Resident Evil 5 is easily the most fast-paced and action packed entry in the series, so it makes perfect sense it should be the first to include a competitive multiplayer mode. A month after the game’s release, that’s exactly what Capcom has done by unleashing the Versus DLC.
By now you should have finished Resident Evil 5 as both characters, unlocked all secrets, and beat the game in under two hours on Professional difficulty without getting hit using only rotten eggs. That means you’ve also played Mercenaries mode, where 9 different variations of 4 characters (Chris, Sheva, Jill, and Wesker) are given a set amount of time to build up their score by quickly stringing enemy kills together in one of several different stages.
If the laser touches you, that
Now, imagine playing Mercenaries mode again, only with one or two other players running around who can shoot you. That’s Versus. The DLC adds no new characters, weapons, or stages, but rather two sets of new modes: Survivors/Team Survivors and Slayers/Team Slayers.
In Survivors, players earn points by damaging each other, and lose points for being damaged or getting killed. How you dispose of your enemies is key; for example, finishing an opponent off with a melee attack will net the most points (and, eventually, an Achievement). There are infinite respawns and the player/team with the most points after the time limit runs out will win.
Slayers switches the focus to killing Majini (in a completely non-racist way, of course), but players will still need to be wary of each other. I joined one ranked match and started killing everyone except who I was “supposed” to, making the game host quite upset. I thought it was hilarious, until I started trying to get high scores and other people began doing it to me.
Shotgun threesome.
Regardless of which mode you play, enemies will spawn as in Mercenaries, although creatures such as the lickers seem to be omitted. This adds an intriguing element to the mix, and bosses especially can cause a lot of trouble for players. The player-versus-monster-versus-player dynamic is what makes these modes more than just your usual tacked-on extra.
To artificially stretch out the amount of time required playing the game, unlocking characters for Versus mode requires them to be purchased in the main menu for an obscene amount of points. This is true even if you’ve already unlocked them all in Mercenaries mode, which seems redundant. It also means that if you spent all your points on infinite ammo for every last weapon just because you’re a completionist, you’ll be running around with an underpowered character while everyone is raping your face with Wesker.
Expect to get shot from a mile away. A lot.
Recommendation:
Regardless of where you stand on the morality of charging for something that could have easily have been included in the retail package, Versus does add a new dimension to the Resident Evil 5 experience. For $5, you get what you pay for though, as this is literally Mercenaries repackaged into a four-player competitive mode. If you’ve already completed the game 100 times over Versus will help you squeeze out a bit more life, but not as much as some new characters would have.
Resident Evil 5
System: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Find: Amazon - Gamefly - Goozex
All reviews are based on final retail code unless otherwise noted.
April 26th, 2009 at 6:08 pm
Yes, I love it. I am still dying to get my hands on a copy. Anyway want to sell me one used for cheap?
April 27th, 2009 at 6:54 am
“By now you should have finished Resident Evil 5 as both characters, unlocked all secrets, and beat the game in under two hours on Professional difficulty without getting hit using only rotten eggs”
lol, I wish I had the time!
I juuuuuust got my copy, and a friend of mine and myself are going to run through the co op. It will be fun to jump right from playing WITH eachother to playing AGAINST eachother.
April 27th, 2009 at 8:25 am
Hmm, this doesn’t sound so bad, even if it could have be a little juicer. I’ll look it up on the PSN and consider spending that five bucks I’ve been clinging to like a starving, desperate monkey.
April 27th, 2009 at 9:15 am
“I joined one ranked match and started killing everyone except who I was “supposed” to, making the game host quite upset. I thought it was hilarious, until I started trying to get high scores and other people began doing it to me.”
Oh. You’re one of THOSE people, sucking out what little fun was left in this POS. Remind me never to play with you.
@WITA
I honestly wouldn’t advise spending the money just yet - I have a feeling it will become free later on down the road, even though it should have already been. Honestly, the Mercenaries included with the game is fine as it is, even if you can’t play competitively. But it all comes down to preference, I suppose.
April 27th, 2009 at 9:32 am
Just when I was about to give up on the Resident Evil series, they released 4. So now I’m up for giving any RE game or dlc a shot :)Still haven’t played RE5 yet so when I do, I’m gonna tack this downloadable goodness on right away!
April 27th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
There’s nothing really fast paced about the game play. You walk, stop and shoot. It’s outdated beyond belief. Just proving how behind Japanese developers are, but you know what? Regardless, VS mode is fun! Go figure.