So Capcom and Microsoft and whoever else have earned some kudos in my book before the game is even out of the wrapper. Yes, style points definitely count and this 360 is FABBBBBUUUUUULOUS!

First off, you don’t want anything to do with this game if you aren’t going to be playing it through at least a few times, because the game is designed to give you a better experience the more you play. The high replay value stems not from any one facet of the game, because everything about the game is designed to contribute to continued playability. The cinematics are beautiful from the get go, and everything you would expect from the Resident Evil title – creepy, gruesome and explosively violent, more and more so as the game progresses.

The scenery in the game is all interesting, but some chapters are certainly prettier than others! The maps are rich in detail, and while you may find it counterintuitive for a game with any ties to the survival horror genre to take place largely out of doors and in bright sunlight, don’t be fooled by appearances. The path often appears deceptively easy, only to leave you running into dead ends and wondering where you could possibly have gone so terribly wrong, as you collapse into a bloody heap screaming for your partner who is nowhere to be found, off on the other end of the convoluted maze you so confidently blundered into. I can’t speak to the level of challenge involved in navigating Resident Evil 5 as compared to other Resident Evil games. But I can say that the maps provide players with a high level of variety in the scenery and the layout, which makes the process of exploring interesting and enjoyable, not to mention highly profitable in terms of the treasures and other goodies you can find.

These treasures, which include jewels, masks, gold, and other enticing items, are another aspect of the game which adds to its high replay value. Some treasures are hidden throughout the maps, while others drop off of certain enemies when they are slain. You may then choose to sell your treasures to purchase needed items like health spray, bullets and weapon upgrades. The weapon upgrades also add a great deal to replay value. The fact that the guns start out really frustrating and terrible is offset by the joy of finding newer and more powerful weapons and maxing out their upgrade potential.

The character outfits are decent enough on the first play through, but I have a feeling not many players will be switching back to the originals once they unlock Chris’ sexy S.T.A.R.S. uniform and Sheva’s bare midriff. The tribal costume you can unlock for Sheva is a masterpiece of gaming, and if you feel the need to dress her up, there is a ‘club costume’ option available as well. Honestly, you can’t experience the game in its true unapologetic glory until you’ve walked or trotted every inch of every map in Sheva’s high heels, with your loincloth flapping up to offer peeks at her very best assets. As I played the game for the first time, I was always conscious that, as soon as I was finished, I could unlock Sheva and have her prancing across my screen in HD – this knowledge fueled my lust for zombie blood, hardening my resolve to destroy everything that stood between me and this delightful creature. Granted she is always present as your AI partner, but it’s just not the same when you aren’t controlling her yourself, up close and personal. Suffice it to say, the designers responsible for Sheva should be very proud of themselves in my opinion. Very proud indeed.

Sheva is really smart and talented.

Speaking of the Artificial Intelligence in Resident Evil 5, it’s very good. It can’t compete with the experience of playing co-op mode with a skilled human being, but that’s not really a relevant criticism. The AI is very good at serving your needs in whatever situation you may find yourself in; all it takes is a little bit of planning on your part. Load your AI partner up with a good gun and plenty of ammo if you need some assistance getting through a tough fight. The AI will adjust their game play to suit the weapon(s) you provide them with. The AI can be a lifesaver quite often early on in the game when you have poor weapons and ammo is in short supply. Later on, when you have your choice of a powerful arsenal, you can use them as a mule for storing ammunition, items and weapons. If you feel that the AI is hogging too many of your kills, simply take their gun away and load them up with health spray – voila, you have your own personal medic. Essentially, the AI partner can be adapted to suit your exact needs and wishes. And if your strategy for getting the most out of your computer controlled comrade should fail, leaving you to your grisly death, you have the chance to make changes to their equipment and inventory before you head back into the fray.

Co-op mode isn’t just an option as for RE5 as far as I’m concerned, but the best way to fully enjoy the game. As much as I appreciate what the developers accomplished with their AI, the adventure truly comes alive as you battle alongside another player. Your AI partner is more than adequate to help you through the game if you are playing solo, however, so if you’re a lone wolf you’ll still have a great experience.

