Originally released last year Capcom have now released this latest instalment in arguably the greatest horror franchise again in a new gold format which basically means you get the original game plus all the add on content that has been available as downloads only all at a reduced price. For those of you who didn’t buy/play it the first time this means that this is an extraordinary bargain, however for any of you that did buy it first time and have still got it, it would be cheaper to just download the two download packages separate. The main game has not been altered in any way. You still play as Chris Redfield with his new partner, the beautiful Sheva who has a very strange and somewhat annoying accent. The game takes place in Kijuju, a fictional region of Africa.For those who didn’t play it the first time basically As usual a biological disaster has occurred and a virus – codenamed Ouroboros – has been released into the population changing them not only into bloodlust filled zombies but also some very strange changes indeed involving tentacles and multiple eyeballs etc. Initially set in a dusty town, which like the rest of the environments in the game, has been beautifully designed with exceptional attention to detail, you see a mysteriously twitching sack which the inhabitants of the town are laying into with batons. You then come across an execution which ends with you being spotted and hundreds of red eyed Zombies coming towards you wanting to tear you limb from limb and feed on your body parts. The introduction of a new partner for Chris, rather than the lovely Jill Valentine, at first can be quite a surprise for gamers who have stuck with the series but the whereabouts of Jill and what has happened to her is just one of the things that you have to play this game to discover. Sheva is a very acrobatic replacement, whose skills come quite handy in some of the harder to reach areas of the game. The Ai used for this character on the whole is spot on, which means she never gets in your way as you are trying to shoot down the monsters and she also makes a good job of healing and reviving you when the situation demands it. She is however a little trigger happy and goes through ammunition at sometimes an alarming rate. Thankfully there are loads and loads of it to be found scattered around the levels which you can either pick up yourself, or get your partner to collect. The new setting of the game, Africa, actually is a good choice for the title. It replaces the squalid gloom of the previous titles for sometimes uncomfortable sun drenched landscapes that induce their own forms of paranoia in the gamer. Perhaps the main departure from previous titles in the series is that this one seems to be a little more action packed with higher octane big events that help to pull the story line along. Team work has been strongly emphasised and there are a number of key artifacts that must be found along the way. Several events are almost James Bond in their style, for example a breathless boat pursuit which has both characters having to disembark at various times to help the boat on its way. The strangest element of the title however, is the fact that you cannot shoot and run at the same time. This produces a sense of awkwardness and claustrophobia that was not felt in the series before and takes some getting used to.Another change is the inventory. Instead of pausing the game, now you interact with this in real time, so there is no changing guns etc as the Zombies are on you. You always have to find somewhere, at least slightly quiet to interact with this. This leads to some quite frantic swapping of herbs and ammo between you and Sheva at times. This also leads to instances where you want to eat one of the herbs found within the game and find you cannot, because you have no room left in your backpack and for some reason it has to go in there first – you cannot just eat it.The Ai of the Zombies and monsters is quite effective and leads to some very tense fight scenes throughout the game. Because the combat element of the title has become more pronounced in this title this leads to some quite exciting and adrenalin fuelled moments because as well as using the weapons found within the game you are openly encouraged to get up close to the bad guys and use some great melee attacks that are all dependant on precision timing with your button pressing. The two new sections were originally only told as cut scenes but now you actually get the chance to play them. The first one features Jill and Chris and their investigation of the Spencer estate while the second one features Jill and Josh’s escape from the Tricell facility. These two new sections add about an hour’s gameplay each to the game so they are possible to play in one setting.Of the two, Lost in Nightmares is probably the best as it features some great in-jokes and of course features the original duo of Jill and Chris as they check out the estate. Also included is the revamped Mercenaries mode which is basically an arcade like mode where players take on wave after wave of Zombies. This includes two more characters Barry Burton and Excella Gionne, the latter having some fascinating weapons for you to use to defend yourself with including a grenade launcher and a lethal backhanded slap. As mentioned earlier graphically this is a stunning game with beautiful landscapes, detailed buildings and excellent character design and animation. The music found within the game sets the tone of the action perfectly especially the song which occurs every time an enemy approaches. The vocal acting for the most part is excellent, especially for the major characters; despite the awful British accent Sheva has been given.The game also openly encourages repeat playing as dependant on how you beat the game, various unlockable modes and features become available. Overall this is an excellent package and for those of you that missed it originally this is definitely a must-have now. It is not without its faults as the “errors” that were in it originally are still here now and after the genius that was RE4 some people may feel a little bit disappointed with this sequel. Don’t get me wrong it is still an amazing title and with the new downloaded content as well is certainly a title that everyone should have in their collection, I just feel that the time has come, in these days of post – Dead Space that the game needs a general overhaul. Hugely recommended. | 
PS3 
