NFS: shift turned out to be a dud, and while i'm still going to continue with Red Faction: Guerrilla, its starting to get a lot harder and will require more time and effort; i'm putting it to the side for the time being. I picked up Resident Evil 5 (the first resident evil game i've ever played) and i'll talk about that. I didn't plan on playing Dues Ex, but during a forum debate the game came up as being highly reccomended. Its a game i've been wanting to play for a while but haven't had the chance to get around to, luckily the difficult task of finding the game was totally avoided when a kind user, who shall remain nameless i guess, gifted me the game through steam. I've had the chance to play both games enough to generate first impressions.

Deus Ex: Without a doubt this is a fine example of what a proper action/RPG can be at its best. At first i had trouble getting into the game due to its dated visuals, but after playing a bit i started really enjoying myself. Deus Ex really allows you to choose how to handle different situations; so far its been possible to approach almost any situation using either stealth or action, both of which the game pulls off expertly. The stealth is a lot like that in early Splinter Cell games, with electronic gadgets, computer hacking and lock picking a neccesity. The shooting works well to, although it is highly tactical and clearly not aimed at the run and gun crowd.

What really sets Deus Ex apart, for me anyways, is the insane attention to detail, and the way almost all of your actions affect how other characters view you and think of you. This became immidiatly apparent when during my first visit to the UNATCO (the company you work for in the game) headquarters. I was wandering around when, for no real reason, i went into the womens washroom. There was a lady inside to scolded me, and i left promptly. Later on, after the briefing for the next mission, the guy giving me the instructions said something along the lines of "oh, and stay out of the womens washroom; it emberasses UNATCO more than it does you." This just blew me away. Who knew that such a seemingly insignificant action would have any consequence whatsoever?

Finding flaws in this game so far has been rather difficult, and other than one oddity i don't think i could find any fault in the game without nitpicking to an extreme. The only problem i've had is that sometimes during combat, when you have hit a enemy AI soldier once without killing him, he will often simply drop his weapon and run around like a chicken with its head cut off. It doesn't happen all that often, but when it does it usually ends in me giving chase with crowbar in hand, causing for some rather comical sequences of events. This is in no way shape or form gamebreaking, but it does break the tension the game so regularly builds during stealth sequences. I look forwards to playing this game more in the coming weeks.

Resident Evil 5: I know many will have trouble believing that i've never played a Resident Evil game before, but i simply haven't. Until now, no game in the series has really interested me much. Resi. 5 look promising though, so i thought i'd give it a go. I spent the first 10 minutes of gameplay hating the game for its clunky controls and slow movement/turn speed, but soon i realized that these mechanics are no different than those in Dead Space, and i quickly got used to them. After settling in, i started enjoying things a bit more, and while the game is obviously flawed (the inventory system is so bad it hurts, Sheva is not a very effective teamate most of the time when controlled by AI), its still a fun experience. So far there have been some really tense moments, and i always feel relieved when i pop the last zombie head in sight open. The lighting and character models are rather impressive, but the textures are often very muddy and lack detail. It runs great though, so its hard to complain. I'd give Resi. 5 a thumbs up from what i've seen; it feels like a solid and generally entertaining action adventure game with survival horror elements thrown in.

In other game related news, i started playing Gears of War again, and am almost finished the campaign. I hope to have a review up within the next couple of weeks.