Yeah, that same wiener is there, saying the title, as goes the tradition.
My buddy and I played through both levels of the demo via the online co-operative mode and I have this to say: This is THE feature in RE5. What little the game offers in terms of new mechanics it makes up entirely for with the online co-op, if the demo is any indication.
My friend hosted each time and to join up, all I had to do was - get this - click 'join.'
Whoa!
From there, the play was seamless - not once did we experience any lag. It was pure, uninterrupted teamwork (or a stark lack thereof) from there on.
The demo comes with two stages - the town alleys and the shanty town. My friend and I played the shantytown first. The whole demo is essentially one encounter. You walk into a small building and you find yourselves under attack. Push bookshelves in front of the windows and take aim. For a few minutes, it's just a matter of keeping the baddies out. This was especially fun in co-op. You and your buddy are back to back, each watching an exit. Eventually they bust in no matter what, but it's fun while it lasts. Then you spend the rest of the stage running from a huge guy with an axe. He's scary. You jump from shack to shack, avoiding the RE5 equivalent of the ganados from the last game until your backup can get there. Five bucks says someone blows him up 10 minutes after the end of the demo, right?
The town alleys give you a more enclosed environment but provide an additional opportunity for teamwork, where the other stage is meant to more convey the chaos possible - and the level of confusion and intensity really is a few notches up from RE4's constant stream of gated rooms. This level feels more like traditional Resident Evil without giving up that more open feeling.
Where it shows off though, is right after Chris hoists Sheva over the gap so she can go down and unlock the door. This is also where you'll learn just how fun co-op is. As Sheva, you're right in the face of the infected, running and gunning - lucky you, you've got a machine gun. Chris, back across the gap, is pumping rounds through a sniper rifle. This separate-but-linked part of the gameplay, even more than running around together, makes it feel like a cooperative experience. Chris can't get down without Sheva, and Sheva could easily be overwhelmed without Chris' rifle work.
There's been a lot of debate over the controls. I'm sort of on the fence. I played and adored the hell out of RE4. I probably finished the game 8 times between the three versions (all of which I own, sadly). I think, though, that I prefer the new control scheme, even if it's flawed. Should we be able to run and shoot? A conscious decision was made to leave that out for the tension it creates. You're forced to choose between saving your life or ending your enemies'. I certainly understand the intention of it, but I can't help thinking that it' still feels a bit outdated. I just can't seem to get 100% comfortable with the controls. Here's hoping a few more face-to-face encounters with the ax-man will resolve this.
The one thing I WILL complain about without hesitation is the split screen. Online co-op is great, but I was hoping to have a good time playing this with my wife. I don't know if it's a technical limitation, or if the local co-op is just an afterthought - but words just can't describe. Check out the screenshot.
What's with the black space? We could almost fit a third person in that space! This is seriously irritating. There aren't any options to made it a vertical split screen, either. I wouldn't even mind just stretching the image across. If it's a technical issue, then something needs to be done to alleviate it. As it is, this just feels like a goofy consolation prize.
All the same, it's still RE and I still love it.
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