Even though many fans would not want to admit it, Resident Evil hasn’t always been survival
horror.
Years before Resident Evil 5 came along and turned many people’s beloved series into
a steroid infused shooting fest, there were clear indications that the series has always
wanted to move into a more action oriented direction.
A clear example is the Gun Survivor side series, and its entry on the Playstation 2, Resident
Evil: Dead Aim.
This is a game that tries to hold ties to its survival horror roots while also moving
the series in a new direction, kinda like what Resident Evil 6 tried to do.
The game starts a couple years after Raccoon City and on board an Umbrella owned ship which
has seen its own situation involving the T-Virus.
Most of the people onboard the ship have been infected, leaving you in a tricky situation.
You play as Bruce, a member of an anti-Umbrella organization, sent in to investigate the illegal
activities of Umbrella.
You soon met up with a Chinese operative and try to complete your mission while also staying
alive.
The most interesting part of the game is clearly the gameplay.
It is easy to see the beginnings of ideas that would go on to help define Resident Evil
4.
The game is played for the most part from a third person perspective.
Your camera will stay behind Bruce as you explore the large ship.
There are simple puzzles and situations you have to solve such as finding keys and figuring
out where to go next.
But things really take a shift when you engage in combat.
The game will then shift to a first person view and play like a light-gun shooter.
Obviously you have to stay still so you can aim with the right analog stick as the zombies
moans and groan their way towards you and you have to shoot them.
You will go back to third person when you move, so you can easily back up and escape.
It seems like a complicated system but it actually works fairly well and will become
second nature to you.
The game does have a great atmosphere, with narrow corridors that are both dark and creepy.
It gives a good reminder of old Resident Evil games but it is clearly more concerned with
the action.
There is more than enough ammo laying around that you won’t have to worry about that,
so feel free to shoot to your hearts content.
Resident Evil: Dead Aim made steps for the series that would stay around, such as a new
behind the back camera and a bigger focus on action.
But it is a worthwhile game, with the right amount of thrills and chills to keep any fan
happy.