Resident Evil 5 kills classic typewriter saving
by Xav de Matos 
{ Oct 3rd 2008 at 12:30PM }
We all know gamers don't like when classic mechanics change but we're okay with letting this one die. According to 1UP, Resident Evil 5 has done away with the ancient mechanic of saving the game via in-game typewriter.Fans of the series will recognize the mechanic as an idea that changed executions throughout the life of the franchise but was always the core idea behind saving. Now, the entire concept has been removed for a more simple, dare we say Western, approach.
"I really like typewriters; they're really typical of the Resident Evil series," Resident Evil 5 producer Jun Takeuchi told EGM in the November issue. "But this time, the save system will be a combination of checkpoints and chapters." What's next for classic game mechanics? Regenerative health and no more health packs in Halo?! Oh, wait ...
Resident Evil 5 releases on March 13, 2009 for the Xbox 360.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
LOSE @ Oct 3rd 2008 12:40PM
I loved that about halo 1 and all the old shooters...
They should've kept the typewriter savepoints but replace them with macs... DING DING DING!!
Kabapu @ Oct 3rd 2008 1:06PM
... "But this time, the save system will be a combination of checkpoints and chapters."
... some of us liked the unique save system.
Scooter @ Oct 3rd 2008 1:26PM
exactly, Just SOME of you liked it.
pandlcg @ Oct 3rd 2008 12:59PM
That was on of the RE mechanics that drove me insane, so needless to say I'm pleasantly surprised with this decision.
Antagonist @ Oct 3rd 2008 1:06PM
It's official, Resident Evil is no longer a survival horror game. Limited resources have been chucked in favor of making the game more accessible with easy auto-save points and ammunition surpluses. Most of the classic trademarks of the series have been removed or defaced, and all that remains is a 3rd person zombie action title.
MowDownJoe @ Oct 3rd 2008 4:40PM
RE4 didn't have Ink Ribbons. It had typewriter save points, but no idiotic ribbons limiting your saves.
I would've been fine if they kept the typewriters (or some other object to represent a save point, like a payphone or something), but please... no ink ribbons! Even if they had an autosave at the end of each chapter.
bioadam @ Oct 3rd 2008 1:51PM
Nothing says action like manually saving the game every chance you can get or running through empty levels looking for health, ammo, and armor. I'm looking at you Half-Life 2.
DJcube @ Oct 3rd 2008 3:04PM
What's wrong with using a combination, like they did in RE4?
Synep @ Oct 3rd 2008 3:45PM
I thought the typewriter mechanic really made 'surviving' a key feature of the early Resident Evil games. You had to be immersed in the game and be ready for anything so as to stay alive until you found the next save room, and when you did find that room, it felt oh so good. It added to the experience. That's not to say it didn't frustrate the experience as well, but I think it was a fair trade off in the genre. Outside that genre, say in RPGs, save crystals can be just down right infuriating. With games so long, and areas so non-linear and expansive, and experience gained, you have so much to lose. With the RE games moving more towards action than scares, it does make sense to update. The games are moving down a new path, I only wish they would continue down the old path as well. Split the RE franchise into 2 series, one a survival horror and the other action. Maybe turn the action oriented series into something different all together, like when Devil May Cry was originally slated to be a RE game.
Kabapu @ Oct 4th 2008 7:37PM
"You had to be immersed in the game and be ready for anything so as to stay alive until you found the next save room, and when you did find that room, it felt oh so good."
Exactly!
Gloqwi @ Oct 5th 2008 8:19PM
Awww...I thought they were going to force you to write down a code that pops up on the typewriter, and then type it in again when you want to reload it.
I wasn't a big fan of the typewriter, but thank god they don't allow you to save wherever you want, It's the only thing that's keeping it a "survival game".....