Product ReviewsResident Evil: Dead Aim (Sony PlayStation 2, 2003)

The BEST of the Survivor Series!!!

Graphics and Sound, 9/10: Generally pretty good. The cruise ship level that you start out in is well designed and sufficiently novel to be interesting even if you've played all the other RE games. The player and enemy character models are fairly well detailed, and generally pretty well animated. Like most RE games, this game suffers from re-using the same enemies a bit too much, but you probably won't notice your first time through. There was one non-boss enemy design that I thought was particularly substandard, uninteresting and poorly done. But on the balance, there was also one that I thought was exceptionally interesting and well done, too. Most are a small cut above average.

Gameplay, 8/10: It's a fairly standard Resident Evil game, perhaps even a bit less so. You'll do a lot of walking around, exploring rooms, picking up ammo, health and keys, and of course shooting zombies. There are no puzzles to speak of, except perhaps figuring out the weak points of the bosses given the clues in the files you find.

You have unlimited ammo (well, as much as you can carry from each safe room) for your handguns in this game. Given that it may be more difficult to accurately hit enemies with the light gun than you might think, this actually turns out to be a fairly good thing. I didn't find it unbalanced the game much at all, as a matter of fact the first time through I think the game would have been much too hard and a heck of a lot less fun without this. Of course, I do like my games a bit on the easy side, and I love plugging zombies. But ammo for the better weapons is limited to only what you can find, so game balance is preserved. All in all, I am quite happy with this design decision - they were quite wise to include it.

The weapons and items are not hugely original, but they're original enough. It's very nice to be able to get additional healing items or handgun ammo from zombies that you kill quickly and/or with highly accurate head-shots. It adds a bit more strategy to the game.

Story, 7/10: The story is just novel enough and has enough character believability to not be boring. The good voice cast and voice acting helps to add some interest to what otherwise might be a bit less fun. The pacing can be somewhat uneven, sometimes a huge amount happens in a short time, sometimes it feels like it's taking forever for anything to happen. In general you probably won't mind as there are plenty of other things to keep you occupied.

Overall, 8/10: My overall rating is not an average, rather it is my general feeling after having played the game through a couple of times. The combination of decent graphics and general ''good production value'', plus the novel combination of controller and light-gun at the same time, lift this game above the average and deliver a playing experience that is somehow slightly better than the sum of it's individual parts. There are annoyances to be sure - controls that I think could have been better, and a price tag that is probably a bit high, especially if you don't already own a guncon. That said, if you are a gamer who enjoys RE games and enjoys using a light-gun, you will probably enjoy this game as well. You could certainly do worse than this game.Read full review...

Don't overlook this game!

If you enjoyed Resident Evil 4 and honestly who didn't and have wished ever since then that their were more Resident Evil games like it and have not played Dead Aim yet then you are in for a treat. Now Dead Aim is not as good as RE4, not even close, I played Dead Aim long before 4 came out and I enjoyed it and when I played 4 I could not help but think that it owed a bit of thanks too Dead Aim. You begin dead aim on a luxuray cruise ship out in the ocean that has been contaminated with the T-virus and will eventualy end up at an old umbrella facillity. Right away you will notice that these are not your old clunky RE controls, your character moves similar too Leon in 4 in 3rd person and when you ready your gun too shoot it changes too 1st person too allow for pinpoint accuracy, sure the aiming takes a little getting used too but you will have it down in no time flat. Much like 4 their is also plenty of ammo so don't be afraid too unload and man is unloading fun, it is especially great too watch the zombies go flying in 1st person when you blast them with the shotgun. I can't say that Dead Aim is excellent because RE4 was excellent but dead aim is a good game that is well worth playing if your looking for a new RE4 fix.Read full review...

A mediocre game with a mediocre plot.

Resident Evil: Dead Aim is one of those games that as part of the lingering Resident Evil series, you just have to preorder. It has to be done, I so thought. Upon getting this game long ago I happily frolicked my way to the PS2, ripped off the plastic, and prepared myself for what was supposed to be a great Resident Evil game. What I found not only appalled me but forced me to set the game aside in a stack of dust covered games most of which I will never play again.

Why do you ask would a hardcore Resident Evil fan discard a brand spanking new Resident Evil game? A simple answer, the game was rushed and was horribly done. There I said it. Shame on you Capcom, perhaps you should listen to Nintendo's slogan "Quality not Quantity."

Now that my initial bashing of the company I love so dear is over I can start explaining a bit about the game. You only hurt the ones you love Capcom, you only hurt the ones you love. You play as "Bruce" who is a secret agent that is trying to capture a terrorist named "Morpheus" (no Matrix pun intended hehe) on one of Umbrella's Cruise liners where he has recently released a modified form of the T-Virus. From his position there he threatens to launch missiles loaded with the T-Virus to some of the worlds largest cities if he isn't paid a substantial some of money, so you have a bit of pressure you on.

Resident Evil Dead Aim starts out with an excellent introduction film that gets you prepped and ready to go into the world of survival horror. A great CG movie follows and then you are thrust into an environment that truly is survival horror because the controls are horrible and there is no traditional Resident Evil music. Some may think that silence is eerie but I prefer the music. Matter of opinion I guess. Anyway the learning curve is pretty steep on this one, not only do you have to learn third person controls that felt sluggish to me, but you also have to master first person shooting controls from a stationary position. This is easier said than done.

