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Gun games are typically all very similar, with the most prominent differences being the graphics, and/or a small innovation or two, such as the pedal found in Namco's Time Crisis series. The Resident Evil Survivor game was just another one of these gun games, and it never seemed to capture the spirit and horror of the other Resident Evil games. Well, Capcom must've realized this (it was pretty obvious, wasn't it?) because their latest game, Resident Evil: Dead Aim is a far cry from the previous games in the Survivor series.
The most apparent difference between Dead Aim and other Survivor games is that Dead Aim is not strictly a first-person gun game. In fact, the game plays a lot like the games in the regular Resident Evil series. You'll explore rooms, search for keys, and pick up green herbs -- all from a third-person perspective. Yes, that's right: a third-person perspective.

Controlling your character in the third-person mode is far from a complicated affair. You can use the analog stick or d-pad to move your character forward, and to a degree, left and right. If you press too close to the absolute right or left direction, the stick (or pad) will then rotate the camera in the given direction. Holding back causes your character move backwards, and, by default, holding the L2 (or X) button and moving your character will allow him to strafe and sneak in any direction. The L1 button is used for strictly sneaking. This may sound a little awkward, but the system actually works pretty well.

Now this wouldn't be a Resident Evil game if there wasn't some shooting, and Dead Aim doesn't disappoint. But this is also where Dead Aim goes back to its Survivor roots and becomes a first-person shooter. The way it works is when you come across, say, a zombie you want to kill, you press a button to switch into first-person mode. After killing the zombie, you zoom the camera back out to the third-person perspective and continue exploring the level. Interesting, isn't it?

One of the big complaints about the Resident Evil Survivor was that there was no gun included with the US version of the game. While we don't know if there will be a gun included with Dead Aim, the game does feature support for Namco's excellent GunCon 2 controller. How is it? Well, let's just say that you've never played Resident Evil until you've played it using only one hand.

While we're on the subject of controls, it's worth mentioning that the game controls well with both the standard Dual Shock controller, and the GunCon. Each method is as functional as the other, so it really comes down your personal preference. Do you want to use a light gun or a controller? Actually, you could even play the game with both, using the controller to move your character around and then using the gun to shoot enemies and interact with objects. It looks funny but actually works better than you'd expect.

Unlike other light gun games, in Dead Aim, you also have an inventory screen where you can switch weapons, use items, and look at files. The inventory screen is almost identical to the ones found in other Resident Evil games, though it is simplified a bit; you don't have as many slots for items and/or weapons. And because this is ultimately a shooting game and not an adventure game, any items you pick up will not be put in your inventory screen and will automatically be used when you interact with the appropriate object.

The funny thing about Resident Evil: Dead Aim is that it actually plays a lot better than just about any other Resident Evil game, Survivor series or not. The stiff controls of the regular series are replaced with a much more intuitive and flowing control scheme that does have its faults, but is still infinitely easier to use anyways. Also, the difficult aiming from the adventure Resident Evil games is replaced by the first person shooting mode, which makes shooting enemies much more accurate. Who would've thought that the next game in the Survivor series would play so well, and in some cases, surpassing the original series in terms of playability?

Visually, Resident Evil: Dead Aim is looking pretty sharp. All the characters and environments are rendered in real-time, and overall, things look great, although a bit simple when compared to other Resident Evil games. Also, the framerate stays at an almost constant 60 fps, and the lighting effects are effectively moody.

With Resident Evil: Dead Aim, Capcom has taken a struggling series and done something very few companies ever do: innovate. The meld of the two control systems works well, and may be just what the Survivor series needs to make it standout in an overcrowded game market. But will Dead Aim provide us with the same shocks and scares that previous Resident Evil games have always served up?

Source: IGN

Dead Aim might actually be good. I'll probably end up buying it.