Review
Played on: Xbox Series X
Released: 2012
Released: 2012
Fast forward, to this year, and I was reminded that it was added to the backwards compatibility program on Xbox Series S/X, even receiving a framerate boost. Could it finally be okay to play and at the same time feel smoother thanks to the 60fps framerate? I decided to give it a proper chance!
To my surprise, I became a bit addicted. Sure, it’s an average looking third person shooter set in the world of Resident Evil, but somehow it’s simple, action styled, gameplay keeps you going right through. Especially, moments where masses of zombie's attack at once, giving me flashbacks to, and indeed probably intentionally inspired by, Left 4 Dead.
To my surprise, I became a bit addicted. Sure, it’s an average looking third person shooter set in the world of Resident Evil, but somehow it’s simple, action styled, gameplay keeps you going right through. Especially, moments where masses of zombie's attack at once, giving me flashbacks to, and indeed probably intentionally inspired by, Left 4 Dead.
Albeit, in a less confusing and chaotic manner than L4D, more the right pace for a zombie title for my liking. There’s also the cool twist of playing the bad guys here. You’re in a special operations Umbrella team, deployed to destroy evidence and collect samples for the company, amidst the zombie outbreak in Raccoon City.
If we look past the severely outdated, stop and aim, shooting mechanics of RE4 and RE5, and compare this release to RE6 and the two RE: Revelations titles, it makes a fairer comparison to when it was released. It plays better as a shooter than RE6, being more grounded and inspired by online third person shooter controls. Better so, than Revelations 1 too. However, it doesn’t quite reach the finesse of Revelations 2, which resides as the best shooting mechanics RE has ever had in my eyes. Mechanically animated, yes, but deliberate and precise, and somewhat the same goes for RE:ORC.
If we look past the severely outdated, stop and aim, shooting mechanics of RE4 and RE5, and compare this release to RE6 and the two RE: Revelations titles, it makes a fairer comparison to when it was released. It plays better as a shooter than RE6, being more grounded and inspired by online third person shooter controls. Better so, than Revelations 1 too. However, it doesn’t quite reach the finesse of Revelations 2, which resides as the best shooting mechanics RE has ever had in my eyes. Mechanically animated, yes, but deliberate and precise, and somewhat the same goes for RE:ORC.
With that in mind, RE:ORC works well as a solid shooter. Plus, it adds melee moves to the mix and the 60fps make it a far more pleasing play compared to back on the X360/PS3.
My main gripe about the gameplay, though, is the badly implemented covering system. This particular generation of games saw many a title steal the covering system idea from Gears of War, but in a bad way. It's clunky and works half the time.
RE:ORC is about taking a team of four Umbrella special operatives through various missions in a zombie infested Raccoon City. While the story isn’t exactly cannon, depending on your choices along the way, it allows for re-visiting recognisable locations and scenarios from RE2 and RE3, through a unique perspective. As well as meeting some of the familiar cast from those titles.
Overall, it’s not for everyone, you have to overly interested in RE to appreciate it's better sides, over it's average seventh generation shooter vibes. The fact that it’s not cannon, in some endings, may put people off. Butt being there, in the chaos of the burnout streets of Raccoon City, bumping into the heroes of the old classic RE2 and RE3, pleased me!
RE:ORC is about taking a team of four Umbrella special operatives through various missions in a zombie infested Raccoon City. While the story isn’t exactly cannon, depending on your choices along the way, it allows for re-visiting recognisable locations and scenarios from RE2 and RE3, through a unique perspective. As well as meeting some of the familiar cast from those titles.
It’s a neat way for the plot to work alongside the main releases, yet offer situations with character confrontations and endings that never happened. Technically, you can choose an ending that coincides with the cannon story though.
What RE:ORC pulls as a good card, is the feeling of traversing the actual city from RE2 and RE3, outside the typical indoors locations we're familiar with. Sure, there are many indoors locations present here too, but it’s on the streets the game shines. Car wrecks, havoc and burning buildings surround you in the night-lit streets and the number of zombies is dialled up.
What RE:ORC pulls as a good card, is the feeling of traversing the actual city from RE2 and RE3, outside the typical indoors locations we're familiar with. Sure, there are many indoors locations present here too, but it’s on the streets the game shines. Car wrecks, havoc and burning buildings surround you in the night-lit streets and the number of zombies is dialled up.
