Resident Evil 5 has managed to jump to the next generation superbly with only minor stumbles.
The plot of Resident Evil 5 starts out quite simple. Chris Redfield, a member of the newly formed BSAA, is sent to Africa to stop what appears to be a bio-weapons deal. He is partnered up with Sheva Alamar, a member of the African sector of the BSAA. Like in all video games this relatively simple goal goes amiss and Chris and Sheva are now stuck in Kijuju to face unimaginable horror and to answer old questions which haunt Chris Redfield. The plot is great though despite its relative simplicity. For one, though it is predictable, it does a great job of answering series questions and it did scratch my perennial itch regarding the questions Capcom raised in the games advertisement. It's also well structured and it's never too much. There is not a lot of development in the plot early in the game, rather it comes later and this is to the games benefit. This game was not built for a 'Metal Gear Solid-esque' plot so I am thankful Capcom didn't make it more then it had to be. It succeeds though based on its faithfulness and cast of characters and this was really all it needed to please fans.
The plot is also well tied together with cut scenes which to say the least are brilliant. Not only do they look gorgeous but they also have great action choreography which is cinematic in quality. They rival some of the best in gaming and it's quite the achievement. The corny dialogue the series is noted for is still there but I love it, I'd have it no other way. In case you were wondering, yes there are quick time events in the cinematics but they are rare. They are very easy to pull off and they won't hurt your experience. I'd say the help the game actually since they force you to pay attention to what is going on around you and they encourage interactivity in the story no matter how trivial the effect the event has.
As far as the gameplay goes this time around, it's Resident Evil 4 with a friend if I was to summarize it in a few words. The game plays very similar albeit with a few additions to the formula to satisfy the cooperative component of the game. For one, you still can't run and gun which is something series fans will like, but newcomers might hate. When you want to fire a weapon, depending on your control scheme you'll press one button to enter an aiming mode, then another to shoot. It works fine and it helps to add that tiny bit of tension to make it even more of an adrenaline rush. To reload you have to enter this aiming mode as well and then you press another button. You have to be careful though since ammo on your first play through must be carefully managed. If you don't have enough you might find yourself stuck on a boss which might force you to go back in the game and play through in order to get more ammo. I never had problems with it though and once you hit your second play through ammo management becomes a thing of the past; this is especially seen when you unlock infinite ammo weapons.
The artificial intelligence in Resident Evil 5 is decent but not great. They tend to rely on swarming you rather then intelligence but hey, they are majini not super soldiers. Later on though as they become more intelligent you have to use a cover mechanic which works capably well though it is a bit jarring and off putting at first. These two points though are arguably the weak point in the gameplay. They are not necessarily bad but they are a bit, odd so to speak.
The game has many elements tailored specifically for cooperative play. For one your inventory is now shared. Rather then upgrading your inventory as you did in Resident Evil 4, you now have a standard twelve slot inventory. Your partner has one of the same size and you have to swap items between the two of you. Did I mention all of this is done on the fly without stopping gameplay? It actually works remarkably well and once you get used to this system it really helps add tension to the game and I am glad the team decided to put this feature in. Other cooperative play features include just various co-op events which you must have a partner to do. Like for instance the two of you pushing a bin out of the way. I sort of wish that this game had moments where it was just Chris Redfield as sometimes Sheva doesn't do anything; especially in boss battles. It's not a big deal but I feel that moments alone would have benefited the game by ramping up the level of tension and also allowing for scarier situations and confrontations. Speaking of Sheva, yes her AI can get in the way but it isn't often. Sometimes I felt like beating her, but minutes later I might love her because of her sniping abilities for instance. It's a real love/hate relationship which fortunately stays in the 'love' aspect long enough for me to say that she is a good addition to the game overall.
Another part of the gameplay is collectables which are strewn throughout the game. There are collectable jewels which you trade in for money. This money is then used to buy weapons or better yet upgrade a weapon which in turn gets you new weapons to upgrade and gain infinite ammo for. There are also numerous BSAA emblems which are easy to find with a guide. After getting all of those and some other requirements you can also unlock figurines which are actually pretty neat. These collectables may not sound exciting but I must say, collecting infinite ammo weapons is awesome and they allow for a lot of replay value. Going through the game with an infinite ammo rocket launcher is just, appealing, is it not?
