphic · « **Reply #80 on:** 26 Mar 2009, 09:52 »

I beat it three days after buying it and now I can't remember the ending. It seemed like it was much shorter than RE4, but maybe I'm just weird. Playing co-op is fun.

I have played RE4 through like 300 times and I love it every time. This one wasn't as fun for some reason. I can't put my finger on it, though.

Storm Rider · « **Reply #81 on:** 26 Mar 2009, 17:26 »

I haven't finished the game yet, but in my opinion the part where it becomes a more traditional shooter worked better than I expected, in large part because the enemies in RE5 don't take way too many bullets to kill like they do in Gears. Those sections where you have to take cover move much faster than the average fight in Gears does.

Blyss · « **Reply #82 on:** 27 Mar 2009, 14:51 »

Finally going to get to play co-op with my friend this weekend. I think it's pretty damned cool myself.

ackblom12 · « **Reply #83 on:** 27 Mar 2009, 16:50 »

I'm enjoying the hell out of this game thus far, and the only part I've had where the AI was an actual problem and not helping at all, was when you fight the Chainsaw Maniac. Otherwise she's been rather useful.

Just make sure she doesn't get her hands on a weapon that uses similar ammo to yours.

KvP · « **Reply #84 on:** 27 Mar 2009, 17:03 »

What you do when you're wary of giving your AI guns, what Yahtzee failed to realize you could do in his review when he complained about pistol use, is hold down B and set the AI behavior. With "cover" the AI sticks close to you and only uses its pistol. With "attack" it advances and uses the best weapon it has. If you're worried about ammo, try using the AI as a mule for the different weapons and give him all the pistol ammo. You might end up in a bind, but he won't waste what you give him (other than pistol rounds, obviously)

Darke · « **Reply #85 on:** 28 Mar 2009, 08:47 »

Why would you give away all your pistol ammo? I killed 90% of everything I encountered in this game with my pistol. By the last chapter it was so powerful I could kill enemies with two shots from a very, very long way away.

Avec · « **Reply #86 on:** 28 Mar 2009, 10:59 »

Quote from: Darke on 28 Mar 2009, 08:47

Why would you give away all your pistol ammo? I killed 90% of everything I encountered in this game with my pistol. By the last chapter it was so powerful I could kill enemies with two shots from a very, very long way away.

What difficulty are you playing...?

Storm Rider · « **Reply #87 on:** 28 Mar 2009, 14:46 »

I just finished it last night. It wasn't perfect, but my friend and I had a lot of fun playing it. I don't know if it was just me, but I felt like the QTE sections were much less forgiving than those in RE4, although they were much less frequent. There were several bosses in the game where the QTE section before the actual fight killed us more times than the boss itself.

Darke · « **Reply #88 on:** 28 Mar 2009, 17:04 »

Quote from: Avec on 28 Mar 2009, 10:59

Quote from: Darke on 28 Mar 2009, 08:47
Why would you give away all your pistol ammo? I killed 90% of everything I encountered in this game with my pistol. By the last chapter it was so powerful I could kill enemies with two shots from a very, very long way away.

What difficulty are you playing...?

That was on Normal (or whatever they decided to call it), but I started a Game+ on the hard difficulty and it was pretty much the same story. A few well-placed shots and they drop like flies. Bear in mind this isn't the original pistol I'm talking about. H&K somethingorother, fully upgraded. Even before I had totally upgraded it, though, it was without question the most useful gun in the game, with the shotgun following a little bit behind.

KvP · « **Reply #89 on:** 28 Mar 2009, 17:30 »

Yeah, it's a similar mechanic to the one that Capcom has used in a lot of its more recent games. Once you beat the game once, when you start again you retain all the weapons and cash you had at the end of your previous game. It makes the game pretty much a cakewalk from then on.

Avec · « **Reply #90 on:** 28 Mar 2009, 17:33 »

I played the harder difficulty from the start, I guess that should've been called normal. Anything below, just wasn't a challenge.

Darke · « **Reply #91 on:** 28 Mar 2009, 18:08 »

Yes, the normal difficulty is appallingly easy. I would get an S rank on almost every chapter, only slipping to an A if I'd been careless or was tired. Still, I've never looked to Resident Evil for a challenge; that's not what it's about.

Melodic · « **Reply #92 on:** 28 Mar 2009, 18:16 »

I've been trying to rent this for weeks. Not worth the $70 I'd spend buying it, but fuck if that same idea hasn't crossed every other person's mind in greater Vancouver.

dennis · « **Reply #93 on:** 29 Mar 2009, 19:15 »

Yeah, Normal isn't very bad if you're conserving your ammo. I would've S'ed everything except I took a lot of extra time hunting for treasure. On the first playthrough, my coop partner and I picked up 58 of the 64 treasures, but only 10 of the 30 BSAA emblems.

Storm Rider · « **Reply #94 on:** 29 Mar 2009, 21:21 »

Yeah, the BSAA emblems are a bitch.

I'm finally back at my apartment, and thus I'm on my own Xbox as opposed to on my friends when I played through the first time. I'm down for playing through the game again since I need to re-unlock Mercenaries and because I don't have any of the achievements on my own profile, so if somebody needs a co-op partner hit me up.

KvP · « **Reply #95 on:** 29 Mar 2009, 21:25 »

Yeah, definitely. Let me know when you'll be on. Weekends work best, I don't know what my schedule will be like during the week.

Avec · « **Reply #96 on:** 30 Mar 2009, 20:06 »

If anyone could help me finish part 5-3 and 6-3 that'd be great. I end up lagging out and not getting a chapter complete even after several tries.

Metus Engage if anyone's interested.

Blyss · « **Reply #97 on:** 05 Apr 2009, 17:08 »

I'm having fun with the Mercenaries Mode, though my attempts with Sheva garner a 'Maybe you should change careers' comment from the chopper pilot.

For some reason her being left handed really messes with my perception. I just can't get used to it for some reason...

Come to think of it, have there been any other left handed game protagonists? I can't remember any.

oh well, practice practice practice

Ozymandias · « **Reply #98 on:** 06 Apr 2009, 01:16 »

Link.

Blyss · « **Reply #99 on:** 06 Apr 2009, 09:20 »

lol - for a minute, I thought you were providing a link, but forgot to add the hyperlink - then I realized my mistake.

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Author Topic: Resident Evil 5 (Read 21095 times)

ackblom12