Safety's Off

For the past few weeks, the announcement of Resident Evil 5’s Versus DLC has created a sharp divide between gamers. Some screamed “scam” while others defended Capcom for expanding the game. Now that the DLC is finally upon us, which group was “right” in their assumptions? The claim that the game was a $5 unlock code is unfounded and incorrect, as the DLC clocks in at about 1.86MB. While this isn’t a huge file by any means, it’s important to understand that much of the assets Versus uses were already on the disc. This does not mean Versus itself was on the disc. The $5 you pay for Versus adds a bit of code (1.86MB’s worth) that includes a new menu item, an intro screen, Leaderboards info, a new lobby, and that’s about it.. Everything else can be accessed from other aspects of RE5, with Mercenaries being one of the primary sources of in-game assets. To the uninformed, this makes it seem that the game included Versus to begin with, but in reality Capcom was simply resourceful with its implementation of this particular DLC. With that clarification out of the way, let’s touch upon the mode itself.

While a competitive online multiplayer mode for a Resident Evil game sounds like a disaster, it’s not as bad as you might think. The stop and shoot gameplay is very much intact here, but there are a few safeguards in place to ensure that once one guy gets the first shot, you’re not repeatedly stumbling from the damage you’re taking. You will continuously take damage, but you won’t stumble like you do when hit by a Majini. During the time you’re stunned, your assailant can either punch you in the face, or you can recover, run away, and try to get a bead on your opponent from another angle. Close combat is, as just about everyone expected, pretty awkward. In order to play the Team Survivors mode (which has players fighting against each other directly), you really need to ignore all the things you do in other multiplayer modes, and not go running in guns blazing. Hunt or be hunted is the name of the game here, and whoever has the better shot will usually come out on top. One of the more interesting aspects of Versus is that powerful weapons are scattered throughout the levels (all of which are the same as the Mercenaries modes) and are designed to give you a leg up on the competition. What’s important to note about Team Survivors is that it’s not all about killing the opposition. Hitting an opponent racks up points, whether or not your opponent stumbles from the hit. So while the damage and stumble are applied to ensure that you’re not just shooting each other for hours on end, the more important task at hand is dealing damage with different weapons for points. Survivors is a battle royale consisting of up to 4 players facing off against each other much the same way as they do in Team Survivors. Is it fun? Yes, but it has its flaws. One on one battles tend to be a bit awkward, usually involving one party running away for what seems like forever, followed closely by the other player until a Majini interferes. Also, like I mentioned, shooting each other at close range can be a bit obnoxious, but overall, the gametype works really well. This is mainly due to the addition of the Majini while fighting other players. Honestly, this is the game’s saving grace. Without the random Majini mixing things up and distracting players, Team Survivors could have been a real disaster.

Then there’s the Mercenaries spin-off, Slayers, which comes in both team and free-for-all flavors. If you like Mercs, you’ll love this one. Slayers has two teams (or you and a single opponent) competing against each other for more kills in what is essentially Team Mercenaries. There is a twist however, in that you can damage your opponents to distract them, which adds considerably to the intensity. This mode will surely be a hit with the Mercenaries crowd, provided they plunk down the extra $5 to get it.

As it stands, Versus is a blast if you can accept it for what it is. It’s not the next Call of Duty 4 in terms of multiplayer components, nor is it even close, but it provides a fun and exhilarating new gameplay style that should greatly extend your play time with Resident Evil 5. Personally, I enjoyed Team Slayers a little more than Survivors, but both gametypes are definitely worth your $5. Plus, the music is just badass. Let’s hope that this isn’t the last DLC Resident Evil 5 receives.

The Verdict: Although a little awkward at times, Versus is well-worth the asking price. Plus, new achievements!