An excellent game that brings out the best and worst in co-operative gameplay. (Spoilers)
Resident Evil 5, therefore, had a lot to live up too and when i heard that they would be giving a partner to the main character, my heart swelled with joy. Now my friends and I could battle the hordes of zombies and crack addicts together! However, there was always a sense that perhaps this co-op mode would take away the one thing i had come to expect from Resi games - the sense of fear.
Indeed, when with someone else, every boss seems a little less terrifying, every monster that grabs you is a little less frightening and every dark alleyway with many nasties hiding and waiting for you is actually not scary at all... simply because with someone else with you, you know you can mess up and live to tell the tale, and knowing someone has got your back is a massive comfort.
So i'm afraid on the "fear" scale, resi 5 falls flat. Its simply not scary at all. However, the developers must of realized this and so there are virtually no moments in the game that are designed to terrify you... back in the days of number 4, i remember moments such as the time when all the sound cut off and you had to backtrack though a mental asylum. Now that was chilling. Instead of these moments, the game has gone on a new route - now the monsters are BIGGER and more badass than ever, leaving you looking at your friend and thinking... "now how the f**k do we win this!?" and this is fantastic. It almost makes up for the lack of suspense.
Also, the game avoids the cliché of the main two protagonists falling in love, which is fantastic as no-one really plays the game to see the steroid taking army guy fall head over heels for the beautiful partner he is forced to work with. However, the main plot line with Jill was pretty darn predictable, and perhaps the devs could have made it a little less obvious.
Combat is fun and action packed. The "real time bag" is definitely an improvement, however the lack of slots can sometimes become annoying - especially as a grenade takes up the same room as a rocket launcher! It is fun in the heat of battle rushing to give your partner another ammo pack.... and the sheer relief when you see their shotgun loaded and ready and the African tearing at your throat blown to smithereens. The game is not so different to Resi 4, but why would they change it? The boss's of the game are beautifully designed and are fairly challenging, i would recommend this game to anyone who enjoys felling large beasties and feeling proud after seeing their massive forms fall to the ground.
The storyline is... a slight let down in my opinion. Some of the twists are predictable (as mentioned) and none of the characters are particularly memorable. However, the inclusion of the "papers" scattered around the game provide valuable insights into the world of the game and are very fascinating to read - providing you are in to reading all the lore!
Lastly, the extra's are an amazing touch. Mercaneries mode is beautifully done and ensures that people will be playing the game long after they finish it. The "tags" you have to shoot throughout the game are challenging but fun to obtain, and once you have them all you feel a real sense of accomplishment, which is always nice.
So thats it - i would strongly recommend this game to anyone that wants a fun, but not particularly challenging game. If you have a friend to play it with, its doubtful you will put it down from start to finish... and if you dont... go pay the first person you see outside to help you play it... hey, you might meet your soulmate.
p.s - now graphics are improving and people are getting more and more realistic... is it normal to have a bit of a crush on Sheva?...wait, pretend didn't say that.