There are some elements in this game which I found a little bizarre at first, such as the library of figurines which you can unlock and .. look at? My first thought was that collecting figurines and looking at them isn’t something I want to do much of in real life, let alone in a video game! But on the other hand, the figurine library is all part of the system of points in RE5 which I actually like quite a lot. The game scores you on your performance in a chapter out of four possible grades, based on your kill totals, speed of completion, accuracy and the number of times you die. You are awarded points for your performance every time you finish a chapter. These points can then be spent toward the purchase of figurines, or unlocking unlimited ammo for different weapons, or what have you. So if you want to set some additional challenges for yourself there are any number of ways to do it; it’s really all up to you. This grading system is a nice way of rewarding skilled play, and it helps keep the game interesting as you find yourself playing certain levels over and over again. And yes, I eventually expect to unlock every last figurine and I’m sure I will be excessively proud of myself when I do so!

I like her a lot she's a good person!

Getting back to the topic of guns, I do recommend playing the game with a buddy who has all of the big sexy guns and unlimited ammo already, if you can. I know the Resident Evil series has its roots in the survival horror genre, but the fifth installation does depart from that. There are people on the internet who claim to play resident evil 5 solo with unlimited ammo turned off, but I am not nor will I ever become one of those people. I’m not about to be told I can’t use the biggest most powerful gun possible! Yet I’ll willingly use pistols in original left 4 dead because I’m hardcore like that. The real fun in this game to my mind is in getting your mitts on the biggest sexiest guns possible and blowing stuff the hell up. And there are some very big and some very sexy guns in this game to be sure! If you are a weapon fetishist, er, aficionado like me, Resident Evil 5 is chock full of delights. I never get tired of looking at my Lightning Hawk, and after you unlock your very own rocket launcher with unlimited rockets, your life will never be the same. I promise.

This is just a brief overview of the things which stand out to me about Resident Evil 5. If I were to attempt a really exhaustive analysis of the game, I’m not sure I would ever finish finding things to talk about. So instead I will simply offer some closing thoughts on the game as a whole. The more I play Resident Evil 5, and the more I think about it, the more I come to appreciate the meticulous planning and marvellous execution by producer Jun Takeuchi and his team at Capcom. Resident Evil 5 boasts a rich layering of elements which enable the player to bring many different approaches to the game experience: leisurely exploration, treasure hunting, speed runs, whatever takes your fancy at any given time. Even as you play the same maps over and over, there are many areas where you are able to make continued progress. RE5 is as solid an investment as any for gamers who like to know that they’ll still feel like grabbing it off the shelf and having another go at it every now and again. In that sense, Resident Evil number 5 has not rested on the family laurels, but has added its own distinctive mark to the great Resident Evil tradition. It is a standout in the Third Person Shooter genre, and a game well worth getting to know.

I went to the local Game Stop to pick up this luscious title, only to have the Assistant Manager tell me not to waste $30, let alone three dollars on it. I was in a particularly feeble mood and I caved in like a zombies skull hit with the butt of a shotgun.

I left the store disappointed, head down with my eyes on the ground, holding a used copy Ghostbusters. A copy that didn’t even work! By the time I went back to Game Stop to return the defunct disc, the price of the Ghostbusters game had decreased over $10 in price. Sigh.

The other night I decided to stroll into Blockbuster to check out the used game selection and there she was… for 14.99, Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad for 360. She was staring me in the face. Oh sweetie, there you are! I wasn’t going to let you go. Not this time, not for anything! I wrapped her in my arms closely (along with a Copy of Tomb Raider Anniversary) and spoke softly to her… “It is destiny that we are together at last”. As soon as I got home I plugged it in and I was instantly glued to the screen. And Okay, I’ll admit that I have a few personality similarities to an adolescent boy, but I can’t help myself… um boobs?

