Resident Evil - Gold Edition (Xbox 360)

The basic game.

First of all the basic game is the same as the original version. This is the best Resident Evil 5 game ever in my opinion. It looks good especially in HD. It plays smoothly and is quite lengthy. There is a nice variety enemies and five or six bosses to defeat at various stages, including 3 confrontations with Albert Wesker, the 2nd of which I found hardest to beat. The final confrontation with him is actually quite easy when you understand how to beat him.

The game is given extra longevity by the various extras that you can collect along the way. There are 50 treasures, shields to shoot, a multitude of guns, which can nearly all be upgraded, and coins and ammo to collect. You also have a partner throughout the game, called Sheva. She is a great character who really adds an extra dimension. She helps dealing death to the bad guys and getting to out of reach places etc... Also once you have completed the game for the first time you can select her as a playable character and play through the game again. If you are playing with someone else they can control Sheva in co-op mode.

Each level can be played on 3 difficulties and there is a completion rating at the end each. Depending on how well you do you get coins to open up extra costumes, figurines etc... Once you have completed it on the 3 difficulty levels I think a forth one is opened up, but I haven't got that far yet.

Threre in also another game called 'The Mercenaries'. Basically you have to survive for as long as possible and kill as many bad guys as you can. You initially have 2 mins but you can earn extra time by finding the time extension statues. The better you do in the mercenaries gives you extra coins to buy more extras.

So if you take into account all the collectibles and the extra games etc.. this game will take along time time to completely finish.

The new features.

This gold edition contains some nice extras. The first thing i would say though is that you need to have an XBOX live connection to access them. They are not actually on the disc. You are given a code which you can use to download them from XBOX Live.

This is fine except that it means you can't get them without the internet connection. I think it might have been better to actually include them on the disc or give us an extra disc, as in Forza Motorsport 3.

As the new features are available on XBOX live then you can download them, if you have the original game, using Microsoft Points. I'm not sure how many points you need, (check on XBOX live), but I don't think it comes to 2100, which is the smallest you number of points you can buy in the shops. This way you can get the new features and have points left over for anything else you may want to download. I made the mistake of trading my orignal version in for £10 and buying the new game for £30. I should have kept it and just bought the MIcrosoft Points instead. Never ming eh!!! We all learn by our mistakes.

The new extras are pretty good but they don't add a great deal to the game. They include extra costumes, some more figurines, extra charaxters to play in 'The Mercenaries' game. The main additions though are 2 new short levels. 'Lost in Nightmares' is set in a mansion very similar to the one in Resident Evil 1. It does not take long to complete. I did it 50 mins on easy difficulty. Other difficulty levels do extend it slightly as you have to do more to complete it, but it is still relatively short. The other game is called 'Desperate Escape' involving two of the secondary !!! characters in the game escaping from the Uroboros Facility. Again it is quite short, but I liked it more then 'Lost In Nightmares'

So there it is. The original game is fantastic and the new features definitely add to it and extend the life of the game. An essential purchase if you don't already have the original game. If you do already own it then just make sure you choose the best way of buying the new stuff.

I bought this game for my boyfriend for his birthday. We played this on co-op, and it was fantastic! He had previously rented the game and played it on single player and enjoyed it immensely, so whether you're a single or a co-op player, this games for you! I had never played a survival horror game before, but it is so easy to get into and once you do it's hours of endless fun. This gold edition is particularly great because it includes all the DLC (downloadable content) for the game, including some fun outfits for your characters, extra levels, and more. Also, there are 4 difficulties, easy, normal, veteran and professional, the latter is unlocked after you beat the game on veteran. We've only played on normal so far, and its pretty challenging, so along with the numerous collectables and fun achievements, this game has great replay value. I would urge anyone who is thinking about getting this to just buy it! Brilliant game, great value for money, a fantastic purchase overall.

The main campaign while testing the patience in single player comes to life and the fun begins with a friend joining you on xbox live or system link to do the campaign in co-op.It is a change of country and enviroment from earlier Resi-games but the infected flesh-eaters are still there in numbers.I found the graphics very good particularly in HD,while the gameplay is a bit more action/adventure than survival horror at times.All in all though a great game.
The main selling point of this Gold edition for me is the mass of DLC-downloadable content over xbox live.Pre-quel campaign missions,versus modes,Mercenaries,alternate costumes for playable characters.All these seperateley would have cost £20+ to download so this Edition proves to be excellent value.Whether your a Resi fan or new to the game its well worth it-and with Resident Evil 6 due out later this year,its a great way to warm up for a load more next-gen zombie slaying!!