If you've checked out the recently released demo for Resident Evil 5, you've probably encountered the charming gentleman featured in the screenshot above. You've also probably died horribly because the controls are a bit wonky, and seem, well, old school, to put it nicely. (For that matter, what's with not being able to skip cut scenes? That seems so 2003.) Friend, you are not alone, just ask the MTV Multiplayer Blog.
Capcom only went halfway with “RE5″’s new controls. You can run and “look” simultaneously, but not run and shoot (”Dead Space” did not make this mistake.” In “RE5,” you still need to stop, line up a shot, holster the gun and run away. Even though the enemies in the “RE5″ demo are slow moving, they come in great numbers and often sneak up behind you. The inability to run ‘n gun combined with a too-close camera that obscures enemies not right in front of you makes “RE5″ unnecessarily frustrating at times.
After playing Gears of War 2, Left 4 Dead, and other highly polished, well tuned games, the control scheme of RE5 does leave much to be desired. One could argue that the odd controls add to the tension and sense of unease in the game, though. I hate to say it, but playing the demo moved this from "must buy" to "maybe on sale" for me. What say you, reader? What are your thoughts on the RE5 control scheme?