Resident Evil 5: Lost in Nightmares

With the recent releases of Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5, old-school fans of the series were a bit put off. Opting for a more action oriented, over-the-shoulder camera, Capcom revolutionized the way survival horror games were played, while also adding an increased focus on action to the slow paced genre. While they were both fantastic games, they lacked the atmosphere and general creepiness the originals captured so well. If you were on the disappointed side of the fence, then get ready for the first batch of downloadable content that has just been released for Resident Evil 5, entitled Lost in Nightmares. This content, when paired with the future patch Desperate Escape, is what will ultimately be found on the Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition due out next month.

During Lost in Nightmares you play as Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine during their mission to the Spencer Mansion. Parts of this mission are portrayed a few times during flashbacks in Resident Evil 5. Upon entering the mansion for the first time, fans of the first game will be hit with a huge nostalgia wave, as most of the Spencer Mansion seen in the beginning portions of the DLC is identical to the Arklay Mansion. The similarities don't stop there, as you'll soon be reacquainted with tricky puzzles, slow opening doors, and an eerie atmosphere that blends amazingly well with the superior engine of the newer games. Even a few early events are exactly like those in the first game. As a fan of both the older games and their newer counterparts, it was almost like seeing two entirely different friends hit it off.

Much like the other games in the series, a lot of the story is told through scattered journal entries. The story begins to come into focus as you find entries left behind by the former butler and his master. This is where Lost in Nightmares shines: the stories you read are odd enough to give you some chills while not encountering a single enemy. No, don't be startled, you eventually find something to use your bullets on. It's the build-up, the constant worrying about the horrors in the diary entries possibly being around the next corner that offers the most genuine scares.

And I'll admit, the first time one of the monstrosities revealed itself with a roar and a slam of the huge anchor it wields, I screamed like a little girl.

As I said before, the gameplay is incredibly reminiscent of the older games in the series. You'll spend much of your time fetching cranks, pulling levers, and pilfering crests. There aren't as many enemies as you'd expect from a recent Resident Evil and you literally fight the same type of enemy over and over, but the story and tension more than make up for these shortcomings. But, Lost in Nightmares does do a good job of keeping these encounters fresh by adding a bit of team work and strategy to the last few battles.

Unfortunately, the last boss battle is one of pure survival. Because of the enemy you face, your bullets do very little against his onslaught of attacks. Sticking it out long enough nets you a technical win in the fight, but leaves you feeling pretty pathetic. Soon after, the game ends abruptly, but not entirely unexpectedly for those who have seen the flashbacks in Resident Evil 5.

All in all, Lost in Nightmares did what it set out to do: merge the atmosphere and storytelling from the early games with the much improved battle and control system of the more recent ones. While you only fight one type of monster throughout the whole story, Capcom managed to keep it fresh and interesting. With two new characters to play as and a bunch of new zombies to kill in the new Mercenaries Reunion mode, Lost in Nightmares offers a lot of bang for the few bucks you spend and will leave you waiting earnestly for the next content pack.

Look out for the next batch of Resident Evil 5 downloadable content entitled Desperate Escape, out for Xbox Live on March 3^rd and Playstation Network on March 4^th. Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition, which includes the game and both of these content packs, will be out March 9^th in the United States and throughout Europe.

Likes

• Amazingly creepy atmosphere that helps shape the story.
• The newer control scheme meshes incredibly well with old school conventions.
• Fleshes out a few events that are important to the overall Resident Evil 5 story.

Dislikes

• Repetitive battles against the same enemy type.
• A final boss you don't really fight, but simply survive his attacks.
• Ends pretty fast, even during a first playthrough.

Review Score

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The review scale at LevelFortyT is between 1 and 5. A score of 5 is considered an amazing game, 4 is a well-done game with only minor issues, 3 is in the middle; not great, but not bad, 2 is a very problematic game, and 1 is absolutely terrible.