Is I Am Alive The Survival Title RE6 Should've Been?
I Am AliveAfter Resident Evil 6 was announced, some veteran fans got the feeling that in truth, RE6 was just another step away from true survival/horror. Those fans felt depressingly vindicated when Capcom said it just "makes sense" for the new installment to have more action.
But in looking at Ubisoft's I Am Alive, one has to wonder if this is the direction Resident Evil should've taken. Provided it's done correctly, the upcoming downloadable adventure could be an intense, white-knuckle thriller. An adventure that embraces the concept of survival in its most realistic sense, and also involves the immense amount of psychology inherent in such situations, is just crazy appealing. It's exactly the kind of progressive thinking we appreciate, so why couldn't Capcom have thought of it?
You know, instead of just mirroring Western themes, styles and settings, you could choose to flex that considerable artistic talent and give us something very new and very refreshing. Japanese developers can do it; they're just obsessed with mimicking the Western games right now. So yeah, more action. Of course. And it's true that I Am Alive suffered a development setback (it was supposed to be a disc-based title), so it may feel relatively thin in regards to refinement and gameplay options. But who knows? And besides, it's a fantastic and compelling concept.
"Survival/horror" may go the way of the dodo, especially if this new Silent Hill by unproven developer Vatra Games doesn't live up to the franchise's good name. We tolerated Operation Raccoon City as a way for Capcom to cater to those Western audiences with a squad-based shooter by SOCOM developer Slant Six, but we also counted on Capcom to deliver a traditional horror experience in RE6. And perhaps they still will; maybe the freaky, creepy elements will override the action in the new entry. But we still think they could've tried something riskier, ala I Am Alive. It could've been pretty damn interesting...
Related Game(s): I Am Alive
Tags: i am alive, resident evil 6, re6, survival horror games
1/24/2012 9:02:50 PM Ben Dutka
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Comments (33 posts)
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 @ 10:02:39 PM
We've had fantastic downloadable games this generation.
3 up, 3 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 @ 10:16:38 PM
4 up, 1 down
Excelsior1
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 @ 10:37:40 PM
I very much suspect Ubisoft cast I am Alive into the digital trashcan so to speak for a good reason. I have read they did not have a lot of faith in the game because they did not like how it was progressing during development.
Last edited by Excelsior1 on 1/24/2012 10:45:32 PM
1 up, 1 down
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 @ 10:40:24 PM
And by the way, this has nothing to do with I Am Alive's quality. It could end up getting a 2; that's not the point.
It's the concept that's the issue.
3 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 @ 10:50:37 PM
1 up, 0 down
Mr Bitey
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 @ 10:50:48 PM
You're overlooking some incredible games like: Ratchet Clank: QfB, Wipeout HD, Infamous, Payday the Heist, and countless others.
2 up, 0 down
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 @ 11:10:36 PM
And again, this is all about concept, not quality.
1 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 @ 11:34:52 PM
On that note though, spending $15 on Darksiders from PSN felt much more right than if I had bought it on disc for full price.
Stuff like Wipeout and R&C fall into that kind of updated-SNES-game realm that digital games seem to fall prey to for me.
0 up, 2 down
LimitedVertigo
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 @ 12:00:17 AM
Sorry for the delay in posting...watching Alien on Blu-ray.
This game has been in development for how long? Also this game is now Digital only release when it originally was going to be a Disk based game. I just feel a majority of the press surrounding it is negative and I wasn't impressed with the videos I've seen.
I brought up Amy as an example of a game that once had promise and people looking forward to it only to be let down. I'm not going to make that mistake with this game and I stand behind my opinion that it wont score any higher than a 7.5.
3 up, 1 down
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 @ 12:21:37 AM
1 up, 0 down
LimitedVertigo
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 @ 12:56:57 AM
1 up, 1 down
Fane1024
Thursday, January 26, 2012 @ 2:11:50 AM
I hope he's wrong, but I can see why he's got a bad feeling about IAA.
Last edited by Fane1024 on 1/26/2012 2:13:25 AM
0 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 @ 10:22:15 PM
Reply
Unfortunately that seems to be the mentality with all games now, which is confusing because now that we have the technology to entertain in incredible new ways we get the Hollywood treatment instead.