The last part of the gameplay is the online component which is quite well done. The cooperative play though has some notable weaknesses which I feel are a shame. For one if you enter someone's co-op game, whatever progress you make in that game saves over your progress. For instance let's say you want to help a friend out while he is at chapter 1-2 and you are at 5-3; if you choose to help him and advance to chapter 3-1, this progress will save over your game. Granted, you can restart your campaign at the beginning of your chapter but come on, was multiple saves too much to ask for? Also the co-op isn't drop in and drop out, your friend can only join at the beginning of the chapter. This is kind of a downer if you need a friend right away for one point in the game. The co-op is still enjoyable though and it's good times with a friend. I just feel this issues bog it down a bit more then they should have.
The Mercenaries mode though is excellent and it's a lot of fun. Essentially it's just you and a friend if you choose in a certain level killing all the enemies the game throws at you with a periodic mini-boss and boss to fight. You can unlock new characters and new levels by earning higher rankings and let me tell you I've done this for hours. Mercenaries is a blast and it is especially fun when playing online with a friend.
All in all Resident Evil 5 has great gameplay and this is only complemented by the games superb presentation and structure. The game is only about 10 hours long on the first play through but it's very easy to go back and play. The game is also well structured with the perfect amount of enemies. Most importantly though are the boss battles which are to say the least epic. They come at the right moments and they are the sources of the greatest tension. They can be a bit easy though since they have obvious weak points but in the end they are all a ton of fun and Capcom really managed to put some neat design into these confrontations. The game also has some really great set-piece confrontations which will please series veterans. They are complemented by superb voice acting and music which both help to make these moments seem 'real'. They are actually sort of emotional and I really enjoyed these moments the most in the game.
Resident Evil 5 also a great looking game, in fact it could rival some of the 'graphics kings' out there. The game has great texture work and character models. These character models are actually some of the best I've seen and they are well animated and lifelike (albeit with huge biceps). The lighting is also great and all the environments have great variety. Sometimes I just had to stop to admire what was around me; it's amazing what Capcom did. The cinematics are also well shot as I said before. In fact the cinematics with quicktime events look almost the same as the CGI ones and that is an amazing feat. My only complaint is the load times that perforate the beginning of the game but they seem to dissipate later on in the experience and when you install the game, load times are practically none existent.
The game also sounds great. The voice acting is actually superb and though the dialogue is cheesy, it's enjoyable and reminiscent of the series. All the characters have a noticeable voice and this helps to make them all memorable even though some had very small roles. The game's score is outstanding and it comes in at all the right moments. It helps to add both emotion and tension in the game and it's well used and well done as a whole. Though some sound effects are rehashed, it's ultimately a small issue as Capcom added in a slew of new sound effects which make you almost forget the fact that you might have heard some of these four years ago.
In the end Resident Evil 5 is a game that is nothing but superb. It's presented well, it looks amazing, it sounds excellent, it has a faithful story which will please fans of the series, and it's a great action game in its own right. On one hand, there are some inherent flaws with the cooperative experience and some other smaller design flaws but the positives of this game far outweigh the negatives. Anyone looking for a strong single player experience, a rarity these days, should look to try out this game. Resident Evil 5 may not be the series best, but it is definitely one of the strongest.
The Good: Looks amazing, sounds great, has a great cast of characters, simple but faithful plot which helps tie things up, plays well considering this style was first used four years ago, great variety in the enemies, great action set pieces, good amount of tension created, enjoyable new inventory system, fun to play with a friend, great replay value, mercenaries mode is a blast.
The Bad: Some cooperative play issues, some sound effects are rehash, Sheva can get in the way at times, frequent loading in the beginning is a bit odd, minor design quirks.
The Ugly: While some may be turned off by it, Resident Evil 5 is a superb continuation of the series which will please both fans and newcomers to the series.