The game is sparkly, shiny and combines two– three of my favorite things: Zombies, Fashion and Incredibly sexy ladies!!! After a few hours of game play I decided to take another look at the reviews online and see if I could find a walk-through or two. I was appalled by what I saw! Critics didn’t just hate this game, they loathed it! The words “Sexist”, “Cheap”, and “Bad” came up again and again.

I really don’t see what is so bad about this game. If you have a problem with the game because of the targeted demographic, find something else to play! As for the graphics, we have to keep in mind while Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad was released in 2009 in the US, it was actually a 2006 Japanese release.

When we start to rate games based on our own personal bias instead of the demographic that the game was released for we start to see a major problem in the whole system of gaming reviews. Reviews like these are acceptable for a small personal review site where we see open sharing of unique paradigms.

I have trouble seeing reviews like this that reflect the opinion of an entire gaming organization. I was offended by the words published by Gamespot , “You can see sultry women in swimsuits for free on the Internet ” and IGN in particular “But really, if near-naked girls are what has you excited about Onechanbara, I’d like to introduce you to Google. It’s free.”. Ogling sexy ladies in a video game is drastically different than viewing 404’s when surfing through google image search for porn. What about all the prepubescent boys with Net Nanny on their computers? Special time revoked! Think about the children.

To see this happen on IGN, & Gamespot is disheartening at best. I was under the impression that they are supposed to be rating a game based on it’s actual playability instead of how it aligns with their particular interests, values or tastes.

This game has a very Japanese storyline. It’s super cute, uber kawaii Otaku candy. It’s goofy, and wacky. It’s the story of two sisters Aya and Saki!

Aya and Saki’s veins pulsate with Baneful Blood. A zombie outbreak fueled by this very same blood sends them out of their comfortable loft on an adventurous (and murderous) rampage. With only their swords by their sides, the girls go to put things right in the world.

Many of the other online reviews mentioned the storyline not making much sense. Hello! Has anyone seen Machine Girl here? This is a story of sex appeal, mindless violence and defending your honor!

I enjoyed the first cut-scene, it oozed sensuality. The shower scene did a wonderful job of leaving out all the naughty bits, but they kept it natural. No newspaper in front of the genitals here!

The game is very repetitive, which is fine! Much like Earth Defense Force: 2017, you will face mindless swarms of enemies that you take on again, and again! Mind numbing, but in a good way. It’s a great game to zone out to while enjoying some quality (albeit somewhat pixelated, T&A).

The music is awesome, poppy, and Japanese, it’s very reminiscent of FFX-2’s soundtrack (which in my opinion is an wholly underrated game with a terrible nonsensical ending).

There are several types of game play, Story Mode, Survival, and Freeplay (as well as a practice mode as well). Leveling up is kept consistent throughout the several types of game play. Normal needs to be completed to unlock higher game difficulty levels.

Different outfits and character modification aspects (eye color, hair color, etc) can be unlocked by completing different “QUEST” objectives. In “Dress Up”mode they didn’t skimp on the customization menus and controls whatsoever. It’s a really nice game attribute. The Quest objectives double as many of the XBL achievements as well. The achievements are somewhat tedious, so if you’re looking for a game to quickly boost your gamer score, this is not it!

I don’t think this game is perfect. I was extremely disappointed with the level of control when manipulating your viewfinder in the game. Annna (the third character who comes into play later in the game) is nearly impossible to play without targeting using the right bumper and even then shes just miserable. Point yourself in the right direction (if you can get there) then fire. You miss most of the time. The viewfinder isn’t that big of a problem with the two main heroines of the game. The hacking and slashing happens in every direction. You can access most enemies around you with ease, just pick your preferred move and use the left analog stick to guide your direction. If you have trouble use the convenient EDF like mini-map in the upper right hand corner.

Overall I enjoy the game, and I think it needs to be appreciated for what it is. Compared to many of the other games released at the same time, yes, it is lacking in a few areas. When we look at this game for what it is, a old-schoolish hack and slash adventure full of boobs and gore, I think it’s pretty darn great. 6.5/10 MP.