You're rewarded for shooting the hell out of enemies, and it’s all about having fun doing so. While, at the same time, receiving help and giving aid to the rest of your team. The gameplay and cooperative focus is clearly grounded in the fact that this is a multiplayer shooter.
RE:ORC even lets you upgrade stats like armour, damage and special abilities. As well as purchase new cool weapons between missions, with points you have earned massacring zombies. It helps keep the otherwise basic layout interesting and addictive. Each character on the Umbrella team has a special ability, be it to heal friends, attack or blow-up foes.
RE:ORC even lets you upgrade stats like armour, damage and special abilities. As well as purchase new cool weapons between missions, with points you have earned massacring zombies. It helps keep the otherwise basic layout interesting and addictive. Each character on the Umbrella team has a special ability, be it to heal friends, attack or blow-up foes.
That your're playing the bad guys is a cool and unfamiliar approach to a RE title, giving you some insight into the ruthlessness of the Umbrella corporation and their desperation to cover up what’s happening in Raccoon City!
The shallow side of the main characters, though, is that they don’t show much personality and are hidden behind gasmasks and hoodies. They're dark and sinister looking, but lack depth. I found Karena the most iconic of the roster, but then again RE: ORC isn’t really about learning more lore through cinematics. It’s about playing together as a team for the action, preferably with real friends, but the A.I: soldiers work fine too.
The shallow side of the main characters, though, is that they don’t show much personality and are hidden behind gasmasks and hoodies. They're dark and sinister looking, but lack depth. I found Karena the most iconic of the roster, but then again RE: ORC isn’t really about learning more lore through cinematics. It’s about playing together as a team for the action, preferably with real friends, but the A.I: soldiers work fine too.
I could imagine this being a lot of fun in coop, more so than L4D, as it relies mission structure and clear goals to the zombie slaying madness. A real cooperative player always outshines A.I. anyhow and could be even more helpful!
When I completed the story mode, I’d say 5-6 hours worth on normal difficulty, I was excited to see that there’s a second campaign. Featuring another special ops team. This time though, it’s the federal government team, aka the good guys. But the disappointment here, is that it’s a DLC campaign, albeit reasonably priced. Even as a collected price with the main game, it’s under half the price of a full game these days.
When I completed the story mode, I’d say 5-6 hours worth on normal difficulty, I was excited to see that there’s a second campaign. Featuring another special ops team. This time though, it’s the federal government team, aka the good guys. But the disappointment here, is that it’s a DLC campaign, albeit reasonably priced. Even as a collected price with the main game, it’s under half the price of a full game these days.
Well worth the purchase, as this second campaign is actually a little better, with a lot of variation in its mission tasks. Even with an overhanging threat from Nemesis thrown in! The bad guys campaign revolves around RE2, with Leon and Claire turning up at various points, and the good guy campaign revolves around RE3 with Jill and Carlos dropping by!
When it comes to the technical side, RE:ORC is nothing to write home about. It’s a very average X360/PS3 looking game. Lacking the flair of the top tier games of that generation. The colour palette is dark and toned down, with a distinct blue hue under the night sky. Visually, it begins mediocre, with the first level being a generic warehouse/lab location, with little visual flair.
When it comes to the technical side, RE:ORC is nothing to write home about. It’s a very average X360/PS3 looking game. Lacking the flair of the top tier games of that generation. The colour palette is dark and toned down, with a distinct blue hue under the night sky. Visually, it begins mediocre, with the first level being a generic warehouse/lab location, with little visual flair.
Luckily, the game moves outdoors and when you explore familiar locations, like the RPD Police Station and the Hospital from RE3, it shines a little more. The levels are fairly large at least, but usually follow a path from A to B. The visually most pleasing is way it depicts open streets at night and the familiar locations.
Overall, it’s not for everyone, you have to overly interested in RE to appreciate it's better sides, over it's average seventh generation shooter vibes. The fact that it’s not cannon, in some endings, may put people off. Butt being there, in the chaos of the burnout streets of Raccoon City, bumping into the heroes of the old classic RE2 and RE3, pleased me!
Add in the solid shooting mechanics, beside the bad cover system, combined with additive zombie slaughtering, it turned out above average for me. I enjoyed my ride as a RE fan, but consider its average presentation visually for newcomers. Stay clear of playing it on an original X360/PS3, when you can enjoy a more pleasing and smooth 60fps on modern Xbox hardware, or get it on PC.