Regardless it is pretty easy to do once you play for a bit and the zombies are so easy to get by you can practically walk by them. I didn't fire a shot until the first boss. The CG movies are nicely spaced and nicely done I will give it that. After you're off the ship you go to another Umbrella ghost town so to speak and proceed to beat the game. Sadly this game was very short, just over two hours if you pace yourself. I also found the last boss to be insanely hard, not because of an actual hard boss but because of the horrible aiming controls. Perhaps it is better with a guncon please God. The ending was decently done and I loved the music in the credits, also wonderful idea for a continue feature kudos points for that Capcom.

Replay value is nil as I don't see why anyone would want to play it again but since it is short and sweet I guess you might want to replay it as the other character. This game is a nice attempt and would be an ok purchase for $20 or under I suppose. I will keep it just because I like the Resident Evil games but I must say I am a bit disappointed with this one as it could have been so much better.Read full review...

After finishing, new favorite of the PS2 era

I had been waiting to play Dead Aim for a long while, after playing the entire series and experiencing each game over a couple dozen times each. I did not know what to expect in terms of controls since my preference had been set on using the GunCon2, however, when I started the game, the controls were easy to understand and functioned properly and effectively. The atmosphere is strongest in the survivor series and has landed as one of my personal resident evil favorites. It may not seem like it is important but atmosphere in the ships cabins sounds exactly like they would have in real life. It may be a small little detail but the churning of the ship and air conditioners along with moans of zombies lurking further down the halls is very unnerving. Lighting is exquisite, dark hallways illuminated with a small flashlight makes for a unnerving experience which I can say I haven’t felt since my first time playing silent hill 3. Imagery is dark, people committed suicide only to return by being infected with the T+G virus,and B.O.W.s are close to body horror. Unlike Survivor, Dead Aim has original B.O.W.s and tyrant with excellent monster designs along with intuitive set pieces for boss fights. GunCon2 support allows for light gun experimental 3rd person/ 1st person movement which allows for better and precise aiming, however does not make the game easier since it depends on how well shots are landed. Story is compelling and original, set pieces for bosses and B.O.W. Encounters are excellent along with gun play which this game is heavy on, however, it still does have survival horror elements, such as ammo inventory and health pickups. The downsides of this game however are not as profound as Survivor, they include: short story, cheesy voice acting at times, and ugly in game cutscenes. The FMVs in this game are fantastic, however in game cutscenes are ugly and very rough around the edges. Voice acting can be cheesy and at times just bad. Lastly, the story is around 2:30:00 if it is your first time playing and admiring the atmosphere while taking things slow. All in all, it has become one of my personal favorites of the RE series for being atmospheric and horror based rather than Survivor being action paced. 9/10 for a survival horror game, 8/10 for Resident Evil game!Read full review...

Verified purchase: No

Great game that has been forgotten

While the graphics are less than spectacular in comparison to todays options, if you grew up playing these games when they were cutting edge, you will love it. It is possible to play this game with only the controller but it would definitely help to have the light gun. I only use the controller and while it is a little more challenging it is none the less fun. I thoroughly enjoy the gameplay and the story.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: calbaseball2000

Resident evil with a twist

If you like resident evil then you'll love this game you get to actually use a gun. Controls are hard to get used to it first but you jump into it. Very fun game for light gun shooters and resident evil fans both.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: second.sale

gives exactly what you want

this resident evil title gives fans exactly what they want, that is if they are asking for a first person shooter that strays away from the central resident evil story but still is apart of the whole resident evil universe. the game length is satisfactory, although i breezed through it, it presents both challenges and a somewhat captivating story. the game does have little connection to the central story but shines more light in on the umbrella corporation. one very notable thing is that 007 fans who play this game might find it a vert similar first person shooter story other than most of the enemies are undead foes. only thing not to like about this game are the quality of the sound sprites for the weapons and the cut scene conversations. i bought this game to expand my resident evil collection and widen the universe of resident evil.Read full review...

Resident Evil: please send more ammo

I love the guncon for my PS2, and I have been trying to get all the games that use it. "Resident Evil: Dead Aim" is a great title which incorporates the guncon into the game's usual play dynamics. The play of this game is unique, its no rail or stage shooter. There is no timer, no fixed frame where the baddies come for you. You move and act like in all other Resident Evil games: search the area for clues, herbs, ammo, maps and keys while trying to stay away from the zombies using the D-pad in your guncon. And when those zombies catch up to you then the guncon comes into play: you use it to aim and blast away at the baddies. My biggest gripe is one that many Resident Evil and survival game afficionados share: the bullets run out pretty fast. I know thats how all the other games play out but c'mon! its a guncon! Nothing is more frustrating than wielding a guncon and the ammo runs out and having to play hide from the zombies. The game is dark and the zombies seem to have rubber necks, the heads bobble from side to side which makes head-shots hard to frame. This game is as exciting as it is frustrating. Love to search, solve and blast away. Hate to hide and run because the ammo is out. A must have for Resident Evil fans but a pass if you like the unlimited ammo, timed-stage runs play of other games such as Time Crisis.Read full review...

Great game

I played this with a friend years ago and felt like playing this one before resident evil 2 remake came out and it came just in time and I enjoyed it. Clean copy looked practically new

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: inthezone-video...

Great game!

I just started playing this game and so far what I've played of it is really good! The graphics are great and the story is interesting. I would recommend this game to any Resident Evil fan or a fan of zombies.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: atomicwow