No time to waste, faithful reader. I have tons of “Resident Evil” news to share and a limited amount of time to do it.

I don’t want to worry you, but I am in a bit of a predicament. You see, a nefarious rabbit snuck into my room last night and attached an explosive device to my leg. I will spare you the details of how the feud started, but if you ever think about painting a rabbit green as part of your homage to Bucky O’Hare… don’t.

All you need to know is that I have two hours before the clock hits zero. Pray for me.

“Resident Evil 5″ has divided the gaming community. Some seem disappointed with its all-too-familiar gameplay, while others claim that more of the same isn’t necessarily a bad thing. As a “Resident Evil” newbie, I really don’t have an opinion one way or the other. If the game is essentially “Resident Evil 4″ with new locales, characters, enemies and a cooperative component, so be it. I just want a fun, tense experience. Based on the demo, the fifth installment will be just that.

Though many critics have blasted the game’s control scheme, I found it to be rather appropriate. Granted, knife use was cumbersome, but I never found myself struggling to aim at targets or flee from danger. “Resident Evil 5″ is all about making your shots count. You have to be quick, but also precise. Run-and-gun gameplay simply wouldn’t allow that.

Oh, and Sheva? Well, when controlled by the computer, she was as useful as a blind, limbless senior citizen in a chainsaw fight. Might I suggest finding a human partner to play with?

Capcom’s Jun Takeuchi recently told MTV’s Stephen Totilo that the “Resident Evil 5″ demo has been downloaded by over four million Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 owners since its late-January release on Microsoft’s Xbox Live service. Sony faithful gained access to the playable preview in early February.

Those are impressive numbers, but certainly not surprising. The “Resident Evil” franchise is quite popular; its name alone was guaranteed to draw a lot of interest. Though, I imagine that many gamers downloaded the demo after the mixed response from critics.

The campaign’s length has also come into question in recent days. According to the staff of Xbox World 360 magazine, the game can be completed in 7.5 hours. The publication’s staff subsequently posted a picture of its game save, which you can view over at CVG. Just a note, Future Publishing maintains both CVG and Xbox World 360.

“We wish to stress that you cannot see all there is to see in Resident Evil 5 in under ten hours – something which the review makes very clear,” the publication wrote. “But the fact remains that the first run-through of the campaign is brief; especially when compared to 4’s.”

This news is sure to disappoint some, but I believe that a game’s quality is not determined by its length. Need I mention “Portal” and “God of War”?

“Resident Evil 5″ will be available in the U.S. and the UK for the 360 and PS3 starting March 13. Those individuals who have been delaying a 360 purchase might want to consider the red “Resident Evil 5″ bundle, which has been officially confirmed for a March 13 release. According to Joystiq, it will be packed with tons of goodies, including a red 360, a red wireless controller, the game and a 120GB hard drive. The bundle will also make its way to the UK, but unlike the U.S. SKU, which will cost $399, a price hasn’t been confirmed by the Redmond-based giant. Though, CVG was able to find a listing on Game. A “Resident Evil 5″ PS3 bundle will release in Japan, but has not been confirmed for other territories.

Of course, disgruntled franchise fans can always look forward to the sixth installment. Takeuchi has told 1UP that “a reboot is in order for the inevitable Resident Evil 6.”

Sources: MTV Multiplayer, Xbox World 360 blog, CVG, Joystiq, CVG, Gamasutra, 1UP

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