0 up, 0 down
LimitedVertigo
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 @ 12:06:42 AM
Hell a perfect example is the movie Alien. It is movie perfection but Fox chose to run it into the ground. I wonder how many people thought it would be possible back in 1979 for there to be a movie depicting the aliens as bugs used for WWF looking Predators.
As time passes all form of media gets saturated with shit and unfortunately the majority of the world is stupid and lazy thus the reason so much shit continues to sell.
1 up, 0 down
aaronisbla
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 @ 10:42:11 PM
Reply
It won't. Nothing personal to anyone who think it may be, but to think other wise is to set yourself up for some real disappointment
0 up, 0 down
Beamboom
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 @ 12:39:49 AM
Reply
0 up, 0 down
Russell Burrows
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 @ 1:21:33 AM
Reply
Survival/horror need not be only about zombies! i.e.
The book Vertical Run is a very good survival/horror tale the more so for turning a simple and trite mundane setting into a survival battlefield.
In another example of horror/survival thousands of planes fall from the sky......um wait need to get that script registered first at WGA.
0 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 @ 2:24:04 AM
Reply
6 up, 2 down
Beamboom
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 @ 7:09:43 AM
But I think they look like two very different games, gameplayvise. I don't see them as competitors even. I hope I am right!
Last edited by Beamboom on 1/25/2012 7:13:53 AM
4 up, 1 down
Excelsior1
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 @ 9:39:32 AM
Last edited by Excelsior1 on 1/25/2012 9:40:13 AM
0 up, 2 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 @ 4:44:09 PM
2 up, 0 down
aaronisbla
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 @ 5:38:35 PM
Linear shouldnt be looked upon as negative like some people use it as often times the narrative is tighter because of this. RDR was one of the few open world games that actually had a really tight narrative for it to be a sandbox game
A game being linear doesnt take away from the experience thats given when playing the game, at least to me. Not every game can be a skyrim or red dead redemption.
0 up, 0 down
Fane1024
Thursday, January 26, 2012 @ 2:22:19 AM
And I like strong storytelling.
Last edited by Fane1024 on 1/26/2012 2:23:45 AM
1 up, 0 down
Beamboom
Thursday, January 26, 2012 @ 10:33:48 AM
So those games are simply not for me. I'm not saying they are bad.
World: I hope you are right! It would be awesome to see nd make something else. They have proven they master the linear format. I hope they challenge themselves in a different direction now!
Last edited by Beamboom on 1/26/2012 10:49:44 AM
0 up, 0 down
___________
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 @ 3:47:09 AM
Reply
last time i checked i am alive does not have rabid flesh eating things trying to rip you apart!
whole point of survival horror is being severely under equipped to defeat enemies, but this really does not have any big combat moments like that.
0 up, 0 down
DIsmael85
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 @ 7:52:52 AM
Reply
1 up, 0 down
slugga_status
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 @ 10:10:52 AM
Reply
I Am Alive's concept is extremely intriguing. The game seems to be full of options/courses of action gamers can choose from. I just can't see this game being awful. The only thing that concerns me is the I've seen Third Person movement and I've seen First Person shooting. Only game that I know of that it worked in is MGS games.
1 up, 0 down
slugga_status
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 @ 11:54:24 AM
1 up, 0 down
Russell Burrows
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 @ 12:17:05 PM
Reply
How about the only weapons you have are mops, brooms and detergent and cleaning fluids versus getting to work at your workplace of years in a huge multistory building to find out that everyone and I mean everyone! wants to kill you??
Cool story for a good book and soon to be movie:
Vertical Run.
Now if some Game Developer can give us an actual game based on this then I will be happy.
0 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 @ 4:44:50 PM
0 up, 0 down
Russell Burrows
Thursday, January 26, 2012 @ 1:18:15 AM
Reply
I like situations where instead of a cliched story/situation we get something new and fresh.
For example Dean Koontz or Philip K. Dick wrote some good stories.
0 up, 0 down
LimitedVertigo
Reply
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 @ 9:38:34 PM