Desperate Escape Impressions

Way back in March, Capcom released the second of its downloadable episodes: Desperate Escape. Starring Jill Valentine and Josh Stone, the chapter follows the two as they make their way to the communications tower to relay Wesker's weakness to Sheva and Chris.

This chapter is very satisfying and as fully realized as any of the others from Resident Evil 5's main game. It is less about exploration like the the prior piece of DLC, Lost In Nightmares, and more about survival and quick thinking.

The first thing noticeable are the individual fighting styles of both Jill and Josh. Each place a new spin on the RE formulas and change up some old mechanics, especially with the melee attacks. Josh is a powerhouse and plows through enemies with a dash and Jill has a neat knee drop and backflip that finishes with some distance between her and her foes. Its these nice touches that help flesh out the two as stand-alone characters that have a legitimate arc in the RE 5 storyline.

Just like in Lost In Nightmares the weapons you find are completely randomized, with the exception of starting weapons. Since the two have not been stockpiling weapons like Sheva and Chris, it makes sense that they would be working with a limited supply. Never knowing whether you're going to be working with shotguns or rifles adds to the tension and reinforces the need to think on your feet.

This campaign feels a bit tough and is on par with the difficulty of the later stages of the main game. The skirmishes put you in tighter locations than you're probably used to, and Capcom has left some of the mission objectives little more vague by making them counter-intuitive to someone used to the previous RE formulas.

Finishing off a wave of enemies won't necessarily grant you freedom. Sometimes the events become impossibly difficult, sucking up your supplies and possibly spelling your doom. The key to survival is often found by thinking outside the box and devising new strategies for success. For example, the environment plays a big factor in deciding whether to hold your ground or make a run for it, something you will be doing quite a bit.

The finale places the two heroes smack into a Left 4 Dead like crescendo event and charges them with holding down a rooftop fort in one of the most difficult RE battles I have experienced in the series. This event is so tough, it is only comparable to a match of Mercenaries on its most difficult setting. Be prepared to see the game over screen a lot, but routing enemies and careful use of the supplies will yield results and eventual success.

Overall, Desperate Escape delivers freshly picked Resident Evil gameplay, served up hot in a challenging and fun new arena. I highly recommend this DLC but due to the high difficulty curve, I suggest you finish the main game first to get a feel for what you will be up against.