Nintendo Switch Port Review: Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6

 

• Editor Note: This is not a full review on both games, but rather a review of how well the Nintendo Switch ports are optimised.  If you want to read our full reviews, links for Resident Evil 5 and 6 can be found at the end of this review.  So now that is out of the way, let’s talk about whether they’re worth your time and money to pick up these latest ports.

As we know, Capcom absolutely love their re-releases, especially when it’s concerning their beloved Resident Evil series.  Resident Evil 4 in particular is very critically acclaimed and has released on a lot of different platforms, perhaps more so then any other game in the series.  So it should come as little surprise that Capcom has released further instalments in the Survival Horror trend setter, this time for the Nintendo Switch with Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6.  We’ve already been treated with Revelations’ games, as well as Resident Evil 4, and the remasters of Resident Evil and Resident Evil Zero.  However, these latest re-releases are quite possibly the best of the ports that have made their way on to the Switch, and that includes the not so beloved Resident Evil 6.

It was quite surprising that when Resident Evil 4 released on the Nintendo Switch, considering how good the Wii port was, the Switch version does not have any motion controls.  However, that is not the case with RE5 and RE6, as they are both supported with motion controls and while they might not be perfect, they both add a great deal of life into the ports, especially if like me, you’ve played versions of both games on previous platforms to death on last and current-gen systems.

Visually, Resident Evil 5 and 6 both look as good as their last-gen counterparts on PS3 and Xbox 360, now that’s not a bad thing, because both of those games still look great to this day.  Naturally, when played on the Switch, they both look better on the big-screen while docked at 1080p, but the visuals don’t seem to take much of a hit when handheld, neither does the framerate.  Granted, the resolution does go down to 720p in handheld mode, but the smaller screen benefits the compression making the visual discrepancy barely noticeable, if at all.

As I’ve eluded too, unlike Resident Evil 4 on the Switch, both RE5 and RE6 take full advantage of the motion controls.  You can of course play more traditionally using the Joy-Cons combined in the grip or with a Pro Controller and that’s great, as you will instantly feel at home.  However, while using both of the detached Joy-Cons may offer more of a challenge with the motion controls, especially if you get a little disorientated during more hectic gameplay sections, it’s certainly the most fun way to play in my opinion.  Not only can you aim and shoot using the motion controls, but you can also use them to escape zombie clutches and even swipe your combat knife, which is pretty neat.  Just be mindful of your ammo resources, because it’s very easy to go guns blazing like John Rambo as you spray bullets towards the hordes of the undead.

I did encounter some issues when using the motion controls, but it’s more of a personal preference rather than a technical issue.  I like to play my games with the Y-Invert for aiming and also when using the free-camera.  However, quite oddly, when using motion controls, I prefer to have the motion aiming as non-inverted (default), but the free-camera as Y-Inverted.  Thankfully for me, Resident Evil 6 does offer that kind of flexibility with the camera and aim movements, unfortunately, Resident Evil 5 does not.  I guess this is a disadvantage of being an older game, as you can’t separate the Y-Axis for the camera and aiming when using motion controls, as unlike RE6, in RE5 it’s all rolled into one.  I know it’s unlikely that any Capcom developers would be reading this review, but on the off-chance that they might be, it would be great to have the same camera/aim options that are available in Resident Evil 6 via an update.

The main issue that I have with both of these games is the launch price of £29.99 each.  Granted each title comes with all previously released DLC such as the Lost in Nightmares and Desperate Escape expansions, Versus mode and DLC costumes in RE5, but there is also a new Mercenaries mode called The Mercenaries United which combines both the traditional Mercs mode and Mercs Reunion.  Likewise, RE6 comes will all additional multiplayer modes, costumes, difficulty modes and Ada Wong’s campaign is unlocked from the very start.

In conclusion, purchasing both games right now comes at a steep launch price of £60, despite me believing that these are the best versions of each game available.  Granted, RE5 and RE6 that re-released on PS4 and Xbox One, might be visually better as well as in terms of performance, however, just like what the Nintendo Wii did for Resident Evil 4, the motion controls of the Nintendo Switch adds another dimension to both titles and as a result, breathes new life into last-gen games.  If you are willing to hold-out, I’d wait until both games are on digital sale, perhaps at £20 each tops, but regardless, if you’re a fan of both games, the Nintendo Switch offers the most fun and definitive way to play Resident Evil 5 and 6!  Plus, you have the added bonus of being able to play them both on the go.

Here are our reviews of Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6.